英文诗歌 | The Road Not Taken 未选择的路

罗伯特·佛洛斯特(Robert Frost)美国诗人,曾四度获得普立兹奖。佛洛斯特的诗可分分两大类:抒情短诗和戏剧性较强的叙事诗,两者都脍炙人口。佛洛斯特的抒情诗主要描写了大自然和农民,尤其是新英格兰的景色和北方的农民。这些诗形象而生动,具有很强的感染力,深受各层次的读者欢迎。

他的诗歌语言质朴、清新、近乎口语化,但折射出真理的光辉。这与他诗歌中大量使用的比喻是分不开的。他说过:“诗始于普通的隐喻,巧妙的隐喻和高雅的隐喻,适于我们所拥有的最深刻的思想。” 他还说过:“我发现自己对诗歌还有不少谈论,但其中最重要的是谈隐喻,即指东说西,以此述彼,隐喻的欢欣。诗简直就是由隐喻构成的。”

The Road Not Taken
未选择的路

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
黄色的树林里分出两条路,

And sorry I could not travel both
可惜我不能同时去涉足,

And be one traveler, long I stood
我在那路口久久伫立,

And looked down one as far as I could
我向着一条路极目望去,

To where it bent in the undergrowth;
直到它消失在丛林深处。

Then took the other, as just as fair,
但我却选了另外一条路,

And having perhaps the better claim,
它黄草萋萋,十分幽寂,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
显得更诱人、更美丽;

Though as for that the passing there
虽然在这条小路上,

Had worn them really about the same,
很少留下旅人的足迹。

And both that morning equally lay
那天清晨落地满地,

In leaves no step had trodden black.
两条路都未经脚印污染。

Oh, I kept the first for another day!
啊,留下一条路等改日再见!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
但我知道路径延绵无尽头,

I doubted if I should ever come back.
恐怕我难以再回返。

I shall be telling this with a sigh
也许多少年后在某个地方,

Somewhere ages and ages hence:
我将轻声叹息将往事回顾:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
一片树林里分出两条路

I took the one less traveled by,
而我选择了人迹更少的一条,

And that has made all the difference.
从此决定了我一生的道路。