The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
未选择的路
罗伯特·弗罗斯特
(顾子欣 译)
黄色的树林里分出两条路,
可惜我不能同时去涉足,
我在那路口久久伫立,
我向着一条路极目望去,
直到它消失在丛林深处。
但我却选择了另外一条路,
它荒草萋萋,十分幽寂,
显得更诱人,更美丽;
虽然在这条小路上,
很少留下旅人的足迹。
那天清晨落叶满地,
两条路都未经脚印污染。
啊,留下一条路等改日再见!
但我知道路径延綿无尽头,
恐怕我难以再回返。
也许多少年后在某个地方,
我将轻声叹息将往事回顾:
一片树林里分出两条路——
而我选择了人际更少的一条,
从此决定了我一生的道路。
[雪梨有话说]
罗伯特·弗罗斯特(1874—1963年),美国诗人,四次获得普利策奖。他的诗歌文字朴素,可能也与诗人的经历有关,他做过鞋匠、教师和农场主,他的文字也很像是生命的牧歌,是20世纪比较少有的不太具备现代派风格的诗人。
“路”这个意象,从来不止蕴含了脚下踏的泥土地这样实在的含义。屈原说“路漫漫其修远兮”,鲁迅说“其实地上本没有路”,但丁说“走自己的路”,马克思说“人类学会走路,也得学会摔跤”。这首诗歌十分有名,蕴含普世的人生哲理,但是有多种解读方式。雪梨觉得这首诗写出了做抉择的困难——前路凶吉未卜的不安,和不能重新来过的遗憾。日后不论肥马轻裘还是风餐雨宿,回想当时做的决定,不知作何感想。
很多人拿这首诗说诗人自己的职业选择。他放弃了教职,一心写诗。可是雪梨觉得,如果诗人心中全无遗憾,那么这首诗的名字就不会叫“The Road not Taken”了。
BGM: Heartbreaking - Kevin MacLeod