威廉.布莱克英语诗歌代表作：The Chimney-Sweeper 扫烟囱的孩子(双语)

本首诗选自威廉.布莱克《经验之歌》，这首小诗表面看似明快，其弦外之音娿让人感到震撼。读这首时，首先映入读者眼帘的是“little”一词。“little”往往指无忧无虑、活泼可爱的儿童，但在诗中立刻被“black”一词化解。扫烟囱的孩子爬进窄小的烟囱，挤在里面，还要用手去刮煤灰，不但蓬头垢面，而且很容易烫伤甚至窒息而死。小小年纪，就要在街上招揽生意，“weep!weep!”一声声凄厉的叫喊是风雪中爱上的音符。孩子野地里玩耍，父母却让他穿上黑衣去扫烟囱，孩子在烟囱里呻吟，父母却在教堂里虔诚祈祷。这惨不忍睹的情景强烈地震撼了诗人的心。在诗的末尾诗人指出：上帝不但不拯救扫烟囱的孩子，而且伙同国王和教士把天堂建在无数孩子的痛苦之上，从而表达了诗人对社会不平的愤怒。

the chimney-sweeper 扫烟囱的孩子
when my mother died i was very young, 我母亲死的时候，我还小得很，
and my father sold me while yet my tongue 我父亲把我拿出来卖给了别人，
could scarcely cry 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 我当时还不大喊得清，“扫呀——扫!”
so your chimneys i sweep, and in soot i sleep. 我就扫你们烟囱，裹煤屑睡觉。
there's little tom dacre, who cried when his head, 有个小托姆，头发卷得像小羊头，
that curled like a lamb's back, was shaved: so i said, 剃光的时候，哭得好伤心，好难受，
"hush, tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare, 我就说：“小托姆，不要紧，光了脑袋，
you know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair." 打起来煤屑就不会糟踏你白头发。”
and so he was quiet; and that very night, 他就安安静静了，当天夜里，

as tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight, - 托姆睡着了，事情就来得稀奇，
that thousands of sweepers, dick, joe, ned, and jack, 他看见千千万万的扫烟囱小孩
were all of them locked up in coffins of black. 阿猫阿狗全都给锁进了黑棺材。
and by came an angel who had a bright key, 后来来了个天使，拿了把金钥匙，
and he opened the coffins and set them all free; 开棺材放出了孩子们(真是好天使!)
then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run, 他们就边跳，边笑，边跑过草坪，
and wash in a river, and shine in the sun. 到河里洗了澡，太阳里晒得亮晶晶。
then naked and white, all their bags left behind, 光光的，白白的，把袋子都抛个一，
they rise upon clouds and sport in the wind; 他们就升上了云端，在风里游戏;
and the angel told tom, if he'd be a good boy, “只要你做个好孩子，”天使对托姆说，

he'd have god for his father, and never want joy. “上帝会做你的父亲，你永远快乐。”
and so tom awoke; and we rose in the dark, 托姆就醒了;屋子里黑咕隆咚，
and got with our bags and our brushes to work. 我们就起来拿袋子、扫帚去做工。
though the morning was cold, tom was happy and warm; 大清早尽管冷，托姆的心里可温暖;
so if all do their duty they need not fear harm. 这叫做：各尽本分，就不怕灾难。