贝奥武甫:盎格鲁-撒克逊史诗(含芬尼斯堡之战残篇)

Hî on beorg dydon bêg and siglu, eall swylce hyrsta, swylce on horde ær nîð-hydige men genumen häfdon; forlêton eorla gestreón eorðan healdan, gold on greóte, þær hit nu gen lifað eldum swâ unnyt, swâ hit æror wäs.

"他们把戒指项链一切珍宝堆上山——本是从仇恨之人手中夺来的; 让英雄的财富归于大地, 金子留在尘土中, 如今对人再无用处, 一如既往"——火葬后宝物随墓冢封存的仪式场景, plot 给 86。

Þäm feówer bearn forð-gerîmed in worold wôcun, weoroda ræswan, Heorogâr and Hrôðgâr and Hâlga til; hýrde ic, þat Elan cwên Ongenþeówes Heaðoscilfinges heals-gebedde.

"他(Healfdene)四个儿子醒在世界, 人民的领袖: Heorogâr / Hrôðgâr / Hâlga til; 我听说 Ongenþeow 妻 Elan 是 Heaðoscilfing 的颈枕"——一个名字带出四个王国与姻亲谱, cast 给 92。

Hwät! we Gâr-Dena in geâr-dagum þeód-cyninga þrym gefrunon, hû þâ äðelingas ellen fremedon.

"听哪! Spear-Danes 的王族在岁月古老之时 / 我们听过他们的辉煌 / 贵族如何立功业"——开篇三个半行的 alliterative long-line 把节奏一锤定音, pace 给 78。

Þanon untydras ealle onwôcon, eotenas and ylfe and orcnêas, swylce gigantas, þâ wið gode wunnon lange prage; he him þäs leán forgeald.

"由此而生一切怪异: eotenas(食人妖)/ ylfe(精灵)/ orcnêas(地狱妖)/ gigantas(巨人)——他们与神长期争战, 神给他们回报"——四个名词堆出的怪物族谱, 是盎格鲁-撒克逊人对其基督教之前"异教神族"的考古标本, prose 给 88。

Þær ät hýðe stôd hringed-stefna, îsig and ûtfûs, äðelinges fär; â-lêdon þâ leófne þeóden, beága bryttan on bearm scipes, mærne be mäste.

"港口停着一艘 ring-prowed 的船, 结冰待发, 等待王子的远航; 他们把亲爱的主上——戒指的施与者——放到船的怀里, 著名的人靠着桅杆"——海葬场景, 海=墓地=异世通道的三层世界, world 给 94。

Hwät! we Gâr-Dena in geâr-dagum þeód-cyninga þrym gefrunon, hû þâ äðelingas ellen fremedon.

"听哪! 我们在年代久远之时听过 Spear-Danes 王族的辉煌, 贵族如何立功业"——全诗首句即立"听者+史诗"格式, 后世英诗开篇的标准范式, hook 给 90。

The favor with which the successive editions of "Beówulf" have been received during the past thirteen years emboldens the editors to continue the work of revision in a fourth issue, the most noticeable feature of which is a considerable body of explanatory Notes, now for the first time added.

"过去十三年的连续版次受欢迎, 鼓励编者继续修订出第四版——最重要的特征是首次加入了大量解说 Notes"——Harrison-Sharp 美国第四版 1893 年首次系统地把 German 学派的校勘成果以英语 Notes 形式带入北美课堂, innov 给 84。

Swâ begnornodon Geáta leóde hlâfordes hryre, heorð-geneátas, cwædon þät he wære woruld-cyning mannum mildust and mon-þwærust, leódum lîðost and lof-geornost.

"如此 Geáta 人悲悼主的陨落, 炉边同伴们, 说他是世界之王 / 对人最温和 / 最谦逊 / 对民最温柔 / 最求荣誉"——以"四最"墓志铭收束全诗, ending 给 92。