阿尔弗雷德·普鲁弗罗克的情歌
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
艾略特
Thomas S. Eliot
艾略特（Thomas S. Eliot，1888-1965），二十世纪重要的现代主义诗人、文艺批评家和剧作家，对二十世纪现代主义文学和文艺批评产生重大影响。生于美国密苏里州，后定居英国。1915年，他发表重要诗作《阿尔弗雷德·普鲁弗罗克的情歌》，通过一个中年知识分子的内心独白，运用现代日常生活中的多种意象与古典意象的迭加，表现了现代知识分子彷徨、苦闷而空虚的心态。1922年，他发表代表作《荒原》（1922），将整个现代西方社会描绘成一片精神的荒漠，预示了人类文明在进入二十世纪时所遇到的全面危机。
假如我想到我在跟一个
S' io credesse che mia risposta fosse
能回到阳间去的人答话，
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
那么火焰就不会再闪动。
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
但既然（只要我所闻是真）
Ma per cio cche giammai di questo fondo
从来就没人从此地生还，
non torno vivo alcun, s' i' odo il vero,
我就回答你而不怕蒙恶名。
senza tema d' infamia ti rispondo.
那么，我们走吧，你和我一起，
Let us go then, you and I,
乘着黄昏正伸展向无际，
When the evening is spread out against the sky
像病人用乙醚麻醉在手术台上；
Like a patient etherised upon a table;
我们走吧，穿过几条凄情冷落的街巷，
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
走过夜夜不安的便宜过夜栈房，
The muttering retreats
有人窃窃私语的僻静地方，
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
走过满地牡蛎壳粉，木屑地板的饭馆，
And sawdust restaurants with oyster shells:
街道相连，像单调乏味的论辩
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
带有阴险的用心
Of insidious intent
把你引向一个压倒一切的大难题……
To lead you to an overwhelming question…
哎，不要问，“是什么问题？”
Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?'
我们走，我们去访问。
Let us go and make our visit.
房间里女士们来来往往，
In the room the women come and go
谈论着米开朗基罗巨匠。
Talking of Michelangelo.
黄色雾在窗玻璃上蹭它的背，
The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
黄色烟在窗玻璃上蹭它的嘴，
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
把舌头舔进黄昏的角落，
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
徘徊在即将干涸的池塘边，
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
让落自烟囱的煤灰落上它的背，
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
它溜过露台，突然一跃，
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
看到这正是温馨的十月之夜，
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
便蜷伏在房子附近，沉沉入睡。
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.
确实的，会有时间
And indeed there will be time
让沿街滑行的黄色烟
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
在窗玻璃上蹭它的背；
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes:
会有时间，会有时间
There will be time, there will be time
准备一副脸去会见你要会见的那些脸；
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
会有时间去谋杀，去创造，
There will be time to murder and create,
有时间让逐日劳动的胼手胝足
And time for all the works and days of hands
拿起一个问题再放进你的盘子里；
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
有时间给你，有时间给我，
Time for you and time for me,
有时间迟疑不决一百遍，
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
看见一百种幻象和幻象的变易，
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
然后吃吐司，用茶点。
Before the taking of a toast and tea.
在房间里女士们来来往往，
In the room the women come and go
谈论着米开朗基罗巨匠。
Talking of Michelangelo.
确实的，还会有时间
And indeed there will be time
提疑问：“我敢不敢？”“我敢不敢？”
To wonder, 'Do I dare?' and, 'Do I dare?'
有时间转过身，下楼梯，
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
露一块秃顶在我头发的中间——
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair—
（她们会说：“他头发怎么越来越稀！”）
(They will say: 'How his hair is growing thin!')
我的晨燕尾服，领子顶下巴，笔挺，
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,
我的领带精致而文雅，用一只简朴的别针固定——
My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin—
（她们会说：“他的胳膊腿怎么那么细！”）
(They will say: 'But how his arms and legs are thin!')
我敢不敢
Do I dare
把这个宇宙搅乱？
Disturb the universe?
一分钟内有时间
In a minute there is time
做决定，改决定，一分钟内再倒转。
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse .
我已经熟悉了她们，熟悉了她们全部——
For I have known them all already, known them all—
熟悉了一个个黄昏，上午和下午，
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
我已用咖啡勺量走了我的寸寸生命，
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
我熟悉远处房间里传来的音乐声底层
I know the voices dying with a dying fall
有说话声越来越微弱直到消失。
Beneath the music from a farther room.
我怎能擅自行事？
So how should I presume?
我已经熟悉了那些眼睛，熟悉了眼睛全部——
And I have known the eyes already, known them all—
那眼睛用一句公式化词语把你固定住，
The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,
当我被公式化了，在一只图钉上挣扎爬行，
And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
当我被钉住，在墙上蠕动，
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,
这时候我该怎样开始
Then how should I begin
吐出我日常生活方式的全部烟蒂？
To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?
我怎能擅自行事？
And how should I presume?
我已经熟悉了那些胳臂，熟悉了胳臂全部——
And I have known the arms already, known them all—
那些戴着镯子的胳臂，光洁，袒露
Arms that are braceleted and white and bare
（只是在灯光下显出淡褐色茸毛一层！）
(But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!)
是否那来自衣裙的香水气息
Is it perfume from a dress
促使我这样地转向离题？
That makes me so digress?
那些胳臂或倚着桌面，或裹着披巾。
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
此刻我该不该擅自行事？
And should I then presume?
叫我怎样开始？
And how should I begin?
……
…
我可否说，黄昏时我走过狭窄的街道
Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets
见到烟斗里烟雾升起
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
来自身穿衬衫、倚向窗外的孤独的男人们？
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?...
我本该是一对带毛的蟹螯
I should have been a pair of ragged claws
飞快地掠过静寂的海的底层。
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.
下午，晚上，睡得如此安宁！
And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully!
让细长的手指轻轻抚遍，
Smoothed by long fingers,
睡了…累了…或者它装病，
Asleep... tired... or it malingers,
伸展着躺在地板上，在你我身边。
Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me.
在用过茶点、冰糕之后，我是否
Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,
应该有力量把此刻逼向紧急关头？
Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis ?
但是，尽管我哭着斋戒过，哭着祈祷过，
But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed,
尽管我见过我的头（有点儿秃）放在木盘里端进来，
Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter ,
我不是先知——这也没有什么大不了；
I am no prophet—and here's no great matter;
我见过我的伟大时刻的闪现，
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
我还见过永恒的“步行者”拿着我的外衣，窃笑，
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
总之，我感到害怕。
And in short, I was afraid.
说到头来，究竟值不值，
And would it have been worth it, after all,
当饮料、果酱、茶点已用过，
After the cups, the marmalade , the tea,
在杯盘之间，有人谈论你我之时，
Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me,
究竟值不值用一个微笑
Would it have been worth while,
把这件事情咬掉，
To have bitten off the matter with a smile,
把宇宙挤压成一只球 ?
To have squeezed the universe into a ball
让它滚向一个压倒一切的大问题，
To roll it toward some overwhelming question,
说，“我是拉撒路，从死者那里 ?
To say: 'I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
我回来告诉你们一切，我要告诉你们一切”——
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all'—
要是一个人，一面把枕头放在她头下，
If one, settling a pillow by her head,
一面说，“这根本不是我的意思。
Should say: 'That is not what I meant at all.
不是的，根本不是。”
That is not it, at all.'
说到头来，究竟值不值，
And would it have been worth it, after all,
究竟值不值在几次日落以后，
Would it have been worth while,
几次走过庭院、水洒街道以后，
After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,
几次读小说、喝茶、长裙拖过地板以后——
After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor—
这些，还有许多许多事？——
And this, and so much more?—
把我想说的话说出来决不可能！
It is impossible to say just what I mean!
但似乎有魔灯把神经幻成图样投到幕上：
But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen:
究竟值不值
Would it have been worth while
要是一个人，放下枕头或抛开披巾，
If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl ,
转身向窗子，这样讲：
And turning toward the window, should say:
“不是的，根本不是，
That is not it at all,
这根本不是我的意思。”
That is not what I meant, at all.'
……
…
不！我不是王子哈姆雷特，注定的不是； ?
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;
我是个宫廷待臣，只能做这些事： ?
Am an attendant lord, one that will do
给巡游壮壮场面，开演一场戏， ?
To swell a progress, start a scene or two,
给王子出主意，无疑，是一件好使的工具，
Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,
恭恭敬敬，很高兴能给人派上用场，
Deferential , glad to be of use,
有算计，一丝不苟，小心翼翼；
Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
满口唱高调，却有点愚钝；
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
有时候，确实，近乎可笑，
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—
有时候，差不多是个丑角。
Almost, at times, the Fool.
我老了…我老了…
I grow old... I grow old...
我要翻卷起我的裤脚。 ?
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
要不要把我的头发向后分开？我敢吃桃子吗？ ?
Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
我要穿上白色法兰绒裤子，在海滨步行，
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
我听到了美人鱼在唱歌，彼此呼应。
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
我不认为她们会唱给我听。
I do not think that they will sing to me.
我见到了她们骑着波涛驰向大海，
I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
梳理着被风吹回的波涛的白鬃，
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
当大风把海水吹得黑里夹白。
When the wind blows the water white and black.
我们曾在大海的内室里盘桓，
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
海女儿给我们戴上红棕色海藻的花环，
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
等到被人间的噪音唤醒，我们就淹死。
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
