1、布雷兹特里特诗选 安妮布雷兹特里特 (Anne Bradstreet 1612-1672) 是美国第一位作品得以发表的女诗人。她出生于英格兰,1630年随父亲和丈夫来到北美马萨诸塞湾殖民地。她的诗歌多写个人经历诗集,新近在美洲出现的第十位缪斯(1650)是新大陆诗人的第一部诗集。在她生活的时代里,女性常常得不到正规教育。她们二十岁左右结婚,然后一个接一个地生孩子,用毕生精力为丈夫和孩子做饭洗衣打扫卫生,成为伍尔芙所说的“家中的天使”。创作不是女人应该关心的事,她们的作品往往受到非议,得不到应有的评价。 序诗就是对这种传统思维的回应。很具讽刺意义的是,西方认为九位缪斯都是女性,女性被认为是灵感的
2、源泉,然而在基督教文化里,女性却被认为不如男性,不能成为优秀的诗人。 诗人的辩解口吻使人能够了解那个时代女子面临的压力,也看到当时女性要成为作家或诗人是必须拥有相当大的勇气和力量的。她也无意挑起“两性战争”,只是想用拙笔写下心中“未经提炼的岩矿”。To my Dear and Loving HusbandIf ever two were one, then surely we.If ever man were lovd by wife, then thee.If ever wife was happy in a man,Compare with me, ye women, if you can
3、.I prize thy love more than whole Mines of goldOr all the riches that the East doth hold.My love is such that Rivers cannot quench(熄灭,压制),Nor ought but love from thee give recompense. Thy love is such I can no way repay.The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.Then while we live, in love lets so per
4、severeThat when we live no more, we may live ever.致我充满柔情的亲爱丈夫 倘有两人是一体,准你我无疑。如有谁深受妻爱,那人就是你;假若谁因为丈夫而感到幸福,就来同我比一比,要是她不服。我视你的爱情高于整座金矿,高于那东方的全部财富宝藏。我对你的爱,江河也没法浇熄只有你的爱才能跟我的相抵。可要回报你的爱我毫无办法,只能求上苍给你多涪的报答。愿你我的爱在世时永远忠贞去世后愿我们因此得到永生。黄杲炘译选自美国抒情诗选,上海译文出版社(1989)序诗讴歌战争,讴歌船长和国王 城市的建立,联邦的始创, 对于我卑微的笔过于堂皇: 它们所有或其一的盛衰兴亡,
5、 也让诗人和历史学家去撰写, 我无名的诗行不会使他们黯然失色。 当我徜徉的双眼和仰慕的心灵 浏览巨匠巴特斯的甜蜜诗行, 愚蠢的我委实嫉妒缪斯偏心, 没把那流畅的思想与我分享; 让巴特斯去作巴特斯想作的诗, 很简单,我将按我的技能行事。 从小学生之口我不奢望华丽的文词, 不奢望断弦谈走出甜美的乐章, 也不奢望在缺陷之处找到完美; 我愚蠢、破裂、瑕疵的缪斯依旧歌唱。 要补救此事,啊呀,无法做到, 因为天性已经使之不可酒药。 我也不能像那位希腊人文章流畅, 他开始口齿不清,后来言语滔滔, 艺术使他愉快地找到他的理想, 这是对他艰苦努力的圆满回报。 艺术产生奇迹,但这句格言肯定无疑: 薄弱和受伤的大脑
6、都没有救治。 我深深受害于每一张饶舌的尖嘴, 说我的手更适合缝纫的针线, 世人嘲笑我亵渎了诗人的笔, 这是我对我们女性心智的轻贱。 即使我作品优秀,也不会有何进展, 他们会说是剽窃,或者是偶然。 但可以肯定,古希腊人对我们这一性 更温柔,他们为什么想象出那九位(缪斯), 并且使诗歌成为卡利俄珀的孩子; 这样他们使神圣的艺术与其他匹配。 但这个松松的结,后人很快解散 希腊人一事无成,仅仅在愚弄和欺骗。 让希腊人作希腊人,女性作女性, 男性优先,他们仍然超群卓越, 挑起两性之争,自负而不公平, 男性事业杰出,女性深深明白。 所有和一切的优胜都属于你们, 但是请给我们一点点应有的承认。 啊,翱翔蓝天
7、展翅高飞的羽翼, 你永远以你捕捉的猎物获得礼赞, 如果你能让双眼屈就这段拙诗, 请献百里香或欧芹,我不指望桂冠: 我这些低劣和未经提炼的岩矿, 必将使你闪光的金子更加闪光。 (8 stanzas, 6 lines in each stanza)The Prologue By Anne Bradstreet To sing of Wars, of Captains, and of Kings,Of Cities founded, Common-wealths begun,For my mean Pen are too superior things;Or how they all, or eac
8、h their dates have run,Let Poets and Historians set these forth.My obscure lines shall not so dim their worth.But when my wondring eyes and envious heartGreat Bartas sugard lines do but read oer,Fool, I do grudge the Muses did not partTwixt (在之间) him and me that over-fluent store.A Bartas can do wha
9、t a Bartas willBut simple I according to my skill.From School-boys tongue no Rhetric we expect,Nor yet a sweet Consort (乐章) from broken strings,Nor perfect beauty wheres a main defect.My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings,And this to mend, alas, no Art is able,Cause Nature made it so irreparab
10、le.(不能修复的,不可弥补的)Nor can I, like that fluent sweet-tongued GreekWho lispd at first, in future times speak plain.By Art he gladly found what he did seek,A full requital (回报)of his striving pain.Art can do much, but this maxims most sure:A weak or wounded brain admits no cure.I am obnoxious (讨厌的) to ea
11、ch carping (挑剔的) tongueWho says my hand a needle better fits.A Poets Pen all scorn I should thus wrong,For such despite they cast on female wits.If what I do prove well, it wont advance,Theyll say its stoln, or else it was by chance.But sure the antique Greeks were far more mild,Else of our Sex, why
12、 feigned (捏造,想象) they those nineAnd poesy made Calliopes own child? (卡利俄铂:司辩论、史诗的希腊女神)So mongst the rest they placed the Arts divine,But this weak knot they will full soon untie.The Greeks did nought but play the fools and lie.Let Greeks be Greeks, and Women what they are.Men have precedency and sti
13、ll excel;It is but vain unjustly to wage war.Men can do best, and Women know it well.Preeminence in all and each is yours;Yet grant some small acknowledgement of ours.And oh ye high flown quills (羽翼) that soar the skies,And ever with your prey still catch your praise,If eer you deign (俯就) these lowly lines your eyes,Give thyme (百里香-草名)or Parsley(西芹) wreath, I ask no Bays. (月桂树)This mean and unrefined ore (矿石)of mineWill make your glistring gold but more to shine.忽略此处.