LESSON 27 The Retreat of the French Army from Moscow

第二十七课 法国军队从莫斯科撤退

Magnificence of ruin! what has Time,

这片宏伟的废墟啊！经历了历史的消磨，

In all it ever gazed upon of war,

观望了无数次战争，

Of the wild rage of storm, or deadly clime,

曾在狂野的风暴中屹立，曾在致命的气候下喘息

Seen, with that battle's vengeance to compare?

看哪！相比那场复仇之战，这又算得了什么？

How glorious shone the invaders' pomp afar!

侵略者们排场隆重，气势恢宏！

Like pampered lions from the spoil they came:

他们来了，就像一群放纵娇惯的狮子：

The land before them silence and despair,

他们眼下的土地沉默而绝望，

The land behind them massacre and flame.

他们身后的土地惨败而火红

Blood will have tenfold blood! What are they now? —A name.

大片大片的血啊，一层盖过一层！那些死去的士兵呢？——只留下不被遗忘的名字

Homeward by hundred thousands, column deep,

归途千万里，还是只将名字留在这圆柱之上吧，

Broad square, loose squadron, rolling like the flood,

宽阔的广场，散乱的队伍，像洪水一样涌动着

When mighty torrents from their channels leap,

当他们水渠里的洪流翻滚跳跃

Rushed through the land the haughty multitude,

傲慢的人群在这片土地上穿梭，

Billow on endless billow: on through wood,

无边的巨浪一波未停，一波又起：穿过茂密的树林

O'er rugged hill, down sunless, marshy vale,

跃过崎岖的山丘，下过阴暗的沼泽，

The death-devoted moved, to clangour rude

那不惧死亡的步伐，发出粗鲁的丁当声

Of drum and horn, and dissonant clash of mail.

夹杂着战鼓声和号角声，还有那盔甲刺耳的碰撞声。

Glancing disastrous light before that sunbeam pale.

在日光暗淡之前凝视着那毁灭的光亮

Again they reached thee, Borodino!

他们又来了，波罗底诺！

Still upon the loaded soil the carnage lay,

这片再次承载了屠杀的沉重的土地，

The human harvest, now stark, stiff, and chill;

曾经收获庄稼的土地，此刻已经变得荒凉、破碎、寒冷；

Friend, foe, stretched thick together, clay to clay.

敌我的尸体落在一起，用泥土一层又一层覆盖。

In vain the startled legions burst away—

受惊的军队急速四散——

The land was all one naked sepulchre:

土地变成了坟墓

The shrinking eye still glanced on grim Decay;

眼睛渐渐无法睁开，眼神涣散

Still did the hoof and heel their passage tear

蹄和踵撕裂的战马还在前行

Through cloven helms and arms, and corses mouldering drear.

穿过劈开的头盔和断肢残骸，穿过崩塌的沉寂

The field was as they left it; fosse and fort

战场还是那个战场；护城河和城堡

Streaming with slaughter still, but desolate—

仍旧流着屠杀的血液，只不过，是更荒凉了——

The cannon flung dismantled by its port:

大炮被端口猛地震裂：

Each knew the mound, the black ravine whose strait

他们都还认得那个土堆，那片黑色的峡谷

Was won and lost, and thronged with dead, till Fate Had fixed upon the victor—half undone.

是胜利和失败的交锋之地，尸体遍野，直到命运认定了胜利者——走完了人生一半的旅程。

There was the hill from which their eyes elate

那些在他们眼里欢欣雀跃的山丘

Had seen the burst of Moscow's golden zone:

见证了莫斯科黄金地带的爆发：

But Death was at their heels—they shuddered and rushed on.

只是死神已经离他们很近——他们颤抖着向前冲去。