这太无谓——当一个闲散的君主
It little profits that an idle king,
安居家中，在这个嶙峋的岛国．
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
我与年老的妻子相匹，颁布着
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
不公的法律，治理野蛮的种族，——
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
他们吃、睡、收藏，而不理解我。
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
我不能停歇我的跋涉；我决心
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
饮尽生命之杯。我一生都在
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd
体验巨大的痛苦、巨大的欢乐，
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
有时与爱我的狄伴一起，有时却
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
独自一个；不论在岸上或海上，
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
当带来雨季的毕宿星团催动
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
激流滚滚，扬起灰暗的海波。
For always roaming with a hungry heart
我已经变成这样一个名字，—一
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
由于我如饥似渴地漂泊不止，
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
我已见识了许多民族的城
Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;
及其风气、习俗、枢密院、政府，
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
而我在他们之中最负盛名；
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
在遥远而多风的特洛亚战场，
I am a part of all that I have met;
我曾陶醉于与敌手作战的欢欣。
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
我自己是我全部经历的一部分；
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
而全部经验，也只是一座拱门，
For ever and forever when I move.
尚未游历的世界在门外闪光，
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
而随着我一步一步的前进，
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
它的边界也不断向后退让。
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
最单调最沉闷的是停留，是终止，
Were all too little, and of one to me
是蒙尘生锈而不在使用中发亮！
Little remains: but every hour is saved
难道说呼吸就能算是生活？
From that eternal silence, something more,
几次生命堆起来尚嫌太少，
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
何况我唯一的生命已余年无多。
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
唯有从永恒的沉寂之中抢救
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
每个小时，让每个小时带来
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
一点新的收获。最可厌的是
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
把自己长期封存、贮藏起来，
让我灰色的灵魂徒然渴望
This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
在人类思想最远的边界之外
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—
追求知识．像追求沉没的星星。
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
这是我的儿子忒勒玛科斯，
A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees
我给他留下我的岛国和王杖，
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
他是我所爱的，他有胆有识，
Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere
能胜任这一工作；谨慎耐心地
Of common duties, decent not to fail
教化粗野的民族，用温和的步骤
In offices of tenderness, and pay
驯化他们，使他们善良而有用。
Meet adoration to my household gods,
他是无可指责的，他虽年少，
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.
在我离去后他会担起重任，
并对我家的佑护神表示崇敬。
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
他和我，将各做各的工作。
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—
海港就在那边，船儿已经扬帆，
That ever with a frolic welcome took
大海黑暗一片。我的水手们——
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
与我同辛劳、同工作、同思想的人，
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
对雷电和阳光永远同等欢迎．
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
并用自由的心与头颅来抗争，——
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
你们和我都已老了，但老年
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
仍有老年的荣誉、老年的辛劳；
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
死亡终结一切，但在终点前
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
我们还能做一番崇高的事业，
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
使我们配称为与神斗争的人。
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
礁石上的灯标开始闪光了，
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
长昼将尽，月亮缓缓攀登，
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
大海用无数音响在周围呻唤。
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
来呀．朋友们，探寻更新的世界
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
现在尚不是为时过晚。开船吧！
Of all the western stars, until I die.
坐成排，划破这喧哗的海浪，
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
我决心驶向太阳沉没的彼方，
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
超越西方星斗的浴场，至死
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
方止。也许深渊会把我们吞噬，
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
也许我们将到达琼岛乐土，
We are not now that strength which in old days
与老朋友阿喀琉斯会晤。
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
尽管已达到的多，未知的也多啊，
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
虽然我们的力量已不如当初，
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
已远非昔日移天动地的雄姿，
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
但我们仍是我们，英雄的心
尽管被时间消磨，被命运削弱，
我们的意志坚强如故，坚持着
奋斗、探索、寻求，而不屈服。