墓畔哀歌
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
格 雷
Thomas Gray
格雷（Thomas Gray，1716-1771），英国十八世纪一位有重要影响的诗人。他作品数量不多，生前仅发表过14首诗歌，且他写诗并不刻意发表，40岁时就不再进行创作，转而研究诗歌史、语言、音乐、植物学、古玩和建筑史等，在剑桥大学任历史学教授。但他在诗歌方面的声誉却非常高。诗作感情深沉而复杂，用词准确有力，具有多样化的特色；他的传世之作《墓畔哀歌》兼具古典诗歌的典雅风范，又有抒情和感伤的情调，代表了新古典主义诗歌的传统，并预示了浪漫主义诗潮的到来。
晚钟响了，为逝去的白昼报丧，
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
牛群哞哞叫，慢慢地绕过草野，
The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
疲惫的农夫蹒跚在回家的路上，
The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
把整个世界留给了我和暗夜。
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
眼前的景色消溶于苍茫的暮霭，
Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
天地之间充盈着庄严的宁静，
And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
只有甲虫们嗡嗡叫，飞去绕来，
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
铃声昏沉，催眠了远方的羊群。
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;
还有在常春藤披盖的高塔那里，
Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower
阴郁的夜枭向月亮发出怨诉，
The moping owl does to the moon complain
说有人随意走近它秘密的住地，
Of such, as wandering near her secret bower,
扰乱了它的古老幽僻的领土。
Molest her ancient solitary reign.
粗壮的榆树和紫杉的浓荫下面，
Beneath those rugged elms, that yew tree's shade,
荒芜的草皮一堆连一堆隆起，
Where heaves the turf in many a moldering heap,
小村里简朴的先辈在这里安眠，
Each in his narrow cell forever laid,
各自永远在窄坑中安放了遗体。
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
芬芳的清早，轻风活泼的呼叫，
The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn,
茅草屋檐下，燕子的呢喃多话，
The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed,
公鸡的打鸣，引发回声的羊角号
The cock's shrill clarion , or the echoing horn,
难唤醒他们起身于长眠的矮榻。
No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.
对他们来说，不再有炉火点燃，
For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
黄昏里不再有主妇为家务操心
Or busy housewife ply her evening care;
没儿女咬着舌迎接爸爸的回转，
No children run to lisp their sire's return,
或爬到膝上去分享妒羡的亲吻。
Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
他们曾多次开镰叫庄稼倒卧，
Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,
他们破开了硬土，犁出了垄沟；
Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
赶牲口下地，他们是多么快乐！
How jocund did they drive their team afield!
叫树木折腰，他们挥动着斧头！
How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
愿“雄心”别讥笑他们有效的勤奋、
Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
家常的娱乐、默默无闻的天数，
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure ;
愿“富贵”别带着倨傲的微笑聆听
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
穷人们简短质朴的生平记录。
The short and simple annals of the poor.
门阀纹章的夸耀，权势的威风，
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
美色和财富提供的一切享受，
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
到头来总是那无可逃避的时辰，
Awaits alike the inevitable hour.
荣华的道路条条都通向坟头。
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
自鸣得意者，别怪罪这些村民，——
Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault,
“怀念”没有在坟头放上纪念品，
If Memory o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
没让教堂的走道和雕花的拱顶
Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
包容赞美歌洪亮颂辞的共鸣。
The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.
生动的胸像，刻着传略的骨灰瓮，
Can storied urn or animated bust
岂能把元气追回来，重返躯壳？
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
“荣誉”的声音能敦促尸骸复生？
Can Honor's voice provoke the silent dust,
“谄媚”能说服死神冷酷的心窍？
Or Flattery soothe the dull cold ear of Death?
也许就在这荒无人烟的地方
Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
埋葬着一度孕育过圣火的心灵；
Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
那双手，也许能掌握帝国的权杖，
Hands that the rod of empire might have swayed,
或者会弹奏出令人迷醉的琴音：
Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre.
但“知识”从来没有对他们展示
But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page
蕴藏着历史积累的丰富典籍；
Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;
冷酷的“贫穷”压折了凌云的壮志，
Chill Penury repressed their noble rage,
冻结了他们心中灵泉的流溢。
And froze the genial current of the soul.
多少颗宝珠含着莹洁的光彩
Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
沉埋在幽冥莫测的海底深处：
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear:
多少枝鲜花开放而无人理睬，
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
向荒漠空间浪掷了缤纷芳馥。
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
在这里也许埋着个汉普登村汉，
Some village Hampden, that with dauntless breast
曾挺身而出，反抗本地的霸主，
The little tyrant of his fields withstood;
或者沉默的弥尔顿，名不见经传，
Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,
或克伦威尔，不曾陷国家于屠戮。
Some Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood.
想赢得恭听的议员们热烈鼓掌，
The applause of listening senates to command,
对痛苦和毁灭的威胁加以蔑视，
The threats of pain and ruin to despise,
把富庶播撒到整个含笑的乡邦，
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
叫国人都来阅读他们的历史——
And read their history in a nation's eyes,
他们的命运不让：既不让美德
Their lot forbade: nor circumscribed alone
充分地发展，也不叫罪恶滋长；
Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined;
不允许通过屠杀而登上王座，
Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,
从而对人类把仁慈的大门关上；
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,
不允许掩盖良心承受的巨创，
The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,
不允许隐藏天真纯朴的羞惭，
To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
不许拿缪斯的圣火点燃薰香
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
去塞满供奉“骄奢”“淫逸”的神龛。
With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.
远离着疯狂尘世的尔虞我诈，
Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
他们的意志清醒，决不入歧途；
Their sober wishes never learned to stray;
沿着人生的幽静从容的山洼，
Along the cool sequestered vale of life
他们默默地走着自己的道路。
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
可为了使这些骨殖免受轻侮，
Yet even these bones from insult to protect
旁边还是有粗拙的墓碑竖立，
Some frail memorial still erected nigh,
点缀着蹩脚的诗文、走样的雕塑，
With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture decked,
请求过往的路人送一声叹息。
Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.
浅陋的诗人拼写的姓名、年份
Their name, their years, spelt by the unlettered Muse,
弥补了空缺的赫赫名声和挽词：
The place of fame and elegy supply:
碑上还留下不少圣经的引文，
And many a holy text around she strews,
教导着乡野贤士怎样对待死。
That teach the rustic moralist to die.
是啊，谁愿被沉默的“遗忘”掳去，
For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,
永远舍弃这亦喜亦忧的平生，
This pleasing anxious being e'er resigned,
离开这风和日丽的温馨地域，
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
而不恋恋不舍地回头望一程？
Nor cast one longing lingering look behind?
将离的灵魂依恋着深情的胸脯，
On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
欲闭的眼睛需要真诚的泪水；
Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
即使从坟里也响起“天性”的高呼，
Even from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
他们的烈焰点燃着我们的尘灰。
Even in our ashes live their wonted fires.
至于你，挂念着这些无名的死者，
For thee, who mindful of the unhonored dead
用诗行陈述他们质朴的事迹；
Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;
假如，凭个人偶然的深沉思索，
If chance, by lonely contemplation led,
另一位诗人来询问你的遭际——
Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,
或许有一位白发乡下人会讲，
Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,
“在黎明时刻我们见到他时常
Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn
急匆匆走去把露珠拂落在一旁，
Brushing with hasty steps the dews away
踏上高高的草场去迎接朝阳；
To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.
“那边有一株摇摆的老树山毛榉，
There at the foot of yonder nodding beech
它奇形怪状的根株纠结着隆起，
That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,
午时在树脚他躺下慵倦的身躯，
His listless length at noontide would he stretch,
凝视着旁边潺潺流过的清溪。
And pore upon the brook that babbles by.
“他漫步到林边，笑着，像是在嘲讪，
Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,
他自言自语，抒发着奇思异想，
Muttering his wayward fancies he would rove,
有时他神情沮丧，似孤立无援，
Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn ,
有时他困于失恋，或狂于忧伤。
Or crazed with care, or crossed in hopeless love.
“有一天早上，在他常去的山巅，
One morn I missed him on the customed hill,
杜鹃前，他爱的树下，不见他影踪；
Along the heath and near his favorite tree;
第二天早上，无论是沿着溪涧，
Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
上草地，过树林，仍不见他的音容。
Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;
“第三天，我们见到了送葬的队伍
The next with dirges due in sad array
唱哀歌，抬着他缓缓地走向教堂，——
Slow through the churchway path we saw him borne.
那边有碑铭，傍着古老的山楂树，
Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay,
你识字，就请你上前读读那诗行。”
Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn.
墓 铭
The Epitaph
这里有一位青年头枕着大地，
Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth
他从未受到“财富”和“名声”的青睐；
A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
“知识”却没有小看他卑微的门第，
Fair Science frowned not on his humble birth,
“忧郁”选中他，给予特殊的宠爱。
And Melancholy marked him for her own.
他待人慷慨大方，他秉性真率，
Large was his bounty , and his soul sincere,
上天也给他同样慷慨的报酬：
Heaven did a recompense as largely send:
对“苦难”，他给予全部所有：一掬泪，
He gave to Misery all he had, a tear,
从上天他得了全部所求：好朋友。
He gained from Heaven ('twas all he wished) a friend.
再不用试图去表彰他的功德，
No farther seek his merits to disclose ,
也别从黑穴里把他的弱点揭开，
Or draw his frailties from their dread abode
（两者都在颤抖的希望中歇着，） ?
(There they alike in trembling hope repose),
那黑穴就是天父和上帝的胸怀。
The bosom of his Father and his God.
