LESSON 57 Complaints of the poor
第五十七課 窮人的抱怨
"And wherefore do the Poor complain?"
“窮人為什么抱怨?”
The Rich man asked of me;—
富人問道我——
"Come, walk abroad with me," I said,
“過來,和我一起到外面走走”我說道,
"And I will answer thee."
“我將會回答你的。”
'Twas evening, and the frozen streets
這是晚上,街道上結了冰
Were cheerless to behold;
看到的是一片慘淡,
And we were wrapped and coated well,
我們都穿的很厚,
And yet we were a-cold.
我們很冷。
We met an old bareheaded man,
我們見到了一位頭上沒有戴任何東西的人,
His locks were few and white;
他頭發(fā)稀疏花白,
I asked him what he did abroad
我問他來外面做什么,
In that cold winter's night.
在那個寒冷的冬天的夜里。
The cold was keen indeed, he said,
他說確實很冷,
But at home no fire had he,
但是家里面沒有火,
And therefore he had come abroad
因此他就出來了
To ask for charity.
尋求施舍。
We met a young barefooted child,
我們看到了一位光腳的小孩兒
And she begged loud and bold;
她在大聲地勇敢的乞討著
I asked her what she did abroad
我問她出來做什么?
When the wind it blew so cold.
當風吹得如此寒冷的時候
She said her father was at home,
她說她的爸爸在家里,
And he lay sick a-bed,
躺在病床上
And therefore was it she was sent, abroad to beg for bread.
因此她出來乞討些面包。
We saw a woman sitting down, upon a stone to rest;
我們看到一位婦人坐在石頭上休息
She had a baby at her back,
她背著一個嬰兒,
And another at her breast.
胸前還抱著一個。
I asked her why she loitered there,
我問她為什么在那里閑逛,
When the night-wind was so chill;
夜風是如此的寒冷
She turned her head, and bade the child, that screamed behind, be still;—
她轉過頭,命令后面哭泣的小孩安靜下來,
Then told us that her husband served,
然后她告訴我們她的老公正在服役,
A soldier, far away,
是個士兵,在很遠的地方,
And therefore to her parish, she was begging back her way.
因此她去投奔她的教區(qū),在返回的路上乞討。
I turned me to the Rich man, then,
然后我看向這個富人
For silently stood he—
他靜靜地站在那,
"You asked me why the Poor complain,and these have answered thee!"
“你問我為什么窮人老是抱怨,這些人已經(jīng)回答了你”。
— Southey
— Southey