英文诗歌赏析·下(转载)

发表于 2006-10-19 14:13:00 类别：你想学的

I shot |an ar|row in|to the air,
It fell |to earth, | I knew |not where;
For, so| swiftly| it flew, |the sight
Could not| follow |it in |its flight.

I breathed |a song| into| the air,
It fell| to earth, |I knew| not where;
For who| has sight |so keen |and strong,
That it |can fol|low the |flight of song?

Long, long| after|wards, in| an oak,
I found| the ar|row, still| unbroke;
And the |song, from| begin|ning to end,
I found| again| in the |heart of |a friend.

14 The Village Blacksmith

（1）Under a spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With larger and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

（2）His hair is crisp, and black, and long,
His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate’er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

（3）Week in, week out, from morn till night,
You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

（4）And children coming home from school
Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing floor.

（5）He goes on Sunday to the church,
And sits among his boys;
He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter’s voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.

（6）It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise!
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he wipes
A tear out of his eyes.

（7）Toiling,— rejoicing, — sorrowing,
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin,
Each evening sees it close;
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night’s repose.

（8）Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought!

注释:
（1）spreading chestnut tree：枝叶茂盛的栗子树
village smithy：乡村铁匠铺。
sinewy hands：强壮有力的手。Sinewy：[/sinju:i] 多筋的。Sinew：肌腱。
brawny arms：肌肉发达的手臂。Brawny：/muscular,. brawn: human muscle.
iron bands. 铁箍。
（2）His hair is crisp,：crisp：（of hair）tightly curled.
His face is like the tan; . tan: 棕褐色的栎树皮（鞣皮革用）；日晒后的颜色, 棕褐色。
And looks the whole world in the face, 理直气壮地面对着世界。
（3）Week in, week out, from morn till night,
bellows 风箱;
swing his heavy sledge, 挥动沉重的大铁锤。Sledge：sledgehammer
measured beat and slow,: slow and measured beat: 缓慢而有规则的节奏。Measured：标 准的, 整齐的, 有规则的。
Sexton：寺庙里的杂役, 教堂司事
（4）flaming forge：火红的炼炉；熔炉
chaff [t a: f]from a threshing floor. 打谷场上的谷壳。

（5）He hears the parson pray and preach, 听教区牧师祷告、布道（传教）。
the village choir, choir [/kwai ] 教堂里的唱诗班。
（6）need must ：必须，不得不。俚语。,
（7）Has earned a night’s repose. 赢得晚上安稳的休息。
（8）Thus at the flaming forge of life\ Our fortunes must be wrought;\Thus on its sounding anvil
shaped\ Each burring deed and thought! ——Our fortunes must be thus（in this manner）
wrought at the flaming forge of life. Each burning deed and thought must be thus shaped
on its (the forge's ) sounding anvil. 我们的人生命运也同样需要在生活的熔炉中锻炼，
每一发光的事迹和思想也都需要在铮铮的铁砧上塑造。sounding anvil：响亮的铁砧。
内容：此诗塑造了一个乡村铁匠的形象。一、二节刻画其外貌：体格健壮，坚忍不拔，靠自己的辛勤劳动过日子。不偷不抢，不诈不骗，理直气壮，傲视世界。三四节具体写铁匠的劳动。大铁锤有节奏地铮铮作响，风箱呼呼地吹。火炉熊熊燃烧，美丽的火星四处飞溅。天真活泼的孩子放学回来后，追逐火星玩耍，发出陈陈欢声笑语频。一个即辛苦又有天伦之乐的家庭气氛跃然纸上。五—七节描写铁匠善良而崇高的心灵。礼拜日他去教堂，听牧师布道，听孩子们用天真纯净的童声唱赞美诗。上帝是正义和爱的化身，信奉他、赞美他，就是希望让正义和爱充满人间。铁匠去教堂听布道，一听到孩子们的歌声响起，内心就充满欢乐，无疑是一个追求真善美的人。铁匠的善良和崇高还表现在他对父母的一片孝心。听到孩子们的歌声，他立刻联想到已经去世的母亲，母亲也是个天性善良的人，去世后她的灵魂一定会上天堂的，可是不知现在她的身体在坟墓中是如何了。他多想再回到她的身边，看看她慈祥的面容啊。想着想着，不觉泪流满面，于是用粗壮的手来擦拭。铁匠堂堂正正地生活，勤勤恳恳地劳动，问心无愧，心中坦然，晚上睡得很平静，很满足，很幸福。孟子说“反身而诚，乐莫大焉！”有以夫！最后一节是作者阐明这位铁匠给他的人生启迪：不仅钢铁需要经过熔炉和铁锤的锻炼，人生也需要这样的锻炼。铁匠的这种高尚人格就是熔炉和铁锤锻炼出来的啊。他的熔炉不仅是锻炼钢铁的熔炉，也是人生熔炉的象征啊。人只有经过各种风风雨雨，各种艰难困苦的磨练，才能思想成熟，才能昂然挺立于天地之间，散发出人生应有的光彩啊！
诗人所描绘的这一人物形象令人起敬：他的地位是卑微的，他人格是高大的；他的手是粗硬的，他的心灵却是柔嫩的；对上帝他是崇敬的，对世间的投机取巧之徒是不屑一顾的；面对艰苦的生活，他是勇往直前、无所畏惧的，在道德上，他是“戒慎恐惧”的；他的工作是单调而劳累的，但内心却是丰富而幸福的。
形式：每节四音步与三音步交错，基本是抑扬格，韵式为abcbdb。
（1）Under |a sprea|ding chest|nut tree
The vil|lage smi|thy stands;
The smith, |a migh|ty man| is he,
With larg|er and |sinew|y hands;
And the| muscles of| his brawn|y arms
Are strong |as ir|on bands.

（2）His hair| is crisp, |and black, |and long,
His face| is like |the tan;
His brow| is wet |with hon|est sweat,
He earns |whate’er|he can,
And looks |the whole |world in |the face,
For he| owes not |any man.

（3）Week in, |week out, |from morn |till night,
You can |hear his| bellows blow;
You can |hear him |swing his| heavy sledge,
With mea|sured beat| and slow,
Like a |sexton |ringing| the vil|lage bell,
When the |evening |sun is low.

（4）And childr|en com|ing home |from school
Look in |at the| open door;
They love |to see |the flam|ing forge,
And hear |the bel|lows roar,
And catch| the burn|ing sparks |that fly
Like chaff |from a |threshing floor.

（5）He goes| on Sun|day to |the church,
And sits |among |his boys;
He hears| the par|son pray |and preach,
He hears |his daught|er’s voice,
Singing |in the|village |choir,
And it |makes his |heart rejoice.

（6）It sounds |to him| like her |mother's voice,
Singing |in Par|adise!
He needs |must think |of her| once more,
How in |the grave |she lies;
And with |his hard, |rough hand |he wipes
A tear| out of |his eyes.

（7）Toiling,—| rejoic|ing, — sor|rowing,
Onward |through life| he goes;
Each morn|ing sees |some task |begin,
Each even|ing sees |it close;
Something |attemp|ted, some|thing done,
Has earned|a night’s |repose.

（8）Thanks, thanks |to thee, |my wor|thy friend,
For the |lesson |thou hast taught!
Thus at |the flam|ing forge |of life
Our fort|unes must |be wrought;
Thus on |its sound|ing an|vil shaped
Each burn|ing deed |and thought!

Alfred Tennyson (1809—1892)
阿尔弗雷德·坦尼森，十九世纪后半期英国最著名诗人，1850年继华兹华斯后，被英国王室封为“桂冠诗人”(poet laureate) 。1884年又被封为男爵（baron） ——英国历史上唯一的单纯因诗歌成就而被封爵的人。他对同时代的达尔文等科学家对传统宗教信仰的破坏深感不安，其诗意诉诸情感，对科学主义有消解作用。他的诗歌既有浪漫主义的特点，技巧上又有古典主义的特点。音乐性极强，但思想深度不够。其组诗《悼念》（In Memoriam）是为悼念亡友Arther Hallem而写的，维多利亚女王以为其价值仅次于《圣经》。

15 The Eagle

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

注释：
clasp [kla:sp]or [klaesp]: to take or seize firmly.
Lonely lands:广袤的原野，苍茫大地。Lonely 表示没有别的动物在活动。
Ringed with the azure world：为蔚兰色的世界环绕着。Azure [ ] 蔚兰色，苍天之色。
Thunderbolt 雷电，晴天霹雳。
内容：
此诗刻画雄鹰英姿。前节写其静态：一双铁钳一般的利爪紧紧抓住巉岩，站立在直插云霄的山颠。四周是广袤静寂的原野。瞻顾伟然。后节写动态：从山顶向海面俯冲时，如雷电一般迅猛。寥寥数语，就把雄鹰之阳刚之美充分表现出来。
形式：抑扬格四音步，每节三行均押韵。
He clasps |the crag |with crook|ed hands;
Close to|the sun |in lone|ly lands,
Ringed with|the a|zure world, |he stands.

The wrin|kled sea| beneath |him crawls;
He wa|tches from |his moun|tain walls,
And like| a thun|derbolt |he falls.

Richard Henry Stoddard (1825—1903)
美国诗人、文艺评论家。其诗创造性不强，现在读者不多。但下面一诗一复三叹，非常隽永，表达的是人类之普遍感受。
16 The Flight of Youth

There are gains for all our losses.
There are balms for all our pain:
But when youth, the dream, departs
It takes something from our hearts,
And it never comes again.

We are stronger, and are better,
Under manhood’s sterner reign:
Still we feel that something sweet
Followed youth, with flying feet,
And will never come again.

Something beautiful is vanished,
And we sigh for it in vain;
We behold it everywhere;
On the earth, and in the air.
But it never comes again!

注释：
balm：疗伤用的香膏，安慰物。
Under manhood’s sterner reign：在较严厉的成年期的统治之下。成年以后，人走向成熟，人多的是按理智去作事，青少年时代的天真烂漫不见了，所以说“sterner reign”。
内容：叹青春之逝，深有沉郁之致。
形式：自然节奏，没有固定的韵律。韵式：abccb.

Emily Dickinson (1830—1886)
美国女诗人，隐居一生，终身未婚。外表上过着宁静的生活，但内心感情强烈。她将其感情都倾注到诗歌中。二十几岁开始写诗。是私下创作，连家人也无法看到他的作品。一生写了1775首抒情诗，但在世时一首没有发表。去世后发表，有六卷，成为美国伟大诗人之一。其诗语言简朴凝炼，构思奇特，意象鲜明。形式上不拘一格。
17 I’Am Nobody

I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you—Nobody—too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! They’d banish us—you know!

How dreary—to be—Somebody!
How public—like a Frog—
To tell your name—the livelong June—
To an admiring Bog!

注释：
How public：多么显眼！含有失去幽静之意。
livelong June：整个六月份。livelong ：整个的，全部的（日、夜），如the livelong day整天
内容：此诗表达的是诗人远离世俗，与世无争，甘于淡泊宁静的人生态度。同时对那些沽名钓誉之徒也作了讽刺。第一节最后一行中的“They”指世俗的势利之徒。第二节中，她把大人物Somebody比作青娃，把那些盲目仰慕大人物的庸众比作“admiring Bog”，大人物对庸众自吹自擂，犹如夏日炎热的六月里，青蛙整天对着烂泥塘呱呱叫个不停。
形式：自然节奏，突破了传统格律诗。

William Henry Davies (1871—1940)
英国威尔士诗人。约35岁之前，在英国、美国过流浪生活。当过小贩、乞丐、短工和流浪汉。三十岁时因偷乘火车，被压断一条腿。后致力于写诗，受到Bernard Shaw 赏识，成为著名诗人。他的自传 The Autobiography of a Super-tramp 颇为有名。他的作品很多是表现现代社会弊端的。

18 The Heap of Rags

One night when I went down
Thames’ side, in London Town,
A heap of rags saw I,
And sat me down close by.
That thing could shout and bawl,
But showed no face at all;
When any steamer passed
And blew a loud shrill blast,
That heap of rags would sit
And make a sound like it;
When struck the clock’s deep bell,
It made those peals as well.
When winds did moan around,
It mocked them with that sound;
When all was quiet, it
Fell into a strange fit;
Would sigh, and moan and roar,
It laughed, and blessed, and swore.
Yet that poor thing, I know,
Had neither friend nor foe;
Its blessing or its curse
Made no one better or worse.
I left it in that place —
The thing that showed no face,
Was it a man that had
Suffered till he went mad?
So many shower and not
One rainbow in the lot;
Too many bitter fears
To make a pearl from tears.
注释：
Thames’ side：泰晤士河的河边。Thames [temz]
And sat me down close by：And (it) sat down close by me.
Bawl: 叫骂，大声嚷嚷。
blew a loud shrill blast：气船吹响尖声的气笛。Blast：一阵（风），一股（气），冲击波，爆炸。此指气笛的响声。Shrill：尖声的。
When struck the clock’s deep bell：When the clock’s deep bell struck：当伦敦塔上面的大钟的低沉的铃声敲响时。the clock 指Big Ben，关此参New Concept English，2nd，Lesson71“A Famous Clock”。我们在BBC电台上可听到。
Fell into a strange fit; 莫名其妙地发作起来。Fall into a fit: 发病。多指精神病、癫痫的发作
blessed, and swore：祝福和诅咒。
So many shower and not /One rainbow in the lot; = there are so many showers and there is not one rainbow in his lot. 他一生只遭受雨淋，却从未见到过彩虹。意即：只受打击没有幸福。Lot：抽签，拈阄：to decide by lot。此指命运。
Too many bitter fears/To make a pearl from tears.这两行运用了一个典故：据西方传说，珍珠是蚌的眼泪凝结成的，意思是说，痛苦回带来好结果。这两行诗的意思是：这个“破布堆”由于过度担惊受怕，所以他的泪水结不出珍珠来——倒霉透了。
内容：描写乞丐，有巧思。
形式：抑扬格三音步，两行一韵。

19 Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep and cows.

Not time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars，like skies at night.

Not time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
注释：
in broad daylight, /Streams full of stars，like skies at night. 大意为：溪流在阳光的照耀下，水珠晶莹，犹如黑夜中的满天星斗。broad daylight：明朗的白昼。
her mouth can/Enrich that smile her eyes began.大意：她通过眼睛表达的喜悦，可由她通过嘴巴作进一步的表达。
内容：现代社会生活节奏加快，人们忙忙碌碌，无暇体味生活情趣，欣赏大千世界中的各种美好的东西。这样的生活不能算是真正的生活。此诗反映了一个流浪汉潇洒的生活态度。New Concept English，3rd，Lesson27 “Nothing to Sell and Nothing to Buy”一文写的就是流浪汉自由自在的生活的，读后很令人向往。结尾时说：“We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them in the same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little /envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?”。此文是此诗歌的绝佳注解。
形式：抑扬格四音步，两行一韵。

Robert Frost (1874—1963)
罗伯特·弗洛斯特，美国现代著名诗人。其诗言近指远，所写内容多为新英格兰地区的自然景色和朴实的田园生活。
20 Stopping by Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
注释：
Whose woods these are I think I know,/His house is in the village, though;这树林的主人，我想我是认识的，不过他的房子在村中，（不在林中。）加个“I think”表示委婉，不把话说得那么死。Though在次意思很轻，主要是为押韵。认识不认识不是不是作者注意力所在，其所关注者是树林与雪所构成的神秘夜景。
easy wind and downy flake: 微风和绒毛一般的雪片。
内容：此诗表达了作者在人生问题上的某种复杂而矛盾心情。诗人雪夜骑马路过一片树林，他沉浸在这可爱而神秘的景象之中，仿佛进入了另一个奇妙的世界。他忘记了行路，但马晃动僵绳，又使他意识到他仍然是在现实世界中，所以他还有许多义务必须去履行，许多诺言需要兑现，许多工作要去作。人生是一次长途跋涉，一次长征，想停下来进入世外桃园，是难以实现的梦想。也就是说追求精神上的满足与现实生活总有一定的矛盾。古往今来，都有许多人对此有深切的感受。所以此诗表达的是一个普遍的人生问题。
形式：抑扬格四音步。韵式aaba. 最后一节一韵到底，最后的重复加重了诗人复杂沉重的思绪。

Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886—1818)
基尔默美国诗人，评论家。死于第一次世界大战。他最出名的诗集名Trees and Other Poems （1914 《树及其他》）。

21 Trees

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree;

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain,
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are make by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

注释：prest：pressed的变体，用以与breast押韵。
flowing breast：相当于breast flowing with milk, 流奶的乳房，比喻土壤的肥沃。
内容：赞美树之神圣和可爱。
形式：抑扬格四音步，两行一韵。