The Slaver in the broad lagoon
Lay moored with idle sail;
He waited for the rising moon
And for the evening gale.
奴隸販子把帆船停在
寬闊的咸水湖中;
他要等待上升的月亮,
等待黃昏的海風(fēng).
2
Under the shore his boat was tied,
And all her listless crew
Watched the gray alligator slide，
Into the still bayou.
他的船拴在岸邊,那一群
無(wú)精打采的水手
注視著一條灰白的鱷魚
游入靜靜的湖口.
3
Odours of orange-flowers and spice
Reached them from time to time,
Like the airs that breathing from
Paradise
Upon a world of crime.
橙花和豆蔻的陣陣香氣
飄送到他們身邊,
有如天國(guó)的仙風(fēng)裊裊
吹到罪惡的人間.
4
The Planter, under his roof of thatch,
Smoked thoughtfully and slow;
The Slaver’s thumb was on the latch,
He seemed in haste to go.
棕葉蓋頂?shù)奈堇?農(nóng)場(chǎng)主
想著心事,抽著煙;
奴隸販子,象急著要走,
大拇指按著門閂.
He said, “My ship at anchor rides
In yonder broad lagoon;
I only wait the evening tides
And the rising of the moon.”
他說(shuō):"我的帆船就停在
寬闊的咸水湖上;
我只等著晚上的潮水,
等著上升的月亮."
6
Before them, with her face upraised,
In timid attitude,
Like one half curious, half amazed,
A Quadroon maiden stood.
他們面前,仰臉站著的
是一個(gè)混血女郎,
有幾分好奇,有幾分害怕
怯生生可憐模樣.
7
Her eyes were large and full of light,
Her arms and neck were bare;
No garment she wore save a kirtle bright,
And her own long, raven hair.
她脖子、胳臂露在外邊,
一雙眼又亮又大;
身上除了那鮮明的袍子,
只披著長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的黑發(fā).
8
And on her lips there played a smile，
As holy, meek, and faint,
As lights in some cathedral aisle
The features of a saint.
一絲笑意浮現(xiàn)在唇邊,
圣潔、溫柔、恬淡,
有如教堂廊道的燈火,
有如圣者的容顏.
“The soil is barren,——the farm is old;”
The thoughtful Planter said;
Then looked upon the Slaver’s gold,
And then upon the maid.
農(nóng)場(chǎng)主想著心事,叨咕著:
"這農(nóng)場(chǎng),地老,田荒;"
他看看奴隸販子的金子,
又看看身邊的女郎.
10
His heart within him was at strife
With such accursed gains;
For he knew whose passions gave her life,
Whose blood ran in her veins.
他心里有斗爭(zhēng),曉得是罪孽:
只有他,才最了解
是誰(shuí)的情欲給了她生命,
他的血管里流著誰(shuí)的血.
11
But the voice of nature was too weak;
He took the glittering gold!
Then pale as death grew the maiden’s cheek;
Her hands as icy cold.
可是天性的呼聲太微弱,
他抓起亮晶晶的黃金!
女郎的雙頰死一樣慘白,
他兩手冷得象冰.
12
The Slaver led her from the door,
He led her by the hand,
To be his slave and paramour
In a strange and distant land!
奴隸販子拉著她的手,
把她拉出了門口,
帶她去隔山隔海的異鄉(xiāng),
當(dāng)他的奴隸和姘頭!