并未改变；——

has not altered; -

仍是一片绿色的土地，

a place as kind as it is green,

是我所见过的最绿的地方，

the greenest place I've never seen.

每个名字是一支小调。

Every name is a tune.

责骂不会感化

Denunciations do not affect

犯错的人；鞭打亦不会，但

the culprit; nor blows, but it

不和他说话，就是对他最大的惩罚。

is torture to him to not be spoken to.

他们遵从天性——

They're natural,-

外套，像维纳斯

the coat, like Venus'

镶嵌着星星的斗篷，

mantle lined with stars,

扣子一直扣到颈下，——从不使用的袖子是崭新的。

buttoned close at the neck,-the sleeves new from disuse.

假如在爱尔兰，

If in Ireland

他们在危急时后退着弹奏竖琴，

they play the harp backward at need,

在正午收集

and gather at midday the seed

蕨的种子，躲避

of the fern, eluding

“披着铁甲的巨人，”那么

their 'giants all covered with iron,' might

也许真的存在

there be fern seed for unlearn-

有助于摒弃愚顽并恢复魅力的

ing obduracy and for reinstating

蕨类种子？

the enchantment?

在爱尔兰的故事中，

Hindered characters

受到阻挠的人物

seldom have mothers

很少有母亲，不过他们都有祖母。

in Irish stories, but they all have grandmothers.

正是在爱尔兰；

It was Irish;

举行一场婚礼如同进行一种搭配，

a match not a marriage was made

当我的曾曾祖母

when my great great grandmother'd said

带着土生土长的搬弄是非的天赋

with native genius for

说，“即便你的求婚者

disunion, 'Although your suitor be

很完美，一个缺陷

perfection, one objection

就足以否定他；他不是

is enough; he is not

爱尔兰人。”愚弄

Irish.' Outwitting

仙女，善待复仇女神，

the fairies, befriending the furies,

谁都可以一遍

whoever again

又一遍地说，“我将永不屈服，”却从未意识到

and again says, 'I'll never give in,' never sees

你并不自由，

that you're not free

除非你被最高信仰

until you've been made captive by

所俘获，——你认为

supreme belief,- credulity

这是盲从？当夸张而优雅的手指

you say? When large dainty

颤抖着，在七月中旬

fingers tremblingly divide the wings

用一根针

of the fly for mid-July

分开苍蝇的翅膀，用孔雀尾包裹它，

with a needle and wrap it with peacock-tail,

或者为它系上羊毛

or tie wool and

和秃鹰的翅膀，它们的骄傲，

buzzard's wing, their pride,

像巫婆的骄傲，

like the enchanter's

是谨慎，而非疯狂。协调一致的手抖开

is in care, not madness. Concurring hands divide

亚麻编织的锦缎，

flax for damask

当它被爱尔兰的天气漂白，

that when bleached by Irish weather

就有了浸过水的

has the silvered chamois-leather

银色麂皮似的

water-tightness of a

紧致。绞丝金项圈和新月形的

skin. Twisted torcs and gold new-moon-shaped

金配饰，并非珠宝，

lunulae aren't jewelry

正如紫色花树上的花并非紫色的珊瑚。爱尔兰——

like the purple-coral fuchsia-tree's. Eire-

那灵巧的

the guillemot

海鸠，荒地上的

so neat and the hen

母鸡以及

of the heath and the

发出无休止的竖琴般甜蜜预言的红雀呢？于是

linnet spinet-sweet-bespeak relentlessness? Then

他们对我的意义，

they are to me

正如中了魔法变成一只牡鹿的

like enchanted Earl Gerald who

杰拉尔德伯爵对

changed himself into a stag, to

一只绿眼睛的大山猫的

a great green-eyed cat of

意义。不合时宜

the mountain. Discommodity makes

使他们隐身；他们

them invisible; they've dis-

消失了。爱尔兰人说，你的困难就是他们的

appeared. The Irish say your trouble is their

困难，你的快乐

trouble and your

就是他们的快乐？我希望

joy their joy? I wish

我能相信这点；

I could believe it;

我困惑，我不满，我是爱尔兰人。

I am troubled, I'm dissatisfied, I'm Irish.