白话《神曲》译文考 - 3 - inferno Canto 3
这周去苏州团建，途中发生了两件好事情：一个是偶遇了从北京来的AI开发团队，作为粉丝表达了对Azure语音识别功能的感谢；另一件事是在诚品书店捕获一本精装本的《睡魔》，已抱回，还没舍得开封。
今早收到友邻@K的豆邮，上一篇没听出来的词解惑了！感谢K君，幸福来的太突然～
Canto 2 已更正。
今天整理Canto 3。
Canto 3
I am the way to the city of woe.
I am the way into eternal pain.
I am the way to a deserted race.
Justice inspired my mighty architect.
Omnipotent divine constructed me with almighty wisdom and primal love.
Before me, nothing was created but those things eternal.
I endure forever.
Abandon all hope,
you who enter here.
This bleak message I saw carved and painted above a portal.
What hard words, master?
I said.
He from experience answered,
Now you must lay behind you every fear.
Here all the cowardice in you must die.
This is the place I spoke of.
Soul suffer here who lost the good of intellect.
Then taking my hand in his and smiling comfort.
He led me through the secret things.
The starless air resounded here with sighs
and echoed with strange shrieks and lamentations.
And made me weep at first these anguished cries,
these vile voices, deep and hoarse and angry,
joined with beating hands that babbling chorus raised a twisting tumult
that revolved on seen through the timeless mirk
like sand that eddies round and round a whirlwind storm.
Master I said circled by the horror.
What is it I hear?
Who are these that seems overcome with grief?
And he replied.
These wretched souls.
For those who, while they lived, achieved neither blame nor praise.
Mingled with them is that evil band of angels who are neither rebels nor found true to God.
They were faithful to themselves alone.
Haven't cast them out for imperfection,
but Hells Deeps would not receive them.
The damned souls might glory over them.
Then I asked.
What torment they suffer that causes such loud lament?
They have no hope of death.
He answered.
Their blind life is so shameful any other fate fills them with envy. ???
No memory of these persists on Earth,
they are disdained by justice and pity.
Enough, let's not talk of them with a glance pass on.
I saw the banner then rushed past whirling furiously without a pause to take a stand.
Behind it trailed multitudes of souls in such numbers,
I wonder the death had taken so many.
I knew some looking closer,
the shade of that coward who made the great refusal I recognized.
And understood at once this company of evil ones was hateful to God and to his foes.
These luckless shades who never really lived.
Passed by unclothed.
Goaded by Hornet stings and Wasps.
Down, their faces ran, mingled blood and tears.
Food for the lives of worms crawling at their feet.
Then looking beyond them,
I saw a crowd gathered on the bank of a great river.
Master, I said,
who are these?
What makes him so eager to cross?
And he said to me.
All will be revealed to you when we pause upon the mournful banks of Acheron.
I walked on a bashtan with downcast eyes, fearing my chatter at troubled him.
I said nothing more until the river where coming towards us I saw the boat.
whose ancient whitehead pilot shouted out,
Word to you, you wicked souls abandoned here any thought of heaven,
I can lead you to the other bank,
to everlasting darkness, fire and ice.
You, the living soul,
get away from these. They're the dead.
But when he saw I made no move, he said,
You should not go by here.
Reach the farther shore through another path by different gate.
Take the lighter boat.
Charon, control your anger, said my guide.
This is willed where will has every power.
Do not seek to know anymore.
Silence then took the woolly cheeks of the pilot of that ghastly marsh
whose eyes were circled round with glowing rings of fire.
The spirits, naked,
in despair, then lost all color and began to grind their teeth at such words of doom,
they cursed God, their parents, and all humanity.
They cursed the place, the time,
even their birth and alignment born them,
then weeping, clustered on a wicked bank which waits for every man who fears not God.
Charon, with his eyes blazing lines the map,
smacking the laggard sinners with these all.
And as in autumn,
when withered leaves full one by one, until only the bare branch remains as witness.
So Adam's wicked seed drop into the boat,
and apart across the waters.
Before they land there,
another starts collecting on this side.
My son. The master kindly said to me.
All who die in God's anger anywhere, assembled here.
Eager to cross the stream.
Divine justice spares them on by turning all their dread into desire.
No good soul ever comes by here.
If Charon complains,
now you know the meaning behind his words.
After he had spoken,
the place shook so strongly.
A fearful memory makes me sweat.
The tear stained earth
discharged a sudden blast of wind
and a flash of scarlet light,
which completely took my senses from me
and I fell like one overcome with sleep.
