_{LESSON 41}

_{MARMION AND DOUGLAS}

马米恩和道格拉斯

Not far advanced was morning day,

When Marmion did his troop array

To Surrey’s camp to ride;

He had safe conduct for his band,

Beneath the royal seal and hand,

And Douglas gave a guide.

The train from out the castle drew,

But Marmion stopped to bid adieu:

“Though something I might plain,” he said,

“Of cold respect to stranger guest,

Sent hither by your king’s behest,

While in Tantallon’s towers I staid,

Part we in friendship from your land,

And, noble Earl, receive my hand.”

But Douglas round him drew his cloak,

Folded his arms, and thus he spoke:

“My manors, halls, and bowers shall still

Be open, at my sovereign’s will,

To each one whom he lists, howe’er

Unmeet to be the owner’s peer.

My castles are my king’s alone,

From turret to foundation stone;

The hand of Douglas is his own;

And never shall, in friendly grasp,

The hand of such as Marmion clasp.”

Burned Marmion’s swarthy cheek like fire,

And shook his very frame for ire;

And—“This to me!” he said,—

“An ’t were not for thy hoary beard,

Such hand as Marmion’s had not spared

To cleave the Douglas’ head!

And, first, I tell thee, haughty peer,

He who does England’s message here,

Although the meanest in her state,

May well, proud Angus, be thy mate:

And, Douglas, more, I tell thee here,

Even in thy pitch of pride,

Here, in thy hold, thy vassals near,

I tell thee, thou’rt defied!

And if thou said’st I am not peer

To any lord in Scotland here,

Lowland or Highland, far or near,

Lord Angus, thou hast lied!”

On the Earl’s cheek the flush of rage

O’ercame the ashen hue of age.

Fierce he broke forth,—“And dar’st thou then

To beard the lion in his den,

The Douglas in his hall?

And hop’st thou hence unscathed to go?

No, by Saint Bride of Bothwell, no!

Up drawbridge, grooms,—what, warder, ho!

Let the portcullis fall.”

Lord Marmion turned,—well was his need,—

And dashed the rowels in his steed,

Like arrow through the archway sprung;

The ponderous gate behind him rung:

To pass there was such scanty room,

The bars, descending, razed his plume.

The steed along the drawbridge flies,

Just as it trembled on the rise;

Nor lighter does the swallow skim

Along the smooth lake’s level brim:

And when Lord Marmion reached his band

He halts, and turns with clenched hand,

And shout of loud defiance pours,

And shook his gauntlet at the towers.

“Horse! horse!” the Douglas cried, “and chase!”

But soon he reined his fury’s pace:

“A royal messenger he came,

Though most unworthy of the name.

Saint Mary mend my fiery mood!

Old age ne’er cools the Douglas’ blood;

I thought to slay him where he stood.

’T is pity of him, too,” he cried;

“Bold he can speak, and fairly ride;

I warrant him a warrior tried.”

With this his mandate he recalls,

And slowly seeks his castle halls.

(Walter Scott)

【中文阅读】

拂晓将至

马米恩将他的队伍部署在

萨里的营地待命；

皇家印信在手上

他要自己的人马安全为上，

还有道格拉斯做向导。

从城堡出来一长队人马，

马米恩驻足与他们告别；

“显然出于某种原因，”他说，

我一本正经地待在坦特伦城堡时，

奉你们国王之命派来的

陌生客人有些冷淡，

我们友谊的纽带在你们的土地上断裂了，

另外，尊贵的伯爵，请接受我递过来的手。

可是道格拉斯拉了一下披风，

抱拢双臂，他这样说道：

“遵照国王的旨意，我的庄园、厅堂和别馆

还为他名单上的每位客人敞开着，

然而，恕不接待主人的同侪。

我的城堡只为我的王所有，

从角楼到每一块基石；

道格拉斯唯他命是从；

从不会友好地理解，

马米恩递过来的手。”

马米恩的黝黑的双颊涨得通红，

因为愤怒硕大的身躯直晃；

“这是对我的蔑视！”他说，

“要不是因为你花白的胡须，

马米恩的手不会吝惜

劈开道格拉斯的脑袋！

首先，我要告诉你，高贵的同侪，

在这里捎来英王旨意的他，

虽然代表的是国家，

但愿骄傲的安格斯是你的伙伴；

还有，道格拉斯，我还要告诉你，

甚至在你傲慢的音调里，

在这里，在你的地盘，当着你旁边的下属，

我告诉你，我蔑视你！

如果你说我与苏格兰的任何王公都不配同侪，

不论低地还是高地，远还是近的，

安格斯大人，你在胡说八道！”

伯爵的脸颊上飞起愤怒的红晕，

掩住了岁月的苍白。

他凶狠地说——“你竟敢

捋在窝里安眠的猛狮的胡须，

道格拉斯还在他的地盘上吧？

你还寄望毫发无损地离开吗？

不，我以博斯维尔的圣徒新娘的名义^[1]，绝对不能！

上吊桥吧，马夫——看守，小心伺候！

放下吊闸。”

马米恩大人转过脸来——还是那样从容，

从他的坐骑猛的掷出小齿轮，

就像箭一般穿过拱门；

在他身后硕大的门开了，

闪出勉强的空间，

门闩掉下来，将他头上的羽毛碰落在地。

他的战马飞过吊桥，

仿佛它在斜坡上振翅高飞；

没有比它更轻盈的雨燕飞掠，

沿着平滑的湖面边缘；

马米恩和他的人马会合后，

他勒住战马攥紧拳头，

用蔑视的口气高喊，

冲塔楼挥着长手套。

“马！马！”道格拉斯叫道，“快追！”

但是很快他收拢狂怒的脚步：

“皇家信使到近前来，

尽管这个名字最不值得提及，

圣玛丽会安抚我暴躁的情绪，

上了年纪绝不会让道格拉斯的血液冷却；

我想杀死和他作对的那个人，

这样太便宜他了，”他喊道；

他竟敢口出狂言，大摇大摆地扬长而去；

“我不会为难疲惫的勇士。”

他收回他的命令，

慢慢寻找落脚的城堡。

（沃尔特•司各特）

^[1] 指的是苏格兰女王玛丽——译注。