Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
By Dylan Thomas
《别温顺地走进那漫长的夜晚》
作者:狄兰·托马斯
翻译:忒绿
Do not go gentle into that good night,
别温顺地走进那漫长的夜晚,
Old age should burn and rave at the close of day;
老年人应该在日暮时分疯狂呼叫;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
愤怒,愤怒抵抗不让那道光消散。
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
智慧的人尽管知道末日的黑暗难免,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
因为他们的智言不能引来闪电高照
Do not go gentle into that good night.
他们也没有温顺地走进那漫长的夜晚。
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
善良的人,当最后的波浪拍岸,也许应该呼喊
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
他们微薄善行的荣光同时在一个绿色海湾舞蹈,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
愤怒,愤怒抵抗不让那道光消散。
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
狂放的人高唱着试图追逐太阳的旋转,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
最后明白,为时已晚,徒留悲伤看着它择路而逃,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
也没有温顺地走进那漫长的夜晚。
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
严肃的人,当死亡来临,他们的视线令人目眩,
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
瞎盲的眼睛可以像流星一样绚丽闪耀,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
愤怒,愤怒抵抗不让那道光消散。
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
还有您,我的父亲,正处在悲恸之巅,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
就用您炙热的泪水咒骂,或者祝福我吧,我祈祷。
Do not go gentle into that good night,
别温顺地走进那漫长的夜晚,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
愤怒,愤怒抵抗不让那道光消散。
跋尾:
狄兰·托马斯(Dylan Thomas,1914 - 1953),英国诗人、作家。他写诗,写散文、广播剧,酗酒,为BBC朗诵诗歌。第三次前往美国时因饮酒过量而亡。1951年,托马斯作此诗于父亲病危期间。整首诗充斥着夜晚与白昼、黑暗与光明、温和与狂暴、死亡与生命的二元对立,语言和意象有饱满的张力。托马斯面对父亲的衰老和生命光芒的渐弱,用无比热烈的语调吟唱着一首不甘屈服的歌。诺兰在2014年的电影《星际穿越》中赋予了这首诗新的含义。
这是一首田园十九行诗(villanelle),格律甚严:五个三行诗节加一个四行诗节,五步抑扬格,韵式为aba aba aba aba aba abaa,第一个诗节的一三两行作为叠句在后面的诗节末行轮流重复,并在四行诗节中共同收尾。翻译家陶志健先生在<美语世界>论坛发表了其十言律诗体中文翻译,译文优美,功力深厚,堪称当今中译之典范。拙译跳出原诗体音步限制,给原作意象充分的自由展现空间,保留韵式与间架结构,以新诗体呈现。拙作得到陶先生拔冗评阅,实感荣幸,受益良多。