致终将远行的孩子

On Children

爱阅读-《先知》 by 纪伯伦

翻译

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, speak to us of Children.

一个怀抱婴儿的女人说道：请为我们谈谈孩子吧

And he said:

于是他说：

Your children are not your children.

你们的孩子并不是你们的孩子

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

他们是生命对自身的渴望而生出的子女

They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

他们通过你们来到这个世界，但并不是从你们的生命中来，他们和你们生活在一起，却并不属于你

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts.

你可以给他们爱，但是不能控制他们的思想，因为他们有自己的思想

You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

你们只是让他们的身体在你们的房子里，并不是灵魂，因为他们的灵魂栖息于明日之屋，即使在梦中，你们也不能造访

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

你可以尽力变得和他们相像，但不能让他们和你相像

For life gose not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

因为生命不会倒退，也不会滞留于往昔

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

你们是弓，而你们的孩子则是正在弦上准备射出的生命之箭

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and he bends you with his might that his arrows may go swift and far.

射手能看见无涯之路上树立的目标，他会用神力将你们的弓拉满，让箭矢迅疾地射向远方

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness, for even as he loves the arrow that flies, so he loves also the bow that is stable.

请你们在那被拉满的弯曲中感受喜乐吧，因为射手既爱那飞出的箭，也爱那静止的弓

生词统计

单词	音标	翻译
bosom	'bʊzəm	n. 胸、胸怀、胸襟； v. 怀抱、把...藏在心中； adj. 知心的、亲密的； n. 人名、博索姆
dwell	dwɛl	v. 居住、存在于、细想某事
strive	straɪv	v. 努力、奋斗、抗争
seek	sik	v. 寻求、寻找、探索、搜索
tarries	'tæri	n. 逗留； v. 等候、逗留、耽搁
bow	baʊ	n. 弓、鞠躬、船首； v. 鞠躬、弯腰； adj. 弯曲的
archer	'ɑrtʃɚ	n. 弓箭手
bend	bɛnd	v. 使弯曲、使屈服、使朝向； n. 弯曲

原文阅读

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, speak to us of Children.

And he said:

Your Children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life gose not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and he bends you with his might that his arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness, for even as he loves the arrow that flies, so he loves also the bow that is stable.

纪·哈·纪伯伦（Kahlil Gibran），黎巴嫩诗人、画家、被称为‘体术天才’、‘黎巴嫩文坛骄子’，代表作品有《我的心灵告诫我》《先知》《论友谊》等。纪伯伦是阿拉伯文学的主要奠基人，爱与美是其作品的主旋律。