I walk through the long schoolroom questioning;
我穿過長長的教室提問;
A kind old nun in a white hood replies;
一位戴白頭巾的慈祥修女回答;
The children learn to cipher and to sing,
孩子們學習算數和唱歌,
To study reading-books and histories,
學習讀書和歷史,
To cut and sew, be neat in everything
學習剪裁與縫紉,事事整齊
In the best modern way—the children's eyes
以最現代的方式——孩子們的眼睛
In momentary wonder stare upon
短暫驚奇地凝視著
A sixty-year-old smiling public man.
一位六十歲微笑的公眾人物。
I dream of a Ledaean body, bent
我夢見一個天鵝般的身體,彎曲著
Above a sinking fire, a tale that she
在逐漸熄滅的火焰之上,她講述了一個故事
Told of a harsh reproof, or trivial event
關於一次嚴厲的斥責,或一件微不足道的小事
That changed some childish day to tragedy—
將某個童年的日子變成了悲劇——
Told, and it seemed that our two natures blent
講完後,彷彿我們兩人的本質融合了
Into a sphere from youthful sympathy,
因青春的共鳴而化為一體,
Or else, to alter Plato's parable,
或者,改變柏拉圖的寓言,
Into the yolk and white of the one shell.
成為同一蛋殼中的蛋黃與蛋白。
And thinking of that fit of grief or rage
想到那陣悲傷或憤怒時
I look upon one child or t'other there
我看著這裡的一個孩子或另一個孩子
And wonder if she stood so at that age—
想知道她是否在那個年紀也曾如此站著——
For even daughters of the swan can share
因為即使是天鵝的女兒也能分享
Something of every paddler's heritage—
每位划船者遺產的一部分——
And had that colour upon cheek or hair,
臉頰或頭髮上也有那樣的色彩,
And thereupon my heart is driven wild:
於是我的心被驅使得狂亂:
She stands before me as a living child.
她像個活生生的孩子站在我面前。
Her present image floats into the mind—
她現在的形象浮現於腦海中——
Did Quattrocento finger fashion it
是否十五世紀的手塑造了它
Hollow of cheek as though it drank the wind
雙頰凹陷,彷彿吸入了風
And took a mess of shadows for its meat?
並以一堆陰影作為食物?
And I though never of Ledaean kind
而我雖然從來不是天鵝般的類型
Had pretty plumage once—enough of that,
曾經擁有美麗的羽毛——夠了,
Better to smile on all that smile, and show
最好對所有微笑的人報以微笑,並展示
There is a comfortable kind of old scarecrow.
一種舒適的老稻草人形象。
What youthful mother, a shape upon her lap
哪位年輕母親,膝上抱著一個形體
Honey of generation had betrayed,
世代的甜蜜背叛了她,
And that must sleep, shriek, struggle to escape
而那形體必須睡覺、尖叫、掙扎著逃離
As recollection or the drug decide,
由回憶或藥物決定,
Would think her Son, did she but see that shape
若她只看到那形體
With sixty or more winters on its head,
頭上承載六十多個冬天,
A compensation? Would she not reckon past laws,
會認為這是補償嗎?她難道不會計算過去的法則,
And find some cause to choose, to dare refuse?
並找到某些理由去選擇,去大膽拒絕?
Both nuns and mothers worship images,
修女與母親都崇拜形象,
But those the candles light are not as those
但那些由蠟燭照亮的形象不同於
That animate a mother's reveries,
激發母親遐想的形象,
But keep a marble or a bronze repose.
而是保持大理石或青銅般的安靜。
And yet they too break hearts—O Presences
然而它們也令人心碎——哦,存在啊
That passion, piety or affection knows,
激情、虔誠或情感所知的存在,
And that all heavenly glory symbolise—
並象徵所有天堂的榮耀——
O self-born mockers of man's enterprise;
哦,自生自滅嘲弄人類事業的存在;