亚当的诅咒
Adam's Curse
We sat together at one summer's end, 那一年夏末我们一起闲坐，
That beautiful mild woman, your close friend, 有你闺中密友，还有你和我，
And you and I, and talked of poetry. 她温柔而美丽，我们在谈诗。
I said, "A line will take us hours maybe; 我说：“一行诗有时要几个小时；
Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought, 但若显得不像是即席之作，
Our stitching and unstitching has been naught. 我们的推敲就算是白忙活。
Better go down upon your marrow-bones 还不如弓着脊背趴在地面，
And scrub a kitchen pavement, or break stones 去擦厨房地板，或像穷光蛋
Like an old pauper, in all kinds of weather; 无论刮风下雨都忙着采石；
For to articulate sweet sounds together 要把美的声音组织在一起，
Is to work harder than all these, and yet 真比上面的活儿都辛苦，但
Be thought an idler by the noisy set 一帮人却吵吵说你是懒汉，
Of bankers, schoolmasters, and clergymen 银行家、教师还有神职人员，
The martyrs call the world." 殉道者所谓的世人。”
And thereupon ***************话刚完，
That beautiful mild woman for whose sake 那温柔美丽的女人接着说，
There's many a one shall find out all heartache 许多人若发现她声音这么
On finding that her voice is sweet and low 甜美而柔和，心儿就会狂跳，
Replied, "To be born woman is to know— 她回答我：“生为女人都知道――
Although they do not talk of it at school— 尽管在学校里没人这么说――
That we must labour to be beautiful 要想美丽我们就得勤劳作。"
I said, "It's certain there is no fine thing 我说：“我断言自从亚当堕落，
Since Adam's fall but needs much labouring. 再没有好东西不需勤劳作。
There have been lovers who thought love should be 恋人们曾经认为爱情应当
So much compounded of high courtesy 充满着高贵殷勤礼仪有方，
That they would sigh and quote with learned looks 他们就长吁短叹引经据典，
Precedents out of beautiful old books; 如饱学之士举出先例万千；
Yet now it seems an idle trade enough." 如今这事似乎可算够偷懒。”
We sat grown quiet at the name of love; 说到了爱情我们沉寂一片；
We saw the last embers of daylight die, 白日余烬在我们眼前燃完，
And in the trembling blue-green of the sky 在那摇曳着蓝绿色的天边，
A moon, worn as if it had been a shell 有一弯残月，消磨得如贝壳
Washed by time's waters as they rose and fell 被时间之水冲刷，当它起落
About the stars and broke in days and years. 群星之间、升降在日日年年。
I had a thought for no one's but your ears: 我有一个心思只想对你言，
That you were beautiful, and that I strove 我想说你很美丽，我也竭力
To love you in an old high way of love; 以古老而高贵的方式爱你
That it had all seemed happy, and yet we'd grown 这看起来皆大欢喜，但我们
As weary-hearted as that hollow moon. 内心疲惫却似那中空一轮。
(1902) from In the Seven Woods