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四十五


  ◇《我们七个》

  维青兄:

  承你逼令我译这首诗,你说你的朋友们试译,都译不成,你硬要我译。我很滑头,我先转给胡庄一去译。九月二十三日,虚一译来了,他附信说:“恐译得不好,故还盼文字高手如兄者,再做斟酌和润色。”我细看虚一的译作,诗情意境都能把握,可惜他有点书呆,把小女孩的口气,译得太“文”了,于是我决定大胆“斟酌和润色”。不料我太忙了,就拖了下来。

  昨天峰松、金珠和小女儿到我家,看我只“斟酌和润色”了第一段,催我快译,说你等着要。于是今天早起,就花了一个半小时,把“胡译本”改成“胡李译本”。因为原诗除最末一节外,都是abab的四行本,我为扣紧二、四行韵脚,迁就贫乏的中文词汇,偶尔也不无“增字解经”之处、“掺以己意”之处,凡此错妄,自当由我负全责,与虚一无涉也。下面就是全文:

  “我们七个”(“WE ARE SEVEN”)

  华兹华斯(Willam Wordsworth)作

  胡虚一、李敖译

  一个单纯的小孩,

  他呼吸,轻快无比,

  每只手脚都充满了生命,

  他哪管什么叫死。

  我碰到一个小女孩,

  住乡下小屋,说她八岁。

  她有着一头乱发,

  在头上,一一下坠。

  她一派乡野土气,

  穿着随便失体,

  她眼睛漂亮、真漂亮,

  ——她的美使我欢喜。

  “小姑娘啊,”我问道,

  “你可有几个兄弟姊妹?”

  “几个呢?一共七个。”她答道,

  看着我,奇怪有什么不对。

  “告诉我,他们都在哪儿?”

  她答道:“一共七位,

  两个去航海,

  两个住康卫。

  “哥哥姐姐两个,

  埋在坟里。

  靠近他们,那小屋

  妈妈和我住在一起。”

  “你说两个去航海,

  两个住康卫。

  但你们有七个,

  可爱的姑娘,这有点不对。”

  小姑娘还是照说:

  “我们七个不差,

  两个埋在坟里,

  就在那棵树下。”

  “我的小姑娘,活着的才算,

  你说得不对,

  坑里躺着两个,

  你们只有五位。”

  “他们坟上有青草,

  看得到他们,那么明显,

  他们在一起做邻居,

  离妈妈家门十二步远。

  “我常在那儿织袜子,

  我常在那儿缝手帕,

  我坐在那儿地上,

  对他们唱歌说话。

  “我常在太阳下山,

  看天上又睛又亮。

  我端着我的小碗,

  在那儿把晚饭吃上。

  “珍姐死得最早,

  她躺在床上喊疼。

  最后她终于走了,

  当上帝慈悲万能。

  “当草地又枯又干,

  她的坑出现眼前,

  绕着纹,约翰和我

  在一起大家游玩。

  “当地上雪白一片,

  又跑步又滑冰,我可真忙,

  这时候约翰走了,

  也埋在珍姐身旁。”

  “如果两位在天上,”我问道,

  “那么还有几个?”

  “啊,先生,我们七个。”

  她回答,干净利落。

  “但他们死了,两个死了,

  他们的灵魂,上了天了!”

  这些话,是耳边风,一说而过

  小姑娘执意她没有错,

  小姑娘照说:“不对,我们七个!”

  A simple child,

  That lightly draw its breath,

  And feels its life in every limb,

  What should it know of death?

  I met a little cottage Girl:

  She was eight year old, she said:

  Her hair was thick with many a curl

  That clustered round herhead.

  She had a rustic, woodland air,

  And she was wildly clad:

  He eyes were fair, and very far;  -Her beaUty rnade me glad.

  "Sisters and brothers, little Maid,

  How rnany rnay you be?"

  "How many?Seven in all, "she Sad,

  And wondering looked at me.

  "And where are they? I pray you tell.

  She answered, "Seven are we;  And two of us at Conway dwell,

  And two are gone to sea;

  "Two of us in the church-yard lie,

  My sister and my brother;  And, in the church-yard cottage, I

  Dwell near thern with my mother"

  "You say that two at Conway dwell,

  And two are gone to sea,

  Yet ye are seven! -I Pray y0u tell,

  Sweet Maid, how this may be."

  Then did the little Maid reply,

  "Seven boys and girls are we;  Two of us in the church-yard lie

  Beneath the church-yard tree."

  "You run about, my little Maid;  Your limbs they are alive;

  If two are in the church-yard laid,

  Then ye are only five."

  "Their giaves are green, they may be seen,"

  The little Maid replied:

  "Twelve Steps or more from my mother's door

  And they are side by skle.

  "My stoching there I often knit,

  My kerchief ther I hem;  And there upon the ground I sit,

  And sing a sang to them.

  "And often after sunset, Sir,

  When it is light and fair,

  I take my little potringer,

  And eat my suppr there.

  "The first that died was sister Jane;  ln bed she moaning lay,

  Till God released her of her Pain;  And then she went away.

  "So in the church-yard she was laid;  And, when the grass was dry,

  Together round her grave we played,

  My brother John and I."

  "And when the ground was white with snow,

  And I could run and slide,

  My brother John was forced to go,

  And he lies by her side."

  "How many are you ,then,"said I,

  “If they two are in heaven?”

  Quick was the little Maid's reply,

  "O Master!we are seven."

  "But they are dead;those two are dead!

  Their spirits are in heavn!”

  Twas throwing words away;for still

  The little Maid would have he will,

  And said,"Nay,we are seven!"

  ※   ※   ※   ※   ※

  这首诗承老兄选定,命我翻译,若不是老兄提醒,我真没注意到这首好诗,真要感谢你。

  这诗写一个纯真的小女孩,置哥哥姐姐死亡于度外,不论生死,手足照算,视亲人虽死犹生、若亡实在。这种境界,看似童稚,其实倒真与参悟大化的高人境界若合符节。高人的境界在能“乐人哀不人”,在生死线外,把至情至乐结合在一起。这种至情至乐是永恒的,不因生死而变质,纵情随事迁,并无感慨,反倒只存余味。人生有了这种境界,自然不会生无谓的伤感、自然不会否定过去或逃避过去、自然会真正达到“所过者化,所存者神”的新水准(“所过者化,所存者神”在这里,“化”字该解做化境,“神”字该解做余味)。达到这种水准,才是真正正确的水准。相对的,轻易“多愁善感”是没水准的、“哀乐不能人”也是没水准的,高人的水准是“乐人哀不人”,只有轻快,没有重优;只有达观,没有闲愁,这样的境界才是修养最高的境界。华兹华斯诗中小女孩的境界,恰恰是这种境界。虽然小女孩一派天真,全无哲学与理论,但是她“举重若轻”,所以兴怀,其致一也。特写数语附识,此上维青老兄

  李敖

  一九八四年十月十九—二十日

  附录

  陈维青复李敖敖兄:

  今天接到你寄来的信《我们七个》译稿,拜读之下,已有了迫近原作韵味之感,真是功力到家。

  四年前,惨绝人寰的林家祖孙命案发生当时,连不认识林义雄的我,都感悲愤万分,甚至当众放声号泣过。我真不忍想像,当黑衫队员举起利刀,刺杀奂均、亮均、亭均的时候,她们三个姊妹的眼神是怎样一种表情。她们不会抵抗,只会喊疼,不知道逃命,只会望着那黑衫人说“不要”,她们像献祭的小羔羊,不知道罪恶、不知道死亡,正如这首诗所说的:“What should it know if death?”结果,那地狱使者还是夺去亮均。亭均的生命。

  但是,死亡已矣,对死里逃生的奂均,我们要用什么方法来平衡她心理上的创伤呢?有一段时间,我为这件事终日感到欲吐不得的难过,希望能有机会亲眼看到免均的情况。这希望,很快地就实现了,就在同年一个冬天晚上,秋堇小姐陪我到免均舅舅家(当时她们母女二人住在这里),为她的钢琴调音。这时候,我才亲眼看到奂均,我看她和普通一般年龄的小女孩并无两样,看她那可爱的笑容、那天真无邪的表情与举动,并没有丝毫被夺去而感到无限的安慰与祝福。

  看到奂均的情况后,使我联想到华兹华斯的《我们七个》这首诗(很巧,当时奂均的年龄跟诗中小女孩的年龄同为八岁),重翻读之,愈使我对奂均放心,自己愈感到安慰。大人们总是容易低估小孩子的心灵境界和生命力了,大人们的多愁善感,对小孩子来讲是多余的,我们未免太操心了吧!现在如果有人问奂均,你有几个姊妹,她一定回答“Three in all”,而且会一直坚持“We are three”到底,愈是手足情深,愈会如此。

  华兹华斯这首“We Are Seven”的诗,非常美,朗诵时,诗中小女孩外表的模样与大人对话的神情,会浮现于眼前,拎惜之情,油然而生,实在太美太美了。今“胡李译本”已竣,我仍希望能借着你的丽笔,公之于世,飨宴你的读者,证明你也具有“软体”成分的一面。

  另外拜托你翻译的华兹华斯的一首Sonnet “1802 in London”,如果译好了,请赶快寄给我,因为我有一篇文章想引用它,我总认为,急件应该请忙人办,这样会比较快,你说对不对?囗此,顺祝安好

  维青 十月二十四日


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