桂花谣 双语诗歌

桂花谣

The  Osmanthus Ballad

作者：何武

Translated by：He Wu;  Sarah Higbee-Tindell

如果你的鼻子足够灵敏，

If your nose is keen,

月近中秋时，

You will immediately smell our  fragrance

你一定会早早闻到我们优雅的气味。

As the Mid-autumn Day approaches.

如果你的视力不是很糟糕，

If your vision is not so bad,

月近中秋时，

You will definitely not miss our  elegance

你一定不会错过我们娇俏的身影。

When  we begin to emerge.

每到中秋时节，

Around the Mid-autumn days, you  can see

除了稻穗的澄黄、菊花的苍黄，

Not only the yellow of  chrysanthemums and rice grains,

碧绿的树梢间，

But also our clusters of golden  yellow

还会簇拥出一粒粒细微的金黄。

Among the leaves of green.

每到中秋时节，

What you enjoy on Mid-autumn Day

除了明澈的圆月、软糯的糕饼，

Are not only the clear, full moon  and delicious cakes,

静谧的庭院里，

But also a sweet aroma

还会飘拂着一丝丝甜蜜的幽香。

Wafting over the tranquil  courtyard.

没错，那就是我和我的小伙伴们。

You’re right, that’s me and my  friends.

我们是花中的精灵——

We are the fairy of flowers —

学名木樨的桂花天香。

Guihua trees with the Latin name Osmanthus.

我们遍布大江南北，

We are found across the whole  country,

我们绿化着庭院和路廊。

We are greening both courtyards and  roads.

除了造型和荫凉，

In addition to beautifying and  shading,

我们更有不一样的担当。

We also shoulder a special duty:

为了营造中秋的氛围，

To create an atmosphere for the Mid-autumn  Festival.

我们总会把积蓄一年的美丽，

At this time, we will release the  beauty

尽情地绽放。

We have accumulated all year  round.

我们有的洁白，有的淡黄。

Some of us are crisp white, some  are pale yellow,

我们也会红烁若金，

Yet others golden red,

碧绿间透出一片晶亮。

Shimmering as crystal among green  leaves.

好看可不是我们唯一的特长，

Looking good, however, is not our  only strength.

我们更有沁人心脾的芬芳。

We are even more proud of our  fragrant scent.

每到绽放的季节，

Every year in our blooming season,

人类对我们的赞颂中，

The highest compliment for us

听到最多的就是“天呐，真香。”

Is “My goodness, what a heavenly  smell!”

天有不测风云，

Storms might come unexpectedly from  any direction,

月有阴晴圆缺。

And the moon will wax and wane.

有些年头，我们会盛开怒放，

Some years, we will bloom fiercely;

有些年头，我们会斯文谦让。

Some years, we are not so  vigorous.

纵有大年小年，但总不至于，

It’s expected with these ups and  downs,

开花的时节即将过完，

But what’s unexpected is, this  year,

却还一朵也不开放。

The season is ending with no bloom  at all.

奇怪啊，奇怪，

So strange, totally strange,

今年的桂花，

This year’s Guihua trees

真的就像中了魔咒一样。

Seem to have been cursed!

很显然，

Without a doubt,

这已给人类带来了困惑与烦恼。

This has brought distress to  humanity.

但我们，

But we Osmanthus,

难道就没有自己的痛苦和忧伤？

Don’t we have our own pain and  panic?

且听听：

Once one could rhyme:

“桂树开出金银花，

“Guihua blooms with silver and  gold,

秋风一吹香万家。”

Its fragrance intoxicating every household.”

这是多么美丽的童谣，

How beautiful it sounds, this  nursery rhyme,

可一夜间，

But overnight,

童谣竟已被谣言取代：

It has been replaced by rumors:

有人说，“天有异象或有异事”

“Anomalies in nature mean calamity  in the future.”

有人说，“桂花不开必有大灾”

“Guihua’s failure to bloom signals  a coming doom.”

这些荒唐的“预言”，

All those “prophecies”

及其背后的阴谋论调，

And whispered conspiracies,

着实让人毛骨悚然。

Send a chill down peoples’ spines.

天气异常，

Because of the unusual weather

花儿不开，

And the consequent lack of bloom,

我们本已遭受深深的伤害。

We Guihua trees have suffered a  deep harm.

愚蠢也好，

Once the rumors get to spreading,

险恶也罢，

Passed by people foolish,

谣言一经传播，

Or treacherous,

无异于对我们的二次伤害。

We are hurt a second time.

其实呀，

In truth and fact,

桂花不开的背后，

There is no conspiracy or plot at  all,

哪有什么阴谋。

Behind our absence this year.

如果实在要说一个谋字，

If I really have to say a word of conspiracy,

倒不如说，这是一个阳谋。

Then likely, it might be an open  conspiracy.

因为啊，

Because, of course,

这前后的因果关系，

The causal relationship between  “this” and “that”

实在是清清楚楚。

Is really crystal clear.

眼见着，

Just before our eyes,

人类的数量一直在持续增长，

The human population has been  growing incessantly,

人类的欲望似乎也是一口

Human beings’ desire, too,  seemingly,

永远都填不满的深井。

Is a deep ravine that can never be  filled.

气温日益升高，

Temperatures are rising endlessly;

伏旱连绵不断。

Droughts go on for weeks and  weeks.

难以承载的地球上，

On this earth that is long since overladen,

正在承受的，

What is suffering tragedies

又岂止我们桂花之殇。

Is not only us Osmanthus.

君不见，

Don’t you see

校园里高大的栾树，

The Goldenrain trees looming on campus?

本是开学季里气氛的担当，

As the loudest voice to welcome new students each fall,

它们不也是偃旗息鼓，憔悴凄惶？

They’re now disheartened with  failure to bloom.

如果人类还不及时收敛，

If humans do not behave better  immediately,

如果还是那么贪婪乖张，

If their greed remains so  insatiable,

不仅今年我们无花可开，

Forget about this years’ bloom,

恐怕不久的将来，

In the near future, I’m afraid,

我们更会彻底地消亡。

We might perish completely.

聪明的人类啊，

Intelligent humans,

请尽快回归应有的理性，

Please be quick to return to your  rationality,

动用一下你们科学的大脑。

And make use of your scientific  brain.

让大家的生活再简朴一些，

Urge people to live a simple life,

让人们的观念再环保一点，

Urge people to be more friendly to  the environment,

让地球的热度再降一降。

And hence help the earth to lower  its temperature.

若真能如此，

If you can do this,

这所谓的“异象”，

The so-called “anomalies in nature”  

就会越来越少；

would gradually decrease;

桂花不开的谣言，

And the rumors concerning Osmanthus  

也就没有了市场。

Would become groundless.

君不见，

Don’t you see it?

当直射的阳光逐渐南移，

As the sun gradually moves  southward,

当甘霖般的雨水终于普降，

As the rain finally comes pouring  down,

当辛勤的园丁将晒坏的花苗重新种上，

As gardeners begin to replant  seared seedlings,

我们桂花，虽然姗姗来迟，

We Osmanthus trees, although a  little too late,

不也正在一朵一朵地抢救性登场？

Are doing our best to bring you  our bloom.

我们相信，

We believe,

随着人类环保意识的逐渐增强，

If people care more about the environment,

随着地球回归温暖与阴凉，

When the earth returns to its  livability,

在浩瀚的星空中，

In the vast universe of stars,

在那颗

On this planet

有陆地、有海洋、氤氲晶亮的星球上，

With its land and ocean, misty and  sparkling,

再到中秋时，

During the Mid-autumn days,

你一定能够再次看到——

You will definitely see again —

桂花的怒放。

The vigorous blooming of Osmanthus.

到那时，

By then,

满怀丰收喜悦的人们，

Filled with the joy of harvest,

手捧月饼，心向月光，

Mooncakes in hand, facing the full  moon,

身披清凉的秋风，

You will be enjoying the cool  breeze,

耳听快乐的虫鸣，

And the insects’ joyful chirps.

环绕你的鼻翼，

Encircling your nose,

必定还有，

You’re certain to smell a good  scent,

我们送来的一缕清香！

So fragrant, presented by us, Osmanthus!