The Slaver in the broad lagoon

Lay moored with idle sail;

He waited for the rising moon

And for the evening gale.

奴隸販子把帆船停在

寬闊的咸水湖中;

他要等待上升的月亮,

等待黃昏的海風(fēng).

2

Under the shore his boat was tied,

And all her listless crew

Watched the gray alligator slide，

Into the still bayou.

他的船拴在岸邊,那一群

無精打采的水手

注視著一條灰白的鱷魚

游入靜靜的湖口.

3

Odours of orange-flowers and spice

Reached them from time to time,

Like the airs that breathing from

Paradise

Upon a world of crime.

橙花和豆蔻的陣陣香氣

飄送到他們身邊,

有如天國(guó)的仙風(fēng)裊裊

吹到罪惡的人間.

4

The Planter, under his roof of thatch,

Smoked thoughtfully and slow;

The Slaver’s thumb was on the latch,

He seemed in haste to go.

棕葉蓋頂?shù)奈堇?農(nóng)場(chǎng)主

想著心事,抽著煙;

奴隸販子,象急著要走,

大拇指按著門閂.

He said, “My ship at anchor rides

In yonder broad lagoon;

I only wait the evening tides

And the rising of the moon.”

他說:"我的帆船就停在

寬闊的咸水湖上;

我只等著晚上的潮水,

等著上升的月亮."

6

Before them, with her face upraised,

In timid attitude,

Like one half curious, half amazed,

A Quadroon maiden stood.

他們面前,仰臉站著的

是一個(gè)混血女郎,

有幾分好奇,有幾分害怕

怯生生可憐模樣.

7

Her eyes were large and full of light,

Her arms and neck were bare;

No garment she wore save a kirtle bright,

And her own long, raven hair.

她脖子、胳臂露在外邊,

一雙眼又亮又大;

身上除了那鮮明的袍子,

只披著長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的黑發(fā).

8

And on her lips there played a smile，

As holy, meek, and faint,

As lights in some cathedral aisle

The features of a saint.

一絲笑意浮現(xiàn)在唇邊,

圣潔、溫柔、恬淡,

有如教堂廊道的燈火,

有如圣者的容顏.

“The soil is barren,——the farm is old;”

The thoughtful Planter said;

Then looked upon the Slaver’s gold,

And then upon the maid.

農(nóng)場(chǎng)主想著心事,叨咕著:

"這農(nóng)場(chǎng),地老,田荒;"

他看看奴隸販子的金子,

又看看身邊的女郎.

10

His heart within him was at strife

With such accursed gains;

For he knew whose passions gave her life,

Whose blood ran in her veins.

他心里有斗爭(zhēng),曉得是罪孽:

只有他,才最了解

是誰的情欲給了她生命,

他的血管里流著誰的血.

11

But the voice of nature was too weak;

He took the glittering gold!

Then pale as death grew the maiden’s cheek;

Her hands as icy cold.

可是天性的呼聲太微弱,

他抓起亮晶晶的黃金!

女郎的雙頰死一樣慘白,

他兩手冷得象冰.

12

The Slaver led her from the door,

He led her by the hand,

To be his slave and paramour

In a strange and distant land!

奴隸販子拉著她的手,

把她拉出了門口,

帶她去隔山隔海的異鄉(xiāng),

當(dāng)他的奴隸和姘頭!