The man he killed
Thomas Hardy
 

"Ad he and I but met

By some old ancient inn,

We should have sat us down to wet

Right many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry,

And staring face to face,

I shot at him as he at me,

And killed him in his place.

"I shot him dead because --

Because he was my foe,

Just so: my foe of course he was;

That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,

Off-hand like -- just as I --

Was out of work -- had sold his traps --

No other reason why.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is!

You shoot a fellow down

You'd treat if met where any bar is,

Or help to half-a-crown."

他杀死的人
哈代
“要是他同我相逢在

一家古老的酒店中，

我们会坐下来，并且很快

会一起干掉好几盅!

“可既在步兵队伍里，

又瞪视着彼此面庞，

我像他一样，朝对方射击，

把他击毙在那地方。

“我射杀了他，只因———

只因他是我的仇敌，

不错，他当然是我的敌人;

这相当清楚;虽说是

“他可能认为：他参军

也像我是出于无奈——

或因失业，或已当光卖尽

找不出别的缘故来。

“对呀，打仗真古怪!

被你射倒的那对方，

倘酒馆里相遇，你会款待，

或帮助他半个克朗。”①

黄杲炘译

①英国旧时的五先令硬币称克朗。这也是欧洲其它一些国家的货币单位。