雙語 ● The Sorrows of Young Werther　少年維特之煩惱

The Sorrows of Young Werther　少年維特之煩惱

◎ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

JULY 16.

七月十六日

How my heart beats when by accident I touch her finger, or my feet meet hers under the table! I draw back as if from a furnace; but a secret force impels me forward again, and my senses become disordered. Her innocent, unconscious heart never knows what agony these little familiarities inflict upon me. Sometimes when we are talking she lays her hand upon mine, and in the eagerness of conversation comes closer to me, and her balmy breath reaches my lips, —when I feel as if lightning had struck me, and that I could sink into the earth. And yet, Wilhelm, with all this heavenly confidence, —if I know myself, and should ever dare—you understand me. No, no! My heart is not so corrupt, it is weak, weak enough but is not that a degree of corruption?

當(dāng)我偶然觸碰到她的手指，我們的雙腳在桌子下相遇時，我的心跳加速了！我就像碰到火似地退縮了。然而，一股神奇的力量促使我繼續(xù)著，我的思緒凌亂了。她那顆天真無知的心從未意識到，這些毫不起眼的親密舉動對我來說卻是一種折磨。聊天時她偶爾會把手搭在我的手上，聊天的渴望讓她坐得離我越來越近，她的呼吸仿佛都充滿了芳香，撲向我的嘴唇，我感覺就像是被閃電擊中，整個身體都要沉到地底下去了?？墒?，威廉，如果早知道自己有極好的自信心，我就該……你應(yīng)該能夠理解我的。不，不！我的心不像是會這么墮落的呀，它只是有點軟弱，只是軟弱而已，還不至于到達墮落的程度吧？

She is to me a sacred being. All passion is still in her presence: I cannot express my sensations when I am near her. I feel as if my soul beat in every nerve of my body. There is a melody which she plays on the piano with angelic skill, —so simple is it, and yet so spiritual! It is her favorite air; and, when she plays the first note, all pain, care, and sorrow disappear from me in a moment.

對我來說，她就是一個不可冒犯的女神。在她面前，我所有的激情都在那一刻安靜：當(dāng)我靠近她時，我無法表達心中所感。我感覺我的靈魂正在我體內(nèi)的每根神經(jīng)上跳動。她用天使般的技藝彈奏著一首動聽的鋼琴曲，——簡單卻能觸及心靈。那是她最愛的曲子，當(dāng)?shù)谝粋€音符從她的指尖飛出時，我所有的痛苦、擔(dān)心、悲傷便在頃刻間消失得無影無蹤。

I believe every word that is said of the magic of ancient music. How her simple song enchants me! Sometimes, when I am ready to commit suicide, she sings that air; and instantly the gloom and madness which hung over me are dispersed, and I breathe freely again.

每一個關(guān)于古老樂曲具有魔力的說法我都深信不疑。她彈奏的這首簡單的樂曲就能讓我著迷！每當(dāng)我想要輕生的時候，她就會唱起那首歌。于是，那些纏著我不放的陰郁和瘋狂就會立即消失不見，我又能自由地呼吸了。

JULY 18.

七月十八日

Wilhelm, what is the world to our hearts without love? What is a magic-lantern without light? You have but to kindle the flame within, and the brightest figures shine on the white wall; and, if love only show us fleeting shadows, we are yet happy, when, like mere children, we behold them, and are transported with the splendid phantoms. I have not been able to see Charlotte to-day. I was prevented by company from which I could not disengage myself. What was to be done? I sent my servant to her house, that I might at least see somebody to-day who had been near her. Oh, the impatience with which I waited for his return! The joy with which I welcomed him! I should certainly have caught him in my arms, and kissed him, if I had not been ashamed.

威廉啊，沒有愛的世界對我們而言會是什么呢？沒有光亮的魔燈又會是什么呢？你必須燃起里面的火焰，這樣最鮮亮的圖像就會映在那面潔白無瑕的墻上了。即使愛留給我們的只是轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝的幻影，我們還是會感到幸福，我們就像孩子似地擁抱著它，為這個輝煌的幻影激動萬分。今天我不能去見夏洛特了，因為我有個約會不得不去。這該怎么辦呢？我派了仆人到她家去，這樣今天我至少能見到一個曾經(jīng)近距離接觸過她的人。噢！等待仆人的歸來讓我焦躁不已！我見到他時該有多高興?。∪绻也荒敲春π叩脑?，我想我肯定會用雙臂擁抱他，然后親吻他。

It is said that the Bonona stone, when placed in the sun, attracts the rays, and for a time appears luminous in the dark. So was it with me and this servant. The idea that Charlotte’s eyes had dwelt on his countenance, his cheek, his very apparel, endeared them all inestimably to me, so that at the moment I would not have parted from him for a thousand crowns. His presence made me so happy! Beware of laughing at me, Wilhelm. Can that be a delusion which makes us happy?

曾經(jīng)聽人們提起過博洛納石頭，當(dāng)置于太陽底下時它能吸收陽光，過了一會兒就能在黑暗中閃閃發(fā)亮了。所以，在我眼中我的仆人就像是博洛納石頭。我覺得夏洛特的眼神曾在他的表情，他的臉頰，他的衣服上停留過，這種感覺讓一切變得珍貴起來。此時此刻，即使有人愿意給我一千個皇冠，我也不會把他讓出去。他的存在讓我感到無比快樂！威廉，你可別笑我啊！難道這就是能夠讓我們幸福的幻影？

AUGUST 8.

八月八日

Believe me, dear Wilhelm, I did not allude to you when I spoke so severely of those who advise resignation to inevitable fate. I did not think it possible for you to indulge such a sentiment. But in fact you are right. I only suggest one objection. In this world one is seldom reduced to make a selection between two alternatives. There are as many varieties of conduct and opinion as there are turns of feature between an aquiline nose and a flat one.

親愛的威廉，請相信我，當(dāng)我大聲呵斥那些讓我們屈服于命運的人們時，我并非指你。我從未想過你也持有類似的觀點。可事實上你是正確的。我只反對一點。在這個世界上，“非此即彼”的選擇是少之又少的。世間的行為和觀點多種多樣，就像鷹鉤鼻和扁平鼻之間的區(qū)別一樣，數(shù)不勝數(shù)。

You will, therefore, permit me to concede your entire argument, and yet contrive means to escape your dilemma.

然而，如果我承認你的整套理論都是正確的，卻又千方百計想要逃出你“進退兩難”的窘境，你不會怪我吧？

Your position is this, I hear you say: “Either you have hopes of obtaining Charlotte, or you have none. Well, in the first case, pursue your course, and press on to the fulfillment of your wishes. In the second, be a man, and shake off a miserable passion, which will enervate and destroy you.” My dear friend, this is well and easily said.

你的態(tài)度是這樣的，我聽到你說：“你要么對夏洛特抱有希望，要么就不抱任何希望。那么，第一種情況，你必須堅持你的追求，奮力前進讓自己美夢成真。第二種情況，做個真正的男子漢，拋開那些痛苦的、讓你變得脆弱甚至?xí)У裟愕那楦小！蔽矣H愛的朋友，你說得很好、很干脆。

But would you require a wretched being, whose life is slowly wasting under a lingering disease, to dispatch himself at once by the stroke of a dagger? Does not the very disorder which consumes his strength deprive him of the courage to affect his deliverance?

但是，假如一個不幸的人正在被日益惡化的疾病慢慢耗去生命時，你能勸他用匕首給自己一刀，從而永遠地結(jié)束這種痛苦嗎？病痛帶走的不僅是他的精力，也帶走了他自我了斷的勇氣。

You may answer me, if you please, with a similar analogy, "Who would not prefer the amputation of an arm to the periling of life by doubt and procrastination!" But I know not if I am right, and let us leave these comparisons.

如果高興的話，你還會用一個類似的比喻回答我，“與其猶豫不決、瞻前顧后，用自己的生命當(dāng)賭注，還不如舍棄一條胳膊！”我不知道自己是不是對的，那我們就暫時將這些比喻句放在一旁吧！

Enough! There are moments, Wilhelm, when I could rise up and shake it all off, and when, if I only knew where to go, I could fly from this place.

夠了！威廉，有些時候，我也有重新振作并甩掉這些情感包袱的勇氣。如果我知道我該去向何方，我就會飛離這兒。

THE SAME EVENING.

八月八日晚上

My diary, which I have for some time neglected, came before me today; and I am amazed to see how deliberately I have entangled myself step by step. To have seen my position so clearly, and yet to have acted so like a child! Even still I behold the result plainly, and yet have no thought of acting with greater prudence.

我已經(jīng)好長時間沒有寫日記了，今天我想寫點什么。我驚奇地發(fā)現(xiàn)自己竟是故意一步步地陷入目前的境地中。我十分清楚自己的處境，可我的行為卻像小孩一樣幼稚。我甚至連最終的結(jié)局也看得清清楚楚，可我仍舊不愿做一些讓結(jié)局變好的舉動。

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