罗伯特ˇ弗罗斯特
(ROBERT FROST)

未选择的路
The Road Not Taken

 

罗伯特ˇ弗罗斯特(1874一1963)是在马萨诸塞州劳伦斯上的中学ˇ也在达特第斯学院和哈佛大学读过一段时间。获得诗名之前ˇ弗罗斯特时而务农ˇ时而到中学教希腊语和拉丁语。他的第一部诗集出版于1913年。1916年后ˇ他一直在著名学府任职ˇ通常的身份是“住校诗人”。弗罗斯特的诗歌备受喜爱ˇ原因之一是未受过多少学校教育的人都看得懂。当许多诗人热衷于搞诗歌试验时ˇ他却坚持使用日常语言ˇ描写自己观察入微的日常事件。弗罗斯特的许多诗歌反映了他与大自然的贴近。他通过自然来表达一种ˇ征意义ˇ而不是什么田园式的思ˇ情调。《未选择的路》是弗罗斯特的一首名诗ˇ作于1915年。


黄叶林中出条岔路ˇ

    无奈一人难于兼顾ˇ

    顺着一条婉蜒小路ˇ

    久久伫立极目远眺ˇ

    只见小径拐进灌木。

 

    接着选择了另一条ˇ

    同样清楚似乎更好ˇ

    引人踩踏铺满茂草ˇ

    踏在其间难分彼此ˇ

    尽管真有两条道。

 

    清晨里躺着两条路ˇ

    一样叶被无人踏脏ˇ

    愿将第一条来日补ˇ

    但知条条ˇ连远途ˇ

    怀疑日后怎能回返。

 

    在很久以后某一地ˇ

    我将叹息诉说于人ˇ

    两路岔开在树林里ˇ

    我选的那条足迹稀ˇ

    而一切差别由此起。

 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I―
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.