-
英美诗歌选读
第八讲
叙事诗
第一节史诗
史诗可分为三种，
即史诗
（
epic
）
，
戏拟史诗
（
epic satire
）
和英雄叙事诗
（
her
oic narrative
）
。
一、史诗
史诗指一种宏篇巨制且自成一卷的
叙事诗，
用高雅的语言叙述英雄的事迹，
风格庄严华
美，多用精巧的修辞手法，如史诗明喻等。早期诗史多为民族传奇，往往被看成是一个民族
的伟大文化财富之一，如英国民族史诗《贝奥武甫》
（
< br>Beowulf
）即是如此。其他史诗有斯宾
塞的
《仙后》
（
The Faerie
Queen
，
1590~1596<
/p>
）
，
贾尔斯?弗莱彻
（
Giles
Fletcher
，
1586-16
23
）
的《基督的胜利》
（
Christs Victorie
，
and Triumph in
Heaven
，
and
Earth
，
over
，
and after
Death
，
1610
）
，弥尔顿的《失乐园》
（
Paradise Lost
，
1667
）
、
《复
乐园》
（
Paradise
Regained
，
1671
）
。布莱克的《弥尔顿》也可以看作是一部史诗。
《贝奥武甫》
现代译文第
735
行
~
第
766
行描述了贝奥武甫在鹿厅与巨怪葛
婪代的激战：
Mighty and canny
，
Hegylac
’
s kinsman
was keenly watching
for the first move the monster would
make.
Nor did
the creature keep him waiting
but struck suddenly and
started in
；
he grabbed and mauled a man
on his bench
，
bit into his bone-
lappings
，
bolted
down his blood
and gorged on him in
lumps
，
leaving
the body
utterly lifeless
，
eaten up
hand and foot. Venturing
closer
，
his talon was raised to
attack Beowulf
where he lay on the
bed
，
he was
bearing in
with
open claw when the alert
hero
’
s
comeback and armlock
forestalled him utterly.
The captain of evil discovered himself
in a handgrip
harder than anything
He had ever encountered in any man
on the face of
the earth. Every bone in his body
quailed and
recoiled
，
but he
could not escape.
He was desperate to flee to his den and
hide
with the
devil
’
s
litter
，
for in
all his days
he
had never been clamped or cornered like this.
Then
Hygelac
’
s trusty retainer
recalled
his
bedtime speech
，
sprang to his feet
and got a firm hold.
Fingers were bursting
，
the monster
back-tracking
，
the man overpowering.
The dread of the land was
desperate to escape
，
to take a
roundabout and flee
to his lair in the fens. The latching
power
in his
fingers weakened
；
it was the worst trip
the terror-monger had taken
to Heorot. [1]
（
Beowulf
，
a verse translation by Seamus
Heaney
）
斯宾塞《仙后》的内容如诗人在卷首序诗所言，
“激烈的战斗和忠贞的爱情将是我歌的
主旨”
，其内
容之一是对颇有作为的伊丽莎白女王的歌颂，表现民族主义的自豪。第一章一
开始就开门
见山地讲一位骑士的故事，第二诗节如下：
But on his brest a bloudie
Crosse he bore
，
The deare remembrance of
his dying Lord
，
For whose sweete sake that
glorious badge he wore
，
And dead as
living ever him adored
：
Upon his
shielde the like was also
scored
，
For soveraine
hope
，
which in
his helpe he had
：
Right faithful
true he was in deede and
word
，
But of his cheere did seeme
too solemne sad
；
Yet nothing did he
dread
，
but ever
was ydrad. [2]
斯宾塞向后来的诗人赠送了一笔宝贵遗产，
那就是他有名的九行诗体，
< br>这里引的诗节就
是典型的斯宾塞诗体。这是一种复杂的诗体，押韵格式为
abab bcbc c
。前八行是五韵步，第
九行即最后一行延长为六韵步。节奏徐缓，韵式有连锁之美（
b
韵重复四次，
c
韵三次）
。这
种诗体影响深远，拜伦、雪莱、济慈、丁尼生等都曾经用该诗体写出佳作，因此人们称斯宾
塞为“诗人的诗人”
。
弥尔顿《失乐园》是关于人的堕落
的史诗，其内容可以简述为：撒旦被上帝战败，报仇
心切，
诱使
上帝所创造的人类始祖亚当一夏娃偷吃了智慧树上的果子，
上帝震怒，
< br>把他们逐
出伊甸园。
第一章写的是上天的一场战争，
两大
天使集团进行了较量，
以撒旦为首的集团失败，
被
打入地狱。
在地狱里，撒旦对局势做了痛苦的重新估量，
估量的的结果是决心复仇，撒旦在
此发表了慷慨激昂的演说（第一卷第
105
行
~
第
124
行）
：
What though the
field be lost
？
All is not
lost
；
the
unconquerable Will
，
And study of
revenge
，
immortal
hate
，
And courage never to submit
or yield
：
And what is else not to be
overcome
？
That Glory never shall his
wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and sue for
grace
With
suppliant knee
，
and deifie his power
Who from the terror of this
Arm so late
Doubted his
Empire
，
that were
low indeed
，
That were an ignominy and
shame beneath
This downfall
；
since by Fate the strength of Gods
And this
Empyreal substance cannot
fail
，
Since through experience of
this great event
In Arms not
worse
，
in
foresight much advanced
，
We may with
more successful hope resolve
To wage by force or guile
eternal War
Irreconcileable
，
to our grand Foe
，
Who now
triumphs
，
and in
th' excess of joy
Sole reigning holds the Tyranny of
Heav'n. [3]
该史诗
第二章写会上辩论，
第三章转到天堂，
第四章出现亚当和夏娃，
史诗的语言不再
是金鼓铁甲之声，
不再
是上帝与耶稣的严肃对话，
而是人间的多情话语。
史诗在以下诗
行中
结束：
In either hand the
hastening Angel caught
Our lingering
parents
，
and to
the eastern gate
Led them direct
，
and down the cliff as fast
To the subjected
plain
—
then disappeared.
They
，
looking back
，
all the eastern side beheld
Of
Paradise
，
so late
their happy seat
，
Waved over by
that flaming brand
；
the gate
With dreadful faces thronged and fiery
arms.
Some
natural tears they dropped
，
but wiped them
soon
；
The world was all before
them
，
where to
choose
Their
place of rest
，
and Providence their guide.
They
，
hand in hand
，
with wandering steps and
slow
，
Through Eden took their
solitary way. [4]
< br>这是这部史诗的结束，
也是人类世间生活的开始。
“世界
整个放在他们面前”
，
生命将延
续下去
。
《复
乐园》
写的是耶稣挫败了撒旦的种种诱惑，
使撒旦在成功地诱惑
了夏娃之后终于遭
到失败，这样，
人类就可以赎罪而重新升入天
堂，
也就是恢复了乐园。
全诗的结构是一场大
< br>辩论，耶稣与撒旦不断辩论，自始至终，贯穿四章。诗的开始七行是全诗的总序：
I
，
who
erewhile the Happy Garden sung
By one
man
’
s disobedience
lost
，
now sing
Recovered
Paradise to all mankind
，
By one
man
’
s firm obedience fully
tried
Through
all temptation
，
and the Tempter foiled
In all his
wiles
，
defeated
and repulsed
，
And Eden raised in the
waste Wilderness. [5]
第一句是说诗人在写《复乐园》之前曾写了《失乐园》
，咏亚当受诱惑食
禁果而失去乐
园。第二行的“一人”
（
one man
）
，指亚当和夏娃，他们夫妇是一体。
二、戏拟史诗
戏拟史诗，
即讽刺史诗，
指一种通过滑稽性地模仿严肃史诗的手法，
主要描写非英雄故
事的长篇叙事诗。
如蒲柏的
《劫发记》
（
The Rape of the Lock
）<
/p>
（
1714
）
，
拜伦的
《唐璜》
（
Don
Juan
）
（
1819-24
）等。
《唐璜》既讲关于唐璜的故事性很强的游记故事，也是拜伦个
人的闲谈录，诗人随时对
故事中的人物、
情节加以说明、
评论等。
唐璜出生在西班牙，
后来却因为爱情
纠葛而离家漂
泊海上，由西而东，到过希腊、土耳其、俄罗斯，成了女皇宠臣。后来他又
受女皇派遣，出
使英国，
这样他又由东到西，
< br>穿越大陆而出现在伦敦。
唐璜是在旅途中碰到各种事情的参与
者和当事人，他活动频繁，所遭遇的事或惊险（如海上遇风暴，所盛船只沉没，卷入伊斯迈
< br>城下一场血战）
，
或滑稽（如被卖为女奴，
在土耳其苏丹的后宫里同后妃宫女等厮混）
，
而进<
/p>
入英国后，他又如诗人一样老练讽刺，对很多事情都有叙有议。诗歌这样开始道：
I want
a hero
：
an
uncommon want
，
When every year and month
sends forth a new one
，
Till
，
after cloying the gazettes with
cant
，
The age discovers he is not
the true one
；
Of such as these I should
not care to vaunt
，
I'll therefore
take our ancient friend Don Juan --
We all have seen
him
，
in the
pantomime
，
Sent to the devil somewhat
ere his time. [6]
三、英雄史诗
英雄叙事诗指一种风格庄严、
典雅，
类似史诗的叙事诗，
叙述英雄的伟大业绩或所遭受
的苦难，
但情节单一。
一般来说，
< br>能够在一两个小时内一口气读完的叙述英雄事迹的长诗就
可以被叫做英雄叙事诗。
如：
乔叟
《坎特伯雷故事》
中
《教士讲的故事》
（
T
he Parson
’
s Tale
）
，
讲述的是名人落难记，
包括
《圣经》
中的人物撒旦、
参孙、
赫拉克勒斯以及西班牙的彼得王、
叙利亚古国国王的故事等。另外还有莎士比亚
的《维纳斯与阿多尼斯》
（
Venus and
Adonis
，
1593
）
、
《鲁克丽斯受辱记》
（
The Rape of
Lucrece
，
1594
）
，丁尼生《国王叙事诗》
（
< br>Idylls of
the King
，
1859
）
中的叙事段落，
马修?阿诺德的
《邵莱与罗斯托》
（
S
ohrab and Rustum
，
1853
）
等。
《维纳斯与阿多尼斯》写的是爱神
维纳斯爱上了青年阿多尼斯，但阿多尼斯不为所动，
他的兴趣在打野猪。虽然她一再劝阻
，他还是去了，结果死于猪牙之下：
'But this
foul
，
grim
，
and urchin-snouted
boar
，
Whose downward eye still
looketh for a grave
，
Ne'er saw the
beauteous livery that he
wore
；
Witness the entertainment
that he gave
：
If he did see his
face
，
why then I
know
He thought
to kiss him
，
and
hath kill'd him so.
''Tis true
，
'tis true
；
thus was Adonis
slain
：
He ran upon the boar with
his sharp spear
，
Who did not whet his teeth
at him again
，
But by a kiss thought to
persuade him there
；
And nuzzling in
his flank
，
the
loving swine
Sheath'd unaware the tusk in his soft
groin.
'Had I
been tooth'd like him
，
I must confess
，
With kissing
him I should have kill'd him
first
；
But he is
dead
，
and never
did he bless
My
youth with his
；
the more am I accurst.'
With this she falleth in
the place she stood
，
And stains her
face with his congealed blood [7]
《鲁克丽斯受辱记》长达
1855<
/p>
行。鲁克丽斯是古罗马将领柯拉廷的妻子，美丽贞淑，
在丈夫率军
在外时，
遭到罗马王子塔尔昆的强奸，
她飞函召回丈夫和父亲，
说明情况，
要他
们报仇，然后举刀自杀
。此事激起罗马群众公愤，赶走塔尔昆一家，从此废除国王，由执政
官掌权。诗歌是这样
开始的：
From the besieged Ardea all in
post
，
Borne by the trustless
wings of false desire
，
Lust-breathed
Tarquin leaves the Roman
host
，
And to Collatium bears the
lightless fire
Which
，
in pale embers
hid
，
lurks to
aspire
And
girdle with embracing flames the waist
Of Collatine's fair
love
，
Lucrece the
chaste.
Haply
that name of 'chaste' unhappily set
This bateless edge on his
keen appetite
；
When Collatine unwisely did
not let
To
praise the clear unmatched red and white
Which triumph'd
in that sky of his delight
，
Where mortal
stars
，
as bright
as heaven's beauties
，
With pure
aspects did him peculiar duties. [8]
第二节歌谣
歌谣（
b
allad
）是一种相当简短的叙事诗，往往以民间故事为题材，其中以爱情悲剧、
凶杀、冒险情节居多，情感真挚，有浓厚的生活和劳动气息，格调清新，形式活泼，语言朴<
/p>
实。歌谣词句简练押韵，容易上口，便于传诵，一般是三韵步和四韵步交替使用，第一、三
行为抑扬格四韵步诗行，第二、四行为抑扬格三韵步诗行，押韵格式一般为
abxb
。有些诗
节的第二行和第四行里出现迭句，
也有一些诗节运用递增重复，使故事情节得到发展。
传统歌谣都是无名氏作品，
一代一代
口传下来的，
其最大特点是单纯质朴。
也有知名诗
人自觉创作的文人歌谣，
华兹华斯和柯尔律治匿名出版的
《抒情歌谣集》
（
The Lyrical Ballad
s
）
（
1798
）中就有华兹华斯的《荆棘》
（
The Thorn
）
、
《痴尔》
（
The Idiot Boy
）等和柯尔律治的
《古舟子咏》
（
The Rime of the
Ancient Marine
）
，
奥
斯卡?王尔德的
《雷丁监狱之歌》
（
T
he Ballad
of Reading
Goal
，
1898
）也属于文人歌谣。另外还有考珀（
William
Cowper
，
1731-1800
）
的滑稽歌谣《约翰?吉尔宾》
（
John Gilpin
）等。
柯尔律治的
《古舟子咏》
描述的是一次海上杀死一只信天翁而遭受的可怕经历，
< br>诗开始
几个诗节如下：
The Wedding-Guest sat on a
stone
：
He cannot choose but
hear
；
And thus spake on that
ancient man
，
The bright-eyed Mariner.
‘
The
ship was cheered
，
the harbour
cleared
，
Merrily did we drop
Below the
kirk
，
below the
hill
，
Below the lighthouse top.
‘
The
Sun came up upon the left
，
Out of the sea
came he
！
And he shone
bright
，
and on
the right
Went
down into the sea. [9]
从这些诗节可看出，这首歌谣交替使用抑扬格四韵步和抑扬格三韵步，非常标准。
又如柯珀的《约翰?吉尔宾》
：
John Gilpin was
a citizen
Of
credit and renown
，
A train-band
captain eke was he
Of famous London town.
John Gilpin's spouse said
to her dear
，
Though wedded we have been
These twice ten
tedious years
，
yet we
No holiday have seen.
To-morrow is our wedding-
day
，
And we will then repair
Unto 'The Bell' at
Edmonton
，
All in a chaise and pair.
My sister and
my sister's child
，
Myself and
children three
，
Will fill the
chaise
；
so you
must ride
On
horseback after we. [10]
这些诗节也是抑扬格三韵步和四韵步交替使用。
但是，
并
非所有的歌谣都是如此。
变体形式很常见，
例如济慈的歌谣
《冷酷的妖女》
第、
二、三、四诗节：
“
O what can ail
thee
，
knight-at-
arms
，
So haggard and so woe-
begone
？
The
squirrel
’
s granary is
full
，
And the
harvest
’
s done.
“
I see a lily on
thy brow
With
anguish moist and fever dew
；
And on thy
cheek a fading rose
Fast withereth
too.
”
“
I met a lady in
the meads
，
Full beautiful ___ a
faery
’
s
child
，
Her hair was
long
，
her foot
was light
，
And her eyes were wild.
[11]
（
John
Keats
：
La Belle
Dame sans Merci
）
每个诗节的前三行是抑扬格四韵步，
第四行才是三韵步，
而且这些韵步不是很统一，
有
的是抑抑格，
有的是抑扬格，
第三个韵步还是省略了
非重读音节的扬抑格。
其押韵格式仍然
是
abxb
。
王尔德的《雷丁监狱之歌》中，每个诗节则有六诗行，其开始
两个诗节如下：
He did not wear his scarlet
coat
，
For blood and wine are
red
，
And blood and wine were on his hands
When they found
him with the dead
，
The poor dead
woman whom he loved
，
And murdered in
her bed.
He
walked amongst the Trial Men
In a suit of shabby
grey
；
A cricket cap was on his
head
，
And his step seemed light
and gay
；
But I never saw a man who
looked
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
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