The Ballad of the White Horse — Page 5

English → Chinese BOOK I. THE VISION OF THE KING Level 7/10

In the river island of Athelney,

在阿瑟尔尼的河中小岛上，

With the river running past,

河水在旁流淌而过，

In colours of such simple creed

万物以如此朴素的色彩信条，

All things sprang at him, sun and weed,

向他扑面而来——阳光与野草，

Till the grass grew to be grass indeed

直到青草真正成为青草，

And the tree was a tree at last.

树木终于成为一棵真正的树。

Fearfully plain the flowers grew,

花朵生长得朴素得令人敬畏，

Like the child's book to read,

像孩子手中翻阅的书册，

Or like a friend's face seen in a glass;

或像镜中所见友人的面容；

He looked; and there Our Lady was,

他抬眼望去，圣母就在那里，

She stood and stroked the tall live grass

她伫立着，抚摸着高高的青草，

As a man strokes his steed.

如同人抚摸着自己的坐骑。

Her face was like an open word

她的面容如同一句坦诚的话语，

When brave men speak and choose,

当勇者开口表明选择之时，

The very colours of her coat

她衣袍的色彩本身，

Were better than good news.

胜过一切喜讯。

She spoke not, nor turned not,

她既未开口，也未转身，

Nor any sign she cast,

也未投出任何示意，

Only she stood up straight and free,

她只是挺拔而自由地伫立着，

Between the flowers in Athelney,

立于阿瑟尔尼的花丛之间，

And the river running past.

河水在旁流淌而过。

One dim ancestral jewel hung

一颗暗淡的先祖遗珠悬挂于

On his ruined armour grey,

他那锈迹斑斑的灰色铠甲之上，

He rent and cast it at her feet:

他将其撕下，抛于她的足前；

Where, after centuries, with slow feet,

在那里，数百年后，人们迈着迟缓的步伐，

Men came from hall and school and street

从厅堂、学校与街道纷至沓来，

And found it where it lay.

在它遗落之处将其寻得。

"Mother of God," the wanderer said,

「上帝之母，」这位游子说道，

"I am but a common king,

「我不过是一位寻常的君王，

Nor will I ask what saints may ask,

我不会祈求圣徒所求之事，

To see a secret thing.

去窥见那隐秘之物。

"The gates of heaven are fearful gates

「天堂之门是令人敬畏的门，

Worse than the gates of hell;

比地狱之门更令人生畏；

Not I would break the splendours barred

我不会去打破那重重封锁的光辉，

Or seek to know the thing they guard,

也不会去探寻它们所守护的秘密，

Which is too good to tell.

那是美好得无法言说之物。

Vocabulary

在: zài — At, in, on; indicates location or ongoing action.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
河中: hé zhōng — In the middle of a river.
小岛: xiǎo dǎo — A small island.
上: shàng — On top of; above; upon a surface.
河水: hé shuǐ — River water; the water of a river.
在旁: zài páng — Beside; nearby; at the side.
流淌: liú tǎng — To flow gently, as water streams.
而过: ér guò — And passing by; flowing past.
万物: wàn wù — All things; everything in the universe.
以: yǐ — With; by means of; using.
如此: rú cǐ — Like this; in such a manner; so.
朴素: pǔ sù — Simple, plain, and unadorned in nature.
色彩: sè cǎi — Color; hue; quality or character of something.
信条: xìn tiáo — Creed; article of faith; guiding principle.
向: xiàng — Toward; facing; in the direction of.
他: tā — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun.
扑面而来: pū miàn ér lái — To rush toward one's face; overwhelming sensation.
阳光: yáng guāng — Sunlight; sunshine; solar light.
与: yǔ — And; together with; as well as.
野草: yě cǎo — Wild grass; weeds growing in the open.
直到: zhí dào — Until; up to the point of; all the way to.
青草: qīng cǎo — Green grass; fresh growing grass.
真正: zhēn zhèng — Truly; genuinely; real and authentic.
成为: chéng wéi — To become; to turn into something.
树木: shù mù — Trees; woody plants collectively.
终于: zhōng yú — Finally; at last; eventually after waiting.
一棵: yī kē — One (tree); measure word for trees.
树: shù — Tree; a woody perennial plant.
花朵: huā duǒ — Flower; a blossom; individual bloom.
生长: shēng zhǎng — To grow; to develop; biological growth.
得: de — Structural particle indicating degree or result.
令人敬畏: lìng rén jìng wèi — Awe-inspiring; causing reverence and fear in people.
像: xiàng — Like; resembling; similar to something.
孩子: hái zi — Child; children; a young person.
手中: shǒu zhōng — In one's hands; within one's grasp.
翻阅: fān yuè — To flip through; to browse pages of a book.
书册: shū cè — Book; a volume or booklet of writing.
或: huò — Or; alternatively; either option.
镜中: jìng zhōng — In the mirror; reflected within a mirror.
所见: suǒ jiàn — What is seen; that which one observes.
友人: yǒu rén — Friend; a person one is friendly with.
面容: miàn róng — Face; facial appearance; countenance.
抬眼: tái yǎn — To lift one's eyes; to look up.
望去: wàng qù — To gaze; to look into the distance.
圣母: shèng mǔ — Holy Mother; the Virgin Mary; sacred female figure.
就在: jiù zài — Right at; precisely located somewhere.
那里: nà lǐ — There; that place; over there.
她: tā — She; her; third-person feminine pronoun.
伫立: zhù lì — To stand still; to stand quietly for a long time.
着: zhe — Particle indicating ongoing or sustained action.
抚摸: fǔ mō — To stroke; to caress gently with the hand.
高高: gāo gāo — Very high; tall; raised up significantly.
如同: rú tóng — Just like; as if; similar to something.
人: rén — Person; human being; people.
自己: zì jǐ — Oneself; self; one's own person.
坐骑: zuò qí — Mount; an animal ridden, especially a horse.
一句: yī jù — One sentence; a single phrase or utterance.
坦诚: tǎn chéng — Frank; honest; candid and sincere in speech.
话语: huà yǔ — Words; speech; spoken language or utterance.
当: dāng — When; at the time that; as something happens.
勇者: yǒng zhě — The brave one; a courageous person or hero.
开口: kāi kǒu — To open one's mouth; to begin speaking.
表明: biǎo míng — To make clear; to indicate; to express openly.
选择: xuǎn zé — Choice; to choose; to make a selection.
之时: zhī shí — At the time of; when something occurs.
衣袍: yī páo — Robe; a long flowing garment or gown.
本身: běn shēn — Itself; in itself; the thing itself.
胜过: shèng guò — To surpass; to be better than something else.
一切: yī qiè — Everything; all; without exception.
喜讯: xǐ xùn — Good news; joyful tidings; happy announcement.
既未: jì wèi — Neither; having not yet done something at all.
也未: yě wèi — Nor; also not; neither did something occur.
转身: zhuǎn shēn — To turn around; to turn one's body.
投出: tóu chū — To cast out; to throw; to project outward.
任何: rèn hé — Any; whatever; of any kind whatsoever.
示意: shì yì — To signal; to gesture; to indicate by sign.
只是: zhǐ shì — Only; merely; simply; just that and nothing more.
挺拔: tǐng bá — Tall and straight; upright and erect in posture.
而: ér — And; yet; but; connecting clauses or ideas.
自由: zì yóu — Freedom; liberty; free and unrestrained.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb.
立于: lì yú — To stand in or among; positioned upright within.
花丛: huā cóng — A cluster of flowers; flower bed or thicket.
之间: zhī jiān — Between; among; in the midst of.
一颗: yī kē — One (small round object); measure word for jewels, stars.
暗淡: àn dàn — Dim; dull; lacking brightness or luster.
先祖: xiān zǔ — Ancestors; forebears; one's ancient predecessors.
遗珠: yí zhū — Lost pearl; an overlooked treasure or gem.
悬挂: xuán guà — To hang; to suspend something from above.
于: yú — In; at; from; classical preposition of location.
那: nà — That; those; referring to something distant.
锈迹斑斑: xiù jì bān bān — Covered with rust spots; heavily rusted all over.
灰色: huī sè — Gray; the color between black and white.
铠甲: kǎi jiǎ — Armor; protective metal suit worn in battle.
之上: zhī shàng — Above; on top of; upon something.
将其: jiāng qí — To take it; to handle that thing (classical).
撕下: sī xià — To tear off; to rip something away forcefully.
抛于: pāo yú — To throw at or toward; to cast before something.
足前: zú qián — Before one's feet; at someone's feet.
数百年: shù bǎi nián — Hundreds of years; several centuries of time.
后: hòu — After; later; behind in time or space.
人们: rén men — People; people in general; human beings collectively.
迈着: mài zhe — Stepping with; striding along; walking with steps.
迟缓: chí huǎn — Slow; sluggish; lacking speed or urgency.
步伐: bù fá — Pace; stride; the rhythm or manner of walking.
从: cóng — From; starting from; following from a source.
厅堂: tīng táng — Hall; grand room; formal reception or meeting room.
学校: xué xiào — School; an educational institution for learning.
街道: jiē dào — Street; road; urban pathway between buildings.
纷至沓来: fēn zhì tà lái — To arrive in great numbers; come one after another.
它: tā — It; third-person pronoun for objects or animals.
遗落: yí luò — To leave behind; to lose and drop something accidentally.
之处: zhī chù — The place where; the location of something.
寻得: xún dé — To find by searching; to locate after seeking.
这位: zhè wèi — This person; this one (polite measure word for people).
游子: yóu zǐ — Wanderer; traveler; person far from home.
说道: shuō dào — Said; spoke; used to introduce direct speech.
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun.
不过: bù guò — Only; merely; however; no more than.
是: shì — To be; am; is; are; the copula verb.
一位: yī wèi — One person; a single individual (polite measure word).
寻常: xún cháng — Ordinary; common; usual and unremarkable.
君王: jūn wáng — King; monarch; a sovereign ruler of a realm.
不会: bù huì — Will not; cannot; not able or likely to do.
祈求: qí qiú — To pray for; to earnestly beg or beseech.
圣徒: shèng tú — Saint; a holy person; a canonized individual.
所求: suǒ qiú — That which is sought; what one asks for.
去: qù — To go; to proceed toward; to do something.
窥见: kuī jiàn — To glimpse; to catch a secret view of something.
隐秘: yǐn mì — Secret; hidden; concealed from public knowledge.
天堂: tiān táng — Heaven; paradise; a blissful afterlife realm.
门: mén — Door; gate; entrance to a building or place.
比: bǐ — Compared to; than; used in comparisons.
地狱: dì yù — Hell; the underworld; a place of punishment.
更: gèng — Even more; still more; to a greater degree.
令人生畏: lìng rén shēng wèi — Intimidating; causing fear and dread in people.
打破: dǎ pò — To break through; to smash; to shatter something.
重重: chóng chóng — Layer upon layer; multiple; many layers of obstacles.
封锁: fēng suǒ — To blockade; to seal off; a barrier or lockdown.
光辉: guāng huī — Radiance; glory; brilliant shining light.
也: yě — Also; too; as well; additionally.
探寻: tàn xún — To explore and seek; to search for something unknown.
它们: tā men — They; them; referring to multiple objects or animals.
秘密: mì mì — Secret; confidential information; something hidden.
美好: měi hǎo — Beautiful; wonderful; fine and pleasant in nature.
无法言说: wú fǎ yán shuō — Indescribable; impossible to express in words.

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