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Walt Whitman: The Voice of a Young America 惠特曼:美国草根精神的发言人

 

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繁體中文譯本

 

On a cool autumn afternoon, an old man with a long white beard relaxes beneath a shady tree. Picking up his pen, he begins to write passionately. His poems express Americans’ hopes for the future and the joy of being alive. Through his poems, Walt Whitman speaks not for himself, but for an entire nation.

一个凉爽的秋日午后,蓄着长长白胡子的老先生在树荫下休憩。他拾起笔开始热情地写作,他的诗作陈述美国人对未来的希望,以及活着的喜悦。透过诗作,华特.惠特曼说的并非自己的心声,而是为全美国的人民发言。

 

Born in Long Island, New York in 1819, Whitman developed a strong fascination with nature at an early age. He would spend hours exploring the shoreline, or slowly drifting across the Hudson River by ferry. When he wasn’t outdoors, Whitman passed the hours immersed in classics by literary giants such as Emerson, Hegel, and Goethe. It was out of the natural world and these great minds that the soul of a poet was born.

惠特曼1819年生于纽约长岛,自小即养成了对大自然的热爱,他会花好几个小时在岸边探索,或搭乘渡船缓缓横渡哈得逊河。若不出门,惠特曼则会沈浸在埃默森、黑格尔、哥德等文学巨擘的经典作品中。就是在自然界及这些伟大智者的熏陶下,才造就出一位诗人的灵魂。

 

Despite his poetic talents, Whitman did not enjoy academic success. At age 11, he dropped out of school and began working as an office boy. Yet this was just the beginning of young Whitman’s education. During his spare time, he searched New York’s museums and public libraries endlessly for any bit of knowledge he could find.

尽管惠特曼极具诗才,在学业方面并不成功。他11岁便辍学,开始在办公室当小弟,然而这只是惠特曼早年接受教育的开端。他利用空闲时,前往纽约的博物馆及公立图书馆,不停搜寻任何找得到的知识。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

passionately [ˋpæʃənɪtlɪ] adv. 热情地;激昂地

fascination [͵fæsnˋeʃən] n. 着迷; 迷恋

drift [drɪft] v. 漂,漂流

literary [ˋlɪtə͵rɛrɪ] adj. 文学的

endlessly [ˋɛndləslɪ] adv. 不断地, 无穷尽地

 

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单词发音

 

beard [bɪrd] n.(下巴上的)胡须,山羊胡

shoreline [ˋʃorlaɪn] n. 海岸线;岸线地带

ferry [ˋfɛrɪ] n. 摆渡船; 渡轮

immerse [ɪˋmɝs] v. 使埋首于;使深陷于[(+in)]

classics [ˋklæsɪks] n. 古典文学

out of 由于, 出于 motivated by

drop out 退出(学校等) to not do something that you were going to do, or to stop doing something before you have completely finished

spare [spɛr] adj. 空闲的; 多余的

 

 

 

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Through his independent studies, Whitman discovered that he had a talent for writing. He accepted a job at a newspaper to learn the printing trade and, just age 12, he began writing articles for the newspaper.

藉由自学,惠特曼发现自己有写作天分。他接下一份报社的工作,学习印刷业,当他开始为报社写稿时,年仅12岁。

 

However, before he gained success as a writer, two large fires and a struggling economy destroyed much of the printing industry in New York. Out of work, Whitman returned to rural Long Island to join his family. When the publishing industry rebounded, Whitman traveled to New Orleans and became the editor of a newspaper. During his time there, he saw a unique American culture being born out of the mix of cultures found in New Orleans. His trip also inspired him to write Sailing the Mississippi at Midnight. He compared a steamboat traveling through the darkness to the mysterious journey of life by writing “And forward, forward, in solemn darkness, / As if to the sea of the lost we go.”

然而在他以作家身分成名前,两场大火及疲弱的经济,几乎使纽约出版业一蹶不振。失业的惠特曼返回长岛乡下与家人团聚。出版业再次兴起时,惠特曼前往纽奥良,并担任一家报社的编辑。那段期间,他目睹独特的美国文化于纽奥良的多样文化中兴起,这趟旅程也为他带来灵感,使他写下(午夜航行于密西西比河)这首诗,诗中他把暗夜搭蒸汽船比喻为人生的神秘旅程,前进呀,在肃穆夜色中前进,彷佛是要前往失落之洋。

 

After returning to New York, Whitman self-published a book of 12 original poems entitledLeaves of Grass.” He did not use the standard elements of rhyme and meter. Instead, each page was filled with wild and energetic free verse. He was a fresh and confident voice, urging Americans to shape their own future.

回到纽约后,惠特曼自费出版一本名为《草叶集》的书,收录12首原创诗作。他并未使用韵脚及格律之类的标准元素,反而于每张书页上写满狂野且深具活力的新诗。他是一响清新自信的声音,敦促美国人形塑他们自己的未来。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

rebound [rɪˋbaʊnd] v. 复兴

editor [ˋɛdɪtɚ] n. 编辑;(报刊专栏的)主笔

solemn [ˋsɑləm] adj. 严肃的;庄重的;庄严的

entitle [ɪnˋtaɪt!] v. 给〔书﹑剧等〕命名; 起名

energetic [͵ɛnɚˋdʒɛtɪk] adj. 充满活力的; 精力充沛的

 

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单词发音

 

trade [tred] n. 行业

out of work 失业 without a job; unemployed.

compare ... to ..  将...比作

steamboat [ˋstim͵bot] n. 汽船;轮船

rhyme [raɪm] n. 韵脚,押韵

meter [ˋmitɚ] n.(诗歌等的)韵律,格律

verse [vɝs] n. 诗;韵文

 

 

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

Whitman used a simple and direct style that common people could relate to. He would declare the need for absolute freedom and ask people to question themselves and everything around them, as in Song of Myself. In this poem, he asked “What is a man anyhow?” What am I? What are you?

惠特曼选用的风格简单而直接,使一般人都能感同身受。他宣示拥有绝对自由的必要,并鼓吹人们对自己和周遭一切事物提出质疑,正如〈自我之歌〉这首诗中提问的:「人究竟为何物?我是什么?你又是什么?」

 

In fact, Whitman saw the role of a poet as a representative of the diverse people and cultures that make up the United States. He strongly believed that all parts of American society are equally important, with the poor just as significant as the rich. In his poetry, he often wrote about laborers, who made up the majority of the population at the time. Whitman hailed their hard work. Because of their strength, entire cities were born; because of their energy, society thrived. To him, laborers were a symbol of a rising America.

事实上,在惠特曼眼中,诗人的角色就是美国多元种族及文化的代表,他深信美国社会的各个部分都一样重要,穷人和富人同样举足轻重。他的诗作常谈及劳工,他们当时占美国人口的大多数。惠特曼为他们的辛勤工作喝采:由于他们的力量,整个城市得以诞生;由于他们付出劳力,社会才得以繁荣。对他而言,劳工们是新兴美国的象征。

 

Throughout his life, Whitman continued to improve and edit “Leaves of Grass,” reflecting social changes that were occurring across the nation. Even today, for those seeking to stir their soul, there are few inspirations like Walt Whitman, who, after all these years, remains the voice of America.

惠特曼终其一生都不断修改《草叶集》,以反映整个美国的社会变迁。即使时至今日,对重视灵魂深处的人而言,鲜少有人能像惠特曼如此带给人们灵感,在多年后依然代表着美国之声。

 

by Jamie Blackler

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

declare [dɪˋklɛr] v. 宣布,宣告

absolute [ˋæbsə͵lut] adj. 完全的; 绝对的

diverse [daɪˋvɝs] adj. 多种多样的

hail [hel] v. 赞扬,称颂

thrive [θraɪv] v. 兴旺,繁荣

 

More Information

单词发音

 

laborer [ˋlebərɚ] n. 劳动者,劳工

stir [stɝ] v. 鼓动; 唤醒

inspiration [͵ɪnspəˋreʃən] n. 鼓舞人心的人(或事物); 灵感

 

 

 

 

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