TRANSLATIONS - The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 4 - Charles Lamb - 其他小说 - 30读书

TRANSLATIONS

translations

page66.translationsfromvincentbourne.

vincentbourne(1695-1747),theenglishlatinpoet,enteredwestminsterschoolonthefoundationin1710,and,onleavingcambridge,returnedtowestminsterasamaster.hewassoindolentateacheranddisciplinarianthatcowper,oneofhispupils,says:"heseemeddetermined,ashewasthebest,sotobethelast,latinpoetofthewestminsterline."bourne'spoemataappearedin1734.itismainlyowingtocowper'stranslations(particularly"thejackdaw")thatheisknown,excepttolatinists.lambfirstreadbournein1815.writingtowordsworthinaprilofthatyearhesays:—"sinceisawyouihavehadatreatinthereadingwaywhichcomesnoteveryday.thelatinpoemsofv.bournewhichwerequitenewtome.whataheartthatmanhad,alllaidoutupontownandscenes,apropercounterpoisetosomepeople'sruralextravaganzas.whyimentionhimisthatyourpowerofmusicremindedmeofhispoemoftheballadsingerinthesevendials.doyourememberhisepigramontheoldwomanwhotaughtnewtontheabc,whichafterallhesayshehesitatesnottocallnewton'sprincipia?iwaslatelyfatiguingmyselfwithgoingthroughavolumeoffinewordsbyl'dthurlow,excellentwords,andiftheheartcouldlivebywordsalone,itcoulddesirenobetterregale,butwhatanachingvacuumofmatter—idon'tstickatthemadnessofit,forthatisonlyaconsequenceofshuttinghiseyesandthinkingheisintheageoftheoldelisabethpoets—fromthenceiturnedtov.bourne—whatasweetunpretendingpretty-manneredmatter-fulcreature,suckingfromeveryflower,makingaflowerofeverything—hisdictionalllatin,andhisthoughtsallenglish.blesshim,latinwasn'tgoodenoughforhim—whywasn'thecontentwiththelanguagewhichgayandpriorwrotein."

onthepublicationofalbumverses,whereintheseninepoemsfromvincentbournewereprinted,lambreviewedthebookinmoxon'senglishman'smagazineforseptember,1831,underthetitle"thelatinpoemsofvincentbourne"(seevol.i.).therehe"ed"theballadsingers,"andthe"epitaphonaninfantsleeping"—remarkingofbourne:—"heis'solatin,'andyet'soenglish'allthewhile.indictionworthyoftheaugustanage,hepresentsuswithnoimagesthatarenotfamiliartohiscountrymen.histopicsareevencloselierdrawn;theyarenotsoproperlyenglish,aslondonish.fromthestreets,andfromthealleys,ofhisbelovedmetropolis,heculledhisobjects,whichhehasinvestedwithanhogarthianrichnessofcolouring.notownpicturebythatartistcangobeyondhisballad-singers;gay'striviaalone,inverse,comesuptothelifeandhumourofit."

page72.pindaricodetothetreadmill.

firstprintedinthenewtimes,october24,1825.theversiontheregivendifferedconsiderablyfromthatpreservedbylamb.ithadnodivisions.attheendofwhatisnowthefirststropheqametheselines:—

now,bysainthilary,

(asaintilovetoswearby,

thoughishouldforfeitthereby

fiveill-sparedshillingstoyourwell-warm'dseat,

worshipfuljusticesofworship-street;

orpaymycrown

atgreatsirrichard'sstillmoreawfulmandatedown:)

theyraisemygorge—

thoseministersofann,orthefirstgeorge,

(whichwasit?

forhistoryissilent,andmycloset—

readingaffordsnoclue;

ihavethestory,pope,alonefromyou;)

insuchaplace,&c.

lambofferedtheodetohisfriendwalterwilson,forhisworkondefoe,towhichlambcontributedprosecriticisms(seevol.i.),butwilsondidnotuseit.thelettermakingthisoffer,togetherwiththepoem,differingveryslightlyinoneortwoplaces,ispreservedinthebodleian.

page75.goingorgone.

firstprintedinhone'stablebook,1827,signedelia,underthetitle"goneorgoing."itwastherelonger,afterstanza6comingthefollowing:—

hadhemendedinrighttime,

heneednotinnighttime,

(thatblackhour,andfright-time,)

tillsextoninterr'dhim,

havegroan'dinhiscoffin,

whiledemonsstoodscoffing—

you'dha'thoughthima-coughing—

myownfather注释标题whosatupwithhim.heardhim!

couldgainsoimportune,

withoccasionopportune,

thatforapoorfortune,

thatshouldhavebeenours注释标题ihavethisfactfromparentaltraditiononly.,

insoulheshouldventure

topiercethedimcenter,

wherewill-forgersenteramidthedarkpowers?—

andinthetablebookthelaststanzaendedthus:—

andflauntingmisswaller—

thatsoonmustbefalher,

whichmakesfolksseemtaller注释标题deathlengthenspeopletotheeye.,—

thoughproud,once,asjuno!

toannotatethiscurioustaleofoldfriendships,datingback,asisuppose,insomecasestolamb'searliestmemories,bothoflondonandhertfordshire,isataskthatisprobablybeyondcompletion.thedayistoodistant.butasearchinthewidfordregisterandchurchyardrevealsalittleinformationandoraltraditionalittlemore.

stanza2.richkittywheatley.therev.josephwhately,vicarof

widfordinthelatterhalfoftheeighteenthcentury,marriedjane

plumer,sisterofwilliamplumer,ofblakesware,theemployerofmrs.

field,lamb'sgrandmother.archbishopwhatelywastheirson.kitty

wheatleymayhavebeenarelative.

stanza2.pollyperkin.onjune1,1770,accordingtothewidfordregister,samuelperkinsmarriedmarylanham.thismayhavebeenpolly.

字体大小
主题切换