这首诗曾被威妥玛译为汉语，然后被户部尚书、后任事于“外交部”（总理衙门）的董恂译为七言。董所说的“长友”即郎费罗（Longfellow）。译得很有意思，但钱氏的分析更有意思。钱钟书在此前谈到“林纾的翻译”时，曾说到翻译的走样。他引用莎士比亚《仲夏夜之梦》中的一场戏为例，戏中写一个角色遭魔术禁咒，变为驴首人身，他的伙伴惊呀叫道：“天呀！你是经过翻译了！”（Thou art translated）。哈哈，可为一笑。等翻译累了歇息时，再把董“部长”的译文贴上来。这首美国佬的诗，恰恰是我自学英语时背诵的第一首英诗，记得后来在研究生英语课上我还背过，没想到有此一巧合。信可乐也！是为记。
A PSALM OF LIFE
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN
SAID TO THE PSALMIST
TELL me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream ! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real ! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle !
Be a hero in the strife !
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant !
Let the dead Past bury its dead !
Act,— act in the living Present !
Heart within, and God o'erhead !
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time ;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate ;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
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从头再来
