To Paul/To Ocean

編者按：在本刊微信公眾平臺舉辦的“Budding Writers”的多篇來稿中，編輯部精挑細選出10篇上乘佳作，將從本年度第二期開始陸續刊登。奇文共欣賞，疑義相與析。希望能有更多讀者拿起筆，以書寫傳遞心聲，用文字記錄生活。

Affectd were you as you avertd your eyes1

When by chance they met with her secret gaze.

Talented swindlers2 should weep for your lies

As they walked the shame parade in a daze.3

You promised a rose that would never fade

As she revealed her soul so desperate.

Yet you withdrew it when it was in shade

Saying even mountains might separate.

Youll be a poor pill-grinding technician4

And without a doubt a man of no art.

Someday you may take your own invention

And probably end with a broken heart.

She could have wished so， you know， her sole guide，

Who led her to where true love could reside.5

1. affectd： 即affected，做作的（表不滿）；avertd： 即averted，avert ones eyes，轉移視線。

2. swindler： 騙子，詐騙者。

3. walk the shame parade： 游街示眾；in a daze： 恍惚地，茫然地。

4. 此行典出John Ciardi，“Another School Year—What For？”，文中作者調侃大學并不是在培養“合格的磨藥工”（“Qualified Pill-Grinding Technician”）。

5. 最后兩行用“could have done”反轉，為本詩詩眼。

‘Tis1 the seventh time that Ive journeyed far

Towards Mount Raison2 seemingly so near.

Long my obsession has been deemed bizarre

Rendring me acclimated to the sneer.3

Whilst my ebony hair has turned hoary4

Too it would， in the slough of ignorance.5

And I heed no slushy tale of fairy6

Neither would I settle for nonchalance7.

Each time the Blizzard on the way would ask—

“Whod audaciously comparison bear

By resorting to such an arduous task

With what holds the grimmest power so fair？”8

“For I fear not what might foreer stand still—

To death on all accounts Ill scale and chill.”9

1. ‘tis： 即it is。

2. raison：〈法〉理性。

3. rendring： 即rendering，原形為render，使成為，使變得；be acclimated to： 適應于；sneer： 嘲笑，譏諷。

4. whilst： 同while；ebony： 烏黑的；hoary：（因年老）灰白的。

5. 即“It would， too， in the slough of ignorance”，“it”指上文的“ebony hair”。slough： 絕望的境地。

6. heed： 留意；slushy： 庸俗的。

7. nonchalance： 若無其事，漠不關心。

8.“誰會膽大妄為到訴諸如此艱巨的任務，來與這最嚴酷卻又如此美麗的力量相提并論呢？”此處三行正常語序為“Who would audaciously bear comparison with what holds the grimmest power so fair， by resorting to such an arduous task？”。audaciously：大膽地，無畏地；bear comparison with： 比得上；arduous： 艱巨的，費力的；grim： 令人不快的，使人憂慮的。

9. “因為我無懼那或許將站成永恒的——無論如何，至死我都將攀登著，戰栗著。”最后兩行正常語序為“Ill scale and chill to death on all accounts， for I fear not what might forever stand still”。scale： 攀越。

本文兩首詩系作者模仿莎士比亞十四行詩格律而成。十四行詩是源于意大利民間的一種抒情短詩，文藝復興初期盛行于整個歐洲，其結構嚴謹，分為上下兩部分。上段為八行，下段為六行，每行十一個音節，韻腳排列：abba abba， cdc ded。莎士比亞十四行詩的結構更為嚴謹，他將十四個詩行分為兩部分，第一部分為三個四行，第二部分為兩行，每行十個音節，韻腳為：abab， cdcd， efef， gg。這樣的格式后來被稱為“莎士比亞式”或“伊麗莎白式”。

作者的話

我來自浙江，筆名夕臾，英文名Emily，現大四，某理工類大學英語專業在讀。……