雙語詩歌翻譯|冰心?《談生命》

談生命

On Life

冰心

Bing Xin

我不敢說生命是什么，我只能說生命像什么。

I would not venture to say what Life is; I would only say what Life is like.

生命像向東流的一江春水，他從最高處發(fā)源，冰雪是他的前身。他聚集起許多細流，合成一股有力的洪濤，向下奔注，他曲折的穿過了懸崖峭壁，沖倒了層沙積土，挾卷著滾滾的沙石，快樂勇敢地流走，一路上他享受著他所遭遇的一切：有時候他遇到巉巖前阻，他憤激地奔騰了起來，怒吼著，回旋著，前波后浪地起伏催逼，直到?jīng)_倒了這危崖，他才心平氣和地一瀉千里。有時候他經(jīng)過了細細的平沙，斜陽芳草里，看見了夾岸紅艷的桃花，他快樂而又羞怯，靜靜地流著，低低地吟唱著，輕輕地度過這一段浪漫的行程。

Life begins like a nascent river flowing eastward, having emerged from ice and snow somewhere up high. Converging with many a rivulet to form a powerful torrent, he embarks on his downward dash, zigzagging by cliffs, flattening dunes and mounds, churning up sands and pebbles. He rushes along with joy, with confidence, with license. When blocked by rocks, he charges with rage, roaring, twirling and swirling, wave after wave, until finally clearing the imposing obstacles and continuing his journey on a light-hearted note. Sometimes he rolls quietly on leveled terrain through green grass in the setting sun, caressing fine sand, giving now and then a shy gaze at the bright peach blossoms on the banks, and singing softly while stepping gently into the romantic rhythm of this joyful leg of his voyage.

有時候他遇到暴風(fēng)雨，這激電，這迅雷，使他心魂驚駭，疾風(fēng)吹卷起他，大雨擊打著他，他暫時渾濁了，擾亂了，而雨過天晴，只加給他許多新生的力量。有時候他遇到了晚霞和新月，向他照耀，向他投影，清冷中帶些幽幽的溫暖：這時他只想憩息，只想睡眠，而那股前進的力量，仍催逼著他向前走……

Sometimes he is caught in storms, with horrifying burst of thunder and lightning. Ripped by ferocious gales and beaten by punishing downpours, he becomes, for a time, ruffled and muddy, only to find himself refreshed and energize when embraced by the sunshine again. At calmer moments he is charmed by the clouds waltzing along the horizon at dusk, and smiling at him, and then by the arrival of the new moon, which sketches his silhouette, and bestows a touch of warmth in the midst of a chilly night. A yearning for a respite or slumber gnaws at him, but eventually gives way to the impetus to move on.

終于有一天，他遠遠地望見了大海，呵！他已到了行程的終結(jié)，這大海，使他屏息，使他低頭，她多么遼闊，多么偉大！多么光明，又多么黑暗！大海莊嚴的伸出臂兒來接引他，他一聲不響地流入她的懷里。他消融了，歸化了，說不上快樂，也不有悲哀！也許有一天，他再從海上蓬蓬地雨點中升起，飛向西來，再形成一道江流，再沖倒兩旁的石壁，再來尋夾岸的桃花。然而我不敢說來生，也不敢相信來生！

Finally one day the ocean leaps into his view from afar. Alas! He is at the end of his journey. So vast, so imposing, so bright, and yet so dark, the ocean is breath-taking and humbling! When she greets him solemnly, he lets himself drop into her massive arms, dissolved and naturalized, experiencing neither joy nor sorrow. Perhaps, one day he would again rise from the sea in the form of fine vapors and travels westward, to form again a river that would dash by cliffs, and look for peach blossoms on the banks. But I dare not say that’s the rebirth of his previous life, for I couldn’t bring myself to believe in an afterlife.

生命又像一顆小樹，他從地底聚集起許多生力，在冰雪下欠伸，在早春潤濕的泥土中，勇敢快樂的破殼出來。他也許長在平原上，巖石上，城墻上，只要他抬頭看見了天，呵！看見了天！他便伸出嫩葉來吸收空氣，承受陽光，在雨中吟唱，在風(fēng)中跳舞。他也許受著大樹的蔭遮，也許受著大樹的覆壓，而他青春生長的力量，終使他穿枝拂葉的掙脫了出來，在烈日下挺立抬頭！他遇著驕奢的春天，他也許開出滿樹的繁花，蜂蝶圍繞著他飄翔喧鬧，小鳥在他枝頭欣賞唱歌，他會聽見黃鶯清吟，杜鵑啼血，也許還聽見梟鳥的怪鳴。

Life begins also like a young tree. He starts his journey underground where he gathers vitality and struggles to extend his tiny self to the snow above. When dew drops in early spring have moistened the soil, he musters his courage to push up, and out comes he! It doesn’t matter to him whether he happens to be on a level stretch of land, or on a rock, or on a wall, as long as he can see the sky when he looks up. Oh, he sees the sky! He’s thrilled! Eagerly, he stretches his tender leaves upwards, inhaling fresh air, basking in the sun, singing in the rain, dancing in the wind. He may be overshadowed and oppressed by the big trees towering over him, but empowered by his youthful vigor he manages to break free. Branching out strong, he positions himself squarely in the burning sun. When balmy spring breezes kiss him into full blossom, he finds himself surrounded by humming bees, fluttering butterflies, and chirping birds. He also hears orioles whistling, cuckoos crying, or owls hooting.

他長到最茂盛的中年，他伸展出他如蓋的濃蔭，來蔭庇樹下的幽花芳草，他結(jié)出累累的果實，來呈現(xiàn)大地?zé)o盡的甜美與芳馨。秋風(fēng)起了，將他葉子，由濃綠吹到緋紅，秋陽下他再有一番的莊嚴燦爛，不是開花的驕傲，也不是結(jié)果的快樂，而是成功后的寧靜和怡悅！終于有一天，冬天的朔風(fēng)把他的黃葉干枝，卷落吹抖，他無力的在空中旋舞，在根下呻吟，大地莊嚴的伸出臂兒來接引他，他一聲不響的落在她的懷里。他消融了，歸化了，他說不上快樂，也沒有悲哀！也許有一天，他再從地下的果仁中，破裂了出來。又長成一棵小樹，再穿過叢莽的嚴遮，再來聽黃鶯的歌唱，然而我不敢說來生，也不敢信來生。

In his prime, his thick foliage spreads out like a colossal green cover, giving shake to budding flowers and young grass below. The abundant fruit he produces is so inexhaustibly rich and sweet, flavored by Mother Earth. Then comes the autumn wind in sharp gusts, turning his dark green color into many shades of red, yellow and orange. Standing in the autumn sun, he radiates a stately calmness, tinged not with an indulgence in the pride in his foregone blooming prowess or the bliss of sweet fruition, but rather with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. One day, winter’s bitter air bits off the last of his withered leaves and parched twigs. His roots wobbly and his trunk shaken, he leaves himself at the mercy of elements. When Mother Earth greets him solemnly, he collapses quietly into her massive arms, dissolved and naturalized, experiencing neither joy nor sorrow. Perhaps, someday he would again push up from underground, where he has been gathering vitality as a seed, to become a young tree again. Once again he would break free from the entanglements surrounding him, and once again he would be listening to orioles singing. But I dare not say that’s the rebirth of his previous life, for I couldn’t bring myself to believe in an afterlife.

宇宙是個大生命，我們是宇宙大氣中之一息。江流入海，葉落歸根，我們是大生命中之一葉，大生命中之一滴。在宇宙的大生命中，我們是多么卑微，多么渺小，而一滴一葉的活動生長合成了整個宇宙的進化運行。要記住：不是每一道江流都能入海，不流動的便成了死湖；不是每一粒種子都能成樹，不生長的便成了空殼！生命中不是永遠快樂，也不是永遠痛苦，快樂和痛苦是相生相成的。等于水道要經(jīng)過不同的兩岸，樹木要經(jīng)過常變的四時。在快樂中我們要感謝生命，在痛苦中我們也要感謝生命。快樂固然興奮，苦痛又何嘗不美麗？我曾讀到一個警句，它說“愿你生命中有夠多的云翳，來造成一個美麗的黃昏”。

The universe represents an all-encompassing life, in which we are but tiny breathing souls. While rivers and streams merge into the ocean, and fallen leaves return to where the roots are, we are no more than specks that join all that exits in the universe. However insignificant, and however seemingly negligible, the tiniest particles, by virtue of their never-ending motion, join forces to power the evolution of the universe. But we have to remember: all rivers or streams would not end up blending into the ocean, since those that do not flow would become stagnant; all seeds would not transform themselves into trees, since those that fail to grow would be reduced to empty hulls. Life is neither a joy forever, nor an ever-lasting woe, for the two shape each other and are mutually balancing, much in the same manner as a river is bound to wash against different banks, and a tree is destined to experience seasonal changes. In happiness we owe our thanks to Life, and in agony we are no less indebted to Life. Bliss is, needless to say, heartening, but who can claim that beauty is absent from pain and suffering? As an adage goes, “may there be enough clouds in your life to make a beautiful sunset”.

（蔡力堅 譯）