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Literature (文学)

Tennyson: The Poet of the People 字句精酌的一代诗才：丁尼生

详细资料: 创建于 2010年9月28日; 最后更新于 2024年5月25日; 发布于 2013年9月06日; 作者：Mike Lee; 点击数：324

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繁體中文譯本

Throughout history, the greatest of poets have reflected the times in which they lived: the developments of the age and the sensibilities and attitudes of the people. It is Alfred Tennyson who is widely regarded as the most important poet of the Victorian era, and his works captured the many rapid changes that Victorian folks experienced. Society, industry, science, politics, and religion were all in a state of flux, and Tennyson tried to make sense of all these things. For this reason, he was incredibly popular and often referred to as “The Poet of the People.” Across England and America, his poetry could be found in countless homes, and his many readers admired not only his wisdom but also his down-to-earth, colorful character.

综观历史，最伟大的诗人能反映所处时代的发展与人们的情感与态度。在维多利亚时期，亚佛烈．丁尼生被普遍认为是最重要的诗人，因他的诗记录了维多利亚时期人民所经历的快速变迁。丁尼生试着了解当时不断改变的社会、工业、科学、政治与宗教之面貌，也因这个原因，丁尼生的诗在当时洛阳纸贵，他也常被冠以「人民诗人」之称。他的诗作可在美国与英国的许多家庭中找到。读者不只仰慕他的智慧，也欣赏他务实、有趣的性格。

Born in 1809, Tennyson, the fourth of twelve children, had a somewhat troubled childhood. His father, dissatisfied that his brother received all of their father’s fortune, turned to drinking and became violent. The difficulties of family life were exacerbated by occurrences of mental illness and drug addiction amongst Tennyson’s siblings. Still, Tennyson found time to study the poetry of Chaucer, Keats, and others, and began to write verse himself. In 1827, he was freed of the hardships of his home life when he left for Cambridge University.

丁尼生于1809出生，在家中12个小孩排行老四。丁尼生的童年非常艰苦。父亲不满丁尼生的叔叔继承了祖父所有的遗产，因而酗酒且变得暴力。艰困的家庭环境又因丁尼生的手足患有精神疾病与药物滥用而雪上加霜。但丁尼生仍找出时间研读乔叟、济慈与其他名家的诗词，并开始自己写诗。在1827年，丁尼生摆脱了家中纷扰的生活，前往剑桥大学就读。

Tennyson and his brother Charles published Poems by Two Brothers in the same year, bringing them to the attention of a group of the campus’s most talented students, who called themselves “the Apostles.” They would meet for philosophical and intellectual debate, forming relationships that would last throughout Tennyson’s life. The Apostles, enamored with Tennyson’s poetry, encouraged him to pursue the vocation, and hence Tennyson embarked on his literary career.

在同一年，丁尼生与他的哥哥查尔斯在学校里出版《两兄弟诗集》(Poems by Two Brothers)，吸引了校园中一群最聪明学生的注意，这群学生团体自称「使徒」。他们会聚在一起进行哲学与知识性的辩论，并和丁尼生维持了一生的情谊。「使徒」相当倾心于丁尼生的诗，并鼓励他成为诗人，也因此丁尼生开始了他的文学生涯。

Vocabulary

单词发音

make sense of 了解; 理解 to understand someone or something

incredibly [ɪnˋkrɛdəblɪ] adv. 难以置信地；很，极为

countless [ˋkaʊntlɪs] adj. 数不尽的，无数的

down-to-earth [͵daʊntəˋɝθ] adj. 实事求是的; 实际的; 切实的; 务实的

somewhat [ˋsʌm͵hwɑt] adv. 有点，稍微

dissatisfied [dɪsˋsætɪs͵faɪd] adj. 不满意的; 不满足的

occurrence [əˋkɝəns] n. 发生，事件

addiction [əˋdɪkʃən] n. 成瘾；上瘾；入迷

sibling [ˋsɪblɪŋ] n. 兄弟姊妹

verse [vɝs] n. 诗；韵文

be freed of 免于…, 摆脱了… not affected or restricted by a given condition or circumstance

bring something to the attention of somebody 使某物吸引某人注意

vocation [voˋkeʃən] n. 行业，职业

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单词发音

sensibility [͵sɛnsəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 情感; 感情

flux [flʌks] n. 变迁; 处于不断变化中

exacerbate [ɪgˋzæsɚ͵bet] v. 使恶化；使加重

apostle [əˋpɑs!] n. 基督的十二使徒之一; 使徒

enamor [ɪnˋæmɚ] v. 使倾心；使迷恋[H][（+of/with）]

embark [ɪmˋbɑrk] v. 从事，着手[（+on/in/upon）]

课文朗读

课文讲解

The Apostles had more of an influence on Tennyson than just broadening his horizons through sparkling scholarly discussion. In fact, a greater influence by far was the friendship that Tennyson formed with Arthur Hallam, another member of the group. Hallam was an unusually smart individual, who championed Tennyson’s poetry, and the pair had a lively, close bond. Yet what should have become a lifelong friendship was tragically cut short when Hallam suddenly died, aged just 22.

「使徒」透过精彩的学术辩论拓展了丁尼生的视野。但他们对丁尼生的影响不只如此。事实上，此团体对丁尼生最远大的影响为团体成员之一阿瑟．赫莱姆与他之间的交情。赫莱姆是一位聪明绝顶的人，相当赞赏丁尼生的诗。这一对朋友的关系极为紧密。但这段本该持续一生的友谊却因赫莱姆于22岁骤死而悲剧性地划上句点。

Heartbroken, Tennyson began to write what arguably became his finest work: In Memoriam. The elegy, which reflects on life, death, God, and doubt, took seventeen years to come together, some of the themes directed by the author’s contact with Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Beginning with Tennyson’s sheer despair and loneliness at the loss of his companion, the poem also reflects hope, love, and acceptance as well as a deep questioning of the existence of God and the possibilities of an afterlife.

悲伤的丁尼生开始撰写一件可说是他一生中最好的作品：《悼念文》。这首反映生命、死亡、上帝与怀疑的哀歌，花了他17年的时间完成。诗中有些主题受了查尔斯．达尔文进化论的影响。诗的起头传达了丁尼生在挚友死亡后所感受到全然的绝望与孤寂，但这首诗也论及希望、爱、对逆境的接受、对上帝强烈的质疑与相信来生的可能。

In Memoriam was published to critical praise in 1850 and, in complete contrast to the lengthy elegy, Tennyson then penned The Eagle. A perfectly crafted piece, the poem is just six lines long. It follows a perfect rhyming scheme that demonstrates Tennyson’s mastery as he employs poetic devices and imagery. With skill and passion, Tennyson focuses on the lone figure of the powerful eagle and then describes the beast as it dramatically plunges to the ocean against the backdrop of the “azure world.”

《悼念文》在1850年发表时获得极高的赞誉。丁尼生接着写了一首不同于冗长哀歌的诗。《鹰》(The Eagle)是一首精巧创作、只有六行的短诗。完美的韵式展现了丁尼生对于作诗技巧与意象的纯熟运用。丁尼生带着诗艺与热情专注描述孤傲强壮的鹰，并在「碧空」的背景下，老鹰戏剧化蓦地冲向海洋。

In the latter part of his career, Tennyson struggled to repeat his previous successes, and much of his work was less well-received. Although he published other poems, this part of his life was consumed by a single project: Idylls of the King.

丁尼生努力想在他的后半生再次推出佳作，然大部分的作品较未获得回响。他虽零零星星发表了一些作品，但绝大部分的时间都专注于《阿瑟王之牧歌》。

Vocabulary

单词发音

champion [ˋtʃæmpɪən] v. 拥护 to support; defend

cut short 打断 to stop before the end

arguably [ˋɑrgjʊəblɪ] adv. 可以认为 as can be supported or shown by persuasive argument

evolution [͵ɛvəˋluʃən] n.（生物的）进化，演化；进化论

despair [dɪˋspɛr] n. 绝望; 令人绝望的人（或事物）

companion [kəmˋpænjən] n. 同伴，伴侣；朋友

lengthy [ˋlɛŋθɪ] adj. 长的；冗长的

rhyme [raɪm] v. 押韵

mastery [ˋmæstərɪ] n. 熟练；精通

employ [ɪmˋplɔɪ] v. 使用; 运用

dramatically [drəˋmætɪk!ɪ] adv. 戏剧性地

well-received adj. 受到欢迎的

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单词发音

in memoriam【拉丁】〔用在墓碑上表示〕为了纪念〔某人〕

elegy [ˋɛlədʒɪ] n. 哀歌，挽歌

critical [ˋkrɪtɪk!] adj. 极重要的;关键的 crucial or decisive

pen [pɛn] v. 写；写作

device [dɪˋvaɪs] n. 手段；谋略

lone [lon] adj. 孤独的; 孤单的; 孤寂的

backdrop [ˋbæk͵drɑp] n. 背景

azure [ˋæʒɚ] adj. 天蓝色的，蔚蓝的

idyll [ˋaɪdɪ!] n.【音】田园乐曲；牧歌

课文朗读

课文讲解

Idylls of the King, taking fifty years to complete, was a twelve-book epic finally completed in 1888. In these volumes, Tennyson weaves an intricate interpretation of the legend of King Arthur, his wife Guinevere, and the wizard Merlin. The tale itself is said to reflect the history of Western civilization and the fact that it faces a choice: revival or extinction. It is also a story of religion, the rise and fall of Arthur reflecting the rise and fall of Christianity.

《阿瑟王之牧歌》为12部的史诗巨作，丁尼生花了50年完成，于1888年完稿。这首诗是关于阿瑟王、他的妻子关妮薇与巫师默林的传说，丁尼生写下对这传说之详细解释。《阿瑟王之牧歌》被认为是反映了西方文明之历史与其所面临的抉择：走向复兴或迈向衰亡。这也是一个宗教的故事，因阿瑟王的崛起与没落反映了基督教的兴衰。

It is evident that Tennyson was an ambitious writer. Certainly, no task was deemed too large for his undertaking. But he was also intelligent, well-read, and a craftsman devoted to the art of poetry. Therefore, his position as poet laureate to Queen Victoria – he replaced William Wordsworth – and the financial security he gained from popular works like In Memoriam were doubtlessly deserved. Finally, in a position of monetary security, Tennyson was able to marry Emily Sellwood, whom he had loved for many years, but has been too poor to wed.

很明显地，丁尼生是位有野心的作家，没有任何事物对他来说过于困难。但他也是位富有智慧、饱读诗书、毕生奉献给诗艺的一位字句细斟的诗人。因此，他受维多利亚女王册封为桂冠诗人，取代威廉．沃兹华兹。一些受欢迎的作品（如《悼念文》）也使他经济状况稳定。这些都是丁尼生应得的。丁尼生也因经济状况稳定，使他能迎娶艾米莉．塞尔武德 ── 一位相恋多年、却因贫困而不能迎娶的恋人。

With the admiration of the nation and of royalty, Tennyson was awarded a peerage in 1884. He died in 1892, and his body was buried alongside other great poets in Westminster Abbey, London. Today, Tennyson is still held in high regard, and, like Charles Dickens, his works provide a window into bygone times. Of course, many of the subjects Tennyson tackled will be questions humankind will face forever, but Tennyson gave voice to these questions and will always be – as he himself described his hero Virgil – a “lord of language.”

丁尼生因对国家的赞誉与对国家的效忠，于1884年获得贵族荣衔。他于1892年逝世，死后与其他伟大诗人长眠于伦敦西敏寺。丁尼生死后仍备受景仰，且他的作品就像查尔斯．狄更斯一样，提供一扇一窥历史的窗。无疑地，许多丁尼生费心描写的主题是人类将会一直面临的问题，但丁尼生表达了他的看法。他将永远是一位──如同他描述他的英雄弗吉尔──「英诗之父」。

－by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音