本·瓊森 - 簡介

Ben Jonson本·瓊森(1572～1637)

英國詩人，劇作家，評論家 。1572年6月11日生于倫敦。主要詩集有《格言詩》、《森林集》、《灌木集》等曾就學(xué)于古代史學(xué)者坎姆登，并在其資助下到威斯敏斯特學(xué)校讀書，獲得關(guān)于希臘、羅馬文學(xué)的豐富知識。后又博覽群書，成為當(dāng)時學(xué)識最淵博的劇作家之一。

瓊森寫了18部戲劇，除兩部羅馬歷史悲劇《西亞努斯的覆滅》和《卡塔林的陰謀》之外，大都是社會諷刺喜劇。其劇作遵循古典主義原則，并有強(qiáng)烈的道德傾向。劇中對當(dāng)時社會惡劣風(fēng)習(xí)的尖銳批評曾使他兩次被捕入獄。一次是因與T.納什合寫諷刺時事、現(xiàn)已佚失的《狗島》，此劇的演出還導(dǎo)致了倫敦劇場的暫時關(guān)閉 ； 另一次是因與 C. 馬斯頓合寫《向東方去》 ，劇中批評了詹姆斯一世的政治 。1598年的《人人高興》 和1599 年的 《人人掃興》 是瓊森根據(jù)氣質(zhì)論( 中世紀(jì)所謂4種不同氣質(zhì)產(chǎn)生不同性格的生理學(xué)學(xué)說 )創(chuàng)作的癖性喜劇。后者因戲擬馬斯頓的風(fēng)格導(dǎo)致了劇場之戰(zhàn)，其間有幾位戲劇家爭以寫戲相互攻訐，瓊森為此又寫了《辛西婭的狂歡》和《冒牌詩人》。

瓊森最成功的喜劇有《狐貍》、《煉金術(shù)士》和《巴托羅繆市集》。

Benjamin Jonson was born 1571 as the posthumous son of a Protestant minister. His mother then moved him to Westminster, where she married a bricklayer. He attended a free parish school as a boy, and thanks to the sponsorship of the headmaster, was able to attend Westminster Grammar School. Unofortunately, Ben lost his scholarship and was forced to take up bricklaying alongside his stepfather. This occupation did not appeal to him, and he left for military duty in Flanders and did not return to England until 1592. He married in 1594, and joined a touring acting company in 1597. Ben Jonson and another playwright then wrote a play called "Isle of Dogs" which was immediately banned on charges of sedition, and he and his friends found themselves in Fleet Prison. He was released after a few months and managed to restart his acting career. In December of 1598 he fought a duel with another actor named Gabriel Spencer; fortunately for Ben, he won, but unfortunately, he was imprisoned on charges of murder and given the death sentence. He managed to escape the gallows and returned to playwriting. He set out on foot in 1618 to visit Scotland and on his return began lecturing on rhetoric at colleges. He died in 1637 and was buried in Westminster Abbey; his epitaph reads: "Oh Rare Ben Jonson!"
風(fēng)格詳見詩Song to Celia：本詩為英國劇作家、詩人本·瓊生（Ben Jonson，1572—1637）所作。他的詩的特點在于明快，文字干凈，已有后來古典主義詩歌的特點。To Celia 是一首很有名的抒情詩，贊美的是精神愛（Platonic love），曾譜成音樂。Celia女子名。


Song to Celia

Drink to me only with thine eyes2，

And I will pledge3 with mine；

Or leave a kiss but in the cup4

And I’ll not look for wine．

The thirst that from the soul doth5 rise

Doth ask a drink divine6；

But might I of Jove’s nectar sup7，

I would not change for thine．

I sent thee8 late9 a rosy wreath，

Not so much honouring10 thee

As giving it a hope that there

It could not wither’d be11；

But thou thereon didst only breathe12

And sent’st it back to me；

Since when13 it grows，and smells，I swear，

Not of itself but thee14！

  

NOTES

  

1．本詩為英國劇作家、詩人本·瓊生（Ben Jonson，1572—1637）所作。他的詩的特點在于明快，文字干凈，已有后來古典主義詩歌的特點。To Celia 是一首很有名的抒情詩，贊美的是精神愛（Platonic love），曾譜成音樂。Celia女子名。

2．Drink to me only with thine eyes 只需用你的眼睛為我祝酒

thine thy，你的【古】

3．pledge drink a toast，祝酒

4．leave a kiss but in the cup=leave a kiss only in the cup 以吻代酒

5．doth doos，由于音節(jié)需要而用的墊詞，非加強(qiáng)語氣。

6．drink divine divine drink，詞序顛倒是為了詩韻的需要。

7．But might I of Jove’s nectar sup=if I might sup some of Jove’s nectar．

might I= if I might

Jove Jupiter，丘比特（羅馬神話中的主神）

8．thee【古】 thoy 的賓格，你、汝

9．late（此處） lately

10．honouring in order to honour

11．As giving it a hope that there it could not wither’d be 這一句的正常語序應(yīng)是：As giving it a hope that there it could not be wither’d．

there with you，即戴在你頭上

wither’d be be wither’d，順序顛倒為押韻的需要。that there it could not wither’d be是hope的同位語，意為：希望戴在你的頭上永不枯萎。

12．But thou thereon didt only breather=But if you merely breathe on it．

didst brcathe 現(xiàn)在虛擬式（下行的 sen’st同。）

13．since when then

14．Not of itself but thee！

此句實際與上文的grows和smells連用。

of itself=by itself

but thee=but of thee=on account of you 整個意思為：花環(huán)由于你而生長，由于你而散發(fā)出芬芳。

  

本·瓊森 - 給西麗雅

你就只用你的眼睛來給我干杯，
我就用我的眼睛來相酬；
或者就留下一個親吻在杯邊上
我就不會向杯里找酒。
從靈魂深處張開起來的渴嘴
著實想喝到美妙的一口；
可是哪怕由我嘗天帝的瓊漿，
要我換也不甘把你的放手。

我新近給你送上了一束玫魂花，
與其說誠心拿來孝敬你
不如說讓它們有希望得到熏陶，
不會得枯搞以至于委地；
可是你只在花上呼吸了一下，
把它們送回到我的手里；
從此它們就開得叫我聞得到
（不是它們自己而是）你。

（卞之琳譯）