has not altered; -

并未改变；——

a place as kind as it is green,

仍是一片绿色的土地，

the greenest place I've never seen.

是我所见过的最绿的地方，

Every name is a tune.

每个名字是一支小调。

Denunciations do not affect

责骂不会感化

the culprit; nor blows, but it

犯错的人；鞭打亦不会，但

is torture to him to not be spoken to.

不和他说话，就是对他最大的惩罚。

They're natural,-

他们遵从天性——

the coat, like Venus'

外套，像维纳斯

mantle lined with stars,

镶嵌着星星的斗篷，

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

扣子一直扣到颈下，——从不使用的袖子是崭新的。

If in Ireland

假如在爱尔兰，

they play the harp backward at need,

他们在危急时后退着弹奏竖琴，

and gather at midday the seed

在正午收集

of the fern, eluding

蕨的种子，躲避

their 'giants all covered with iron,' might

“披着铁甲的巨人，”那么

there be fern seed for unlearn-

也许真的存在

ing obduracy and for reinstating

有助于摒弃愚顽并恢复魅力的

the enchantment?

蕨类种子？

Hindered characters

在爱尔兰的故事中，

seldom have mothers

受到阻挠的人物

in Irish stories, but they all have grandmothers.

很少有母亲，不过他们都有祖母。

It was Irish;

正是在爱尔兰；

a match not a marriage was made

举行一场婚礼如同进行一种搭配，

when my great great grandmother'd said

当我的曾曾祖母

with native genius for

带着土生土长的搬弄是非的天赋

disunion, 'Although your suitor be

说，“即便你的求婚者

perfection, one objection

很完美，一个缺陷

is enough; he is not

就足以否定他；他不是

Irish.' Outwitting

爱尔兰人。”愚弄

the fairies, befriending the furies,

仙女，善待复仇女神，

whoever again

谁都可以一遍

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

又一遍地说，“我将永不屈服，”却从未意识到

that you're not free

你并不自由，

until you've been made captive by

除非你被最高信仰

supreme belief,- credulity

所俘获，——你认为

you say? When large dainty

这是盲从？当夸张而优雅的手指

fingers tremblingly divide the wings

颤抖着，在七月中旬

of the fly for mid-July

用一根针

with a needle and wrap it with peacock-tail,

分开苍蝇的翅膀，用孔雀尾包裹它，

or tie wool and

或者为它系上羊毛

buzzard's wing, their pride,

和秃鹰的翅膀，它们的骄傲，

like the enchanter's

像巫婆的骄傲，

is in care, not madness. Concurring hands divide

是谨慎，而非疯狂。协调一致的手抖开

flax for damask

亚麻编织的锦缎，

that when bleached by Irish weather

当它被爱尔兰的天气漂白，

has the silvered chamois-leather

就有了浸过水的

water-tightness of a

银色麂皮似的

skin. Twisted torcs and gold new-moon-shaped

紧致。绞丝金项圈和新月形的

lunulae aren't jewelry

金配饰，并非珠宝，

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

正如紫色花树上的花并非紫色的珊瑚。爱尔兰——

the guillemot

那灵巧的

so neat and the hen

海鸠，荒地上的

of the heath and the

母鸡以及

linnet spinet-sweet-bespeak relentlessness? Then

发出无休止的竖琴般甜蜜预言的红雀呢？于是

they are to me

他们对我的意义，

like enchanted Earl Gerald who

正如中了魔法变成一只牡鹿的

changed himself into a stag, to

杰拉尔德伯爵对

a great green-eyed cat of

一只绿眼睛的大山猫的

the mountain. Discommodity makes

意义。不合时宜

them invisible; they've dis-

使他们隐身；他们

appeared. The Irish say your trouble is their

消失了。爱尔兰人说，你的困难就是他们的

trouble and your

困难，你的快乐

joy their joy? I wish

就是他们的快乐？我希望

I could believe it;

我能相信这点；

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

我困惑，我不满，我是爱尔兰人。