Close by those meads, for ever crowned with flowers,
Where Thames with pride surveys his rising towers,
There stands a structure of majestic frame,
Which from the neighb'ring Hampton takes its name.
Here Britain's statesmen oft the fall foredoom 5
Of foreign tyrants and of nymphs at home;
前四行描写了Hampton Court的location,此宫坐落在草坪和河边,精心保养的草坪一年四季戴着鲜花的王冠,泰晤士河静静流过 。
六、七行阐明此地的 功能:决定天下大事,不管是国外暴君还是国内仙女,英国公务员都要管管 (有没有听出一点讽刺的味道)
Here thou, great ANNA! whom three realms obey,
Dost sometimes counsel take--and sometimes tea.
Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort,
To taste awhile the pleasures of a court; 10
In various talk th' instructive hours they past,
Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last;
One speaks the glory of the British queen,
And one describes a charming Indian screen;
A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes; 15
第七行开始终于转入了下午茶环节,卞之琳的译注中提到,take counsel和take tea两个动作用了一个动词,堂皇与琐碎并肩比,可以起突兀的冷嘲效果。
上流社会的人们被称为英雄和仙女,他们说的话犹如仙乐intructive hours。那么 他们谈些什么呢?——谁开舞会,谁拜访了谁,拍女王马屁,赏(xuan)玩(yao)异域艺术品。
At every word a reputation dies.
Snuff, or the fan, supply each pause of chat,
With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that. 18
一句话出来,一个名声就凋零。这句话很真实。看似高(bo)雅(ring)交谈里,充满了政治、宫廷斗争。Pope还加入了视觉、听觉、嗅觉元素还原上流社会的交谈场景:男人抽着鼻烟,女人扇着扇子,人们欢笑,歌唱,已婚夫妇和其他已婚夫妇暗送秋波,and all that。卞之琳将最后三个字翻译成“诸如此类”,留下很多发挥想象的空间。
Hampton Court如今还是巍然屹立在泰晤士河畔,建筑在诗的衬托穿梭到几百年前,发出往昔的光彩。至于上流社会和读者的八卦心,还是一如既往毫无变化。
翔子提到,托尔斯泰描写的上流社会趴体也是这副德行,而且是大段大段的描写,画风一个样。Bunny查了一下,托尔斯泰的《战争与和平》里有一个相似场景,人们在聚会里给孩子找对象,找工作,讲政治事件背后的娱乐八卦,很有人间烟火的样子。上流社会的聚会跟非上流社会聚会的区别,恐怕还是在鼻烟,扇子等装饰,艺术评论等言语上的逼格,利益交换频率较高,还有游离在道德线上的“上流社会特色”。
卞之琳译
Bunny想涨粉,帮我推荐和转发嘛,谢谢啦~
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