有一個孩子向前走去｜There was a Child Went Forth

 華特・惠特曼​​｜Ｗalt Whitman

​

有一個孩子每天向前走去，

There was a child went forth every day,

他第一眼看見並接收的事物——無論是帶著驚奇、憐憫、愛意或恐懼——他就成為了那個事物，

And the first object he looked upon and received with wonder or pity or love or dread, that object he became,

而那個事物，也在那一天、或那天中的一部分……或多年，或連綿多年的歲月裡，成為他的一部分。​And that object became part of him for the day or a certain part of the day . . . . or for many years or stretching cycles of years.​​

​

早春的丁香花成了這孩子的一部分，

The early lilacs became part of this child,

青草、白與紅的牽牛花、白與紅的酢漿草，以及斑鶲鳥的歌聲也一樣。​

三月出生的小羊、母豬粉嫩的仔豬、母馬的小駒、母牛的小牛，穀倉院子裡吵鬧的一窩小雞，或池邊泥土裡的鳥群……還有在水面下奇妙懸浮著的魚，那美麗而奇異的水、那些優雅平展著頭的水生植物…… 全都成為他的一部分。

And grass, and white and red morningglories, and white and red clover, and the song of the phœbe-bird,And the March-born lambs, and the sow's pink-faint litter, and the mare's foal, and the cow's calf, and the noisy brood of the barn-yard or by the mire of the pond-side . . and the fish suspending themselves so curiously below there . . . and the beautiful curious liquid . . and the water-plants with their graceful flat heads . . all became part of him.​​

​​
 

四、五月田野裡的嫩芽也成為他的一部分……冬麥的芽、淡黃色玉米的嫩苗、以及菜園裡可食用的根，

And the field-sprouts of April and May became part of him . . . . wintergrain sprouts, and those of the light-yellow corn, and of the esculent roots of the garden,

蘋果樹滿枝的花、之後結出的果實……林間的野莓……以及路旁最尋常的雜草；

And the appletrees covered with blossoms, and the fruit afterward . . . . and woodberries . . and the commonest weeds by the road;

還有那個從小酒館茅舍踉蹌回家的老酒鬼，

And the old drunkard staggering home from the outhouse of the tavern whence he had lately risen,
以及走在上學途中的女教師……路過的友善男孩……吵架的男孩……整潔、面頰粉嫩的女孩……以及赤腳的黑人男孩與女孩，

And the schoolmistress that passed on her way to the school . . and the friendly boys that passed . . and the quarrelsome boys . . and the tidy and fresh-cheeked girls . . and the barefoot negro boy and girl,
以及他走過的城市與鄉村所有變化的景象。
And all the changes of city and country wherever he went.

​​

​

他的父母——夜裡將父親的種子推向母親、讓他誕生的那位父親……以及在子宮裡孕育他並生下他的母親——給他的，遠不只如此，​

His own parents . . he that had propelled the fatherstuff at night, and fathered him . . and she that conceived him in her womb and birthed him . . . . they gave this child more of themselves than that,

他們其後每日的言行……也都成為這孩子的一部分。
They gave him afterward every day . . . . they and of them became part of him.

​​​

​

母親在家裡靜靜地把盤子放上晚餐的餐桌，
The mother at home quietly placing the dishes on the supper table,

母親溫和的話語……她整潔的帽子與衣裙……走過身旁時飄散出的清爽氣味：
The mother with mild words . . . . clean her cap and gown . . . . a wholesome odor falling off her person and clothes as she walks by:

父親，強壯、自給自足、男子氣概、刻薄、憤怒、不公，
The father, strong, self-sufficient, manly, mean, angered, unjust,

他的拳打、急促而響亮的斥責、精打細算的交易、狡巧的誘引，

The blow, the quick loud word, the tight bargain, the crafty lure,

家庭的習俗、語言、相處、家具……以及那渴望而澎湃的心，

The family usages, the language, the company, the furniture . . . . the yearning and swelling heart,

不容否認的親情……對何為真實的感受……以及：若這一切最後都被證明不真實怎麼辦的念頭，

Affection that will not be gainsayed . . . . The sense of what is real . . . . the thought if after all it should prove unreal,

白天的疑惑與夜晚的疑惑……對「是否如此、如何如此」的好奇，

The doubts of daytime and the doubts of nighttime . . . . the curious whether and how,

眼前看似如此的事物是否真是如此……或者這一切只是光點與微粒？

Whether that which appears so is so . . . . Or is it all flashes and specks?

街上急速穿行的男人與女人……若不是光點與微粒，那他們又是什麼？

Men and women crowding fast in the streets . . if they are not flashes and specks what are they?

街道本身、屋舍的外牆……櫥窗裡的物件，

The streets themselves, and the façades of houses. . . . the goods in the windows,

車輛……馬隊……層層碼頭、巨大而繁忙的渡口交會處；

Vehicles . . teams . . the tiered wharves, and the huge crossing at the ferries;

夕陽下，遠處高地上的村莊……中間隔著一條河，

The village on the highland seen from afar at sunset . . . . the river between,

影子……光輪與薄霧……落在三英里外白色或棕色屋頂與山牆上的光，

Shadows . . aureola and mist . . light falling on roofs and gables of white or brown, three miles off,

附近隨潮緩緩下行的雙桅帆船……後方鬆軟拖著的小艇，The schooner near by sleepily dropping down the tide . . the little boat slacktowed astern,

匆促翻湧的浪、迅速破碎的浪峰、拍擊的水聲；

The hurrying tumbling waves and quickbroken crests and slapping;

層層彩色雲帶……遠方獨自橫亙的一道栗紅色雲條……它靜靜躺在純淨的光裡，

The strata of colored clouds . . . . the long bar of maroontint away solitary by itself . . . . the spread of purity it lies motionless in,

地平線的邊緣、飛翔的海鴉、鹽沼與岸泥的氣息；

The horizon's edge, the flying seacrow, the fragrance of saltmarsh and shoremud;

​​​

​

這些，都成了那個每天向前走的孩子的一部分；他正在走，他將永遠天天向前，

These became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes and will always go forth every day,

​​而這些，也將成為此刻閱讀這首詩的他或她的一部分。

And these become of him or her that peruses them now.