THE LAND OF STORYBOOKS "故事書之鄉"

"THE LAND OF STORYBOOKS"
-- Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

At evening when the lamp is lit,
Around the fire my parents sit;
They sit at home and talk and sing,
And do not play at anything.

Now, with my little gun I crawl
All in the dark along the wall.
And follow round the forest track
Away from the sofa back.

There, in the night, where none can spy,
All in my hunter's camp I lie,
And play at books that I have read,
Till it is time to go to bed.

These are the hills, these are the woods,
These are my starry solitudes;
 And there the river by whose brink
The roaring lions come to drink.

I see the others far away
As if in firelight camp they lay,
And I, like to and Indian scout,
About their party prowled about.

So, when nurse comes in for me,
Home I return across the sea,
And go to bed with backward looks
At my dear land of storybooks.

"故事書之鄉"
作者：羅拔 路易斯 史蒂芬遜 (1850-1894)
譯者：羨魚

黃昏時燈火已點亮了，
我爸媽圍著壁爐而坐，
他們坐著閒話家常，唱歌 --
而不會玩任何遊戲。

現在，拿著一把小長鎗，
我沿著黑暗的牆邊匍伏爬行，
然後跟蹤樹林的獸跡前進，
又繞過長長的沙發背後。

在別人窺見不透的漆黑夜晚，
我單獨臥在自己的獵營內，
跟著讀過的故事情節來玩耍，
直到要上床睡覺的時候。

這些山丘，這些樹叢，
盡是我的星夜獨自隱身處；
在那水流不斷的河畔，
更是雄獅嚎啕，聚集喝水之地。

我看到其他人在較遠處，
好像在營地煹火旁躺著；
我正想好像印第安探子一樣，
潛行到他們營幕附近。

因此，當保姆現身之時，
我就要從大海那邊折返家來。
在爬上床前，我再三回望，
我那塊親愛的"故事書之鄉"。

老年人 心頭銘記英雄血 壯烈犧牲別 We remember those living and dead

"NOVEMBER 11: A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE"

 -- by  Frank C Yue

We remember those living and dead,

Whose uniforms were stained blood red,

Who gave of their lives freely,

So we may live in liberty.

Others suffered and gave so much;

Their valour and sacrifice are such --

The least we can do is never

Forget them and the fallen ones ever.

One's death may either be

Light as a feather,

Or heavy as a mountain.

What's your choice when you're going to die?

You may not want to decide -- 

"The Light, for the others to see --

O Let mine be a fountain

Of hope and inspiration!"  

《虞美人~陣亡將士紀念日》一老年人 
.
心頭銘記英雄血，壯烈犧牲別。

捨身取義殺成仁，爭取自由為人民。

.
泰山輕重鴻毛比，衡量人生死。

如何選擇費思量，願作明燈引導究端詳。

November 11: We remember those living and dead

"November 11: A Day of Remembrance"

We remember those living and dead,
Whose uniforms were stained blood red,
Who gave of their lives freely,
So we may live in liberty.
Others suffered and gave so much;
Their valour and sacrifice are such --
The least we can do is never
Forget them and the fallen ones ever.

One's death either may be
Light as a feather,
Or heavy as a mountain.

What's your choice when you're going to die?

You may not want to decide -- 

"The Light, for the others to see --
O Let mine be a fountain
Of hope and inspiration!"

在法蘭德斯戰場 Remember November 11!

The poppy is also a flower! Lest we forget!

11月 11日是美國, 英國和英聯邦國家陣亡將士紀念日。 在加拿大被稱為國殤紀念日Remembrance Day，在英國稱為榮軍日Poppy Day, 美國則為退伍軍人日Veterans Day。部份人在11月初開始，都會在襟上戴上血紅色的罌粟花(又稱虞美人), 以示紀念兩次世界大戰和在其他戰事中為國捐軀的將士及平民，其中的深層意義, 也凸顯民眾的良知，愛國心，支持退伍軍人，和熱愛和平，更希望自由，正義，民主, 友愛等普世價值理念能夠薪火相傳，延綿不絕。
    Commemorative $2 Coin and Quarter (limited quantities) issued by the Royal Canadian Mint.

有些博友可能心中想著兩個問題:

1. 為什麽是 11月 11日?

答案: 

第一次世界大戰於1914年7月28日主要在歐洲爆發, 然後波及到全世界。 (德國、奧匈、土耳其及保加利亜屬於同盟國陣營; 英國、法國、日本、俄國、意大利、美國、塞爾维亜、中國、比利時等則屬於協約國陣營。) 直至1918年11月11日，德軍投降求和，第一次世界大戰遂告結束, 但是和約中也埋藏著二戰爆發的因素。

2. 為什麽傳統上要用 罌粟花(又稱虞美人) 來紀念陣亡將士呢?

原因:

一百年前, 志願參軍的加拿大軍醫 約翰 麥克雷 上校 Major John McCrae 在比利時的法蘭德斯戰場 Flanders Fields (靠近 Canal de l'Yser 運河) 眼見戰爭之殘酷, 將士傷亡枕藉, 其好友 (Lieut. Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, a young friend and former student) 中了敵軍炮彈而亡。因為隨軍牧師不在場, 他就主持喪禮, 把戰友埋葬在墳地。麥克雷翌日坐在救護車後面休息時, 但見陣亡軍人墳頭上長滿了血紅的罌粟花, 迎風招展, 有感而發, 快速寫出如下的一首詩。軍醫其後也在戰事中遇害。因為動人肺腑的詩詞, 最後得以廣泛流傳, 罌粟花就成為英美等國紀念陣亡將士及有關民眾的象征。

      "In Flanders Fields"

       -- John McCrae  (1872  - 1918)      

      In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
      That mark our place; and in the sky
      The larks, still bravely singing, fly
      Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

"在法蘭德斯戰場"
-- 約翰 麥克雷 (1872  - 1918)

在法蘭德斯戰場虞美人迎風開放，
開放在十字架之間，一排排一行行，
標示我們斷魂的地方。
雲雀依舊高歌，展翅在藍藍的天上，
可你卻難以聽見，因為戰場上槍炮正響!

我們死去了，就在幾天前，
我們曾經擁有生命，沐浴曙光又見璀璨夕陽;
我們愛人也為人所愛，可現在卻安息在
法蘭德斯戰場。

繼續和敵人戰鬥吧!
顫抖的雙手拋給你們
那熊熊的火炬，讓你們將它高舉
你們若辜負死去的我們，
我們將不會安息，儘管虞美人染紅法蘭德斯戰場 !

(中譯來自 維基百科)

好了, 回到眼下的現代,  

無論所居何方, 居安思危, 毋臨渴掘井, 兵至而鑄錐! 

以青壯之年, 不論男女, 能不習武, 強體防身, 保家衛國乎! 

(武功修為以德為本, 非以年計不可! 共勉之!)

老年人 聲聲夾雨狂風嘯，巷陌風橫剿。The wind has such a rainy sound

欣賞 一老年人，金弓 上貼中文詩譯! 

得意傳神, 功力廹人, 動魄驚心!

"The Sound Of The Wind"

-- CHRISTINA ROSSETTI (1830-1894)

The wind has such a rainy sound

Moaning through the town,

The sea has such a windy sound --

Will the ships go down?

The apples in the orchard

Tumble from their tree --

Oh, will the ships go down, go down,

In the windy sea?

《虞美人~怒號狂風》一老年人

聲聲夾雨狂風嘯，  巷陌風橫剿。

暴濤盛怒海天翻，  遇險危舟臨近滅傾間。

蘋林纍果難安在，  墜地離枝慨。

小舟豈得克兇蠻，  戰勝浪風逃出見歸還？

《七律‧風嘯》金弓 

風聲夾雨聲，   掠鎮掃江城。

怒吼穿林過，   狂濤拍岸驚。

園中蘋果落，   海上舶船傾。

拉朽摧枯力，   世間誰敢攖？

在樓梯上我們做了條船 We built a ship upon the stairs

"A GOOD PLAY"
-- Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

We built a ship upon the stairs
All made of the back-bedroom chairs,
And filled it full of sofa pillows
To go a-sailing on the billows.

We took a saw and several nails,
And water in the nursery pails;
And Tom said, "Let us also take
An apple and a slice of cake,"
Which was enough for Tom and me
To go a-sailing on, till tea,

We sailed along for days and days,
And had the very best of plays;
But Tom fell out and hurt his knee,
So there was no one left but me.

"好玩的遊戲"
作者：羅拔 路易斯 史蒂芬遜 (1850-1894)
譯者：羨魚

在樓梯上我們做了條船，
木料是後邊睡房的椅子；
船上堆滿沙發的軟墊，
以便乘風破浪，在大海航行。

我們拿了鋸子，一些鐵釘，
幼兒室裡的鋅桶和食水，
湯姆說："再拿個蘋菓和一塊蛋糕吧！"
這些補給品足夠我們二人
遠航，直到下午茶時間。

日復一日地帆船排浪前衝，
我們玩耍得特別開心！
可是，湯姆失足跌倒，傷了膝蓋，
如此一來，船上祇餘我一人了。

The wind has such a rainy sound 風聲夾著雨聲呻吟中穿越城鎮

"The Sound Of The Wind"
-- CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

The wind has such a rainy sound
Moaning through the town,
The sea has such a windy sound --
Will the ships go down?

The apples in the orchard
Tumble from their tree --
Oh, will the ships go down, go down,
In the windy sea?

風之聲

作者：姬絲汀娜 . 羅契蒂 (1830-1894)

譯者：羨魚

風聲夾著雨聲，
呻吟中穿越城鎮。
海上傳來風吼聲，
那些船兒會翻沉嗎?

菓園裡的蘋菓，
紛紛從樹上掉下來。
呀！那些船兒會翻沉
在狂風巨浪中嗎?