《更多的詩歌》:35:走到半路,隻違背了一條戒律

《更多的詩歌》

XXXV

第三十五首

走到半路,隻違背了一條戒律

Half-Way, for One Commandment Broken

 

英國   A. E. 豪斯曼原著

Alfred Edward Housman (1859 – 1936)

徐家禎翻譯

 

 

Half-way, for one commandment broken,

        The woman made her endless halt,

And she today, a glistering token,

        Stands in the wilderness of salt.

Behind, the vats of judgment brewing

        Thundered, and thick the brimstone snowed:

He to the hill of his undoing

        Pursued his road.

 

 

走到半路,隻違背了一條戒律,
       那女人就讓自己永遠停住,
今天,她成了閃閃發亮的標誌,
       佇立在鹽堿地上一片荒蕪。
背後,正在醞釀裁判的大桶,
       雷聲隆隆,硫磺大雪般厚厚蓋覆:
他朝著使他墮落的山丘
       繼續走他的路。 

                                           二 0 二二年四月六日

                                           譯於澳大利亞刻來佛寺愛閑堂

 

* 豪斯曼的這首詩是詩集《更多的詩歌》中的第 35 首。

        這首詩裏又引用了一個《聖經》故事。在《聖經 · 創世紀》中,有一個叫羅得 (Lot)的人的故事。羅得和他的妻子及兩個女兒住在一個叫所多瑪(Sodom)的城裏。這個城市因為淫亂,上帝決定懲罰他們,讓整個城市毀滅。但是,因為羅得一家是好 人,所以上帝就派了兩個天使去他們家,要他們趕快離開這個城市。但是,有一個條 件,就是在路上不能回頭。結果,《聖經》說:

        “The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. ” (Genesis 19: 23-26)

        “羅得到達瑣珥的時候,太陽已經從地麵升上來了。 當時,耶和華就使硫磺與 火,從天上耶和華那裏降與所多瑪和蛾摩拉; 把那些城和全平原,以及城中所有的居 民,連地上生長的,都毀滅了。 羅得的妻子在他後麵向後一望,就變成了鹽柱。” (創世紀 19:23-26)

        因為害怕,羅得就帶著兩個女兒離開了瑣珥 (Zoar),住在一個山上,結果, 《聖經》說:

        “And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. ” (Genesis 19: 30-38)

        “羅得因為怕住在瑣珥,就與他的兩個女兒,一同離開瑣珥上了山,住在那裏; 他和兩個女兒住在一個洞裏。 大女兒對小女兒說:‘我們的爸爸已經老了,這地又沒 有男人可以按著世上的常規進來與我們親近。 來吧,我們可以叫父親喝酒,然後與他 同睡,這樣我們可以借著父親保全後裔。’ 當夜,她們叫父親喝酒,大女兒就進去與 父親同睡,她甚麽時候躺下,甚麽時候起來,她父親都不知道。 第二天,大女兒對小女兒說:‘昨夜我與父親同睡了,今夜我們再叫父親喝酒,你可以進去與他同睡,這 樣我們可以借著父親保全後裔。’當夜,她們又叫父親喝酒,小女兒就起來,與父親 同睡;她甚麽時候躺下,甚麽時候起來,她父親都不知道。 這樣,羅得的兩個女兒, 都從她們的父親懷了孕。 大女兒生了一個兒子,給他起名叫摩押,就是現在摩押人的 始祖。 小女兒也生了一個兒子,給他起名叫便.亞米,就是現在亞捫人的始祖。” (創世紀 19:30-38)

        豪斯曼的這首詩就是根據這個故事寫的。詩中,並沒有點出羅得和他妻子的名 字,隻用“他”和“她”來代替,暗示著這個故事適用於全人類所有的男人和女人。

        豪斯曼認為,羅得的妻子就因為“違背了一條戒律” —— 朝後看了一眼將要被毀 滅的家園,就被上帝懲罰,變成一條鹽柱,至今佇立在荒原上,這是不公平的處罰。 而羅得,他根本沒有違背上帝的任何戒律,結果卻也犯了亂倫的罪孽,那就更加荒謬 可笑了。所以,詩人在詩裏暗示:不管違背上帝的戒律也好,不違背上帝的戒律也好, 最後都沒有得到什麽好結果。詩人認為這就是人注定的命

        更具諷刺意味的是,雖然沒有說,但是《聖經》中暗示,所多瑪城裏人民犯 的要罪同性戀罪,所以到上帝的嚴厲懲罰。但是同樣的犯罪 —— 亂倫罪, 卻並沒有得到上帝的懲罰,羅得而成了摩人和亞捫人的始祖

        原詩節八句雙句押 [u] 韻

 




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