ToaWaterfowl致水鸟

William Cullen Bryant1794-18781794-1878The American WordsworthBrief Introduction of William Cullen BryantWilliamCullenBryantwasanAmericanromanticpoet,journalist,andlong-timeeditoroftheNewYorkEveningPostBryantwasbornonNovember3,1794.Bryantandhisfamilymovedtoanewhomewhenhewastwoyearsold.HisfatherDr.PeterBryantwasactiveinpoliticsBryantdevelopedaninterestinpoetryearlyinlife.Influencedbyhisfather,heimitatedthewritingstyleofAlexanderPopeandotherNeo-ClassicBritishpoets.BryantdemonstratedthatAmericanpoetrywasreadytodemandseriousattention.HewasthefirstAmericantogainthestatureofamajorpoetByrantsupportedsuchcausesasfreespeech,freetrade,andtheabolitionofslavery.BryantsabhorrenceofslaverymadehimaferventRepublicanandadevoutsupporterofLincoln,althoughhewishedLincolnwasmoreradicalonabolition.BryanthadahugeinfluenceinAmericanliterature.In1884,NewYorkCitysReservoirSquarewasrenamedBryantParkinhishonor.ThecitylaternamedapublichighschoolinLongIslandCity,Queensinhishonor,theWilliamCullenBryantHighSchool,orBryantHighSchoolforshort.TheWilliamCullenBryantHomestead,hisboyhoodhome,isnowamuseum.Brief Introduction of William Cullen BryantWilliamCullenBryantisoneofAmericasearliestnaturalistpoets.Thethemeofhispoemsare:a)Thebeautyandharmonyofnatureasasourceofsolace,joy,andescape.b)Thedignityofhumanityc)Thescarednessofhumanfreedomd)ThepowerandbeneficenceofGodCareerCareerIn1815Bryantpassedhisbarexamandbecamealawyer.LaterhislawpracticebecamesuccessfulAfter1821,hispubliclifebecamepopularasalecturerandpoetaswellasalawyerIn1825,BryantwenttoNewYork,theliterarycapitaloftheperiod,andservedasassistanteditoroftheNewYorkEveningPost,apositionprovidingmoreopportunitiesforhimtodisplayhisdynamicforceinAmericanculturalandpoliticallifeTheyear1829sawthatBryantbecameeditorinchiefofthepaper,oneofthefirstgreatnationalnewspaperinAmerica,andfromthistimeonwardhegrewtobaadominantleaderinAmericaliteratureandpubliccausescontributionBryantwasthefirstAmericannationalpoetHeprovidedwhatthenationneededatatimeofnationalself-consciousnessHemadeAmericansubjectsworthyofcelebrationMajor WorksThefinestofBryantspoemswerewritteninhisyouth.In1821,firstcollectionPoemsappearedinBoston,consistingofeightofhispoems,suchashismostfamouspoems“ToaWaterfowl”,“Thanatopsis”and“TheYellowViolet”,thereafterestablishedhispositioninthehistoryofAmericanliterature.Bryantcontinuedtowritepoetrythroughoutmuchof hislife,publishinganumberofvolumes,suchasTheFountain(温泉),TheWhite-FootedDear(白蹄鹿),TheFloodofYears(似水流年),andAForestHymn(森林吟唱).AmonghismostimportantlaterworksarehistranslationoftheIliadandtheOdysseyintoEnglighblankverse.To a Waterfowl“Themostperfectbriefpoeminthelanguage”，calledbyMatthewArnold.“Americasfirstflawlesspoem”,describedbyRichardWilbur.To a Waterfowl To a Waterfowl By William Cullen BryantWhither,midst falling dew,While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,Far,through their rosy depths,dost thou pursue Thy solitary way?Vainly the fowlers eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong,As,darkly painted on the crimson sky,Thy figure floats along.Seekst thou the plashy brink Of weedy lake,or marge of river wide,Or where the rocking billows rise and sink On the chafed ocean side?There is a Power whose care Teaches thy way along that pathless coast,-The desert and illimitable air,-Lone wandering,but not lost.All day thy wings have fannd At that far height,the cold thin atmosphere:Yet stoop not,weary,to the welcome land,Though the dark night is near.And soon that toil shall end,Soon shalt thou find a summer home,and rest,And scream among thy fellows;reeds shall bend Soon oer thy sheltered nest.Thourt gone,the abyss of heaven Hath swallowed up thy form;yet,on my heart Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given,And shall not soon depart.He,who,from zone to zone,Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,In the long way that I must tread alone,Will lead my steps aright.译作赏析译作赏析致水鸟吕志鲁译披着滴落的露珠，天空灿烂，白日的行程就要结束；穿过玫瑰色的遥远空际，你往何方把孤单的前程追逐？看你远远飞翔而无计可施，捕鸟人的眼光徒劳眷顾；满天红霞把你映衬，暗黑的身影飘飘飞舞。你是在寻找开阔的大河之滨，还是波浪拍岸的水草之湖？或者潮水冲刷的海滩，那里的巨浪奔腾起伏？有上苍把你关照，在无路的海岸为你指路 在荒漠和无边的空际，你孤单的飘荡不致迷途。你成天翕动翅膀，任空气稀薄暴寒冷，飞在高处，疲乏中你不肯降落舒适的大地，即使黑夜即将紧闭它的帷幕。你很快就会结束这样的劳苦，你即将找到你夏天的住处；休息中呼唤自己的伙伴，芦苇也会躬身把你的窝巢遮护。你的身躯全被吞没，天堂深渊里，你踪影全无；然而你的启迪深深留在我的心底，我将久久地久久地把它记住砖 从一地又到一地，天空无垠，你的飞翔从无迟误；愿引领你的向导把我引领，孤单的长路中迈开永不偏离的脚步。Composition and publication historyComposition and publication history TheinspirationforthepoemoccurredinDecember1815whenBryant,then21,waswalkingfromCummingtontoPlainfieldtolookforaplacetosettleasalawyer.Theduck,flyingacrossthesunset,seemedtoBryantassolitaryasoulashimself,inspiringhimtowritethepoemthatevening.ToaWaterfowlwasfirstpublishedintheNorthAmericanReviewinVolume6,Issue18,March1818.ItwaslaterpublishedinthecollectionPoemsin1821.Stanza 1Stanza 1Whither,midstfallingdew,Whileglowtheheavenswiththelaststepsofday,Far,throughtheirrosydepths,dostthoupursueThysolitaryway?Summary Asthedewfallsandthesunsetsintherosydepthsoftheheavens,Iwonderwhereyou(waterfowl)aregoing?本诗第一节就以整节的篇幅描绘一只水鸟孤独地飞在天中的画面背景：傍晚，落日，绯红的天边，一只水鸟将飞向何方？fallingdew,laststepsofday点明时间。step一词给时间的逝去一种不紧不慢的动感，写出诗人看着日落时的无奈。far,depths两词点出空间的广阔，和一只水鸟“弱小”的形象形成非常强的反差。S Stanza 2tanza 2VainlythefowlerseyeMightmarkthydistantflighttodotheewrong,As,darklyseenagainstthecrimsonsky,Thyfigurefloatsalong.Summary Withoutsuccess,ahunter(fowler)mighttrytobringyoudownasyoufloatinsilhouetteagainstthecrimsoneveningsky.第二节里，诗人就把水鸟塑造成一个坚定的形象：猎鸟人算计着你的飞行轨迹，要将你猎下，却无能为力。这里有一种人和自然的对比：在自然的面前，人显得无力，尽管拥有更高的智慧，但自然却丝毫不受影响，一如既往地运行着，就连一只孤独的水鸟都具有这非凡的魄力。S Stanza 3 tanza 3 Stanza 4Stanza 4SeekstthoutheplashybrinkOfweedylake,ormargeofriverwide,OrwheretherockingbillowsriseandsinkOnthechafedocean-side?Summary Areyoulookingforthemarshyedgeofalake,thebankofariver,ortheshoreoftheocean?ThereisaPowerwhosecareTeachesthywayalongthatpathlesscoastThedesertandillimitableairLonewandering,butnotlost.Summary ThereisaPowerthatleadsyouonyourwayacrossdesertsandthroughunlimitedexpansesofair.Youmaybewanderingandalone,butyouarenotlost.第三、四节讲水鸟将如何到达自己的目的地。一切都像浑然天成，不论是在无形海岸还是在无尽的天空，都有一种神秘的“力”作为它的向导；它虽独行，却不会迷失；而它要回去的地方也是自然。这种“力”是什么，诗人没有说明。我们也可以把它想成无论什么东西，上帝也好，自然也好，在年轻的布莱恩特的眼中，这种“力”也许没有具体的形象，只是冥冥中的一个向导而已。S Stanza 5tanza 5Alldaythywingshavefanned,Atthatfarheight,thecoldthinatmosphere;Yetstoopnot,weary,tothewelcomeland,Thoughthedarknightisnear.SummaryYouhavebeenflappingyourwingsalldayhighinthesky,yetyoucontinueoneventhoughnightisnearandlandbeckonsbeneathyou.从第五节开始，全诗的象征意味显明起来。凉夜将降，水鸟飞行终日，疲惫不堪，诗人却不希望它降临福地。这里的“福地”指什么？是水鸟长途跋涉的终点，还是它生命的终点？“暗夜”究竟是指真正的夜，还是指生命息止之时？S Stanza 6tanza 6Andsoonthattoilshallend;Soon,shaltthoufindasummerhome,andrest,Andscreamamongthyfellows;reedsshallbendSoonoerthyshelterednest.Summary Soonyourjourneywillend.Soonyouwilldescendtoyoursummerhome.There,youwillscreamamongothersofyourkindandfindsecureshelteramongthetallgrasses.第六节，这种象征意味更加明显。虽然描写得非常具象：水鸟熬过暗夜，结束旅程，迁徙至温暖的家。但此时它的同伴们却“尖叫”起来，而芦苇也长过它憩息的地方。如此一联系，原诗中的rest也许不是单指休息，而是水鸟在长途跋涉之后西去了。诗至此，一反第二节的坚强形象，一种宿命感突现出来。归途：回到哪里？stanza 7 stanza 7 Stanza 8Stanza 8Thourtgone,theabyssofheavenHathswallowedupthyform;yet,onmyheartDeeplyhathsunkthelessonthouhastgiven,Andshallnotsoondepart.Summary Icannolongerseeyou,butIwillneverforgetthelessonyoutaughtme.Hewho,fromzonetozone,Guidesthroughtheboundlessskythycertainflight,InthelongwaythatImusttreadalone,Willleadmystepsaright.Summary God,whoguidesyoufromoneplacetoanother,willalsoguidemethroughlife,leadingmeontherightpath.第七、八节是诗人的借景抒情。他从水鸟身上学到了许多，因而坚定起来。“lesson”指什么，“He”又是谁，诗人没有作出明确的答复。自然是如此强大，离群的水鸟终究逃不过一命。而作为孤独的人，是否也该遵从自然的安排呢？这样想，他便坦然了。Summary 1BryantisacknowledgedasskillfulatdepictingAmericanscenerybuthisnaturaldetailsareoftencombinedwithauniversalmoral,asinToaWaterfowl.ThepoemrepresentsearlystagesofAmericanRomanticismthroughcelebrationofNatureandGodspresencewithinNature.Summary 2Thenarratorquestionswherethewaterfowlisgoing.Hequestionshismotivesforflying.Hewarnsthewaterfowlthathecouldpossiblyfinddanger,travelingalone.But,thiswaterfowlisnotalone.HeknowsthatthewaterfowlisbeingledbysomePower（神秘主义mysticism）.Asthewaterfowlreachesoutofthenarratorssight,thenarratorreflectsonGodsguidanceinhisownlife.ThenarratorissurethatGodhasledthiswaterfowl,andthatthewaterfowlhadfaithinthenarrator.Now,thenarratorsfaithisstrengthened.HeknowsthatGodisguidinghimaswell.AsthenarratorseesGoddirectingthewaterfowl,thenarratorisremindedofGodsguidanceinhisownlife.Throughhisobservanceinnature,thenarratorisreconnectedwithhisfaithinGod.Theme Theme JustasGodguidesthewaterfowltoitssummerhome,sotooHeguidesthespeakerofthepoemthroughlifetohisultimatedestination,heaven.Intheend,onewillbeabletosayaboutthespeakerwhatthespeakersaysaboutthewaterfowl:theabyssofheaven/Hathswallowedupthyform(lines25-26).Thepoemis,inessence,aprofessionoffaithinGod.Examples of Figures of Speech Examples of Figures of Speech alliteration:While,Whither(lines1-2);depths,dost(line3);their,thou,thy(lines3-4);distant,do,darkly(lines6-7)metaphor:last steps of day(comparisonofthedaytoacreaturethatwalks).personification:Thespeakeraddressesthewaterfowlasifitwereaperson,sayingithastaughtalesson;healsoreferstootherwaterfowlsasfellows(line23).metaphor:on my heart/deeply hath sunk the lesson(comparisonofthehearttotheintellect)Anastrophe(inversionofthenormalwordorder)asinWhile glow the heavens(line2)andriver wide(line10).Thankyouforwatching 制作人：程杨，杜夏楠，丰治国，高燕，郭娟