这又有何益呢：一个闲置的国王，

It little profits that an idle king,

坐在这安静的壁炉旁，在这荒凉的碎石地面上，

By this still hearth, among these barren crags,

还有一个与之匹配的老妻；我为一个野蛮的种族

Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole

制定和颁发不相称的法律，而他们

Unequal laws unto a savage race,

贮藏、睡觉、吃喝，全不知道我。

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

不旅行我无法安定：我将尝遍

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink

人生的辛酸：我永远大起大落地

Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd

享乐和受苦，既有与那些我爱的人一起，

Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those

也有独个儿的；既有在岸上的，也有

That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when

当多雨的许阿得斯们用急流

Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades

来烦恼昏暗的大海的时候：我变成一个名字；

Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;

因为我总是带着一颗饥饿的心漫游，

For always roaming with a hungry heart

见得多、识得广；有着各种人

Much have I seen and known; cities of men

和风俗的城市，气候，会议，政府，

And manners, climates, councils, governments,

特别是我，在他们当中最负盛名；

Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;

与我的伙伴们共饮战斗的乐趣，

And drunk delight of battle with my peers,

在远方多风的特洛伊那喧响的旷野上。

Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.

我是我全部遭遇的一部分；

I am a part of all that I have met;

然而一切经验都是一个拱门，那个未涉足过的世界

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'

透过它闪闪发光，那世界的边缘

Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades

随着我前进而永远永远在后退。

For ever and forever when I move.

把停下来的地方当做终点，是多么地沉闷啊，

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

未被擦亮就生锈，而不是在使用中生辉！

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

仿佛有呼吸便是生命。众多生命加在一起

As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life

都还嫌太少，何况我的生命

Were all too little, and of one to me

已所剩无几：但每个小时

Little remains: but every hour is saved

都要从那永恒的无声无息中救出来，做更多的事情，

From that eternal silence, something more,

带来新的事物；再没有比这更糟透的了：

A bringer of new things; and vile it were

给自己储存和贮藏了三个太阳的能量，

For some three suns to store and hoard myself,

却只有这白发人在热切地渴望

And this gray spirit yearning in desire

追求知识，像一颗沉落的星，

To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

去到人类思想最尽头的边境外。

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

这是我儿子，我自己的忒勒马科斯，

         This is my son, mine own Telemachus,

我把权杖和岛国留给了他——

To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—

他很爱我，锐意要履行这个辛苦的

Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil

任务，以谨小慎微把一个粗犷的民族

This labour, by slow prudence to make mild

驯化成温和，通过柔软的手段

A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees

将他们降服成有用和良好的人。

Subdue them to the useful and the good.

最无可挑剔的是他，当我不在时

Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere

置身于共同职任的领域的中心，

Of common duties, decent not to fail

做事持重，在怀柔的

In offices of tenderness, and pay

职位上不失职，并给予我的家神们

Meet adoration to my household gods,

应有的崇拜。他尽他的本分，我尽我的。

When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

港口就在那儿；船已张起了帆：

         There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:

黑暗辽阔的大海阴沉沉。我的航海伙伴们，

There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,

与我同煎熬、共患难，跟我一样思想的众灵魂呵——

Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—

你们曾神采飞扬地欢迎

That ever with a frolic welcome took

雷电和阳光，与对手们强大的心、

The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed

强大的额头作斗争——我们都已苍老；

Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;

然而老人有他的光荣和他的艰难；

Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;

死亡终止一切：但是在终止之前，

Death closes all: but something ere the end,

仍可以做点高贵的事情，

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

而不只是做不体面的男人，与诸神争吵。

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

光开始从岩石上皱缩，

The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:

漫长的白天退去：缓慢的月亮爬上来：

The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep

深深的呻吟声不绝于耳。来吧，我的朋友们，

Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,

寻找一个更新奇的世界还为时不晚。

'T is not too late to seek a newer world.

出发，各就各位坐好，猛力在水面上

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

翻出响亮的犁沟；因为我的目标是

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

驶向落日之外，驶出所有

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

西方星星的浴盆，直到我死去。

Of all the western stars, until I die.

也许我们会被海湾吞没，

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:

也许我们将抵达“快乐岛”，

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

并见到我们认识的伟大阿喀琉斯。

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

虽然克服很多阻碍，但还有很多要忍受；

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'

虽然我们现在已没有往日那种震天

We are not now that strength which in old days

动地的力量，但我们将以我们这个样子迎上去。

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

我们仍有英雄之心的勇气，

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

虽然被时间和命运耗损，但意志坚强，

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

要斗争、要探索、要寻找，绝不屈服。

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.