Unit 4 Exploring poetry课文及译文
Reading
How to read a poem
如何阅读诗歌
Poetry is a combination of “sound” and “sense”. More than any other type of literature, it usually implies a deeper meaning beyond the words on the page . So, how to reveal this hidden dimension?
诗歌是“音”与“意”的融合。与其他任何文学类型相比，诗歌通常隐含着超越字面的更深层含义。那么，如何揭示隐藏的这个方面呢？
First, follow your ears. While you may ask “What does it mean?” as you begin reading a poem, it is better to ask “How does it sound?” Even if its true meaning appears to be beyond your grasp,you can always say something about how the poem sounds when you
read it aloud. Do you detect a rhythm? Are there any repeated words,rhymes or other special effects? All of these are good qualities to notice, and they may lead you to a better understanding of the poem in the end. Read these lines to feel how they sound.
首先，凭听觉的指引。当你刚开始读一首诗时，你可能会问： “这是什么意思？”但最好问一句： “它听起来怎么样？”即使你也许把握不住这首诗的正在含义，但是当你大声朗读时，你总是可以说说这首诗听上去如何。你能感觉到节奏吗？有没有重复词、押韵或其他特别的效果？所有这些都是值得注意的特质，它们可能最终会帮助你更好地理解这首诗。朗读下面这几句诗，感受它们的音律。
Sweet and low, sweet and low,轻轻地，柔和地；轻轻地，柔和地
Wind of the western sea, 西边的海风
Low, low, breathe and blow, 吹过，拂过，轻轻，轻轻
Wind of the western seal!西边的海风！
Over the rolling waters go,；来自月朦胧，
Come from the dying moon,and below,拂过波涛汹涌，
Blow him again to me;请将他再吹响我；
While my little one, while my pretty one,sleeps.
当我的小宝贝，小可爱，已入梦
(From “Sweet and Low”by Alfred Tennyson)
（摘自Alfred Tennyson 《轻轻地，柔和地》）
Second, approach the poem as if you were an explorer in an unfamiliar landscape. Ask some basic questions about the poem. Who is talking? Who is being talked to? What is being described? Is there a sense of place? Are there other people or objects there? As you explore the poem, you will begin to see images in your mind. What are those images, and what happens when they are put together? This combination is often complex or even contradictory. As you slowly explore your surroundings, you will start to dig up clues
that give you a greater understanding of the poem. Read these lines, pay attention to the image of the caged bird and try to find out what it means.
第二，走进诗歌，就像你是一个置身于陌生风景中的探索者。问自己一些关于这首诗的基本问题。说话的是谁？正在和谁说话？描述的是什么？有感觉到某个地点吗？那里还有其他人或物吗？当你探索这首诗的时候，你的脑海会开始浮现一些画面。这些画面是什么？把它们组合起来会发生什么？这种组合通常是复杂的，甚至是矛盾的。当你慢慢探索周围环境时，你会开始挖掘线索，这些线索会让你更好地理解这首诗。读下面这几句诗，注意“笼中鸟”的形象，试着弄清它意味着什么.
The caged bird sings 笼中之鸟，
with a fearful trill 撕心裂肺，啼啭啾啾
of things unknown  所唱是未知之物，
but longed for still 却依然渴求
and his tune is heard 
on the distant hill  歌声传到了远处的山丘
for the caged bird
sings of freedom. 因为笼中的鸟儿在歌唱自由。
(From “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou) （摘自玛雅 安吉洛《笼中鸟》）
Third, if you are still struggling to interpret the meaning of a poem even with much painstaking effort, just have some patience. You cannot really understand a poem that you have only read once. Sometimes reading a poem can be a lifelong job. So if you do not get it, set the poem aside and come back to it later.As an explorer, you will not reach your goal immediately--- you need to go on a journey to a remote and unknown destination. This may seem difficult at first, but when you finally make your great discovery, your efforts will be rewarded. Poems that are easy to understand are often less interesting than those that constantly reveal deeper and previously unrecognized meanings. Read these lines and try to find out what they mean.
第三，如果你下了很大的功夫可还是纠结于理解一首诗的意思，那就耐心一点吧。你不可能正在理解只读过一遍的诗。有时，读懂一首诗可能是一辈子的事。所以如果你没有读懂某一首诗，那就暂且先放在一边，以后再读。作为一个探索者，你不会立刻抵达你的目标----你需要踏上旅程，去一个遥远未知的目的地。这一开始可能看起来很难，但当你最终有了重大发现时，你的努力将得到回报。有些诗的深层内涵和之前未领会的意义会不断显现，相比之下，那些浅显的诗往往倒没那么有趣了。读下面这几句诗，看看是什么意思吧。
Whose woods these are I think I know.
我想我知道这片林子的主人，
His houses is in the village though;
尽管他住在山村。
He will not see me stopping here
他不会见我驻足于此，
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
凝视着他积满白雪的树林。
(From “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening “by Robert Frost)（摘自Robert Frost 《雪夜林边小驻》）高中英语课文
Finally, remember that you do not have to fully understand a poem to appreciate it. You might need to abandon logical thinking to discover its true inner beauty. As long as the journey of poetry reading makes you feel something or lets you perceive another level of meaning, it will have been worth your effort.
最后请记住，欣赏一首诗，并非得完全理解它不可。你可能需要抛开逻辑思维以发现诗歌真正的内在美。只要读诗之旅能让你有所感触，或者你领悟到另一层含义，那你的努力就是值得的。
Poetry’s combination of  “sound” and “sense” makes you see the world in a new way and allows you to go beyond normal reality for the everlasting beauty.Enjoy your journey in th
e world of poetry!
诗歌“音”与“意”的结合，让你用一种新的方式看待世界，让你超越普通的现实，追求永恒之美。在诗歌的世界里享受你的旅程吧！
Extended reading
Li Bai and
his romantic poetry
                                夜宿山寺
A hundred feet the temple towers;    危楼高百丈，
I can reach out for the stars in the sky. 手可摘星辰。
But I dare not speak in a voice loud,  不敢高声语，
For fear of scaring dwellers on high.  恐惊天上人。
(“A Night Stay at a Mountain Temple”)
It is believed that this poem was written by Li Bai in his teenage years. With striking imagination in expressions like “scaring dwellers on high”, this early poem already displayed signs of a romantic style, which was later to characterize Li Bai’s poetry.