92. Stage Love

——A. C. Swinburne

When the game began between them for a jest,

He played king and she played queen to match the best;

Laughter soft as tears, and tears that turned to laughter,

These were things she sought for years and sorrowed after.

Pleasure with dry lips, and pain that walks by night;

All the sting and all the stain of long delight;

These were things she knew not of, that knew not of her,

When she played at half a love with half a lover.

Time was chorus, gave them cues to laugh or cry;

They would kill, befool, amuse him, let him die;

Set him webs to weave to-day and break tomorrow,

Till he died for good in play, and rose in sorrow.

What the years mean; how time dies and is not slain;

How love grows and laughs and cries and wanes again;

These were things she came to know, and take their measure,

When the play was played out so for one man's pleasure.

92　舞台之爱

斯文本[1]

当两人间打趣遣闷的游戏开演，

他演王，她扮后，比比谁演技高明；

笑柔润如泪，泪又转化为笑，

这都是她的追求，但不幸跟着来到。

无爱的欢乐，痛苦趁夜间悄悄进犯，

长久的欢愉中掺和诸多刺痛和污漫；

与半真半假的情人表演爱的游戏，

这一切当初她一概不懂，一概不知。

时间是合唱队，给了他们笑和哭的提示；

他们将残杀、欺骗、取悦对方，又要他死，

今天要他织网，明天又将网儿弄断，

直到他在游戏中长眠，在悲哀中退场。

岁月意味什么？时光如何消逝而又不灭？

爱情如何萌发，又笑又哭，然后归于消歇？

这一切她终于懂得，并把其价值掂估，

但此时为取悦男人而演的戏已经谢幕。

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[1]阿尔杰农·查尔斯·斯文本（Algernon Charles Swinburne，1837——1909），诗人，文学批评家。出生于诺森伯兰的望族，就读于牛津大学。主要诗歌作品有诗剧《阿塔兰塔》，诗集《诗歌与民谣》《黎明前的诗歌》等。他的诗讲究词采，富于音乐感。常常为了追求韵律的美而不惜牺牲内容。他属于诗歌中的形式主义者，主张为艺术而艺术。