The Last Bargain 最后的交易
“Come and hire me,” I cried, while in the morning I was walking on the stone-paved road.
Sword in hand, the King came in his chariot.
He held my hand and said, “I will hire you with my power.”
But his power counted for nought, and he went away in his chariot.
清晨，我走在石子铺成的路上，叫喊着：“来吧，来雇我吧。”
手握长剑的国王乘着马车走来。
他握着我的手说：“我将用我的权力雇用你。”
但是他的权利对于我毫无意义，他乘着他的马车走了。
In the heat of the midday the houses stood with shut doors.
I wandered along the crooked lane.
An old man came out with his bag of gold.
He pondered his coins one by one, but I turned away.
炎热的正午，家家户户都紧闭着大门。
我沿着弯曲的小巷闲逛。
一个老者带着一袋黄金走出来。
他深思片刻，说：“我将用我的金钱雇用你。”
他一个一个地数他的金币，但我却转身离去。
It was evening. The garden hedge was all flower.
The fair maid came out and said, “I will hire you with a smile.”
Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went back alone into the dark.
傍晚时，花园的篱笆上繁华盛开。
美丽的少女走出来说：“我将用我的微笑雇用你。”
她的微笑融入泪水中变得黯淡无光，她独自回到黑暗中去。
The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke waywardly.
A child sat playing with shells.
He raised his head and seemed to know me, and said, “I hire you with nothing.”
From thenceforward that bargain struck in child’s play made me a free man.
阳光普照沙地，海浪尽情地四处飞溅。
一个小孩坐在沙滩上正玩着贝壳。
他抬起头，似乎认识我似的说：“我雇用你，不用任何东西。”
从那时起，在孩子的游戏中我们做成了交易，这使我变成一个自由的人。
——选自泰戈尔的《新月集》
Sword in hand, the King came in his chariot.
He held my hand and said, “I will hire you with my power.”
But his power counted for nought, and he went away in his chariot.
清晨，我走在石子铺成的路上，叫喊着：“来吧，来雇我吧。”
手握长剑的国王乘着马车走来。
他握着我的手说：“我将用我的权力雇用你。”
但是他的权利对于我毫无意义，他乘着他的马车走了。
In the heat of the midday the houses stood with shut doors.
I wandered along the crooked lane.
An old man came out with his bag of gold.
He pondered his coins one by one, but I turned away.
炎热的正午，家家户户都紧闭着大门。
我沿着弯曲的小巷闲逛。
一个老者带着一袋黄金走出来。
他深思片刻，说：“我将用我的金钱雇用你。”
他一个一个地数他的金币，但我却转身离去。
It was evening. The garden hedge was all flower.
The fair maid came out and said, “I will hire you with a smile.”
Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went back alone into the dark.
傍晚时，花园的篱笆上繁华盛开。
美丽的少女走出来说：“我将用我的微笑雇用你。”
她的微笑融入泪水中变得黯淡无光，她独自回到黑暗中去。
The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke waywardly.
A child sat playing with shells.
He raised his head and seemed to know me, and said, “I hire you with nothing.”
From thenceforward that bargain struck in child’s play made me a free man.
阳光普照沙地，海浪尽情地四处飞溅。
一个小孩坐在沙滩上正玩着贝壳。
他抬起头，似乎认识我似的说：“我雇用你，不用任何东西。”
从那时起，在孩子的游戏中我们做成了交易，这使我变成一个自由的人。
——选自泰戈尔的《新月集》
