莎士比亚十四行诗之十二朗诵练习第三天

莎士比亚十四行诗之十二朗诵练习第三天

12

When I do count the clock that tells the time,

And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;

When I behold the violet past prime,

And sable curls all silvered o'er with white; 4

When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,

Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,

And summer's green, all girded up in sheaves,

Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard; 8

Then of thy beauty do I question make,

That thou among the wastes of time must go,

Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake,

And die as fast as they see others grow, 12

 And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defense,

 Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.


12

我，计算着时钟算出的时辰，

看到阴黑夜吞掉伟丽的白日；

看到紫罗兰失去了鲜艳的青春，

貂黑的鬈发都成了雪白的银丝；

看到昔日用繁枝密叶为牧人

遮荫的高树只剩了几根秃柱子，

夏季的葱绿都扎做一捆捆收成，

载在柩车上，带着穗头像白胡子——

于是，我开始考虑到你的美丽，

想你也必定要走进时间的荒夜，

芬芳与娇妍总是要放弃自己，

见别人快长，自己却快快凋谢；

  没人敌得过时间的镰刀啊，除非

  生儿女，你身后留子孙跟他作对。

【译解】诗人再度宣述时间的毁灭一切的力量，但指出：只有生儿育女能够抵挡时间刈割一切的镰刀。——第八行：“白胡子”指穗头。第十四行中的“他”指时间。