济慈诗歌和书信选(英文版)28 Why Did I Laugh Tonight? No Voice Will Tell:

 　　Why Did I Laugh Tonight? No Voice Will Tell:

　　Why did I laugh tonight? No voice will tell:

　　No God, no Demon¹ of severe response,

　　Deigns² to reply from Heaven or from Hell.

　　Then to my human heart I turn at once.

　　Heart! Thou and I are here, sad and alone;

　　I say, why did I laugh? O mortal pain!

　　O Darkness! Darkness! ever must I moan,

　　To question Heaven and Hell and Heart in vain.

　　Why did I laugh? I know this Being's lease,

　　My fancy to its utmost blisses spreads;

　　Yet would I on this very midnight cease,

　　And the world's gaudy³ ensigns see in shreds⁴;

　　Verse, Fame, and Beauty are intense indeed,

　　But Death intenser -Death is Life's high meed.

1 demon   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。
• He has been possessed by the demon of disease for years.他多年来病魔缠身。

2 deigns   

v.屈尊，俯就( deign的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She scarcely deigns a glance at me. 她简直不屑看我一眼。 来自辞典例句

3 gaudy   

adj.华而不实的；俗丽的

参考例句：

• She was tricked out in gaudy dress.她穿得华丽而俗气。
• The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him.浮华的蝴蝶却相信花是应该向它道谢的。

4 shreds   

v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件）

参考例句：

• Peel the carrots and cut them into shreds. 将胡罗卜削皮，切成丝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I want to take this diary and rip it into shreds. 我真想一赌气扯了这日记。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说