原文
Composed Upon Westminster Bridge
威斯敏斯特橋by William Wordsworth
1
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth like a garment wear
2
The beauty of the morning: silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky,
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
3
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
4
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
翻譯
威斯敏斯特橋上
威廉華茲華斯
大地再沒有比這兒更美的風貌：
若有誰，對如此壯麗動人的景物
竟無動於衷，那才是靈魂麻木：
瞧這座城市，像披上一領新袍，
披上了明艷的晨光；環顧周遭：
船舶，尖塔，劇院，教堂，華屋，
都寂然、坦然，向郊野、向天穹赤露，
在煙塵未染的大氣里粲然閃耀。
旭日金揮灑布於峽谷山陵，
也不比這片晨光更為奇麗；
我何嘗見過、感受過這深沉的寧靜！
河上徐流，由著自己的心意；
上帝呵！千門萬戶都沉睡未醒，
這整個宏大的心臟仍然在歇息！
Notes
This poem is written in Petrarchan sonnet form by William Wordsworth describing London, viewed from one of the bridges over the Thames, in the early morning.This scheme divides the poem into two: the first eight lines (octave) and the next six (sestet). Between these two is a break called a volta which emphasises the traditional change in mood or subject between the octave and sestet. In the first eight, he describes early morning London in detail, and then goes on in the final six to compare the city in that moment to natural wonders.
The dominating theme in the poem is Nature. London is inserted in natural scenery. The author describes the beauty of the city as the towers, the cathedrals, the theatres and the temples. Wordsworth personifies the city along with the earth and the sun. This reiterates his conviction that the city, at this particular point of day, does not clash with nature but becomes a part of it.The poet describes the calm and the tranquillity of the city. There are neither sounds nor noises, there is only silence.
中文賞析
華茲華斯雖用《寫於威斯敏斯特橋上》為題，但據他自己說，這首詩實際上是他去法國的途中在馬車上寫成的。在這首詩里，華茲華斯描繪了初秋之際從泰晤士河上的威斯敏斯特大橋遠眺清晨的倫敦城的情景。倫敦城是美麗的，晨光熹微中的倫敦城更有一種質樸、清朗、壯麗、恬靜的美。如果說白天喧嚷的倫敦城像一個巨人，那它沸騰的生活就猶如一顆巨人的心臟在跳動。可此刻，劇院、教堂袒臥在大地，倫敦城還在沉睡之中，初升的朝陽正放射出第一道金光，泰晤士河正緩緩而流，那顆巨大的心臟還沒有開始跳動，一切都是那么寧靜，莊重，那么優雅，動人。面對這般美景，詩人當然不可能無動於衷。這首詩感情真實細膩，語言樸實無華，音韻優美和諧，節奏徐緩舒暢，很好地傳達了莊重而恬靜的情感內容，不愧為十四行詩中最著名的佳作之一。
作者創作背景
William Wordsworth是英國浪漫主義詩人，“湖畔派”(the lake poets)的魁首。他幼年就學於風景勝地“湖區”(the lake district)，同農家子弟為伍，遊憩於湖光山色之間，性情深受大自然的陶冶。年輕時他曾兩次遊歷法國，受到法國革命思想的影響。後來他在湖區與另一位浪漫主義詩人coleridge結為莫逆之交，同妹妹dorothy及coleridge一起遍游英國各地，創作了許多膾炙人口的寫景抒情詩。
“composed upon westminster bridge, sept. 3, 1802”是一首十四行詩(sonnet)，據wordsworth自己說，是他去法國的途中在馬車上寫的。十四行詩在十六世紀由義大利傳入英國，逐漸成為英國詩人們喜愛的一種詩體。在選錄的這首詩中，詩人用樸實而充滿感情色彩的語言描繪了夏秋之交從泰晤士河上的威斯敏斯特大橋眺望倫敦城清晨的景色。整個城市好像還在沉睡，晴朗的天空中晨光熹微，泰晤士河緩緩流向遠方，一切是那么明淨、莊重、優美。這首詩寫得音韻和諧，徐緩的節奏能很好地傳達莊重而恬靜的情感內容，因而成為十四行詩中最著名的佳品之一。
