刘易斯·卡罗尔(Lewis Carroll)写的,《爱丽丝梦游仙境》的序言诗。
原版:
ALL in the golden afternoon
Full leisurely we glide;
For both our oars, with little skill,
By little arms are plied,
While little hands make vain pretence
Our wanderings to guide.
Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour,
Beneath such dreamy weather,
To beg a tale of breath too weak
To stir the tiniest feather!
Yet what can one poor voice avail
Against three tongues together?
Imperious Prima flashes forth
Her edict ‘to begin it’ –
In gentler tone Secunda hopes
‘There will be nonsense in it!’ –
While Tertia interrupts the tale
Not more than once a minute.
Anon, to sudden silence won,
In fancy they pursue
The dream-child moving through a land
Of wonders wild and new,
In friendly chat with bird or beast –
And half believe it true.
And ever, as the story drained
The wells of fancy dry,
And faintly strove that weary one
To put the subject by,
“The rest next time -” “It is next time!”
The happy voices cry.
Thus grew the tale of Wonderland:
Thus slowly, one by one,
Its quaint events were hammered out –
And now the tale is done,
And home we steer, a merry crew,
Beneath the setting sun.
Alice! a childish story take,
And with a gentle hand
Lay it where Childhood’s dreams are twined
In Memory’s mystic band,
Like pilgrim’s wither’d wreath of flowers
Pluck’d in a far-off land.
金色午后波光盈盈, 我们悠闲泛舟河上;
无奈划桨技巧平平小胳膊一齐加进来帮忙, 当小手们都在假装内行小船却已偏离航向。
啊,这三个狠心的小姑娘!
在这使人犯困的午后时光, 却缠着要讲那个气息太弱无法吹动羽毛的传说!
一个人的声音怎能抵挡三张小嘴一齐冲你嚷?
专横的大姐先声夺人, 她命令说“马上开讲!”
二姐的语气倒蛮温文:
“希望能有荒诞的境况!”
三妹频繁插嘴说话, 每隔一分钟故事就被打断一下。
没过多久突然平静, 幻想的小思维追随一个梦中小孩的背影, 进入充满狂野奇幻的新天地, 伴着将信将疑的心情—— 同飞禽走兽友好交流话题。
幻想的源泉几近枯竭, 故事的情节难以维系, 疲倦的讲故事人有意完结:
“下次在接续这个话题——”
“现在就是下次了!”
欢快的叫嚷盖过了叹息。
奇境的故事逐渐丰满,
一个接一个缓慢出炉,
离奇的情节历经锤炼——
最终汇成整个篇幅,
我们这队欢快的船员,
夕阳下驶回我们的家园。
爱丽丝!把充满童稚的故事, 用自己温柔的小手, 与童年梦想一起编织藏进神奇的记忆库, 仿佛朝圣者手中枯萎的花环,
本是采自遥远的国度。