評論
打印
So here I am, in the middle way, having had twenty years -
我就在這里，在旅程的中途，已經有二十年——
Twenty years largely wasted, the years of l'entre deux guerres -
二十個大半虛度的年月，介于兩次大戰的年月——
Trying to learn to use words, and every attempt
試著學會使用語言，而每一次嘗試
Is a wholly new start, and a different kind of failure
都是一次完全新的開始，也是一次性質不同的失敗，
Because one has only learnt to get the better of words
因為你不過是為了敘述那已經不必再敘述
For the thing one no longer has to say, or the way in which
或者你已經不想再那樣敘述的事情
One is no longer disposed to say it. And so each venture
而學習怎樣駕御語言的。所以每次冒險從事
Is a new beginning, a raid on the inarticulate
都是一次新的開始，一次用破敝的裝備
With shabby equipment always deteriorating
向無法言述的事物發動的襲擊，最后總是潰不成軍
In the general mess of imprecision of feeling,
只留下不準確的感覺亂作一團，
Undisciplined squads of emotion. And what there is to conquer
一群沒有紀律的激情的烏合之眾。
By strength and submission, has already been discovered
而那需要你用氣力和謙遜去征服的一切，
Once or twice, or several times, by men whom one cannot hope
早已被那些你無法企及的人們
To emulate - but there is no competition -
一次或兩次，或好多次所發現——但是沒有競爭——
There is only the fight to recover what has been lost
只有去找回那已經失去的東西，
And found and lost again and again: and now, under conditions
但一旦找到又重新失去，又去尋找，
That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither gain nor loss.
這樣循環反復的斗爭。而現在似乎處于不利的條件之下。但也許既無所得也無所失。
For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.
對于我們，唯有嘗試自己，此外則非我們所能為力。
