初讀英文詩(shī)歌時(shí),即對(duì)其中不少愛(ài)與死的描寫(xiě)有所感觸。如同其他抽象的理念一樣,愛(ài)情和死亡,在英文文學(xué)中,尤其在詩(shī)歌中,可以做為一個(gè)超越現(xiàn)實(shí)世界的獨(dú)立存在來(lái)感悟,來(lái)思辯,來(lái)描寫(xiě),來(lái)謳歌。而中國(guó)文化中,并沒(méi)有這種超越現(xiàn)實(shí)的理念世界及其相對(duì)應(yīng)的文學(xué)表達(dá)。愛(ài)和死,在英文詩(shī)歌中,并不必與具體的客觀世界和詩(shī)人的現(xiàn)實(shí)生活相牽連,因此也沒(méi)有中文詩(shī)歌中那種‘情景交融’的特點(diǎn),而多是內(nèi)化的理念思考和抽象化了的感情表達(dá)。
因此,愛(ài)情和死亡的關(guān)系,在英文詩(shī)歌中似乎比中文詩(shī)歌的涉及面更廣,表達(dá)方式也更多樣。比如下面這首細(xì)辯愛(ài)與死亡異同的《盡管我年輕無(wú)辯》:
盡管我年輕無(wú)辯
本.瓊生
如我之年青,無(wú)法細(xì)辨,
死亡的本意和愛(ài)的真諦,
嘗聞二者皆帶箭頭,
雙雙的目標(biāo)是人的心臟。
復(fù)又聽(tīng)說(shuō),各有德性,
愛(ài)傷于火,死傷于冰;
我似恍然有所覺(jué)悟,
感受的極端結(jié)果卻一途。
恰如斷壁殘?jiān)?BR> 或灰飛或塌坍;
又好比我之消亡,
似潮退又似閃電;
因知愛(ài)之燃燒的箭桿,
亡我之速有如死神冰冷的魔手;
惟有愛(ài)火的熾熱尚存,
驚散墳?zāi)怪泻畾獗迫说乃F。
Though I am Young and Cannot Tell
Ben Jonson
Though I am young, and cannot tell
Either what death or love is well,
Yet I have heard they both bear darts,
And both do aim at human hearts.
And then again, I have been told
Love wounds with heat, as Death with cold;
So that I fear they do but bring
Extremes to touch, and mean one thing.
As in a ruin we it call
One thing to be blown up, or fall;
Or to our end like way may have
By a flash of lightning, or a wave;
So love's inflamed shaft or brand
May kill as soon as Death's cold hand;
Except Love's fires the virtue have
To fright the frost out of the grave.
整首詩(shī)是一種‘虛擬’理念的對(duì)比思考,沒(méi)有具體的情景。比喻的事物也以抽象概念和事物的一般類別居多,比如熱,冷,生,死,人心,箭頭,感覺(jué)(TOUCH),斷壁殘?jiān)?,閃電浪潮,墳?zāi)沟?。這種思辯性的理念詩(shī)歌,在中文中是幾乎不見(jiàn)的。湯顯祖《牡丹亭題詞》中有:“情不知所起,一往而深,生者可以死,死可以生。生而不可死,死而不可變生者,皆非情之至也?!八坪醣容^類似生死的思考。但這仍舊是一種模糊性的感性思維,而不是理性的思辯。
因此,愛(ài)情和死亡的關(guān)系,在英文詩(shī)歌中似乎比中文詩(shī)歌的涉及面更廣,表達(dá)方式也更多樣。比如下面這首細(xì)辯愛(ài)與死亡異同的《盡管我年輕無(wú)辯》:
盡管我年輕無(wú)辯
本.瓊生
如我之年青,無(wú)法細(xì)辨,
死亡的本意和愛(ài)的真諦,
嘗聞二者皆帶箭頭,
雙雙的目標(biāo)是人的心臟。
復(fù)又聽(tīng)說(shuō),各有德性,
愛(ài)傷于火,死傷于冰;
我似恍然有所覺(jué)悟,
感受的極端結(jié)果卻一途。
恰如斷壁殘?jiān)?BR> 或灰飛或塌坍;
又好比我之消亡,
似潮退又似閃電;
因知愛(ài)之燃燒的箭桿,
亡我之速有如死神冰冷的魔手;
惟有愛(ài)火的熾熱尚存,
驚散墳?zāi)怪泻畾獗迫说乃F。
Though I am Young and Cannot Tell
Ben Jonson
Though I am young, and cannot tell
Either what death or love is well,
Yet I have heard they both bear darts,
And both do aim at human hearts.
And then again, I have been told
Love wounds with heat, as Death with cold;
So that I fear they do but bring
Extremes to touch, and mean one thing.
As in a ruin we it call
One thing to be blown up, or fall;
Or to our end like way may have
By a flash of lightning, or a wave;
So love's inflamed shaft or brand
May kill as soon as Death's cold hand;
Except Love's fires the virtue have
To fright the frost out of the grave.
整首詩(shī)是一種‘虛擬’理念的對(duì)比思考,沒(méi)有具體的情景。比喻的事物也以抽象概念和事物的一般類別居多,比如熱,冷,生,死,人心,箭頭,感覺(jué)(TOUCH),斷壁殘?jiān)?,閃電浪潮,墳?zāi)沟?。這種思辯性的理念詩(shī)歌,在中文中是幾乎不見(jiàn)的。湯顯祖《牡丹亭題詞》中有:“情不知所起,一往而深,生者可以死,死可以生。生而不可死,死而不可變生者,皆非情之至也?!八坪醣容^類似生死的思考。但這仍舊是一種模糊性的感性思維,而不是理性的思辯。