《唯有孤独恒常如新》唯孤恒新——六节诗独立的美

试译伊丽莎白·毕肖普的《六节诗》。

六节诗格律甚有趣，一共六节半，每节六行，每行末尾的韵词在每节中按一定规律重复使用。最后半节三行，每行包含两个韵词。

英文表达与中文大异，翻译介词和引语的时候，尤其难以兼顾语序，因而这种韵词重复的特点便难以译出。此诗不同译本，最后都或多或少放弃了韵词重复的特点。但若无此特点，则翻译六节诗等于买椟还珠。

于是不辞浅陋，决定试译一番。不但保留韵词重复，而且额外让六个韵词也互相押韵。因此才把child译为“阿孥”，是吾乡口语中对孩子的称呼。

原诗每行大多是八个音节，因此译诗保持每行八字。为了维持这些格律，行文不免有生硬处，诗意的妙处恐怕被我牺牲了一些。然而六节诗形式上之趣味，自问已尽力传递出来了。

译文如下：

SESTINA

六节诗

Elizabeth Bishop

伊丽莎白·毕肖普

September rainfallson the house.

九月的雨落上小屋

In the failing light, the old grandmother

衰微的光里，老祖母

sits in the kitchen with the child

坐在厨房，伴着阿孥

beside the Little Marvel Stove,

正挨着“小奇妙”暖炉

reading the jokes from the almanac,

读妙语连珠的历书

laughing and talking to hide her tears.

说说笑笑藏起泪珠

She thinks that her equinoctial tears

她知道秋分的泪珠

and the rain that beats on the roof of the house

与雨点敲打在小屋

were both foretold by the almanac,

都已被预言于历书

but only known to a grandmother.

洞悉者唯有老祖母

The iron kettle sings on the stove.

铁水壶高唱于火炉

She cuts some bread and says to the child,

她切好面包，说阿孥

"Its time for tea now; but the child

该下午茶了，但阿孥

is watching the teakettles small hard tears

盯着壶上沉坠小珠

dance like mad on the hot black stove,

疯魔起舞在热黑炉

the way the rain must dance on the house."

雨必也如此跳上屋

Tidying up, the old grandmother

拾掇起桌子，老祖母

hangs up the clever almanac

挂起睿智的年历书

on its string. Birdlike, the almanac

绳上，鸟儿般的历书

hovers half-open above the child,

半开着悬高于阿孥

hovers above the old grandmother

悬高于这位老祖母

and her teacup full of dark brown tears.

和她满杯深棕泪珠

She shivers and says she thinks the house

颤着说，她觉得小屋

feels chilly, and puts more wood in the stove.

真冷，添了柴火入炉

"It was to be," says the Marvel Stove.

“是曾是”，说话的火炉

"I know what I know," says the almanac.

“知所知”，语出年历书

With crayons the child draws a rigid house

阿孥拙笔画一小屋

and a winding pathway. Then the child

通一曲径，接着阿孥

puts in a man with buttons like tears

画个人，纽扣似泪珠

and shows it proudly to the grandmother.

骄傲地展示给祖母

But secretly, while the grandmother

而悄悄地，当老祖母

busies herself about the stove,

忙于烧旺她的暖炉

the little moons fall down like tears

颗颗月落如坠泪珠

from between the pages of the almanac

夹在一页页年历书

into the flower bed the child

坠入花坛，这是阿孥

has carefully placed in front of the house.

巧种门前，装点小屋

"Time to plant tears," says the almanac.

“该种泪珠”，语出历书。

The grandmother sings to the marvelous stove

祖母哼唱奇妙的炉

and the child draws another inscrutable house.

阿孥另画缥缈的屋