春的警钟A Call to Embrace Spring

庐隐 蔡力坚

不知那一夜，东风2逃出它美丽的皇宫，独驾祥云，在夜的暗影下，窥伺人间。

那时宇宙的一切正偃息于冷凝之中，东风展开它的翅儿向人间轻轻扇动，圣洁的冰凌化成柔波，平静的湖水唱出潺溅的恋歌！

不知那一夜，花神离开了她庄严的宝座，独驾祥云，在夜的暗影下，窥伺人间。

那时宇宙的一切正抱着冷凝枯萎的悲伤，花神用她挽回春光的手段，剪裁绫罗，将宇宙装饰得嫣红柔绿，胜似天上宫阙，她悄立万花丛中，赞叹这失而复得的青春！

不知那一夜，司钟的女神，悄悄地来到人间！

那时人们正饮罢毒酒，沉醉于生之梦中，她站在白云端里敲响了春的警钟。这些迷惘的灵魂，都从梦里惊醒，呆立于尘海之心，——风正跳舞，花正含笑，然而人类却失去了青春！

他们的心已被冰凌刺穿，他们的血已积成了巨澜，时时鼓起腥风吹向人间！

但是司钟的女神，仍不住声地敲响她的警钟，并且高叫道：

青春！青春！你们要捉住你们的青春！

它有美丽的翅儿，善于逃遁，在你们踌躇的时候，它已逃去无踪！

青春！青春！你们要捉住你们的青春！

世界受了这样的警告，人心撩乱到无法医治。3

然而，不知那一夜，东风已经逃回它美丽的皇宫。不知那一夜，花神也躲避了悲惨的人间！不知那一夜，司钟的女神，也不再敲响她的警钟！

青春已成不可挽回的运命，宇宙从此归复于萧杀沉闷！

One night， the goddess of the east wind sneaked out of her august palace， rode on a cloud， and took a peep at the mortal world shrouded in darkness.

The world had been under a suffocating cold spell. The goddess gently fluttered her wings， and ice began to melt， sending ripples across the surface of water， which started to flow and splash， as if singing a love song.

One night， the goddess of flowers slipped out of her majestic throne， rode on a cloud， took a peep at the mortal world shrouded in darkness.

The world had been wasting away and full of pain. The goddess waved her magic wand to bring back spring， outfitting the world in custom-tailored duds， so colorful that they even put her own heavenly palace to shame. Standing amid a carpet of flowers， she congratulated herself on her great feat of restoring lost youth.

One night， the goddess of time quietly emerged among mortals.

People had just gulped down poisonous wine， and become befuddled. Standing on a white cloud， she rang a bell to announce the arrival of spring. Those lost souls were jolted awake. Still dazed， they stood， watching the wind dancing and flowers smiling. But gone was their youth together with all its vigor and vitality.

Their hearts had been pierced by icicles， their blood rushing in a giant torrent. A filthy smell pervaded the air.

But the goddess of time didn’t give up. She kept ringing her bell and shouting：

Spring is here！ Don’t let your youth slip by！ Hold on to it！

It has beautiful wings. It can fly away， and vanish into thin air while you’re hesitating.

Spring is here！ Don’t let your youth slip by！ Hold on to it！

The warning fell flat. These earthlings were completely lost. They were beyond cure.

One night， the goddess of the east wind returned to her beautiful palace; the goddess of flowers also left this miserable mortal world; and the goddess of time stopped ringing her bell.

From then on， all hope of spring’s return was dead. Youth was gone for good. The world again degenerated into a lifeless hellscape.

1“春的警钟”本身的含义相当含糊，可有多种解释，可以是“春天发出的警钟”（warming bells rung by the goddess of spring），可以是“春天里响起的警钟”（warming bells in springtime），也可以是“警惕春天（邪恶）的警钟” （warming bells about the evils of spring），等等。但翻译单独的词语没有意义，我们永远不应孤立地看待词语，而必须通读全文，明白“春的警钟”作为标题的确切含义之后再动笔翻译。在本文里，“春”既指“春天”，也指“青春”，司钟女神敲響警钟，呼唤大家捉住青春，所以这里的警钟是呼唤，标题不妨译成a call to embrace spring，其中spring象征youth。  2此处“东风”是拟人化描写，英文里不便直接把the east wind拟人化，故加上 goddess，这样也能更好地与下文的“花神”和“司钟的女神”相对应。

3原文“世界受了这样的警告，人心撩乱到无法医治”有一定的跳跃，从“警告”直接跳到“无法医治”，其实这里有三层意思：警告不起作用（The warning fell flat），人们已彻底迷惘（These earthlings were completely lost），无可救药（They were beyond cure）。译文里体现这三层意思似乎可使行文更加连贯。

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