The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

杰.阿爾弗雷德.普魯佛洛克的情歌

by T.S.Eliot

S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse

A persona che mai tornasse al mondo,

Questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.

Ma percioche giammai di questo fondo

Non torno vivo alcun, s'i'odo il vero,

Senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

若吾以為汝將生返陽界, 則吾將無以為答;

若吾聞屬實, 則吾無名譽之憂矣, 而將答汝.

Let us go then, you and I,

讓我們走吧, 我和你

When the evening is spread out against the sky

當夜色蔓延直到達天際

Like a patient etherized upon a table;

像個麻醉了的病人躺在手術臺上

Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,

讓我們走, 穿過某些半是蕭索的街路

The muttering retreats

不安的夜暮

Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels

咕噥消散在便宜的"一夜"旅店

And saw dust restaurants with oyster-shells:

和滿是牡蠣殼, 散落鋸屑的餐館

Streets that follow like a tedious argument

相連的街道仿佛一場冗長的爭辯

Of insidious intent

用心奸險

To lead you to an overwhelming question...

把你引向無法抗拒的問題...

Oh, do not ask, "What is it?"

噢, 不要問,"這是什么?"

Let us go and make our visit.

讓我們走, 去做我們的客.

In the room the women come and go

房間里的女人們來去如梭

Talking of Michelangelo.

談論著米來朗基羅

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,

黃色的濃霧在窗格玻璃上蹭它的背,

The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes,

黃色的輕煙在窗格玻璃上擦它的嘴,

Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,

舌頭輕舔入夜晚的角落,

Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,

逗留在排污溝中的潦水,

Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,

讓它的背上落滿煙囪飄下的煤煙,

Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,

沿著陽臺滑落, 又做突然一跳,

And seeing that it was a soft October night,

因為這個溫柔的十月夜晚,

Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

圍著屋子繞了一圈, 然后睡著.

And indeed there will be time

事實上會有時間

For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,

讓黃色的煙沿著街道滑走

Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;

在窗格玻璃上蹭它的背;

There will be time, there will be time

將會有時間,將會有時間

To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;

去準備一張面孔去會見你要相見的面孔;

There will be time to murder and create,

將會有時間去謀殺和創(chuàng)造,

And time for all the works and days of hands

有時間使得從事所有工作和時日的手

That lift and drop a question on your plate;

在你的盤子里拿起又放下一個問題;

Time for you and time for me,

對于你還有時間, 對于我還有時間,

And time yet for a hundred in decisions,

仍有時間做一百次猶豫不定,

And for a hundred visions and revisions,

做一百次幻想和修正,

Before the taking of a toast and tea.

在用一片吐司和茶之前.

In the room the women come and go

房間里的女人們來去如梭

Talking of Michelangelo.

談論著米來朗基羅

And indeed there will be time

事實上會有時間

To wonder, "Do I dare?" and,"Do I dare?"

去懷疑, "我是否敢于?" "我是否敢于?"

Time to turn back and descend the stair,

有時間轉回身走下樓梯

With a bald spot in the middle of my hair--

我的頭發(fā)中間有一塊禿地

(They will say: "How his hair is growing thin!")

(他們會說:"他的頭發(fā)多么稀啊!")

My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,

我的晨禮服, 我的領子緊托著下巴,

My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin--

我的領帶華貴而和體, 但只用一枚簡單的別針固定它--

(They will say: "But how his arms and legs are thin!")

(他們會說:"但他的胳膊和腿多么細啊!")

Do I dare

我是否敢于

Disturb the universe?

擾亂這個宇宙空間?

In a minute there is time

在一分鐘里會有時間

For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

去做一個決定和修訂, 好在下一分鐘里推翻.

For I have known them all already, known them all:

因為我已經徹底了解她們, 徹底了解她們:

Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,

熟知那些夜晚, 清晨, 下午,

I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;

我已經把我的生活用咖啡匙量出;

I know the voices dying with a dying fall

我知道那些垂死的聲音

Beneath the music from a farther room.

隨著從更遠房間飄出的音樂漸去.

So how should I presume?

那么我又怎能冒昧?

And I have known the eyes already, known them all--

我已經徹底了解那些眼睛, 徹底了解它們--

The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,

這些眼睛用一個公式化的短語把你釘死,

And when I am formulated, sprawling on apin,

當我被公式化了, 趴在一枚別針上,

When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,

讓我被釘在墻上扭動不休,

Then how should I begin

那么我該怎樣開始

To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?

好吐出我的日子和習慣的全部煙蒂?

And how should I presume?

那我又怎能冒昧?

And I have known the arms already, known them all--

我已經徹底了解那些手臂, 徹底了解它們

Arms that are braceleted and white and bare

那些戴著手鐲的手臂, 白色裸露

(But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!)

(但在燈光之下,到處是淡棕色的絨毛! )

Is it perfume from a dress

是衣服上的香氣

That makes me so digress?

使得我如此離題?

Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.

那些擱在桌子上的手臂, 或是圍著一條圍巾.

And should I then presume?

那么我能冒昧嗎?

And how should I begin?

那么我該怎樣開始?

Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets

我是否會說, 我在薄暮中穿過狹窄的街道

And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes

注視著穿有袖襯衫的孤獨男人

Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows? ...

斜倚在窗前, 煙氣從煙斗中升起? ...

I should have been a pair of ragged claws

我應當成為一雙粗糙的爪子

Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

匆匆刮過寂靜的海底.

And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully!

在這下午,這夜晚, 睡眠如此安然!

Smoothed by long fingers,

被修長的手指撫平,

Asleep ... tired ... or it malingers,

熟睡...疲勞...或是裝病,

Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me.

在地板上伸展肢體, 在你和我身邊.

Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,

我是否, 在用過茶, 點心和冰淇淋之后,

Have the strength to force the moment toits crisis?

能有力量把這個瞬間推向它的決定關頭?

But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed,

盡管我哭泣過齋戒過, 哭泣過祈禱過,

Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter,

盡管我看見我的頭(已經微微禿了)盛在盤子里帶到,

I am no prophet--and here's no great matter;

我不是先知--不過這也無關緊要 ;

I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,

我已經看到了我的偉大時刻閃耀,

And I have seen the eternal Footman holdmy coat, and snicker,

我已經看到永恒的男仆拿著我的外套, 并且傻笑

And in short, I was afraid.

總之, 我害怕.

And would it have been worth it, after all,

而且這是否值得去做, 說到底,

After the cups, the marmalade, the tea,

在杯子, 果醬和茶之后

Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me,

在瓷器之間, 在關乎你我的言談之儔

Would it have been worthwhile,

它是否值得,

To have bitten off the matter with a smile,

把這個事件帶著微笑咬后,

To have squeezed the universe into a ball

把這個宇宙擠進一個球

To roll it toward some overwhelming question,

把它滾向一些無法抗拒的問題,

To say: "I am Lazarus, come from the dead,

說:“我是拉撒路,來自地府

Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all"--

回來告訴你所有, 我要告訴你所有"--

If one, settling a pillow by her head,

如果那人, 頭后擺著一個枕頭,

Should say: "That is not what I meant at all;

說:"那根本不是我的意思"

That is not it, at all.“

那不是,根本不是

And would it have been worth it, after all,

說到底, 這是否值得

Would it have been worthwhile,

它是否值得,

After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,

在落日, 庭院, 灑掃的大街之后

After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor--

在小說, 茶杯, 曳地長裙之后

And this, and so much more?--

在這, 還有更多?--

It is impossible to say just what I mean!

想要說出我的意思那決不可能!

But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen:

除非一盞幻燈把神經圖案投影在銀屏:

Would it have been worthwhile

它是否值得

If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl,

如果那人, 擺上一個枕頭或是扔下一條圍巾,

And turning toward the window, should say:

一邊轉向窗戶, 說道:

"That is not it at all,

"那根本不是

That is not what I meant, at all."

那根本不是我的意思."

No I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;

不, 我不是哈姆雷特王子, 也無意為之;

Am an attendant lord, one that will do

我是個侍從廷臣, 一個適合

To swell a progress, start a scene or two,

在王家隊伍里充數, 應景一二,

Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,

給王子提些建議; 無疑, 是個順手的工具,

Deferential, glad to be of use,

溫良恭順, 樂于被征詢,

Politic, cautious, and meticulous;

精明, 謹慎, 還有細心乖巧;

Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;

滿腹高談闊論,不過有點愚鈍;

At times, indeed, almost ridiculous--

有時, 的確, 幾乎荒謬可笑--

Almost, at times, the Fool.

幾乎,有時, 就是癡愚.

I grow old ... I grow old ...

我老了... 我老了...

I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

我該把褲腳卷起了.

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?

我該把頭發(fā)向后分嗎? 我敢去吃桃子嗎?

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.

我將穿著白色法蘭絨褲子, 漫步在海灘上.

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

我聽到美人魚在歌唱, 彼此歌唱.

I do not think that they will sing to me.

我想她們將不會我而唱.

I have seen them riding seaward on the waves

我看見她們騎著波浪奔向大海

Combing the white hair of the waves blown back

把吹回的波浪的白色頭發(fā)梳開

When the wind blows the water white and black.

當風把海水吹得又黑又白.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea

我們流連在大海的臥室中

By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown

身邊是海女們環(huán)著紅色棕色的海草花飾

Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

直到人類的聲音驚醒我們, 我們就溺死.