《更多的诗歌》：35：走到半路，只违背了一条戒律

《更多的诗歌》

XXXV

第三十五首

 

走到半路，只违背了一条戒律

Half-Way, for One Commandment Broken

 

英国   A. E. 豪斯曼原著

Alfred Edward Housman (1859 – 1936)

徐家祯翻译

 

 

Half-way, for one commandment broken,

        The woman made her endless halt,

And she today, a glistering token,

        Stands in the wilderness of salt.

Behind, the vats of judgment brewing

        Thundered, and thick the brimstone snowed:

He to the hill of his undoing

        Pursued his road.

 

 

走到半路，只违背了一条戒律，
       那女人就让自己永远停住，
今天，她成了闪闪发亮的标志，
       伫立在盐碱地上一片荒芜。
背后，正在酝酿裁判的大桶，
       雷声隆隆，硫磺大雪般厚厚盖覆:
他朝着使他堕落的山丘
       继续走他的路。 

                                           二 0 二二年四月六日

                                           译于澳大利亚刻来佛寺爱闲堂

 

* 豪斯曼的这首诗是诗集《更多的诗歌》中的第 35 首。

        这首诗里又引用了一个《圣经》故事。在《圣经 · 创世纪》中，有一个叫罗得 (Lot)的人的故事。罗得和他的妻子及两个女儿住在一个叫所多玛(Sodom)的城里。这个城市因为淫乱，上帝决定惩罚他们，让整个城市毁灭。但是，因为罗得一家是好 人，所以上帝就派了两个天使去他们家，要他们赶快离开这个城市。但是，有一个条 件，就是在路上不能回头。结果，《圣经》说:

        “The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. ” (Genesis 19: 23-26)

        “罗得到达琐珥的时候，太阳已经从地面升上来了。 当时，耶和华就使硫磺与 火，从天上耶和华那里降与所多玛和蛾摩拉; 把那些城和全平原，以及城中所有的居 民，连地上生长的，都毁灭了。 罗得的妻子在他后面向后一望，就变成了盐柱。” (创世纪 19:23-26)

        因为害怕，罗得就带着两个女儿离开了琐珥 (Zoar)，住在一个山上，结果， 《圣经》说:

        “And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. ” (Genesis 19: 30-38)

        “罗得因为怕住在琐珥，就与他的两个女儿，一同离开琐珥上了山，住在那里; 他和两个女儿住在一个洞里。 大女儿对小女儿说:‘我们的爸爸已经老了，这地又没 有男人可以按着世上的常规进来与我们亲近。 来吧，我们可以叫父亲喝酒，然后与他 同睡，这样我们可以借着父亲保全后裔。’ 当夜，她们叫父亲喝酒，大女儿就进去与 父亲同睡，她甚么时候躺下，甚么时候起来，她父亲都不知道。 第二天，大女儿对小女儿说:‘昨夜我与父亲同睡了，今夜我们再叫父亲喝酒，你可以进去与他同睡，这 样我们可以借着父亲保全后裔。’当夜，她们又叫父亲喝酒，小女儿就起来，与父亲 同睡;她甚么时候躺下，甚么时候起来，她父亲都不知道。 这样，罗得的两个女儿， 都从她们的父亲怀了孕。 大女儿生了一个儿子，给他起名叫摩押，就是现在摩押人的 始祖。 小女儿也生了一个儿子，给他起名叫便.亚米，就是现在亚扪人的始祖。” (创世纪 19:30-38)

        豪斯曼的这首诗就是根据这个故事写的。诗中，并没有点出罗得和他妻子的名 字，只用“他”和“她”来代替，暗示着这个故事适用于全人类所有的男人和女人。

        豪斯曼认为，罗得的妻子就因为“违背了一条戒律” —— 朝后看了一眼将要被毁 灭的家园，就被上帝惩罚，变成一条盐柱，至今伫立在荒原上，这是不公平的处罚。 而罗得，他根本没有违背上帝的任何戒律，结果却也犯了乱伦的罪孽，那就更加荒谬 可笑了。所以，诗人在诗里暗示:不管违背上帝的戒律也好，不违背上帝的戒律也好， 最后都没有得到什么好结果。诗人认为这就是人注定的命运。

        更具讽刺意味的是，虽然没有明说，但是《圣经》中暗示，所多玛城里人民犯 的主要罪行是同性恋罪，所以受到上帝的严厉惩罚。但是同样是性的犯罪 —— 乱伦罪， 却并没有得到上帝的惩罚，罗得反而成了摩押人和亚扪人的始祖。

        原诗仅一节八句。译诗双句押 [u] 韵。