莎士比亚十四行第十二首

【全文】：

SONNET 12

When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls all silver'd o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Then of thy beauty do I question make,
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
And die as fast as they see others grow;
And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

【主题】：当他观察时钟的运动，看到一切活物走向衰败与死亡的过程，诗人心知肚明：美男子之美必将被时间摧毁。诗人认为：面对时间的镰刀，人类唯一的抵抗手段就是生儿育女。

【分析】：

第一小节：

When I do count the clock that tells the time,

And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;

When I behold the violet past prime,

And sable curls all silvered o’er with white;

第一二行：当我听到报时的钟声意识到时间的流逝，当我看到美好的白昼沉沦为可怖的夜晚；

第三四行：当我看到紫罗兰由盛转衰，深棕色的卷发全都泛白；

第二小节：

When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,

Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,

And summer’s green all girded up in sheaves

Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard;

第五六行：当我见到大树枝叶凋零，炎夏时节却曾荫蔽畜群；

第七八行：夏天绿色的玉米（收割后）束紧成捆，如死者在灵车上白须戟张。

第三小节及对句：

Then of thy beauty do I question make,

That thou among the wastes of time must go,

Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake

And die as fast as they see others grow,

And nothing ‘gainst Time’s scythe can make defense

Save breed to brave him when he takes thee hence.

第九、十行：于是我开始担心你的美貌，终将在时间的废墟中消逝。

第十一、十二行：因为美好的事物必将衰败、死亡，当看到其它事物成长的时候。

第十三、十四行：没有什么能抵挡得住时间的镰刀，唯有繁衍后代，你才能勇敢地面对它将你带走的命运。

【翻译】：

当我数着时钟报时，

看美好的白昼沉入可怖的黑夜；

当我望着紫罗兰由盛而衰，

乌黑的卷发变为银白；

当我看见大树枝叶凋零，

它们曾为畜群避暑遮荫。

夏日绿色的玉米束紧成捆，

如死者在灵车上白须戟张。

那时，我便会疑心你的美丽，

终将消逝于时光的荒原。

因为美好的事物必将衰亡，

眼睁睁看着其他事物生长。

没有什么能抵挡得住时间的镰刀，

唯有繁衍后代，你才能勇敢地面对宿命。