名家詩歌:混血姑娘

The Slaver in the broad lagoon
Lay moored with idle sail;
He waited for the rising moon
And for the evening gale.

奴隸販子把帆船停在
寬闊的鹹水湖中;
他要等待上升的月亮,
等待黃昏的海風.

2

Under the shore his boat was tied,
And all her listless crew
Watched the gray alligator slide，
Into the still bayou.

他的船拴在岸邊,那一羣
無精打采的水手
注視着一條灰白的鱷魚
遊入靜靜的湖口.

3

Odours of orange-flowers and spice
Reached them from time to time,
Like the airs that breathing from
Paradise
Upon a world of crime.

橙花和豆蔻的陣陣香氣
飄送到他們身邊,
有如天國的仙風嫋嫋
吹到罪惡的人間.

4

The Planter, under his roof of thatch,
Smoked thoughtfully and slow;
The Slaver’s thumb was on the latch,
He seemed in haste to go.

棕葉蓋頂的屋裏,農場主
想着心事,抽着煙;
奴隸販子,象急着要走,
大拇指按着門閂.

He said, “My ship at anchor rides
In yonder broad lagoon;
I only wait the evening tides
And the rising of the moon.”

他說:"我的帆船就停在
寬闊的鹹水湖上;
我只等着晚上的潮水,
等着上升的月亮."6

Before them, with her face upraised,
In timid attitude,
Like one half curious, half amazed,
A Quadroon maiden stood.

他們面前,仰臉站着的
是一個混血女郎,
有幾分好奇,有幾分害怕
怯生生可憐模樣.

7
Her eyes were large and full of light,
Her arms and neck were bare;
No garment she wore save a kirtle bright,
And her own long, raven hair.

她脖子、胳臂露在外邊,
一雙眼又亮又大;
身上除了那鮮明的袍子,
只披着長長的黑髮.

8
And on her lips there played a smile，
As holy, meek, and faint,
As lights in some cathedral aisle
The features of a saint.

一絲笑意浮現在脣邊,
聖潔、溫柔、恬淡,
有如教堂廊道的燈火,
有如聖者的容顏.

“The soil is barren,——the farm is old;”
The thoughtful Planter said;
Then looked upon the Slaver’s gold,
And then upon the maid.

農場主想着心事,叨咕着:
"這農場,地老,田荒;"
他看看奴隸販子的金子,
又看看身邊的女郎.

10

His heart within him was at strife
With such accursed gains;
For he knew whose passions gave her life,
Whose blood ran in her veins.

他心裏有鬥爭,曉得是罪孽:
只有他,才最瞭解
是誰的情慾給了她生命,
他的血管裏流着誰的血.

11

But the voice of nature was too weak;
He took the glittering gold!
Then pale as death grew the maiden’s cheek;
Her hands as icy cold.

可是天性的呼聲太微弱,
他抓起亮晶晶的黃金!
女郎的雙頰死一樣慘白,
他兩手冷得象冰.

12

The Slaver led her from the door,
He led her by the hand,
To be his slave and paramour
In a strange and distant land!

奴隸販子拉着她的手,
把她拉出了門口,
帶她去隔山隔海的異鄉,
當他的奴隸和姘頭!