LESSON 12 IT SNOWS 下雪了

Sarah Josepha Hale (b.1788?, d.1879) was born in Newport, N.H.Her maiden name was Buell.In 1814 she married David Hale, an eminent lawyer, who died in 1822.Left with five children to support, she turned her attention to literature.In 1828 she became editor of the “Ladies’Magazine.” In 1837 this periodical was united with “Godey’s Lady’s Book,” of which Mrs.Hale was literary editor for more than forty years.

1.“It snows!” cries the Schoolboy, “Hurrah!” and his shout

Is ringing through parlor and hall,

While swift as the wing of a swallow, he’s out,

And his playmates have answered his call;

It makes the heart leap but to witness their joy;

Proud wealth has no pleasures, I trow^[1],

Like the rapture that throbs in the pulse of the boy

As he gathers his treasures of snow;

Then lay not the trappings^[2] of gold on thine heirs,

While health and the riches of nature are theirs.

2.“It snows!” sighs the Imbecile^[3], “Ah!” and his breath

Comes heavy, as clogged with a weight;

While, from the pale aspect of nature in death,

He turns to the blaze of his grate;

And nearer and nearer, his soft-cushioned chair

Is wheeled toward the life-giving fl ame;

He dreads a chill puff of the snow-burdened air,

Lest it wither his delicate frame;

Oh! small is the pleasure existence can give,

When the fear we shall die only proves that we live!

3.“It snows!” cries the Traveler, “Ho!” and the word

Has quickened his steed’s lagging pace;

The wind rushes by, but its howl is unheard,

Unfelt the sharp drift in his face;

For bright through the tempest his own home appeared,

Ay, though leagues intervened^[4], he can see:

There’s the clear, glowing hearth, and the table prepared,

And his wife with her babes at her knee;

Blest thought! how it lightens the grief-laden hour,

That those we love dearest are safe from its power!

4.“It snows!” cries the Belle, “Dear, how lucky!” and turns

From her mirror to watch the fl akes fall,

Like the fi rst rose of summer, her dimpled cheek burns!

While musing^[5] on sleigh ride and ball:

There are visions of conquests^[6], of splendor, and mirth,

Floating over each drear winter’s day;

But the tintings^[7] of Hope, on this storm-beaten earth,

Will melt like the snowfl akes away.

Turn, turn thee to Heaven, fair maiden, for bliss;

That world has a pure fount ne’er opened in this.

5.“It snows!” cries the Widow, “O God!” and her sighs

Have stifl ed^[8] the voice of her prayer;

Its burden ye’ll read in her tear-swollen eyes,

On her cheek sunk with fasting and care.

’T is night, and her fatherless ask her for bread,

But “He gives the young ravens their food,”

And she trusts till her dark hearth adds horror to dread,

And she lays on her last chip of wood.

Poor suff erer! that sorrow thy God only knows;

’T is a most bitter lot to be poor when it snows.

【中文閱讀】

莎拉·約瑟法·黑爾（1788—1879）出生在美國新罕布什爾州紐波特，她娘家的姓氏是布伊爾。1814年，她嫁給了大衛·黑爾，一位杰出的律師。1822年，她丈夫去世，留給她五個嗷嗷待哺的孩子，她隨后把注意力轉向文學。1828年，她成為《女士雜志》的編輯。1837年，該期刊與《戈蒂女士手冊》合并，黑爾夫人擔任該雜志的文學編輯，長達四十多年。

1.“下雪了！”學校里的男孩高聲叫起來，“太好啦！”

他的歡呼聲劃過走廊，穿過大廳，

像一只迅疾的燕子般的，他奔到門外。

他的伙伴們響應著他的呼喊，快樂地沖進雪中。

只是看著他們的喜悅，便讓我心情歡暢。

令人驕傲的財富，不會帶來這樣的快樂，我想，

像這男孩歡快堆積起雪球時，

他的脈搏中跳動著的狂喜。

所以，別給你的孩子留下財富的陷阱，

因為他們已經擁有健康和大自然的饋贈。

2.“下雪了！”孱弱的人在嘆息，“唉！”

他的呼吸沉重，仿佛便要窒息。

從窗前死亡般的白茫茫大地，

他轉向壁爐中溫暖的火光。

推動帶著柔軟墊子的輪椅，

他一點點靠近那賦予生命的火焰。

他害怕，那帶著雪花的冷風，

會將他微弱的生命之火吹熄。

噢！生存給予的樂趣是那么微不足道，

對死亡的恐懼僅僅證明，我們仍然活著！

3.“下雪了！”旅行者感慨道，“駕！”

他策馬揚鞭，加快速度。

寒風肆虐的尖厲呼嘯，他充耳不聞，

冰冷的雪片刮過臉龐，他也毫不在意。

暴風雪中，前方家里的燈光已隱約在線，

啊，透過這漫天大雪，他能看見：

家里，壁爐明凈溫暖，桌臺已擺好，

孩子們趴在妻子的膝上。

這幸福的一幕！它照亮了滿懷悲傷的心，

當我們知道，我們最愛的那些人不受暴風雪的侵襲！

4.“下雪了！”妙齡少女嬌聲驚呼，“天哪，多美呀！”

她從鏡子前扭過頭，看著窗外的雪片紛飛。

像夏日盛開的第一朵玫瑰，她綻開帶著酒窩的笑臉，

想象著雪橇飛奔，雪球翻滾。

在每一個凄涼的冬日，

都有著對征服、盛宴和歡樂的幻想。

但那淡淡的希望，在這片暴風雪肆虐的土地上，

會像雪花般融化。

將你純潔的心信奉給上帝吧，美麗的少女！

天堂里，有著這世界上所沒有的純凈。

5.“下雪了！”寡婦低低地哭泣，“上帝啊！”

她的沉沉嘆息，掩蓋了禱告的聲音。

從她被淚水泡腫的眼里，你能看到，

她饑餓消瘦的顴骨，以及對孩子的牽掛。

夜已深了，她失去父親的孩子向她乞求食物，

但是，“他賜食給啼叫的小烏鴉”，

她低低祈禱著，直到熄滅的壁爐增添了恐懼，

她將最后一片細柴投進爐中。

可憐的母親！只有上帝知道你的悲傷，

大雪紛飛，那是窮人難以邁過的道道鬼門關。

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【注釋】

[1] Trow, to think, to believe.

[2] Trappings, ornanents.

[3] Imbecile, one who is feeble either in body or mind.

[4] Intervened, were situated between.

[5] Musing, thinking in an absent-minded way.

[6] Conquests, triumphs, successes.

[7] Tintings, slight colorings.

[8] Stif led, choked, suppressed.