美国语文第五册 第65期:花朵与死亡

 　　There is a Reaper¹ whose name is Death, 收割者，姑且称为死神，

　　And, with his sickle² keen, 寒光凛冽，闪烁镰刀锋利，

　　He reaps the bearded grain at a breath, 转眼间，长满胡须的作物伏地，

　　And the flowers that grow between. 满地繁花凋零，一扫而尽。

　　"Shall I have naught³ that is fair?" saith he; “我一无所获，是否公平？”死神说，

　　Have naught but the bearded grain? 除却谷物，最终万物皆空，

　　Though the breath of these flowers is sweet to me, 清新恬谧的怒放，奉与死亡，

　　I will give them all back again. 可我终将魂魄，还给大地。

　　He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes, 泪眼凝眸，风中婆娑招摇，

　　He kissed their drooping⁴ leaves; 死神亲吻，颓枝败叶的老去，

　　It was for the Lord of Paradise 捆扎曾经，晶莹剔透般娇艳，

　　He bound them in his sheaves. 伊甸园里，呼朋唤友的精灵。

　　My Lord has need of these flowerets gay, 上帝但愿，花朵们竞相怒放，

　　The Reaper said, and smiled; 说话间，死神露出笑意，

　　Dear tokens of the earth are they, 这些属于，大地的追忆馈赠。

　　Where he was once a child. 打他记事起，原本那样。

　　They shall all bloom in the fields of light, 小心翼翼，我将希望之树挪移，

　　Transplanted by my care, 光的国度里，花朵訇然绽放，

　　And saints, upon their garments white, 每一朵，圣洁素雅的花神，

　　These sacred blossoms wear. 每一位，穿披圣袍的优美。

　　And the mother gave in tears and pain, 母亲黯然神伤，痛苦哭泣，

　　The flowers she most did love; 芳香满地，难诉别离衷肠，

　　She knew she should find them all again, 这一别，已是绝尘万里，

　　In the fields of light above. 望断秋水，几多妖娆难觅。

　　O, not in cruelty, not in wrath⁵, 噢，不要残忍，不要愤怒，

　　The Reaper came that day, 死亡之神，终于降临，

　　This was an angel visited the green earth, 翩然天使，来到绿色大地，

　　And took the flowers away. 倏然带走，恍然如梦仙境。

1 reaper   

n.收割者，收割机

参考例句：

• The painting is organized about a young reaper enjoying his noonday rest.这幅画的画面设计成一个年轻的割禾人在午间休息。
• A rabbit got caught in the blades of the reaper.一只兔子被卷到收割机的刀刃中去了。

2 sickle   

n.镰刀

参考例句：

• The gardener was swishing off the tops of weeds with a sickle.园丁正在用镰刀嗖嗖地割掉杂草的顶端。
• There is a picture of the sickle on the flag. 旗帜上有镰刀的图案。

3 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

4 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

5 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。