作品原文
Mending Wall
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
"Why do they make good neighbours?" Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down." I could say ""Elves"to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, "Good fences make good neighbours."
作品譯文
有一種東西不喜歡牆壁,
它使凍結的地面在牆壁下膨脹,
在陽光中倒出地表的大石頭;
甚至使裂紋超過了兩人並起的肩膀。
獵人毀牆則是另一件事情:
我要跟在他們後面修復他們經過
且不把石頭放回原處的地方,
他們還會讓兔子不再躲藏,
以取悅那吠叫的狗。我所說的裂紋,
沒有人看見或聽見它們怎樣形成,
但在春天修補的時候便會看到千瘡百孔。
我約了那位山那邊的鄰居;
在某天我們走到那斷牆並見了面
又一次將牆壁擱置在了我們中間。
我們邊走邊把破的牆補上,
用落向各自牆角的所有石頭。
有些如同麵包片有些則類似球形
我們要用一段符咒來使它們平衡:
“我們轉身之前,請留在你所在的位置!”
處理它們使我們的手磨得粗糙。
喔,像是另一種戶外遊戲,
一個站一邊。有點感覺了:
其實這裡是我們不需牆壁的地方:
他那兒全都是松樹而我的是蘋果園。
我告訴他,我的蘋果樹絕不會
穿越過去在他的松樹下吃松果。
他只說,“只有好柵欄才能促成好鄰居。”
在我心裡春天是個危害,我在想
我能否在他腦中放置這樣一個想法:
“為什麼柵欄能促成好鄰居?難道它
不該豎在有奶牛的地方?但是這兒沒奶牛。
在我建牆壁之前我就該知道
我做圍牆是想圍住以及隔開什麼,
我又可能會得罪誰。
有些東西不喜歡牆壁,
希望牆壁倒下。”我會對他說那是“小精靈”,
但正確說那不是,我寧可
讓他自己說那是什麼。我看他在那裡
用雙手尖緊緊抓著
塊石頭,像原始人的石器武裝。
在我看來他在黑暗中移動,
不止是木頭還有樹木的陰影。
他不會去探究父輩所說的話,
他倒喜歡想起這一句所以會又
說,“只有好柵欄才能促成好鄰居。”
作品鑑賞
最後,詩在“神座一樣燦爛”的氛圍中結束,詩人在黃昏的美麗中、在美好的回憶中獲得了解脫,進入了物我兩忘的境界。
作者簡介
弗羅斯特(Robert Frost)美國著名的詩人。1874年3月26日生於美國西部的舊金山。他是第一個四次獲得
普利茲獎的人。主要詩集有《孩子的意願》、《波士頓以北》、《新罕布夏》、《西去的溪流》、《理智的假面具》、《慈悲的假面具》、《林間中地》等。