第2章 CASABIANCA 卡萨布兰卡

The boy stood on the burning deck,

Whence all but he had fled;

The flame, that lit the battle's wreck,

Shone round him—o'er the dead.

Yet beautiful and bright he stood,

As born to rule the storm;

A creature of heroic blood,

A proud though child-like form!

The flames rolled on—he would not go,

Without his father's word; —

That father, faint in death below,

His voice on longer heard.

He called aloud: “Say, father! say

If yet my task is done?”—

He knew not that the chieftain lay

Unconscious of his son.

“Speak, father!” once again he cried,

“If I may yet be gone!

And “—but the booming shots replied,

And fast the flames rolled on.

Upon his brow he felt their breath,

And in his waving hair,

And looked from that lone post of death,

In still, yet brave despair;

And shouted but once more aloud,

“My father! must I stay? ’

While o'er him fast,

through sail and shroud,

The wreathing fires made way:

They wrapped the ship in splendour wild,

They caught the flag on high.

And streamed above the gallant child,

Like banners in the sky.

There came a burst of thunder sound, —

The boy! —oh, where was he?

Ask of the winds, that far around

With fragments strewed the sea, —

With mast, and helm, and pennon fair.

That well had borne their part!

But the noblest thing that perished there,

Was that young faithful heart!

—Mrs. Hemans

Pronunciation

burn'-ing chief'-tain de-spair' thun'-der

beau'-ti-ful un-con'-scicus splend'-our frag'-ment

crea'-ture boom'-ing gal'-lant no'-blest

he-ro'-ic re-plied' ban'-ners per'-ished

男孩站在熊熊燃烧的甲板上，

一切皆已成灰，唯独剩他自己；

焚烧战争残骸的烈火在他周围

闪着光芒，周围都是燃烧的尸体。

然而他站在那儿，优雅、聪敏，

如同生下来就能平息风暴；

稚嫩的外表，却有着高贵的思想，

骨子里流淌着英雄的血！

得不到父亲的准许，

他不会去烈火燃烧的地方；

他的父亲在死亡的笼罩下无比虚弱，

再也没法听见他的声音；

他大声喊道，“父亲！

跟我说，我是否该去完成我的任务？”

他不知道这位将领

已经听不见儿子的话。

“跟我说，父亲！”他又一次喊道，

我是否该去完成我的任务！

传来的只有枪炮的轰隆声，

火苗快速滚落；

他的额头可以感觉到他们的呼吸，

他头发迎风飞舞；

凝视着孤零零的尸体，

看似静谧却陷入勇敢的绝望。