“ NO MAN IS AN ISLAND, ENTIRE OF ITSELF; EVERY MAN IS A
PIECE OF THE CONTINENT, A PART OF THE MAIN . IF
A CLOD BE WASHED AWAY BY THE SEA, EUROPE IS THE LESS, AS WELL AS IF A
PROMONTORY WERE, AS WELL AS IF A MANOR OF THY FRIEND’S OR OF THINE OWN
WERE: ANY MAN’S DEATH DIMINISHES
ME, BECAUSE I AM INVOLVED IN MANKIND,
AND THEREFORE NEVER SEND TO KNOW FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLLS; IT TOLLS FOR
THEE.
没有人本身是一整个孤岛; 每个人都是欧洲大陆主要部分之一片。如果海水冲走一块土，欧洲就缺少一点；同样，一个海岬若被冲垮，就如你朋友或是你自己的庄园遭灾一样：
任何人之过世都使我减寿，因我属人类之一员。因此，千万不要打听钟为谁鸣；它在为你而鸣 ”。
-- （英）约翰 邓恩（John
Donne， 1573～1631）《沉思 十七篇》
读诗译诗的乐趣
我们都知道美国著名作家海明威，但知道英国诗人邓约翰的人并不多。海明威的战争小说《丧钟为谁而鸣》书名，就是出自本文上面所录约翰邓恩的那段名言。
约翰邓恩是十七世纪著名的布道家和玄想诗人，莎士比亚同时代人。他出生在天主教家庭，曾在牛津、剑桥学习神学、医学、法律和古典文学。48岁时，出任伦敦圣保罗大教堂的教长。约翰邓恩一生坎坷，却留下不少散文和诗作，死后才出版。他的散文多为讲道的思考和心得。他的思考细密，常常思索正反两面。他的诗作，部分为宗教诗，部分是讽刺诗和歌谣。约翰的诗，特别强调灵与肉两者并重，巧妙将理性和情欲并列，形成对比，增添诗的效果。
在17世纪，约翰邓恩这一类玄想诗人(metaphysical poets)，一般不采取白描手法写诗，而是以理智入手、以说理方式抒发内心的情感。在选词炼字上，有时怪诞晦涩，大有“语不惊人死不休”的功力。约翰邓恩偏重个人独特体验，而非普遍人性。他善于使用奇喻，在不同的两者中捕捉相同近似之处，令人有矛盾而新奇之感。
笔者了解约翰的诗是最近的事。在2011年这个圣诞节，一位英国朋友安德鲁发来一封电子邮件，是他的“家庭年报”（Family Annual Newsletter）。他在信的末尾，录有两行约翰邓恩的诗句：
'Twas
much, that man was made like God before,
But, that God should be made like man, much more.
前一行，是出自《创世纪》，上帝以他自己的形象造人的典故；但是，后一句，诗人使用了被动语态，上帝居然写成“被造”。这怎么理解呢？我读后，深感费解。
一次晚餐会，安德鲁为我解释了这两行诗。他提到“Incarnation”这个字（即“赋予肉体”之意），说约翰邓恩的诗句常常使用文字游戏来达到某种意境。我忽然开窍,于是，有了翻译全诗的愿望。兴致所至，找到原文.这是一首十四行诗：邓约翰《圣诗》的第十五首。
最后，抄录原文，并附上拙译如下。以飨读者。
原诗：
HOLY SONNETS.
XV.
XV.
Wilt thou love God as he thee ? then digest,
My soul, this wholesome meditation,
How God the Spirit, by angels waited on
In heaven, doth make His temple in thy breast.
The Father having begot a Son most blest,
And still begetting—for he ne'er begun—
Hath deign'd to choose thee by adoption,
Co-heir to His glory, and Sabbath' endless rest.
And as a robb'd man, which by search doth find
His stolen stuff sold, must lose or buy it again,
The Sun of glory came down, and was slain,
Us whom He had made, and Satan stole, to unbind.
'Twas much, that man was made like God before,
But, that God should be made like man, much more
My soul, this wholesome meditation,
How God the Spirit, by angels waited on
In heaven, doth make His temple in thy breast.
The Father having begot a Son most blest,
And still begetting—for he ne'er begun—
Hath deign'd to choose thee by adoption,
Co-heir to His glory, and Sabbath' endless rest.
And as a robb'd man, which by search doth find
His stolen stuff sold, must lose or buy it again,
The Sun of glory came down, and was slain,
Us whom He had made, and Satan stole, to unbind.
'Twas much, that man was made like God before,
But, that God should be made like man, much more
By John Donne （1573 - 1631）
圣诗 十五
（英）约翰 邓恩
汝爱主神， 犹神爱汝？
余心融会， 沉思有益，
神灵于天， 天使奉侍，
心中圣殿何筑？
父既生子，极其佑护，
屈尊拣选 ，为之后裔，
同继荣光，共享安息，
无尽永恒之福。
一如被劫，神寻所失。
魔鬼盗卖，必弃或赎。
耀日之陨, 降世牺牲，
吾侪得释罪束。
人似神形，妙不可思；
神成人子，何复奇哉！
（ 2012年元旦 于英国MK）
