1.To_a_Waterfowl 致水鸟

WilliamCullenBryant 1794 1878TheAmericanWordsworth BriefIntroductionofWilliamCullenBryant WilliamCullenBryantwasanAmericanromanticpoet journalist andlong timeeditoroftheNewYorkEveningPostBryantwasbornonNovember3 1794 Bryantandhisfamilymovedtoanewhomewhenhewastwoyearsold HisfatherDr PeterBryantwasactiveinpoliticsBryantdevelopedaninterestinpoetryearlyinlife Influencedbyhisfather heimitatedthewritingstyleofAlexanderPopeandotherNeo ClassicBritishpoets BryantdemonstratedthatAmericanpoetrywasreadytodemandseriousattention HewasthefirstAmericantogainthestatureofamajorpoet Byrantsupportedsuchcausesasfreespeech freetrade andtheabolitionofslavery Bryant sabhorrenceofslaverymadehimaferventRepublicanandadevoutsupporterofLincoln althoughhewishedLincolnwasmoreradicalonabolition BryanthadahugeinfluenceinAmericanliterature In1884 NewYorkCity sReservoirSquarewasrenamedBryantParkinhishonor ThecitylaternamedapublichighschoolinLongIslandCity Queensinhishonor theWilliamCullenBryantHighSchool orBryantHighSchoolforshort TheWilliamCullenBryantHomestead hisboyhoodhome isnowamuseum BriefIntroductionofWilliamCullenBryant WilliamCullenBryantisoneofAmerica searliestnaturalistpoets Thethemeofhispoemsare Thebeautyandharmonyofnatureasasourceofsolace joy andescape ThedignityofhumanityThescarednessofhumanfreedomThepowerandbeneficenceofGod Career In1815Bryantpassedhisbarexamandbecamealawyer LaterhislawpracticebecamesuccessfulAfter1821 hispubliclifebecamepopularasalecturerandpoetaswellasalawyerIn1825 BryantwenttoNewYork theliterarycapitaloftheperiod andservedasassistanteditoroftheNewYorkEveningPost apositionprovidingmoreopportunitiesforhimtodisplayhisdynamicforceinAmericanculturalandpoliticallifeTheyear1829sawthatBryantbecameeditorinchiefofthepaper oneofthefirstgreatnationalnewspaperinAmerica andfromthistimeonwardhegrewtobaadominantleaderinAmericaliteratureandpubliccauses contribution BryantwasthefirstAmericannationalpoetHeprovidedwhatthenationneededatatimeofnationalself consciousnessHemadeAmericansubjectsworthyofcelebration MajorWorks ThefinestofBryant spoemswerewritteninhisyouth In1821 firstcollectionPoemsappearedinBoston consistingofeightofhispoems suchashismostfamouspoems ToaWaterfowl Thanatopsis and TheYellowViolet thereafterestablishedhispositioninthehistoryofAmericanliterature Bryantcontinuedtowritepoetrythroughoutmuchofhislife publishinganumberofvolumes suchas TheFountain 温泉 TheWhite FootedDear 白蹄鹿 TheFloodofYears 似水流年 and AForestHymn 森林吟唱 AmonghismostimportantlaterworksarehistranslationoftheIliadandtheOdysseyintoEnglighblankverse ToaWaterfowl Themostperfectbriefpoeminthelanguage calledbyMatthewArnold America sfirstflawlesspoem describedbyRichardWilbur ToaWaterfowlByWilliamCullenBryant Whither midstfallingdew Whileglowtheheavenswiththelaststepsofday Far throughtheirrosydepths dostthoupursueThysolitaryway Vainlythefowler seyeMightmarkthydistantflighttodotheewrong As darklypaintedonthecrimsonsky Thyfigurefloatsalong Seek stthoutheplashybrinkOfweedylake ormargeofriverwide OrwheretherockingbillowsriseandsinkOnthechafedoceanside ThereisaPowerwhosecareTeachesthywayalongthatpathlesscoast Thedesertandillimitableair Lonewandering butnotlost Alldaythywingshavefann dAtthatfarheight thecoldthinatmosphere Yetstoopnot weary tothewelcomeland Thoughthedarknightisnear Andsoonthattoilshallend Soonshaltthoufindasummerhome andrest Andscreamamongthyfellows reedsshallbendSoono erthyshelterednest Thou rtgone theabyssofheavenHathswallowedupthyform yet onmyheartDeeplyhathsunkthelessonthouhastgiven Andshallnotsoondepart He who fromzonetozone Guidesthroughtheboundlessskythycertainflight InthelongwaythatImusttreadalone Willleadmystepsaright 译作赏析致水鸟吕志鲁译 披着滴落的露珠 天空灿烂 白日的行程就要结束 穿过玫瑰色的遥远空际 你往何方把孤单的前程追逐 看你远远飞翔而无计可施 捕鸟人的眼光徒劳眷顾 满天红霞把你映衬 暗黑的身影飘飘飞舞 你是在寻找开阔的大河之滨 还是波浪拍岸的水草之湖 或者潮水冲刷的海滩 那里的巨浪奔腾起伏 有上苍把你关照 在无路的海岸为你指路 在荒漠和无边的空际 你孤单的飘荡不致迷途 你成天翕动翅膀 任空气稀薄暴 寒冷 飞在高处 疲乏中你不肯降落舒适的大地 即使黑夜即将紧闭它的帷幕 你很快就会结束这样的劳苦 你即将找到你夏天的住处 休息中呼唤自己的伙伴 芦苇也会躬身把你的窝巢遮护 你的身躯全被吞没 天堂深渊里 你踪影全无 然而你的启迪深深留在我的心底 我将久久地久久地把它记住砖 从一地又到一地 天空无垠 你的飞翔从无迟误 愿引领你的向导把我引领 孤单的长路中迈开永不偏离的脚步 Compositionandpublicationhistory TheinspirationforthepoemoccurredinDecember1815whenBryant then21 waswalkingfromCummingtontoPlainfieldtolookforaplacetosettleasalawyer Theduck flyingacrossthesunset seemedtoBryantassolitaryasoulashimself inspiringhimtowritethepoemthatevening ToaWaterfowl wasfirstpublishedintheNorthAmericanReviewinVolume6 Issue18 March1818 ItwaslaterpublishedinthecollectionPoemsin1821 Stanza1 Whither midstfallingdew Whileglowtheheavenswiththelaststepsofday Far throughtheirrosydepths dostthoupursueThysolitaryway SummaryAsthedewfallsandthesunsetsintherosydepthsoftheheavens Iwonderwhereyou waterfowl aregoing 本诗第一节就以整节的篇幅描绘一只水鸟孤独地飞在天中的画面背景 傍晚 落日 绯红的天边 一只水鸟将飞向何方 fallingdew laststepsofday点明时间 step一词给时间的逝去一种不紧不慢的动感 写出诗人看着日落时的无奈 far depths两词点出空间的广阔 和一只水鸟 弱小 的形象形成非常强的反差 Stanza2 Vainlythefowler seyeMightmarkthydistantflighttodotheewrong As darklyseenagainstthecrimsonsky Thyfigurefloatsalong SummaryWithoutsuccess ahunter fowler mighttrytobringyoudownasyoufloatinsilhouetteagainstthecrimsoneveningsky 第二节里 诗人就把水鸟塑造成一个坚定的形象 猎鸟人算计着你的飞行轨迹 要将你猎下 却无能为力 这里有一种人和自然的对比 在自然的面前 人显得无力 尽管拥有更高的智慧 但自然却丝毫不受影响 一如既往地运行着 就连一只孤独的水鸟都具有这非凡的魄力 Stanza3Stanza4 Seek stthoutheplashybrinkOfweedylake ormargeofriverwide OrwheretherockingbillowsriseandsinkOnthechafedocean side SummaryAreyoulookingforthemarshyedgeofalake thebankofariver ortheshoreoftheocean ThereisaPowerwhosecareTeachesthywayalongthatpathlesscoast Thedesertandillimitableair Lonewandering butnotlost SummaryThereisaPowerthatleadsyouonyourwayacrossdesertsandthroughunlimitedexpansesofair Youmaybewanderingandalone butyouarenotlost 第三 四节讲水鸟将如何到达自己的目的地 一切都像浑然天成 不论是在无形海岸还是在无尽的天空 都有一种神秘的 力 作为它的向导 它虽独行 却不会迷失 而它要回去的地方也是自然 这种 力 是什么 诗人没有说明 我们也可以把它想成无论什么东西 上帝也好 自然也好 在年轻的布莱恩特的眼中 这种 力 也许没有具体的形象 只是冥冥中的一个向导而已 Stanza5 Alldaythywingshavefanned Atthatfarheight thecoldthinatmosphere Yetstoopnot weary tothewelcomeland Thoughthedarknightisnear SummaryYouhavebeenflappingyourwingsalldayhighinthesky yetyoucontinueoneventhoughnightisnearandlandbeckonsbeneathyou 从第五节开始 全诗的象征意味显明起来 凉夜将降 水鸟飞行终日 疲惫不堪 诗人却不希望它降临福地 这里的 福地 指什么 是水鸟长途跋涉的终点 还是它生命的终点 暗夜 究竟是指真正的夜 还是指生命息止之时 Stanza6 Andsoonthattoilshallend Soon shaltthoufindasummerhome andrest Andscreamamongthyfellows reedsshallbendSoono erthyshelterednest SummarySoonyourjourneywillend Soonyouwilldescendtoyoursummerhome There youwillscreamamongothersofyourkindandfindsecureshelteramongthetallgrasses 第六节 这种象征意味更加明显 虽然描写得非常具象 水鸟熬过暗夜 结束旅程 迁徙至温暖的家 但此时它的同伴们却 尖叫 起来 而芦苇也长过它憩息的地方 如此一联系 原诗中的rest也许不是单指休息 而是水鸟在长途跋涉之后西去了 诗至此 一反第二节的坚强形象 一种宿命感突现出来 归途 回到哪里 stanza7Stanza8 Thou rtgone theabyssofheavenHathswallowedupthyform yet onmyheartDeeplyhathsunkthelessonthouhastgiven Andshallnotsoondepart SummaryIcannolongerseeyou butIwillneverforgetthelessonyoutaughtme Hewho fromzonetozone Guidesthroughtheboundlessskythycertainflight InthelongwaythatImusttreadalone Willleadmystepsaright SummaryGod whoguidesyoufromoneplacetoanother willalsoguidemethroughlife leadingmeontherightpath 第七 八节是诗人的借景抒情 他从水鸟身上学到了许多 因而坚定起来 lesson 指什么 He 又是谁 诗人没有作出明确的答复 自然是如此强大 离群的水鸟终究逃不过一命 而作为孤独的人 是否也该遵从自然的安排呢 这样想 他便坦然了 Summary1 BryantisacknowledgedasskillfulatdepictingAmericanscenerybuthisnaturaldetailsareoftencombinedwithauniversalmoral asin ToaWaterfowl ThepoemrepresentsearlystagesofAmericanRomanticismthroughcelebrationofNatureandGod spresencewithinNature Summary2 Thenarratorquestionswherethewaterfowlisgoing Hequestionshismotivesforflying Hewarnsthewaterfowlthathecouldpossiblyfinddanger travelingalone But thiswaterfowlisnotalone HeknowsthatthewaterfowlisbeingledbysomePower 神秘主义mysticism Asthewaterfowlreachesoutofthenarrator ssight thenarratorreflectsonGod sguidanceinhisownlife ThenarratorissurethatGodhasledthiswaterfowl andthatthewaterfowlhadfaithinthenarrator Now thenarrator sfaithisstrengthened HeknowsthatGodisguidinghimaswell AsthenarratorseesGoddirectingthewaterfowl thenarratorisremindedofGod sguidanceinhisownlife Throughhisobservanceinna