中文翻译:For the fallen by Laurence Binyon(悼亡者)

The Times/1914/Arts/For the Fallen - Wikisource, the free online library
by Laurence Binyon


With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

怀抱骄傲与感激,像一位母亲哀悼她的孩子,
英格兰哀悼她的亡者,远在海的另一边。
她们的骨肉是她的骨肉,她们的灵魂是她的灵魂,
她们为自由的事业而亡。

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

鼓声郑重震天;死神雄伟尊严
悼歌中的悲痛直达不朽之天穹。
废墟中有音乐奏响
泪水中有荣光闪亮。

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

她们歌唱着走进了战场,年纪尚青,
躯体笔直,眼神真挚,闪着坚定的光。
她们坚守,战胜无数艰辛;
她们倒下,面朝一切敌人。

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

她们将不再变老,留下我们日渐老去,
年龄再也不能使她们衰老,岁月再也烦扰不了她们。
日升日落,无时无刻
我们会记住她们。

They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

她们不再与同袍并肩欢笑;
她们不再回到家乡的桌旁;
她们不再与我们一同劳作;
她们长眠在英格兰的浪花无法触及之所。

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

但我们的思念和深沉的希望,
像泉水悄然流淌,
她们的土地将她们深深铭记
像夜空铭记群星;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

如群星一般耀眼,当我们终归尘土,
依然齐步迈于高天之上;
如群星一般闪烁,在黯淡的时空中,
直到最后,直到时间的尽头,她们仍然屹立。


参考:

笔记:

感谢血石斛、「不再变老」和苹果日历让我知道了这首诗。

这篇翻译本来是去年(。)的和平纪念日企划,一直没有机会写完。那天满街都是虞美人,挂在人们的包上,衣服上,车牌上。直到现在我还是会偶尔在街上看见虞美人。我不认为浪漫化战争是最好的铭记过去的方式,但这片土地上的人正在身体力行地告诉我什么叫做「永不遗忘」。

本诗中处处出现指代阵亡将士的 they 字,但众所周知中文里是没有中性代词的,较难准确翻译。「他」字并不是中性代词;考虑到本诗背景是一战,读过英文维基上的一战期间的女性(Women in World War I)后敲定将 they 翻译为「她们」。

Age shall not weary them… 一行化用了《安东尼与克莉奥佩特拉》,我也化用了一下网上通行的朱生豪译本(「年龄不能使她衰老,习惯也腐蚀不了她的变化无穷的伎俩」,莎士比亚《安东尼与克莉奥佩特拉》第 2 幕第 2 场)。

可能以后会继续修改,欢迎指点。