主题：Andrew Marr：我们英国人——英国诗歌文学简史 -- 万年看客

美人鱼酒馆的酒客以及约翰.泰勒的乘客群体也包括了本.琼森与约翰.邓恩这两位。这两人的经历与雷利十分不同，另外他们两人都是著名公众人物，与泰勒这样谈天说地的出租司机不可同日而语。

琼森的出身就像莎士比亚那样籍籍无名。他是土生土长的伦敦人，他岳父是个砌墙工。尽管聪慧过人且饱受教育，但是他终其一生身上都散发着忿忿不平的工人气质。另一方面他的政治嗅觉极其敏锐，在詹姆斯一世的王庭占据了显赫的位置。他的喜剧名作《狐狸》与《巴托罗缪市集》对于这一时期伦敦市井风情的详细描写甚至将莎士比亚都比了下去。诚然，文学界普遍认为他的剧本写作功力远远赶不上莎士比亚，他笔下的人物就像是用五颜六色的纸板剪出来的一样，只能代表单一的美德或者恶行，显然没能挣脱中世纪剧作的窠臼。不过仅就诗歌创作而言他依然十分伟大。

我们都喜欢整齐干脆的历史断代体系，因此很容易忘记所谓的时代或者时期往往会相互重叠渗透。在我们所谓的文艺复兴时代或者现代史早期，中世纪的遗风依旧俯仰可见。比方说琼森的一部相对名声不显的剧作当中有一首诗歌就很能说明问题。在这首诗当中，魔鬼受邀赴宴，菜品都是经过精心调味的琼森的同代人：

Cocklorrel would needs have the Devil his guest,

And bade him once into the Peak to dinner,

Where never the fiend had such a feast,

Provided him yet at the charge of a sinner.

贼头匪首请魔鬼做客

诚邀他前来共进晚餐

自从魔鬼将罪人的灵魂掌握

还从未将这等美食品尝一番

His stomach was queasy (he came hither coached,)

The jogging had made some crudities rise;

To help it he call'd for a puritan poached,

That us'd to turn up the eggs of his eyes.

魔鬼的胃部难受（因为马车颠簸了一路）

颠得他浊气上升很不舒服

因此开胃菜他点了一份水煮清教徒

吃得他一个劲翻白眼珠

And so recovered unto his wish,

He sate him down, and he fell to eat;

Promoter in plum-broth was the first dish,

His own privy kitchen had no such meat.

这道餐前小菜将他的胃口调理好

于是他坐下来开始专心大嚼

头道菜是一盅剧场经纪人炖李子煲

魔鬼的自家私厨也做不出这等菜肴

Yet, though with this he much were taken,

Upon a sudden he shifted his trencher,

As soon as he spied the bawd and bacon,

By which you may note the Devil's a wencher.

尽管头道菜让魔鬼连声叫好

但他还是突然换了一盘菜

因为他看见一盘熏肉配老鸨

这老鸨也曾向他将皮肉出卖

Six pickled tailors sliced and cut,

Sempsters, and tirewomen, fit for his palate;

With feathermen and perfumers put

Some twelve in a charger to make a great sallet.

六个腌制裁缝，细细切成薄片

织补匠与缝衣娘铺成一大盘

十二位售卖羽毛与香水的商贩

在餐盘里排得像头盔一样圆

A rich fat ursurer stewed in his marrow,

And by him a lawyer's head and green sauce;

Both which his belly took in like a barrow,

As if till then he had never seen sauce.

一个放贷的胖子，用他自己的骨髓熬煮

一颗律师的脑袋，搭配着绿色的酱汁

魔鬼放开肚皮将这二位噬肉嚼骨

就好像从未吃过任何美食如此好吃

Then carbonadoed and cook'd with pains,

Was bought up a cloven serjeant's face:

The sauce was made of his yeoman's brains,

That had been beaten out with his own mace.

下一道菜用小火慢工碳烤喷香

是议会警卫长的活扒面皮

用他的权杖砸出来的侍卫脑浆

做成调味汁可谓十分相宜

Two roasted sherrifs came whole to the board:

(The feast had nothing been without 'em)

Both living and dead they were foxed and furred,

Their chains like sausages hung about them.

全须全尾的执法官一对，烤熟之后双双上桌

（要是没有他们二位简直不成宴席）

现场宰杀，保证新鲜，之后去皮活剥

他们的锁链像香肠一样摆放整齐

The very next dish was the mayor of a town,

With a pudding of maintenance thrust in his belly,

Like a goose in the feathers, drest in his gown,

And a couple of hinch-boys boiled to a jelly.

下一道大菜是一位市长

各色布丁塞满了他的肚皮

好似羽毛装饰的烤鹅，长袍还披在身上

他的狗腿子已经熬成了一盆肉泥

A London cuckold hot from the spit,

And when the carver up had broke him,

The Devil chopped up his head at a bit,

But the horns were very near like to choake him.

现抓现宰的伦敦通奸男一头

下锅之前首先要大卸八块

此人的犄角差点卡住了魔鬼的咽喉

谁让他一口首先咬下了此人的脑袋

The chine of a letcher too there was roasted,

With a plump harlot's haunch and garlic,

A pander's pettitoes, that had boasted

Himself for a captain, yet never was warlike.

烤至全熟的色鬼里脊，

胖妓女的臀肉搭配大蒜

再来一只皮条客的后蹄

整天耀武扬威，却从未上阵作战

A large fat pasty of a midwife hot;

And for a cold baked meat into the story,

A reverend painted lady was brought,

And coffined in crust till now she was hoary.

接生婆馅的面点又大又肥

接下来是一道烤肉冷拼

原料是画像庄严的贵妇一位

裹上硬面皮，吸干全身水分

To these, an overgrown justice of peace,

With a clerk like a gizzard trussed under each arm;

And warrants for sippits, laid in his own grease,

Set over a chaffing dish to be kept warm.

一头肥硕无比的调解法官

两臂之下各自夹着一位书记员

一排面包片将他的油脂浸满

铺一层面包渣，用意在于保暖

The jowl of a jailor served for a fish,

A constable soused with vinegar by;

Two alderman lobsters asleep in a dish,

A deputy tart, a churchwarden pie.

狱卒的下巴要搭配鱼鲜

巡警的吃法最好用醋醒一醒

一对市议员摆在龙虾身边

钦差馅的甜点，执事馅的烤饼。

All which devoured, he then for a close

Did for a full draught of Derby call;

He heaved the huge vessel up to his nose,

And left not till he had drunk up all.

吃干抹净的魔鬼准备离席

喝一杯赛场观众的辱骂

他端起大杯与鼻尖平齐

大口牛饮直到涓滴剩不下

Then from the table he gave a start,

Where banquet and wine were nothing scarce,

All which he flirted away with a fart,

From whence it was call'd the Devil's Arse.

眼看酒菜都已经所剩无几

魔鬼坐在桌边欠起尊臀

骤然间排出一股浩荡浊气

排气孔的学名就叫肛门

显而易见，这首诗遵循了十七世纪二十年代的讽刺风格，但是凶残而又戏谑的精神头显然传承自乔叟。琼森的诗歌包含着众多不同的声音。他对待古典文化遗产的态度远比莎士比亚更严肃，他笔下最优秀的诗作简直掏心掏肺得令人震惊——比方说他那首悼念夭折幼子的心碎诗作。在现代社会初期，婴幼儿的死亡依然是司空见惯的事情。莎士比亚本人就失去过一个十一岁的儿子，死因很可能是瘟疫。我们能在好几部莎剧的字里行间看到莎士比亚对于幼子的回忆，但他从未直接表达过自己的悲伤。琼森则不然：

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy;

My sin was too much hope of thee, lov'd boy.

Seven years tho' wert lent to me, and I thee pay,

Exacted by thy fate, on the just day.

O, could I lose all father now! For why

Will man lament the state he should envy?

To have so soon 'scap'd world's and flesh's rage,

And if no other misery, yet age?

Rest in soft peace, and, ask'd, say, "Here doth lie

Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry."

For whose sake henceforth all his vows be such,

As what he loves may never like too much.

再见了，如同我右手的孩子，我的快乐；

我的罪是寄予你太多希望，我钟爱的儿子。

这七年，你原本是我借来的，现在要偿还了，

被你的命运如数索回，恰好在这公正的日子。

啊，我能否不再做你的父亲!

这是让人艳羡的好命，为何还要悲悼？

这么快，逃脱了尘世与肉体的蹂躏，

就算没有少受别的苦，至少可以免于衰老？

恬然地安息吧，如果有人问，回答

“这里躺着，本·琼森最好的诗。”

为了自己，以后我所有的誓言都是它，

凡有所爱，不要再喜爱到无休无止。【王敖译】

上一章我们已经见识过了莎士比亚通过十四行诗对性爱进行激烈抨击的情况。琼森虽然同样创作了英国文学史上最甜蜜的几首情诗，但是破口大骂起来同样十分直接：

Doing, a filthy pleasure is, and short;

And done, we straight repent us of the sport:

Let us not then rush blindly on unto it,

Like lustful beasts, that only know to do it:

For lust will languish, and that heat decay.

But thus, thus, keeping endless holiday,

Let us together closely lie and kiss,

There is no labour, nor no shame in this;

This hath pleased, doth please, and long will please; never

Can this decay, but is beginning ever.

做那种事，肮脏的快感，十分短暂

做完之后，立刻后悔得长吁短叹

我们莫要盲目地纵身扑上前去

恰似淫乱的畜生，满脑子只有情欲

情火总会熄灭，欲念总会消失，

可是我们还要度过这无尽的假日

让我们并排躺卧，轻轻亲吻彼此

不必气喘吁吁，不必感到羞耻

过去、现在与将来都有人因此感到开心

纯真的爱情不会衰退，只会历久弥新

尽管琼森是一个属于市井街头的诗人，但是他对于假面舞会的盛大描写以及他本人的诗名还是为他结下了许多宫廷与贵族人脉。事实上他十分擅长驾驭一种自从都铎时代一直延续至今的特别诗情：这种所谓的“乡间宅邸”诗歌是一款特别而又久经雕琢的诗歌甜点，诗人要竭力吹捧某位大地主，在诗文当中暗示此人的田地急于向他献身，橡树急于被砍倒做成家具，野鹿急于被分解成一堆肉排，等等。如此自负的文字既动人又可笑。琼森在这一领域的开创性作品是《致彭斯赫斯特》（To Penshurst），诗中描写的是兰开斯特侯爵罗伯特.西德尼位于肯特郡的庄园。琼斯描绘了一幅和谐优美的乡间景象，物产丰盈，井井有条，恰似鲁本斯的风景画那样鲜活生动。近几年的电视剧《唐顿庄园》正是体现了这种感受。诚然，这种高度理想化的描写看上去很有些粉饰太平的意思，但是无论好坏这种感受都印刻在了英国人集体心理深处：

Thou art not, Penshurst, built to envious show,

Of touch or marble; nor canst boast a row

Of polished pillars, or a roof of gold;

Thou hast no lantern, whereof tales are told,

Or stair, or courts; but stand’st an ancient pile,

And, these grudged at, art reverenced the while.

彭斯赫斯特啊，你并没有招人嫉妒的外表

没有大理石的外墙，也并不能炫耀

抛光的立柱，你的屋顶并非黄金制成

你的门前并未悬挂有故事的灯笼

没有华丽的楼梯与庭院，但并不缺少历史底蕴

即便是不待见你的人也必须满怀敬意地承认。

Thou joy’st in better marks, of soil, of air,

Of wood, of water; therein thou art fair.

Thou hast thy walks for health, as well as sport;

Thy mount, to which the dryads do resort,

Where Pan and Bacchus their high feasts have made,

Beneath the broad beech and the chestnut shade;

在各个方面你都更加优异，土壤更肥沃，空气更清甜

森林更茂密，溪水更活泼，真不愧佳苑美地的头衔

在这里散步或者骑马射猎都很有益健康

不妨登上山丘，去森林仙子的家中观光

潘神与酒神在这里摆下盛大的酒宴

山毛榉与栗子树将宽广的树荫到处铺遍。

That taller tree, which of a nut was set

At his great birth where all the Muses met.

There in the writhèd bark are cut the names

Of many a sylvan, taken with his flames;

And thence the ruddy satyrs oft provoke

The lighter fauns to reach thy Lady’s Oak.

数不清的坚果挂满了这些高大的树冠

孕育果实的丫杈之间，缪斯女神正在作乐寻欢

粗糙的树皮上镌刻着无数姓名

全都来自灵火不灭的林中妖精

面色红润的半人羊经常挑逗

轻盈的妖精们在女神的橡树下逗留。

Thy copse too, named of Gamage, thou hast there,

That never fails to serve thee seasoned deer

When thou wouldst feast or exercise thy friends.

The lower land, that to the river bends,

Thy sheep, thy bullocks, kine, and calves do feed;

The middle grounds thy mares and horses breed.

自然，不能忘记由女主人命名的矮灌木

无论时令总能提供肉味鲜美的野鹿

既可宴请宾朋，又能与他们射猎取乐

曲折的河水从低地上蜿蜒流过

牛羊散落在河边低头饮水

远处的马群身形多么健美。

Each bank doth yield thee conies; and the tops,

Fertile of wood, Ashore and Sidney’s copse,

To crown thy open table, doth provide

The purpled pheasant with the speckled side;

The painted partridge lies in every field,

And for thy mess is willing to be killed.

野兔在河流两岸蹦跳撒欢

物产丰饶的灌木举起树冠

为了主人的餐桌拱手奉上

五彩斑斓的野雉多么漂亮

身披花衣的鹌鹑在田野里蹦跳

等待着主人与宾客将自己吃掉。

And if the high-swollen Medway fail thy dish,

Thou hast thy ponds, that pay thee tribute fish,

Fat aged carps that run into thy net,

And pikes, now weary their own kind to eat,

As loath the second draught or cast to stay,

Officiously at first themselves betray;

Bright eels that emulate them, and leap on land

Before the fisher, or into his hand.

若是田野山间的美味还不够享用

还有深潭清池将各色鲜鱼供奉

肥硕的鲤鱼纷纷投入你的罗网

吃腻了其他水族的狗鱼也赶来捧场

简直等不及渔网再次抛进水中

第一网入水时就殷勤地朝着网里冲

油亮的鳗鱼也有样学样跳出水面

落在渔夫手中面前，将一身好肉奉献。

Then hath thy orchard fruit, thy garden flowers,

Fresh as the air, and new as are the hours.

The early cherry, with the later plum,

Fig, grape, and quince, each in his time doth come;

The blushing apricot and woolly peach

Hang on thy walls, that every child may reach.

果园里的鲜果，花园里的鲜花

如同空气一样新鲜，随时享用随时掐

初夏有樱桃，入秋有甘李

无花果、葡萄与温桲，各安其时，甜美无比

杏子红彤彤，雪梨白得好似羊毛

从墙头垂到地面，小孩子也能伸手够着。

And though thy walls be of the country stone,

They’re reared with no man’s ruin, no man’s groan;

There’s none that dwell about them wish them down;

But all come in, the farmer and the clown,

And no one empty-handed, to salute

Thy lord and lady, though they have no suit.

你的石墙造型虽然在乡间颇为常见

但墙脚根基并非穷人的痛苦与呜咽

没有人诅咒你的厅堂墙壁早日坍塌

农夫与艺人都将这里当成自己的家

没有人会空着双手向男女主表示敬意

尽管这二人并不会让这点小事往心里去。

Some bring a capon, some a rural cake,

Some nuts, some apples; some that think they make

The better cheeses bring them, or else send

By their ripe daughters, whom they would commend

This way to husbands, and whose baskets bear

An emblem of themselves in plum or pear

有人送来了阉鸡，有人送来了土法烘焙的蛋糕

有人带来了苹果，有人带来了流油的核桃

有人觉得自家奶酪或者其他手艺备受街坊好评

送来家常美食的女儿们身材多么成熟丰盈

男女主人会邀请她们的丈夫也来做客

她们的篮子里装着与她们一样甜美的鲜货……