August 22, 2005
Excelsior
十九世紀的美國詩人 Longfellow 在瑞士遊覽時，寫下相當有名的作品 〈Excelsior〉[1]：Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Excelsior The shades of night were falling fast, As through an Alpine village passed A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice, A banner with the strange device, Excelsior! His brow was sad; his eye beneath, Flashed like a falchion from its sheath, And like a silver clarion rung The accents of that unknown tongue, Excelsior! In happy homes he saw the light Of household fires gleam warm and bright; Above, the spectral glaciers shone, And from his lips escaped a groan, Excelsior! "Try not the Pass!" the old man said: "Dark lowers the tempest overhead, The roaring torrent is deep and wide! And loud that clarion voice replied, Excelsior! "Oh stay," the maiden said, "and rest Thy weary head upon this breast!" A tear stood in his bright blue eye, But still he answered, with a sigh, Excelsior! "Beware the pine-tree's withered branch! Beware the awful avalanche!" This was the peasant's last Good-night, A voice replied, far up the height, Excelsior! At break of day, as heavenward The pious monks of Saint Bernard Uttered the oft-repeated prayer, A voice cried through the startled air, Excelsior! A traveller, by the faithful hound, Half-buried in the snow was found, Still grasping in his hand of ice That banner with the strange device, Excelsior! There in the twilight cold and gray, Lifeless, but beautiful, he lay, And from the sky, serene and far, A voice fell, like a falling star, Excelsior!"Excelsior" 對應中文的用語，最適合的翻譯大概就是「超越巔峰」，每一段的結尾都用此來強調。對詩人來說，征服山嶽的攀爬是既明顯又紮實的比喻。試看這個青年一路上，不畏險阻，並掙脫愛情、人間溫暖，以及安逸的享受，沒有這外界的束縛，攀登的過程少去許多累贅。更明確來說，在這個青年人的心中，思緒與原始的慾望早已獲得焠煉，此際，一心一意只有攀登高峰，就與嚴苛的天候環境搏鬥著...
最後，青年人死在雪地，皚皚的白雪充當最佳的棺木，青年手上緊握著的紙條，成為最明顯的墓誌銘：
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Excelsior
在人生路途中，孤獨的 Excelsior，何需他人相伴？
群 於台北內湖住所，July 29, 2005
[1] 原文以及 Longfellow 其他作品，可以參考 [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Excelsior] 與 [American Poems]。
由 jserv 發表於 August 22, 2005 06:53 AM
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