第一册第4篇：树

4 Trees 树
Joyce Kilmer 乔埃斯·基尔默

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree;
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest(1)
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast(2);
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms(3) to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins¹ in her hair;
Upon whose bosom² snow has lain,
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

中文译文：
我想我永远也不会看到
象一棵树那样优美的诗篇，
树那饥渴的嘴唇紧紧贴住
大地乳汁甘美的胸脯，
它整天仰望着上帝，
举起枝叶繁茂的手臂祈祷，
它那茂密如发的枝叶里
夏天会筑起知更鸟的安乐窝，
雪花飘落在它怀里，
它同雨水亲密无间。
诗歌出自我等愚人之手，
而树却是造化的天工。

英文注释：
(1) prest: pressed的变体，为了与下面一行最后一个词breast押韵而采用。
(2)flowing breast： 相当于breast flowing with milk，解作"流出奶汁的乳房’，用来比喻土壤的肥沃。
(3)leafy arms： 指叶子茂盛的树枝

1 robins   

n.知更鸟，鸫( robin的名词复数 )；（签名者不分先后，以避免受责的）圆形签名抗议书（或请愿书）

参考例句：

• The robins occupied their former nest. 那些知更鸟占了它们的老窝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Benjamin Robins then entered the fray with articles and a book. 而后，Benjamin Robins以他的几篇专论和一本书参加争论。 来自辞典例句

2 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。