She walks in beauty,like the night
Of cloudless climes2and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes3,
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies4.
One shade the more,one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace5
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face6,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure,how dear their dwelling-place7.
And on that cheek and o'er that brow
So soft,so calm,yet eloquent8,
The smiles that win,the tints that glow
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent9.
NOTES
1.这是一首咏美人的诗,为19世纪英国大诗人拜伦(Byron,1788——1824)所作。拜伦诗才广,作品多,与雪莱同为浪漫主义诗歌的杰出代表。本诗作于1814年,据说青年拜伦在一次舞会上遇到威尔莫夫人(Lady Wilmot Horton),当时夫人身穿丧服,上面缀有闪烁的装饰,犹如繁星。诗中诗人淋漓尽致地从美人的外表写到内心,抒发了无限爱慕的真情实感。
2.Climc [诗]地方,风土,具有某种气候的地区
cloudless climes 皎洁无云
3.And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and eyes.
明与暗的最美妙的色泽都集中在她的仪态和眼神上了。
all that's best 最美之处
meet集中,此处可译为“呈现在”
aspect仪态
4.Thus mellow'd to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies.
这样就溶合成一种娴静的光,这样的光上天是决不会赐予耀眼的白天的(或:这样的光是白天刺眼的光所不能媲美的。)
thus 这样(接上文)
mellow'd为mellowe 的缩写,原意为“成熟”,此处为“溶合”之意。
which指tender light
gaudy 一词带有贬意,原意为华丽,此处指光过于耀眼。
denies 拒绝,不给予
如果不是为了诗韵的需要,heaven to gaudy day denies的正常
语序为 heaven denies to gaudy day。
5.Had half impair'd the nameless grace 都会损害这种难言的美
impair'd=impaired 损害
half原意为“一半”,这里不指确切的一半,而意为“大都”。
nameless grace 难言的美
6.Which waves in every raven tress or softly lightens o’er her face.
这种无言的美荡漾在(波动在)她一缕缕乌黑的卷发上,并淡淡地给她的脸庞罩上光辉。
which 指上文中的nameless grace
waves v.荡漾,波动
raven 乌鸦 tress 一绺头发
raven tress 乌黑的头发
O’er= over 诗中常用o’er
7.Where thoughts serenely sweet express how pure,how dear their dwelling-place.
在她的脸庞上,恬静的思绪指明她的灵魂是何等纯洁,何等珍贵。
where指她的面容
thoughts serenely sweet 恬静的思绪,serenely sweet是thought的定语(后置)。
dwelling-place原意为住处,这里比喻为心灵、恬静的思绪的来处。
8.eloquent原意为能言善辩,此处指笑容能表达人的感情。
9.The smiles that win,the tints that glow
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.
那迷人的微笑,明眸的顾盼,说明了她善良地度过了时光,说明她与世无争,也说明了她心里充满着真诚的爱情。
win原意是战胜、获取,这里指笑容迷人。
tints 指同一种颜色的浓淡不同的色调
tints that glows 光彩照人
goodness 德性
spent度过(过去分词),为 days的定语
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