迈克尔

林水云风

岁月如梭，生活随之走过，
老牧人若说爱自身，那他是更爱
他的老伴侣；但在麦克尔心里，
他最爱的还是他老来生有的儿子，
这自然是舔犊之情，不用说，
每个人对亲生骨肉都有这样的本能，
但是除此，对一个日益衰老
行将就木的人来说，这时得有孩子，
那可是上苍赐给的无价之宝，
这给他带来了希望，叫他看到了奔头，
令他激动，也使他有点担忧。
他毫不掩饰对儿子的最爱，
儿子是他的心肝，是他心窝里的欢快！
儿子还是怀里的婴儿，老迈克尔
就常像母亲一样细心照看他，
这不单是做父亲的逗弄玩乐，
而是由衷的疼爱之心要他付出
辛勤拉扯，他会用女人般的
温柔的手摇动儿子的摇篮。

未完

林水云风

And，in a later time，ere yet the Boy
Had put on boy's attire，did Michael love，
Albeit of a stern unbending mind，
To have the Young-one in his sight，when he
Wrought in the field，or on his shepherd’s stool
Sate with a fettered sheep before him stretched
Under the large old oak，that near his door
Stood single，and，from matchless depth of shade，
Chosen for the Shearer’s covert from the sun，
Thence in our rustic dialect was called
The CLIPPING TREE，a name which yet it bears.
There，while they two were sitting in the shade，
With others round them，earnest all and blithe，
Would Michael exercise his heart with looks
Of fond correction and reproof bestowed
Upon the Child，if he disturbed the sheep
By catching at their legs，or with his shouts
Scared them，while they lay still beneath the shears.

林水云风

一转眼，儿子就满地跑了，
迈克尔虽然性情严厉倔强，
可他对儿子的爱那是没的说的柔顺，
他干活总要带儿子在身边，
在地里干活要带着儿子，
剪羊毛时也带着儿子，
他坐在凳子上，牵过拴着的羊，
拴在一棵高大的老橡树下，
老橡树孤独地立着，离家门口不远，
它庞大的阴影，正是剪羊毛的好地方，
因此，乡下人便管它叫“剪毛树”，
时至今日人们还这样叫它。
爷俩与乡亲正坐在橡树的阴影下，
认真又都欢快地剪着羊毛，
要是儿子抓住羊腿弄得羊不能安静，
或是儿子叫喊又使羊受到惊吓，
这时迈克尔才会生气嗔怪，
但也不过只是瞪他两眼。

未完

林水云风

And when by Heaven’s good grace the boy grew up
A healthy Lad，and carried in his cheek
Two steady roses that were five years old；
Then Michael from a winter coppice cut
With his own hand a sapling，which he hooped
With iron，making it throughout in all
Due requisites a perfect shepherd’s staff，
And gave it to the Boy；wherewith equipt
He as a watchman oftentimes was placed
At gate or gap，to stem or turn the flock；
And，to his office prematurely called，
There stood the urchin，as you will divine，
Something between a hindrance and a help；
And for this cause not always，I believe，
Receiving from his Father hire of praise；
Though nought was left undone which staff，or voice，
Or looks，or threatening gestures，could perform.

林水云风

得上天赐福，这孩子茁壮成长，
小伙子五岁了，红扑扑的小脸蛋儿
就像是两朵不凋谢的玫瑰；
这个冬天，迈克尔从小树林里
砍下一根小树苗，一番修理，
打上铁箍，装配上配饰件，
做成了一根地地道道的牧羊棍，
交给他的儿子；小伙子手持这家伙，
一下子就成了个小羊倌儿，
常到圈门或豁口处，堵赶羊群；
可他毕竟还是个顽童，这职业生涯
着实开始的太早，你不难想象，
他忙乎半天，不少都是在瞎忙乎；
所以我知道，尽管他不停地挥棍，
叫喊，瞪眼，甚至拳脚相加，
能使上的都使上了，使上了吃奶的劲，
但还很少能得到父亲的夸奖。

未完

林水云风

But soon as Luke，full ten years old，could stand
Against the mountain blasts；and to the heights，
Not fearing toil，nor length of weary ways，
He with his Father daily went，and they
Were as companions，why should I relate
That objects which the Shepherd loved before
Were dearer now? that from the Boy there came
Feelings and emanations—things which were
Light to the sun and music to the wind；
And that the old Man’s heart seemed born again?

Thus in his Father’s sight the Boy grew up:
And now，when he had reached his eighteenth year，
He was his comfort and his daily hope.

林水云风

又是一转眼，卢克满十岁了，
他可以抵挡山野的狂风暴雨了；
他遂每天都跟着父亲上山，
不畏艰险，不惧疲劳，
他们成了一对儿的搭档；
老牧人对热爱的山野倍加亲祥，
我为何要这么讲？这是因为儿子
给他带来了激情和活力，
就像太阳之光，大风之歌，
老牧人感到自己的心有如再生。

父亲就是这样眼看儿子的成长，
如今，儿子一下子长到十八岁了，
儿子是他每天的幸福和希望。

未完

林水云风

While in this sort the simple household lived
From day to day，to Michael’s ear there came
Distressful tidings. Long before the time
Of which I speak，the Shepherd had been bound
In surety for his brother’s son，a man
Of an industrious life，and ample means；
But unforeseen misfortunes suddenly
Had prest upon him；and old Michael now
Was summoned to discharge the forfeiture，
A grievous penalty，but little less
Than half his substance. This unlooked-for claim，
At the first hearing，for a moment took
More hope out of his life than he supposed
That any old man ever could have lost.
As soon as he had armed himself with strength
To look his trouble in the face，it seemed
The Shepherd’s sole resource to sell at once
A portion of his patrimonial fields.
Such was his first resolve；he thought again，
And his heart failed him.‘Isabel，’said he，
Two evenings after he had heard the news，
‘I have been toiling more than seventy years，
And in the open sunshine of God’s love
Have we all lived；yet if these fields of ours
Should pass into a stranger’s hand，I think
That I could not lie quiet in my grave.
Our lot is a hard lot；the sun himself
Has scarcely been more diligent than I；
And I have lived to be a fool at last
To my own family. An evil man
That was，and made an evil choice，if he
Were false to us；and，if he were not false，
There are ten thousand to whom loss like this
Had been no sorrow. I forgive him；—but
’Twere better to be dumb than to talk thus.

林水云风

这朴实的一家人就是这样
过着日子，可是迈克尔有一天
突然听到一个令人痛苦的消息。
这事我要从很久以前说起，
老牧人立约做了他侄子的保人，
侄子勤劳致富，发了一笔财，
可是天有不测风云，一场灾祸
突降其身；现在迈克尔
被传唤要履行责任偿还债务，
一笔不小的罚款，这几乎要顶
他一半的家产。这意外之事，
他一听说便就愣了神儿，
心里一下凉了半截，他想象不出
还有哪个老人能遭此不幸。
但是老牧人还是很快打起了精神，
要应付眼下的麻烦，看来
他唯一的法子就是得要
马上卖掉这份祖传的田产。
他一开始就想这么办，可转念一想，
又犯犹豫。“伊莎贝尔，”他说，
他想了两夜后才对老伴儿说，
“我辛辛苦苦七十多年了，
蒙主的爱，赐给阳光，
让我们过上生活，可要是
咱们的田产转到了别人的手里，
我想我就是入土也不踏实。
咱们可真是命苦的人啊，
太阳起早贪黑也没有我勤奋，
可是我到了最后来却成了大傻瓜
败坏了家。要是他在骗我们，
他就是坏蛋，在打坏主意；
要是他不是在骗，真的倒了霉，
可是遇到这种倒霉事的人多了去了，
人家多不当回事。我不怪罪他，
可是现在说这个还不如不说。

未完

林水云风

When I began，my purpose was to speak
Of remedies and of a cheerful hope.
Our Luke shall leave us，Isabel；the land
Shall not go from us，and it shall be free；
He shall possess it，free as is the wind
That passes over it. We have，thou know’st，
Another kinsman—he will be our friend
In this distress. He is a prosperous man，
Thriving in trade—and Luke to him shall go，
And with his kinsman’s help and his own thrift
He quickly will repair this loss，and then
He may return to us. If here he stay，
What can be done? Where every one is poor，
What can be gained?’