LESSON 78

THE LITTLE PEOPLE

小人儿

1．A dreary^〔1〕 place would be this earth,

Were there no little people in it;

The song of life would lose its mirth,

Were there no children to begin it;

2．No little forms, like buds to grow,

And make the admiring heart surrender^〔2〕;

No little hands on breast and brow,

To keep the thrilling love chords^〔3〕 tender.

3．The sterner souls would grow more stern^〔4〕,

Unfeeling nature more inhuman,

And man to utter^〔5〕 coldness turn,

And woman would be less than woman.

4．Life's song, indeed, would lose its charm,

Were there no babies to begin it;

A doleful^〔6〕 place this world would be,

Were there no little people in it.

(John G. Whittier)

【中文阅读】

1．如果没有了小人儿在地球上，

这个地方将是多么沉闷无聊；

没有了孩子们领头唱，

生命之歌将失去欢乐的曲调。

2．没有了那些小东西，像嫩芽初露，

让爱慕的心为之震颤；

没有了轻抚于胸前和眉间的小手，

让爱的和弦轻柔地奏响于心间。

3．无情的灵魂只会更无情，

麻木的心灵会更残忍，

男人现出冷酷言行，

女人也不像女人。

4．确实，如果没有婴儿的初啼，

生命之歌将会失去魅力；

如果没有了小人儿在这里，

世界将会变成寂寞阴沉之地。

（约翰·G·惠蒂尔）

注释

〔1〕Dreary, cheerless.

〔2〕Surrender, give up, yield.

〔3〕Chords, ties of affection.

〔4〕Stern, severe, harsh.

〔5〕Utter, complete.

〔6〕Doleful, gloomy, sad.