在那陽光燦爛的午后

劉易斯·卡羅爾(Lewis Carroll),原名查爾斯·勒特威奇·道奇森(Charles Lutwidge Dodgson,1832~1898),英國牛津大學數學教授,著名童話小說家,其代表作有《愛麗絲奇境漫游記》(Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)和《愛麗絲鏡中奇遇記》(Through the Looking-Glass)。

1862年7月一個金色的午后,卡羅爾攜好友以及利德爾三姐妹泛舟美麗的泰晤士河(Thames)上,從牛津(Oxford)溯流而上去戈斯托(Godstow)。途中,利德爾三姐妹不肯安靜下來欣賞沿途風光,纏著卡羅爾講故事。經不住三個小女孩的央求,卡羅爾為她們講了一個荒誕的奇幻故事。這個故事就是小說《愛麗絲奇境漫游記》的雛形,后來經擴充和修訂,于1865年7月首次出版。

小說的扉頁上印有這首序詩《在那陽光燦爛的午后》(All in the Golden Afternoon)。本詩語言生動歡快,寥寥數語,便將那個燦爛如金的午后如實呈現在讀者眼前:泰晤士河波瀾不驚,一葉小舟,翩然蕩漾。三個小女孩天真爛漫,笑語聲聲,更為這個金色的午后平添了不少童趣。此情此景,卡羅爾又有什么理由拒絕她們想聽故事的“無理”要求呢?他只能絞盡腦汁,構思情節,編撰出奇幻又美妙的怪誕故事,讓三個小女孩聽得如癡如醉。夕陽西下,小船滿載歡笑,融入暮色之中。這如夢如幻的美景,宛如一幅油畫,在卡羅爾心中定格,成為永恒的珍藏。

All in the golden afternoon

Full leisurely we glide;

For both our oars, with little skill,

By little arms are plied,

While little hands make vain pretence

Our wanderings to guide.

那日午后,陽光燦爛

泛舟河上,舒暢悠然

小小臂膀,蕩槳行船

技藝不精,讓人無奈

小手引航,裝模作樣

毫無方向,隨意游蕩

Ah, cruel Three! In such an hour,

Beneath such dreamy weather,

To beg a tale of breath too weak

To stir the tiniest feather!

Yet what can one poor voice avail,

Against three tongues together?

此刻天氣,如夢一般

三人搗蛋,求聽奇幻

要求精彩,扣人心弦

令人屏息,輕羽不顫

三人同聲,一人何奈?

ImperiousPrima flashes forth

Her edict "to begin it"—

In gentler tone Secunda hopes

"There will be nonsense in it!"—

While Tertia interrupts the tale

Not more than once a minute.

老大專橫,迫不及待

發號施令,“講吧趕快”

老二禮貌,要求簡單

“夠怪夠奇我才喜歡!”

故事開始,老三又來

片刻不休,插話不斷

Anon, to sudden silence won,

In fancy they pursue

The dream-child moving through a land

Of wonders wild and new,

In friendly chat with bird or beast—

And half believe it true.

不久之后,突然寂靜

三個小鬼,沉醉其間

追隨女孩,奇境探險

充滿野趣,處處新鮮

遇到鳥獸,親切交談

如此真切,貌似人間

And ever, as the story drained

The wells of fancy dry,

And faintly strove that weary one,

To put the subject by

"The rest next time—"

"It is next time!"

The happy voices cry.

講述至此,已無靈感

幻想之泉,漸漸汲干

口干舌燥,疲憊不堪

“下次再說”,今天休戰

“現在就說!”她們不干

歡快嗓門,齊聲高喊

Thus grew the tale of Wonderland:

Thus slowly, one by one,

Its quaint events were hammered out—

And now the tale is done,

And home we steer, a merry crew,

Beneath the setting sun.

奇境故事,漸漸豐滿

一點一滴,一段一段

離奇情節,漸次連貫

絲絲入扣,故事講完

回家途中,歡笑滿船

夕陽之下,久久不散

Alice! a childish story take,

And with gentle hand

Lay it where Childhood’s dreams are twined

In Memory’s mystic band,

Like pilgrim’s withered wreath of flowers

Plucked in a far-off land.

愛麗絲啊,請你細看

童稚故事,為你奉獻

記憶深處,神秘之段

孩童夢想,溫柔編纏

恰似圣徒,所采花環

來自遠方,已然凋殘