The Babes in the Wood
Now ponder well，you parents deare， 当父母的，一定要深思，
These wordes which I shall write； 我写下的下面这些话；
A doleful story you shall heare， 一个会让你悲伤的故事，
In time brought forth to light. 将展现在你的眼前。
A gentleman of good account， 一位有权势的绅士，
In Norfolke dwelt of late， 住在诺福克。
Who did in honour far surmount， 他的知名度盖过很多
Most men of his estate. 与他同一层次的绅士。
Sore sicke he was，and like to dye， 他得了很重的病，马上要死了，
No helpe his life could save； 他的妻子却是毫无办法；
His wife by him as sicke did lye， 也倒在了他的身边，随他而去，
And both possest one grave. 两人最终同穴而眠。
No love between these two was lost， 他们两人是如此的恩爱，
Each was to other kinde； 总是相敬如宾，和和气气；
In love they liv’d，in love they dyed， 从生至死，彼此深情不改，
And left two babes behinde： 他们身后留下两个孩子：
The one a fine and pretty boy， 一个不满三岁，是个
Not passing three yeares olde； 帅气聪明的小男孩；
The other a girl more young than he 另一个比他小很多，
And fram‘d in beautye’s molde. 是个漂亮的小女孩。
The father left his little son， 大家都能够猜到了：
As plainlye doth appeare， 父亲留下一笔遗产，
When he to perfect age should come 在小儿子成人之前，
Three hundred poundes a yeare. 每年给他三百英磅。
And to his little daughter Jane 小女儿简也有一份，
Five hundred poundes in gold， 五百英磅的金币，
To be paid downe on marriage-day， 但只能在结婚时候取出，
Which might not be controll‘d： 谁也不得擅自动用。
But if the children chanced to dye， 但是还有特别说明，
Ere they to age should come， 如果孩子还未成年，
Their uncle should possesse their wealth； 遭遇罹难突然去世，
For so the wille did run. 这钱将归叔叔所有。
“Now，brother，”said the dying man， “现在，兄弟”垂死的人说，
“Look to my children deare； “请照顾好我亲爱的孩子；
Be good unto my boy and girl， 请一定要善待我的儿女，
No friendes else have they here： 除了你他们已没有亲人
“To God and you I do commend “我把最亲爱的孩儿
My children deare this daye； 托付给上帝和你了；
But little while be sure we have 看样子我们在这世上
Within this world to staye. 已经活不了多久了。
“You must be father and mother both， “你一定要身兼数职，
And uncle all in one； 父亲、母亲和叔叔；
God knowes what will become of them， 神才知道我们死了之后，
When I am dead and gone.” 两个孩子会怎样。“
With that bespake their mother deare：“ 可怜的母亲也接着说道：
O brother kinde，”quoth shee， “好兄弟，”她说，
“You are the man must bring our babes “两个孩子今后是富贵
To wealth or miserie： 还是贫困，就全看你的了：
“And if you keep them carefully， 若是你好好抚养他们，
Then God will you reward； 上帝也会奖励于你；
But if you otherwise should deal， 不过，你若是做了蠢事，
God will your deedes regard.” 上帝自会惩罚于你。”
With lippes as cold as any stone，
They kist the children small：
“God bless you both，my children deare；”
With that the teares did fall.
夫妻俩用石头般冰凉的
双唇吻着俩孩子：
“上帝保佑你们，我可怜的孩子；”
说完眼泪就止不住了。
These speeches then their brother spake 在这对垂危的夫妻面前，
To this sicke couple there： 他们的兄弟说道：
“The keeping of your little ones， “亲爱的姐姐，你不必
Sweet sister，do not feare： 为两个孩子担心：
“God never prosper me nor mine，
Nor aught else that I have，
If I do wrong your children deare，
When you are layd in grave.”
“若是我在你们去世后，
做了什么亏待俩孩子的事，
就让上帝把我和我的孩子，
以及我的一切，全部收走。”
The parents being dead and gone，
The children home he takes，
And bringes them straite unto his house，
Where much of them he makes.
不久后，这对夫妻去世了，
他将孩子带回了家，
领到了他自己的屋里，
并把俩孩子视如己出。
He had not kept these pretty babes 两个可爱漂亮的孩子
A twelvemonth and a daye， 在他家还没住到一年，
But，for their wealth，he did devise 他就对孩子的财产起了祸心，
To make them both awaye. 想办法除去他们。
He bargain’d with two ruffians strong， 于是他收买了两个无赖，
Which were of furious mood， 两个残忍的歹徒，
That they should take the children young，让他们把两个孩子带走，
And slaye them in a wood. 把他们杀死在树林里。
He told his wife an artful tale， 他给妻子编了个巧妙的故事，
He would the children send 说将把俩孩子送走，送到
To be brought up in faire London， 美丽的伦敦，跟他的一位朋友
With one that was his friend. 生活在一起，并在那边长大。
Away then went those pretty babes， 孩子们就这样上路了，
Rejoycing at that tide， 他们听到这个消息都很高兴，
Rejoycing with a merry minde， 心中充满憧憬，
They should on cock-horse ride. 以为自己很快应该可以骑上木马。
They prate and prattle pleasantly 孩子们并不知道护送他们的人
As they rode on the waye， 竟会是要害他们的凶手，
To those that should their butchers be，要杀死他们，一路上高兴异常，
And work their lives‘decaye： 嘻嘻哈哈地跟他们说笑。
So that the pretty speeche they had，
Made murderers’heart relent：
And they that undertooke the deed，
Full sore did now repent.
他们说的一些可爱的事情
让凶手的心慢慢温暖：
这些受命办事的人
顿然悔悟，心里一阵酸楚。
Yet one of them，more hard of heart， 但有一个凶手的心肠很硬，
Did vow to do his charge， 坚决要执行命令，
Because the wretch，that hired him， 因为他们的雇主，
Had paid him very large. 给了他一笔很可观的报酬。
The other would not agree thereto， 另一个却不赞同他如此做，
So here they fell to strife； 因此他们便起了冲突，
With one another they did fight， 为了两个孩子的生死，
About the children‘s life： 两个人大打出手。
And he that was of mildest mood，
Did slaye the other there，
Within an unfrequented wood，
Where babes did quake for feare！
那个心肠软的人，
在那里杀死了另一个人，
在这片人迹罕至的树林，
两个孩子见状吓得浑身发抖！
He took the children by the hand，
While teares stood in their eye，
And bade them come and go with him，
And look they did not crye：
他牵着两个孩子的手，
看到他们眼噙泪水，
他让孩子们跟他一起走，
孩子们却并没有哭。
And two long miles he ledd them on，
While they for food complaine：
“Stay here，”quoth he，“I’ll bring ye bread，
When I come back againe.”
他领着孩子走了两英里，
这时候孩子们说饿了。
“待在这儿，”他说，
“我去给你们带点面包回来。”
These prettye babes，with hand in hand，
Went wandering up and downe；
But never more they sawe the man
Approaching from the town.
两个可爱的孩子，手牵着手，
在四周逛来逛去；
可是他们就再也没有看到
那个人从镇上回来。
Their prettye lippes with blackberries 他们可爱的小嘴巴被
Were all besmear‘d and dyed； 黑莓染得黑乎乎的，
And when they sawe the darksome night， 天很快就黑了下来，
They sat them downe and cryed. 他们坐在地上呜呜哭起来。
Thus wandered these two prettye babes，
Till death did end their grief；
In one another’s armes they dyed，
As babes wanting relief.
两个可爱的孩子就这样逛啊逛，
一直到死亡结束了他们的悲伤；
他们彼此躺在对方的怀里面，
好像两个永远睡不饱的孩子。
No burial these prettye babes 没有人埋葬这两个
Of any man receives， 可爱的孩子，直到红胸脯
Till Robin-redbreast painfully 的怀着沉痛心情的知更鸟，
Did cover them with leaves. 把他们的身体用落叶覆盖。