梦远书城 > 胡适 > 胡适留学日记 | 上页 下页
卷八 六、《告马斯》诗


  (民国四年一月一日)

  车中无事,复作一诗,用前体,题为《告马斯》。马斯者(Mars),古代神话所谓战斗之神也。此诗盖感欧洲战祸而作:

  TO MARS

  "Morituri te salutamus"

  Supreme lord, we who are about to die

  Salute thee! Come have we all at thy call

  To lay down strength and soul and all in all

  Without a murmuring, nor knowing why!

  And thou serenely watchest form on high

  Man slaughter Man and Culture tott' ring fall!

  And lo! the wounded-men all!—cry and craw!

  And upward meet thy smiles with their last sigh!

  O know thou what these dying eyes behold:

  There have arisen two Giants new more strong

  Than they

  *

  that made thee captive once of old.

  These, Love and Law, shall right all human wrong,

  And reign o'er mankind as one common fold,

  And thou, great god, shalt be dethroned ere long.

  *

  The Aloadae Otus and Ephialtes

  〔中译〕

  告马斯

  “垂死之臣敬礼陛下!”
  垂死之臣谨向陛下敬礼,
  我们全都奉旨来到这里,
  献出所有,灵魂以及力气,
  没有呻吟,不问为何而死!
  你在高台之上安详观看,
  人与人残杀,文明被践踏!
  看吧,垂死之人号叫滚爬,
  你微笑着聆听他们的哀叹。
  你可知垂死之人看见什么:
  两个巨人

  *

  又从那里站起,
  比那囚禁过你的更为强壮,
  爱与法律纠正人类过失,
  人类将对他们膜拜顶礼,
  而把你的宝座推翻在地。

  *

  指爱罗德·奥托斯和埃菲尔梯斯。

  诗前所引拉丁文,译言“垂死之臣敬礼陛下”。古代罗马帝无道,筑斗兽之场,令勇士与猛兽斗,纵观为乐。勇士入场,举戈遥礼皇帝,高呼“Morituri te salutamus”一语,至今千载之下读之,犹令人发指也。第十、十一句所指,亦用神话故实。相传马斯尝为二巨人Otus and Ephialtes(又名the Aloadae〔★〕)所擒,囚之铜瓶之中十有三月始得脱去。


梦远书城(guxuo.com)
上一页 回目录 回首页 下一页