When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls all silver'd o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,
Which erst from the heat did canopy the herd,
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves,
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard;
Then of thy beauty do I question make,
Thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake,
And die as fast as they see others grow;
And nothing gainst time's scythe can make defense
Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.
对应原文 When I do count the clock that tells the time, And see the brave day sunk in hideous night。莎士比亚在这里使用了数着时钟的意象,以及黑暗与勇敢白昼之间的强烈对比。为了照顾韵脚,我用"蒙晨暮鼓"代替了时钟,"夕太沉沉入幽光"这句确实弱化了原文那种强烈的明暗对比,这是为韵律做出的妥协,有所遗憾。
【"芳草奇花香自散,青丝墨字今已霜"】
对应原文 When I behold the violet past prime, And sable curls all silver'd o'er with white。原文使用了紫罗兰这个更具指向性的意象,而我的译文结合了这首诗在电影中朗读时的画面。故事里安妮丝作为草药师一直打理着自己的花园,种植各种花草,而此刻镜头里的花园一片枯萎,安妮丝深陷丧子的悲痛。这个画面让我选择了更贴合影像的意译方式,而非直译紫罗兰。
【"繁荫不复幕沧桑,牧群归舍众组忙"】
对应原文 When lofty trees I see barren of leaves, Which erst from the heat did canopy the herd。原文的力量在于那种因果关系的崩塌,树荫消失,庇护不复存在,牧群失去遮蔽,暗示的是一种秩序的瓦解。而"牧群归舍众组忙"为了凑足韵脚,给牧群加上了主动归舍的动作,削弱了原文那种被动失去庇护的无力感。
对应原文 Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake。美国文学评论家海伦·文德勒(Helen Vendler)认为原文中"beauties"指外表的美丽,"sweets"指内在的美丽 [2]。这两句我没能准确传达那种双层含义,在追求韵脚的过程中,我采用了"芬芳娇艳",参考了屠岸的译本"芬芳与娇妍总是要放弃自己"。这是我自己觉得处理得不够好的地方,意义上的损失比较明显。
【"时光镰刀谁能挡,勇敢生育续春阳"】
最后两句是整首诗的转折和核心。我最初的处理更为被动,写的是"唯有生育续春阳",但后来我注意到导演在整部电影里反复使用了"brave"这个意象。故事中莎士比亚让儿子哈姆奈特要勇敢(Will you be brave?),要做个男子汉。而哈姆奈特正是响应了父亲的这句话,在深夜独自走进染疫妹妹珠迪丝的床边,躺在她身边,试图欺骗死神,结果自己被传染,最终离去。那个场景里孩子的天真与真实的担当交织在一起,"I'll be brave"在那一刻有了完全不同的重量。