爱伦·坡
埃德加·爱伦·坡(Edgar Allan Poe,1809年1月19日-1849年10月7日)。出生于美国波士顿。美国作家、诗人、编者与文学评论家,被尊崇是美国浪漫主义运动要角之一,以悬疑、惊悚小说最负盛名。爱伦·坡是第一位众所周知、仅以创作一职糊口的美国作家,并因此长期陷于经济困难与不顺遂之中。他生前在国内不被重视,去世后被法国诗人波德莱尔发现和推崇,成了象征派的先祖,他的诗论也经由法国象征派的发挥和宣扬,在世界上产生了广泛的影响。爱伦·坡是美国的短篇小说家先锋之一,他的短篇小说大致分为三类:恐怖故事、谋杀疑案和科学难解之谜。他开创了侦探小说的先河,被称为“侦探小说之父”,被公认是推理小说的创造者,甚至被视为科幻小说的共同催生者之一。1849年10月7日,爱伦·坡逝于巴尔的摩,年四十岁,死因不明,各类说法甚多。他的著作亦时常现身于文学、音乐、电影与电视等流行文化中。代表作品:《怪诞故事集》、《黑猫》、《莫格街谋杀案》。
《安娜贝尔·丽》
《Annabel Lee》(英文原文)
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that,long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud,chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels,not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me ——
Yes! —— that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we ——
Of many far wiser than we ——
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling —— my darling —— my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
《安娜贝尔·丽》(中文译文)
在很多很多年以前,
在一个海边的王国里,
那儿居住着一个少女,你也许知道,
她的名字叫安娜贝尔·丽;
这个女孩活着只是为了爱我,被我爱,
除此之外再也没有其它目的。
我是一个孩子她也是个孩子,
在这海边的王国里;
可是我们深深爱着,爱得超过了爱情——
我和我的安娜贝尔·丽;
就连那在天堂最高处飞翔的六翼天使,
也对她和我的爱羡慕不已。
这就是那事情的起因,从前,
在这海边的王国里,
乌云中突然吹来一阵狂风,冻僵了
我美丽的安娜贝尔·丽;
她那出身高贵的男亲戚也来到,
愤怒地把她在我身边夺去,
然后他把她关进了那墓穴,
在这海边的王国里。
那些天使,在天堂一点也不幸福,
他们在把她和我妒嫉——
是的!这就是那原因
(在这海边的王国人所共知,)
就这样,在那夜晚的云朵中吹来了冷风,
把我的安娜贝尔·丽活活冻死。
可是就算现在,我们的爱也要远比
那些比我们年老的人,比我们聪明的人
所拥有的爱更有力——
那些天空上面的天使,
还有那些大海下面的魔鬼,
都不能分开我的和她的灵魂,
我和美丽的安娜贝尔·丽。
只要月亮发光,我就能
梦见我美丽的安娜贝尔·丽;
就算繁星不再升起,她明亮的眼睛
也依然和我在一起;
就这样,在整个的夜晚,我躺在
我亲爱的,亲爱的,一生的新娘身边,
在那疯狂咆哮的大海旁,
在她安宁睡着的坟墓里。
王若水点评:
《安娜贝尔·丽》是爱伦·坡创作的最后一首诗,写于1849年,全诗一共六节,是一首悼念早逝爱人的挽歌,诗中的安娜贝尔·丽是坡的妻子弗吉尼亚·克莱姆(Virginia Clemm)。1836年,年仅13岁的她便嫁给了坡,不幸的是,她于1847年因肺结核英年早逝,而坡也于两年后去世。1849年10月9日,作品在坡死后发表在《纽约每日论坛报》上。
这首悼念爱人的挽歌,以“永恒的爱”作为主题。很久以前,在海边的一个王国里,诗人与一位名叫安娜贝尔·丽的少女深深相爱,他们的爱情是如此炽烈而美好,以至于天上的六翼天使都心生嫉妒,并试图破坏他们的爱情,天使借助寒风夺去了少女的性命。尽管安娜贝尔死去了,但他们的爱情确是永恒的,在诗人的心目中,无论是天堂的天使,还是地狱的恶魔,他们可以夺去情人的性命,却夺不走他们彼此深深相爱的心灵。在月明星光里,诗人依然能够看见他的爱人,看见她那双明亮的眼睛。每当夜幕降临,海潮涨起之时,诗人便来到海边情人的墓地,他的灵魂飞向他的爱人,永远与之相伴相随。诗歌表现了一种海枯石烂矢志不渝的爱情,纯洁、完美,极富想象力。
这首诗被认为是爱伦·坡抒情诗的巅峰之作,洋溢着一股浓浓的凄伤之美,典型地体现出爱伦·坡的诗歌创作原则——追求忧郁美。这首爱情诗,以苍白的月亮、凄凉的夜色、萧萧的寒风、古老的王国和海边的孤坟为背景,营造出的凄美、哀婉的意境,描写了一对相爱的青梅竹马的恋人间的悲欢离合,如泣如诉地烘托出诗人那颗为爱情忠贞不渝的心,表达了诗人对生死两茫茫的爱妻的怀念和爱恋。该诗音韵优美,节奏感强,体现着爱伦·坡诗歌创作的另一原则——追求韵律美。他在诗里采用了音韵优美的女子名“Annabel Lee”,不仅使人联想到一位婀娜多姿、风韵优雅的年轻女子,还巧妙地将其融入诗歌的韵律中。诗中的“Annabel Lee”共出现七次,它悠扬如歌的音律同“sea”,“we”,“me”等单音节词相呼应,构成本诗的韵脚,使这首诗有如一首韵律优美、节奏悠扬的动听歌曲萦绕在耳际。
《乌鸦》
《The Raven 》(英语原文)
Once upon a midnight dreary,while I pondered,weak and weakry.
Over many a quint and curious volume of forgotten lore.
While I nodded,nearly napping,suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one rapping,rapping at my chamber door.
" ' Tis some visitor," I muttered,"tapping at my chamber door-
Only this,and nothing more."
Ah,distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; -vainly I had tried to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now,to still the beating of my heart,I stood repeating
" ' Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is and nothing more. "
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I,"or Madam,truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping,and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping,tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"-here I opened wide the door;
Darkness there,and nothing more.
Deep into that:darkness peering,long I stood there wondering,fearing
Doubting,dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken,and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,"Lenore!"
This I whispered,and an echo murmured back the word,"Lenore!"
Merely this,and nothing more.
Then into the chamber turning,all my soul within me burning,
Soon I heard again a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely,"said I,"surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see,then,what thereat is,and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;
'Tis the wind,and nothing more!
Open here I flung the shutter,when,with many a flirt and flutter.
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
But,with mien of lord or lady,perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched,and sat,and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven,thou,"I said,"art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night ' s Plutonian shore! "
Quoth the raven,"Nevermore."
Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning-little relevancy hore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no sublunary being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above I us chamber door,
With such mime as "Nevermore."
But the raven,sitting lonely on the placid bust,spoke only
That one word,as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered-not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered,"Other friends have flown before-
On the morrow he will leave me,as my hopes have flown before."
Quoth the raven,"Nevermore."
Wondering at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless,"said I,"what it utters is its only stock and store,"
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed fastel-so,when Hope he would adjure,
Stern Despair returned,instead of the sweet Hope he dared adjure-
That sad answer,"Nevermore!"
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird,and bust,and door;
Then upon the velvet sinking,I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy,thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim,ungainly,ghastly,gaunt,and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing,but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining,with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press,ah,nevermore!
Then,methought,the air grew denser,perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by angels whose faint foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch,"I cried,"thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite-respite and Nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Let me quaff this kind Nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the raven,"Nevermore. "
"Prophet!" said I,"thing of evil! -prophet still,if bird or devil!-
Whether Tempter sent,or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate,yet all undaunted,on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by Horror haunted-tell me truly,I implore-
Is there-is there balm in Gilead?-tell me-tell me,I implore!"
Quoth the raven,"Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I,"thing of evil! -prophet still,if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us-by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if,within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.
Quoth the raven,"Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign of parting,bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting-
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! -quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart,and take thy form from off my door! "
Quoth the raven,"Nevermore."
And the raven,never flitting,still is sitting,still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o' er him streaming throve his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out chat shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted-nevermore!
《乌鸦》(曹明伦译)
从前一个阴郁的子夜,我独自沉思,慵懒疲竭,
面对许多古怪而离奇、并早已被人遗忘的书卷;
当我开始打盹,几乎入睡,突然传来一阵轻擂,
仿佛有人在轻轻叩击——轻轻叩击我房间的门环。
“有客来也”,我轻声嘟喃,“正在叩击我的门环,
惟此而已,别无他般。”
哦,我清楚地记得那是在风凄雨冷的十二月,
每一团奄奄一息的余烬都形成阴影伏在地板。
我当时真盼望翌日——因为我已经枉费心机
想用书来消除伤悲,消除因失去丽诺尔的伤感,
因那位被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女,她美丽娇艳,
在此已抹去芳名,直至永远。
那柔软、暗淡、飒飒飘动的每一块紫色窗布
使我心中充满前所未有的恐惧,我毛骨悚然;
为平息我心儿的悸跳.我站起身反复念叨
“这是有客人想进屋,正在叩我房间的门环,
更深夜半有客人想进屋,正在叩我房间的门环,
惟此而已,别无他般。”
于是我的心变得坚强;不再犹疑,不再彷徨,
“先生”,我说,“或夫人,我求你多多包涵;
刚才我正睡意昏昏,而你敲门又敲得那么轻,
你敲门又敲得那么轻,轻轻叩我房间的门环,
我差点以为没听见你”,说着我打开门扇——
但惟有黑夜,别无他般。
凝视着夜色幽幽,我站在门边惊惧良久,
疑惑中似乎梦见从前没人敢梦见的梦幻;
可那未被打破的寂静,没显示任何象征,
“丽诺尔?”便是我嗫嚅念叨的惟一字眼,
我念叨“丽诺尔”,回声把这名字轻轻送还;
惟此而已,别无他般。
我转身回到房中,我的整个心烧灼般疼痛,
很快我又听到叩击声,比刚才听起来明显。
“肯定”,我说,“肯定有什么在我的窗棂;
让我瞧瞧是什么在那儿,去把那秘密发现,
让我的心先镇静一会儿,去把那秘密发现;
那不过是风,别无他般!”
然后我推开了窗户,随着翅膀的一阵猛扑,
一只神圣往昔的乌鸦庄重地走进我房间;
它既没向我致意问候,也没有片刻的停留,
而是以绅士淑女的风度栖到我房门的上面,
栖在我房门上方一尊帕拉斯半身雕像上面;
栖息在那儿,仅如此这般。
于是这只黑鸟把我悲伤的幻觉哄骗成微笑,
以它那老成持重一本正经温文尔雅的容颜,
“冠毛虽被剪除”,我说,“但你显然不是懦夫,
你这幽灵般可怕的古鸦,漂泊来自夜的彼岸,
请告诉我你尊姓大名,在黑沉沉的冥府阴间!”
乌鸦答曰“永不复焉”。
听见如此直率的回答,我对这丑鸟感到惊讶,
尽管它的回答不着边际——与提问几乎无关;
因为我们不得不承认,从来没有活着的世人
曾如此有幸地看见一只鸟栖在他房门的上面,
看见鸟或兽栖在他房门上方的半身雕像上面,
而且名叫“永不复焉”。
但那只栖于肃穆的半身雕像上的乌鸦只说了
这一句话,仿佛它倾泻灵魂就用那一个字眼。
然后它便一声不吭——也不把它的羽毛拍动,
直到我几乎在喃喃自语“其他朋友早已离散,
明晨它也将离我而去,如同我的希望已消散。”
这时乌鸦说“永不复焉”。
惊异于屋里的寂静被如此恰当的回话打破,
“肯定”,我说,“此话是它惟一会说的人言,
从它不幸的主人口中学来。一连串横祸飞灾
曾接踵而至,直到它主人的歌中有了这字眼,
直到他希望的挽歌中有了这个忧郁的字眼——
永不复焉,永不复焉。”
但那只乌鸦仍然在骗我悲伤的灵魂露出微笑,
我即刻拖了张软椅到门边雕像下那乌鸦跟前;
然后坐在天鹅绒椅垫上,我开始产生联想,
浮想连着浮想,猜度这不祥的古鸟何出此言,
这只狰狞丑陋可怕不吉不祥的古鸟何出此言,
为何对我说“永不复焉”。
我坐着猜想那意思,但没对乌鸦说片语只言,
此时,它炯炯发光的眼睛已燃烧进我的心坎;
我依然坐在那儿猜度,把我的头靠得很舒服,
舒舒服服地靠着在灯光凝视下的天鹅绒椅垫,
但在这灯光凝视着的紫色的天鹅绒椅垫上面,
她还会靠么?啊,永不复焉!
接着我觉得空气变得稠密,被无形香炉熏香,
提香炉的撒拉弗的脚步声响在有簇饰的地板。
“可怜的人”,我叹道,“是上帝派天使为你送药,
这忘忧药能终止你对失去的丽诺尔的思念;
喝吧,喝吧,忘掉你对失去的丽诺尔的思念!”
这时乌鸦说“永不复焉”。
“先知!”我说“不管是先知是魔鬼,是鸟是魔,
是不是撒旦派你,或是暴风雨抛你,来到此岸,
来到这片妖惑鬼祟但却不惧怕魔鬼的荒原——
来到这恐怖的小屋——告诉我真话,求你可怜!
基列有香膏吗?告诉我,告诉我,求你可怜!”
乌鸦说“永不复焉”。
“先知!”我说“不管是先知是魔鬼,是鸟是魔,
凭着我们都崇拜的上帝——凭着我们头顶的苍天,
请告诉这充满悲伤的灵魂。它能否在遥远的仙境
拥抱一位被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女,她纤尘不染,
拥抱一位被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女,她美丽娇艳。”
乌鸦说“永不复焉”。
“让这话做我们的告别辞,鸟或魔!”我起身吼道,
“回你的暴风雨中去吧,回你黑沉沉的夜之彼岸!
别留下你黑色的羽毛作为你灵魂谎言的象征!
留给我完整的孤独!快从我门上的雕像上滚蛋!
让你的嘴离开我的心;让你的身子离开我房间!”
乌鸦答曰“永不复焉”。
那只鸟鸦并没飞走,它仍然栖息,仍然栖息,
栖息在房门上方苍白的帕拉斯半身雕像上面;
它的眼光与正在做梦的魔鬼的眼光一模一样,
照在它身上的灯光把它的阴影投射在地板;
而我的灵魂,会从那团在地板上漂浮的阴影中
解脱么——永不复焉!
李都蔚点评:
这首诗是爱伦·坡1844年创作的,由一个第一人称的叙述者讲述。整首诗由十八节组成,每节六行。在一个冬日的午夜,叙述者正在房间内翻着一些故纸堆, 藉此来冲淡他对死去爱人“Lenore”的思念。突然传来敲门声,待他开门时却空无一人。他尝试向黑暗中呼唤爱人的名字,却只有回声相应。失望中他回到房内,却再次从窗台传来敲击声。他开窗后一只乌鸦飞了进来,停留在房门上的帕拉斯女神雕像上。叙述者饶有兴致地与乌鸦对话,想藉此排遣寂寞,可乌鸦对他的所有问题却只有一句回答:“nevermore ! (永不复焉) ”极度的失望中叙述者最终被激怒,喝令乌鸦离开,可乌鸦再次以“nevermore”作答,仍旧停留在雕像上并不离去。叙述者万念俱灰,认定乌鸦的存在只是为了提醒他永无可能回避的痛苦,他将再也不能与心爱的Lenore 重逢。
《乌鸦》的情节并不复杂,是关于一个心碎男人对他逝去爱人Lenore 的怀念和悲痛。爱伦坡将创作的重点放在了诗的形式结构上,并使用了一系列的象征手法,使本诗达到了一个更高的艺术高度。
象征在《乌鸦》中是非常重要的。诗中最重要的象征自然是乌鸦本身。它通常被看作是一个信使,传递了叙述者的悲伤与绝望,或者说更进一步,直接代表了叙述者本身的绝望与失落。也有人认为乌鸦象征的不是叙述者的自我折磨,而是死亡本身。在爱人死后经历了长期的孤独,叙述者仍然希望能与爱人重逢。但乌鸦作为死亡的象征,给他的答案是绝望“nevermore”,使他意识到Lenore 已经死去,仅存的只是痛苦的回忆。
诗中另一重要的象征是帕拉斯的雕像。在希腊神话中,帕拉斯,也就是雅典娜,是主神朱庇特的女儿。为什么乌鸦会停留在智慧女神的身上呢? 一个可能的原因是实际上乌鸦是有智慧的,并非只是单调重复。与此同时,雕像与栖息其上的乌鸦形成了巨大的反差,智慧与死亡之间的反差也突出了叙述者的绝望和沉闷的气氛,凸显了艺术张力。在诗中也有其他的象征成分,如“midnight (午夜) ”“December (十二月) ”,给人一种既是结束又是开始的感觉,类似的例子还有很多。
《乌鸦》如同诗人所说是纯属虚构的,而《安娜贝尔·丽》则可看作是诗人本身经历的写照。但两者相比,《安娜贝尔·丽》中的叙述者要乐观得多,并且展现了一种对命运的反抗精神而不是对现实的妥协和绝望。他喊出死亡也不能分开他与爱人的灵魂。而与之相反,《乌鸦》中的叙述者几乎因绝望而崩溃,并且确信他将再也无法见到自己的爱人。
在爱伦坡的文章The Poetic Principle《诗学原理》中,他把诗歌的创作形容为一个精确的“数学过程”,并且他始终遵循着“令心灵颤动”的美学原则。爱伦坡认为一个年轻美女的死亡是最为诗意的死亡,因为美丽与死亡是密切相关的。在爱伦坡短暂的一生中,他将自己的诗歌理念与生活经历相结合,始终追求着他的理想境界,这些都在他的诗歌作品中体现了出来。