LESSON 53

THE OLD CLOCK

老时钟

1．In the old, old hall the old clock stands,

And round and round move the steady hands;

With its tick, tick, tick, both night and day,

While seconds and minutes pass away.

2．At the old, old clock oft wonders Nell,

For she can't make out what it has to tell;

She has ne'er yet read, in prose^〔1〕 or rhyme^〔2〕,

That it marks the silent course of time.

3．When I was a child, as Nell is now,

And long ere Time had wrinkled^〔3〕 my brow^〔4〕,

The old, old clock both by night and day

Said,—"Tick, tick, tick!" Time passes away.

【中文阅读】

1．在很旧的大厅里立着一座老时钟，

沉稳的指针一圈一圈在走动，

伴随着滴答、滴答、滴答，夜以继日，

一秒一秒、一分一分，随之流逝。

2．站在古老的时钟前，内尔满脸困惑，

她无法理解它的诉说，

她未曾读懂，散文或韵律诗，

说时钟标记着时间沉默的轨迹。

3．我还是个孩子时就像内尔这样，

很久以前，时间还没把皱纹刻在我额头，

古老的时钟同样夜以继日地说：

“滴答，滴答，滴答！”时间匆匆而过。

注释

〔1〕Prose, the common language of men in talking or writing.

〔2〕Rhyme, verse, poetry.

〔3〕Wrinkled, having creases or folds in the skin.

〔4〕Brow, the forehead.