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英美著名儿童诗一百首 [35]

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  "What ails you, child
" —she sobbed "Look here!"
  I saw it in the wheel entangled,
  A weather-beaten rag as e' er
  From any garden scare-crow dangled.
  There, twisted between nave and spoke,
  It hung, nor could at once be freed;
  But our joint pains unloosed the cloak,
  A miserable rag indeed!
  "And whither are you going, child,
  To-night along these lonesome ways
"
  "To Durham," answered she, half wild—
  "Then come with me into the chaise."
  Insensible to all relief
  Sat the poor girl, and forth did send
  Sob after sob, as if her grief
  Could never, never have an end.
  "My child, in Durham do you dwell
"
  She checked herself in her distress,
  And said, "My name is Alice Fell;
  I'm fatherless and motherless.
  And I to Durham, Sir, belong."
  Again, as if the thought would choke
  Her very heart, her grief grew strong;
  And all was for her tattered cloak!
  The chaise drove on; our journey's end
  Was nigh; and, sitting by my side,
  As if she had lost her only friend
  She wept, nor would be pacified.
  Up to the tavern-door we post;
  Of Alice and her grief I told;
  And I gave money to the host,
  To buy a new cloak for the old.
  "And let it be of duffil grey,
  As warm a cloak as man can sell!"
  Proud creature was she the next day,
  The little orphan, Alice Fell!


■ 六十八 阿丽丝·费尔
  ——贫穷
  威廉·华兹华斯
  车夫用可惊的速度赶车,
  威胁的乌云已侵没月亮;
  我们疾驰的时候,我耳朵
  听到了一种撼人的声响。
  我一次又一次听见那声音,
  像风儿吹往许多方向;
  它似乎在跟着马车前进,
  我听见那声音老不变样。
  最后我把马车夫喊住;
  他立刻动手拉紧了马缰,
  可是,听不到喊叫或哀哭,
  也再听不到这一类声响。
  于是马车夫再挥起鞭子,
  马儿又拉车在雨中疾驰;
  可是狂风中那声音又起,
  我让车夫再停下车子。
  随即我从马车上跨下来,
  说,"哪来这可怜的哀唤?"
  这时我发现一个小女孩
  独自坐在车厢的后面。
  她高声哭着,十分哀切,
  "我的外套!"她不说别的话,
  她纯洁的心儿像快要碎裂;
  接着,她从座位上跳下。
  "怎么啦,孩子?"——她哽咽着讲,
  "看这儿!"我看见,绞在车轮中,
  一件风雨剥蚀的破衣裳,
  像园中稻草人,还在摆动。
  在车轴和轮辐中间轧牢,
  那衣服一下子不能拉起;
  可我们合力拉出了外套,
  真是一件可怜的破衣!
  "路上这么寂寞凄苦,
  今晚你去哪儿,小孩?"
  她半粗野地回答:"德勒姆。"
  "那么就跟我到车厢里来。"
  毫不理睬一切的劝慰,
  这女孩坐着,让人可怜,
  她抽噎不止,她的伤悲
  似乎永远、永远没完。
  "你家在德勒姆住吗,小孩儿?"
  她暂时抑止了自己的哀伤
  说,"我叫阿丽丝·费尔;
  我没有爹,也没有娘。
  我是德勒姆人,先生。"
  她那念头好像又要
  塞住她的心,她更加伤心;
  全为了那件破烂的外套!
  马车继续向前飞奔;
  终点近了,她坐在我旁边,
  好像失去了唯一的亲朋,
  她老是哭着,不听人劝。
  我们在旅店门口停住;
  我讲了阿丽丝和她的悲哀;
  我把一笔钱交给店主,
  请他去买一件新的外套来。
  "去挑一件灰色呢子衣,
  一件最能保暖的新外套!"
  第二天,小孤儿阿丽丝,
  啊,她变得多么骄傲!
  屠 岸译


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