【汉英双语】滑铁卢古战场·感思（英-汉）

宁馨儿

Sigh Over Waterloo Relics
by Petite
The green grass grows an’ scenery everywhere,
Underneath are soldiers fallen century’s fertilizer.
The gallant heroes of bygone days now mere clay,  
No names carved, and long blown far and away.
Armored was Napoleon, with fame but no fortune,
The man battle-wise，wet-winged in a June foreign.
Martyrs buried servants of his ambition aglow,
Though heroes brave, they did make a great show.
Fate was iron-cold, and vain was all man's strife,
Curtain on and curtain off, about the desperate life.
Failure now a topic for leisure, about this Conquer-All,
And some say: look！He is ridiculous, and is not tall.  
Alas, many a life was wasted, in flame, causing gloom,
In search for fame undying, only to find many a tomb.
            
======================================
滑铁卢古战场 感思
诗/宁馨儿
碧草茵茵的绿野景色处处，秀美无际，
地低下的阵亡将士、往昔的众勇士，
都已归于尘土，化作世纪后的春泥，
英名无碑，被风吹远、飘散，谁人记起！

金盔铜甲的拿破仑曾运筹帷幄，威名惊心，
却注定在异乡的六月湿“羽”，难逃厄运，  
牺牲者沦为他灼灼野心的陪葬，佣仆而已，  
昔日的骁勇男儿 徒展雄风，沙场上枉自搏拼。  

命运冰冷如铁，奋斗 终都归结于枉然，
幕落 幕起，不断演奏虚妄人生的旋律。
无敌枭雄 失败之旅，如今只是消闲的话题，
有人说：看！他个子不高，外表可笑滑稽。

呜呼！多少个枉费的生命，都付之于烈焰熊熊，
本想要英名不朽，却落得忧思满怀，孤坟青冢。

宁馨儿

To the Mume Blossom
致 梅 花
What's in a name? We sometimes fall in love / Because of a name, a frequently-praised name.
名字里究竟有什么奥秘？有时我们爱/ 就是因为名字，一个常被赞颂的名字。
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mume blossom, blind is my love for you, which stems
From my reading about your frequently-quoted name,   
Ere your trees were seen in glorious winter bloom,
From songs, odes and poems, the established gems.
--------------------------------------------------------------
梅花，我对你的爱是何其的盲目，源自我
读过的书，上面写有你的芳名，总被提及，  
遍布于歌词﹑诗赋，美如珠玑的名句名篇，
然后才见到你冬日的繁花，明丽地铺展在我的眼前。
I guess you used to be a fairy, mercilessly banished
From heaven sublime, for some minor fault,
And flying being an experience forgotten of the past,
Your wings had been hidden away and then vanished.
--------------------------------------------------------------
我猜想，你可能曾是位天仙，只因
犯了个小错，就被无情地贬离天庭，
飞行是过去的事情早已忘记不再可能，
双翼被人藏起，欲寻难见踪影。
You choose to bloom when other flowers hibernate
With small petals, white, pink, yellow and red
When winter is grey and people seem desperate.
--------------------------------------------------------------
这个时节里，别的花都已冬眠，你
却选择开放，粉 白 红 黄，小小的花瓣
点亮了灰暗的冬天，也让绝望变淡。
Braving the tyranny of cold, with your heart of gold,
You have perfect timing, maiden celestial, therefore
People sing praise: A flower in need is a friend indeed.
--------------------------------------------------------------
你有金子般的心，你无畏暴虐的严寒，
你是脱俗的仙子，在这样的时节里临凡，  
人们因此同声赞：好花应时开，岁寒真友来。
  （宁馨儿 草于     2009-02-05    农历 乙丑年 正月十一）  

宁馨儿

The Panda
by Petite
A panda is not just a panda, but something more,
Like pearls from the sea that can’t be bought.
The rings around its eyes are fit for comedy
And it paces the stage with care, slow but tidy…  
熊猫不止是熊猫，其意义更大，
就像深海的珍珠，无法将其估价。
它头上的黑圈使其适合喜剧里的角色，
它小心翼翼的舞台独步，缓慢而洁雅。

By nature it’s cute and quiet, a giant cat,
But biology will relate it more to a bear.
Bamboo with leaves is panda’s food delight,
And the panda is popular, beyond compare.
它天性可爱又安静，像一只巨猫，
不过，生物学却把它划为熊的近亲。
带叶的竹枝是熊猫最爱的美食，
它们受欢迎的程度，无人能及。

Yet, is it happy to be a panda, enjoying care,
And to live alone in parks, with no peer?
Its preference leads to possible extinction,
And the thread of life is dim and wearing thin.
然而，熊猫快乐吗？虽坐享照顾，
却孤单无伴，独自在公园里度日。
偏好 使它们面临着灭绝的可能，
而生命之线已暗淡，且还在变细。

That reminds me of those who shared as much love
For bamboo, and turned out losers in battles of life.
这让我想起了那些酷爱竹子的人们，
他们在生活的争斗中也经常地失利。
(Petite, 23:56, Dec.8th,2009,  )

宁馨儿

A Supposed Debate Between Lao Tzu and Confucius
by Petite (Fragrance)
   
“We’ve been made to go into duel,” Confucius said,
“And you can see the news on each and every net;
So cease your roaming, and rack your head,
And stop fooling around, though it’s your right.
“Of such things,” replied Lao Tzu, “I’ve no interest,
Since as curator I’ve seen plenty and enough.
The writing of books may consume one too much,
So ‘Tao-Te Ching’ is and will remain my last stitch.”
“You are so wrong, in thinking thus,” advised the sage,
For things turn more complex for men of prestige；
As Masters, we have to talk and teach and publish,
Or we may be laid out and eventually perish...”
"It’s foolish, you see, to set ideas down in writing,
And it is unwise, to solidify them in words stiff.
The Way that can be told is not an Unvarying Way,
And books spoil tastes, bringing disaster to this day!"  
“You are wrong, in saying so,” Confucius judged,
“How can human be equated to bird and beast?
A man should be duly judged by what he can do,
And that has been well acknowledged worldwide!"
“But Man is no Machine, after all,” refuted Dan Lee,
“So please, please quit your dry preaching upon me.  
Only he that’s rid of desire sees the Essences Secret,
With desire one only sees the Outcomes and be a regret!”
“You are in the dark,” said the Sage, “to suppose
That your position should be as steady as ever;
Trying to keep your nose clean, `tis cool, but of no use,
Since one must compete with the clever of clever.”
At this Lao Tzu looked abashed and ceased his bluff:
Knowledgeable as he was, he was not in the chair.
Intuition tells —— he realized he did not fit for this era,
So he got on his water buffalo and retreated in a puff.

宁馨儿

孔子和老子“被过招”
宁馨儿/诗

“人们让咱俩比武过招，唇枪舌战，”孔子说道，
“消息已发布到网络，遍布各大论坛。
所以，别再到处漫游了，快开动脑力，
不要再无所事事，虽然这是你的私权。”

“这样的事情，我毫无兴趣，”老子答道，
“作藏书馆馆长之时，我已见得够多。
写书会消耗内功，也没什么意义，
所以《道德经》将永远是我最后的愚举。”

“你这样想，实在是很错，”先贤劝道，
因为对知名人士而言，情况更加地复杂；
作为大师，你我得讲演，授课，发表著作，
否则就可能浑浑噩噩，最终归于寂灭。”

“唉，把思想写成文字，是多么的愚蠢，
将一切固化成刻板的字词，多么的不明智。
道，如果可道，就不会恒久，不是‘常道’，
书本败坏品味，也带来灾祸，延绵至今！”

“你这样说话，非常的错，”孔子评判说，
“人怎可以自由散漫，等同于鸟兽？
应该有所作为，让社会评判你的价值，
这一看法在世界范围内都达成了共识！”

“然而，人毕竟不是器具，”老聃应声驳斥，
“所以请你快打住，停止这枯燥的说教。
‘常无欲’才可‘观其妙’，此乃吾之信条，
‘常有欲’之人，令人遗憾呀，惟可‘观其缴’。”

“你有所不知，”圣人说道，“别以为
你的威望和地位仍一如既往地牢靠；
安分守己保持清高固然很酷，但有啥用，
与你竞争的皆非寻常之辈，个个都是人精。”

这话让老聃面露愧色，不再玩“玄”论“道”，
因为他虽然博学，却并不握有话语的主宰权。
凭知觉，他明白自己并不适合这个时代，
所以他又骑上牛背，随着一缕轻烟，颠然隐退。

宁馨儿

A Day of Days to Remember   
      by Petite (Fragrance)  

How many days have I known you? I can't tell.
I do wish I could well count, those days of joy
When we shared much, forgot things that annoy
And the envy of many,  bliss seemed to swell...

The budding of my tree blossomed and fell
Since you were away, though the days passed
So traceless, seemingly the same; I read vast
And casual, to shake off nostalgia, to excel

Myself... I tire of novelty, and feel old now
Before my age... If only I could rightly foresee
That you meant so much, if only I knew how

To treat you as you wished, I'd make the vow
To be close, and from you I should never flee.
If only I could foresee, I would bend to you as a bough.
   
Rhyme Sheme: a-b-b-a  a-b-b-a  c-d-c  c-d-c

宁馨儿

《值得记住的日子》意大利式十四行体/英-汉
值得记住的日子
宁馨儿/诗

我认识你多少天了呢？已说不清楚。
真希望那些开心的日子能够数得清；
我们分享过很多的事情，忘记有苦恼，
令人羡慕的幸福感觉 曾与日俱增。

别后的日子没有痕迹，似乎没有两样，
我的生命之树发芽,盛放，却又凋落。
我仍会读书，杂乱且随意，只为摆脱
怀旧的情绪，只为胜过自己。我不再向往

新异事物，感觉在过早地老去…假如当初
我能够准确地预见 你对于我的意义，
如果当初我懂得 如何好好地待你，如你

所愿，立下誓言，作贴心的知己，永远
都不离不弃...倘若我能够预见一切，
我定会在你面前弯腰，如柔弱的枝蔓。
====================================
    英文诗的每个诗行基本上为“五音步抑扬格”，格式为“彼得拉克式”的十四行体，韵式为 a-b-b-a，a-b-b-a，c-d-c，c-d-c。汉语诗译得比较“自由”。

宁馨儿

APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding/ Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/ Memory and desire, stirring/ Dull roots with spring rain.
                               —— From The Waste Land. by T.S. Eliot.  
   
This April, Instead of Joy or Glee
—— In Memory of the Earthquake Victims in Yushu County, PRC
  by Petite (Fragrance)

Spring is well on its way, 'tis April now,
and one has appreciated many a petal-fall,
pear and cherry bloom drifting in showers,
a sight long expected and much savored by all.

Perhaps a carol should've been written, to sing
praise of the bliss bestowed, to express my joy,
like birds that freely dart and charm'ly warble,
like a bubbling brook that sings, as nature's toy...

Yet how could I, when April kills quick and agile
with wishful dreams, when it numbs vigilance, as
a Dame-sans-merci, seductive with red lips, cruel
and beguiling, trapping lives, with colored decoy?

Now a vulture can be seen stalking in my mind's eye,
While Death creeps and bell tolls, as no one can deny.

（Petite, on April 20th, 2010, much saddened by the series of tragic news about appalling disasters that have befallen  home and abroad... )

宁馨儿

四月是最残忍的月份，荒地上/ 长着丁香，把回忆和欲望/ 掺合在一起，又让春雨/ 去催促那些迟钝的根芽。
              ——《荒原》（T.S.艾略特）


四月,没有喜悦 没有欢欣
—— 以此纪念玉树大地震中死难的同胞
宁馨儿/诗
  
春已深，已过半，四月将尽，
人们已赏过一场又一场的花雨。
梨花和桃花，都已相继随风雨飘落，
这就是让人长久企盼与回味的景观。

也许我该写一首颂歌，用以赞颂
上天赐予的福祉，表达我的喜悦，
像自由穿飞的鸟儿，迷人地啁啾﹑啼啭，
像潺潺缓流的小溪般欢唱，做自然的宠儿。

然而我写不出颂歌；四月虽满是希望的梦
却经常地杀生，身手敏捷，脚步快又轻，
让人猝不及防，残酷 善骗，像无情的
女郎，用红唇诱惑，用彩色圈套，诱捕生命。

我仿佛看见一只秃鹫在走来走去，昂首潜行，
死之阴影爬动，丧钟频鸣，谁也无法不看不听。

宁馨儿

A Sonnet for Confucius
写给孔子的十四行诗
宁馨儿/诗
Whenever I read The Analects by your disciples,
The sound and fury past will swarm to my mind.
The Warring States sought power and control blind,
While peace and order too sublime for folks wild.
每当我阅读您弟子们编撰的《论语》，
古时的嘈杂和喧嚣就会如蜂群扑面。
为了争霸和控制，各国盲目地交战，
治安与秩序对于狂热的人们，过于虚幻。
.........
Turmoil and chaos were surely no one’s choice,
Yet how could one  flee from the tide and times?
So you chose to meet thy times’ nuisance head-on,
Though preach by scholars could never be strong.
动乱和无序想必不是哪个人的选择，
可是谁能跳得出潮流和时代的篱藩？  
所以您选择直面时代的公害和弊端，  
虽然，学者的劝诫要实施一直都难。
.........
The thousand years went by, like flowing water,
When monarch and states vanished, like a sigh.
Disciples now become more, more than ever,
When you’re studied much at home and abroad.
几千年的岁月已经远去，如东逝之川，
帝王和诸侯们也都消失，像一声叹惋。
儒门弟子，现在越来越多,超过了以往，
而关于您的研究遍及海内外，如此浩瀚。
.........
You said in pursuing knowledge one felt not old,
So books to make you young are written and sold.
您曾说，为求新知 常常忘记自己正在老去，
使您保持年轻的书，仍在不断地撰写和出版。
（ by Petite，Dec.1st，2009，as a kind of practice on regular English poems with iambic pentameter. This poem is not strictly rhymed, and that makes the rhythmic arrangement appear more remarkable... ）