the unseen world and other essays-第54章
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。 To him it savours of the grotesque； and if there is any one thing especially to be avoided in the interpretation of Dante； it is grotesqueness。
＇41＇ A consummate Italian scholar； the delicacy of whose taste is questioned by no one； and whose knowledge of Dante's diction is probably not inferior to Mr。 Longfellow's； has told me that he regards the expression as a noble and effective one； full of dignity and solemnity。
Those who have read over Dante without reading into him； and those who have derived their impressions of his poem from M。 Dore's memorable illustrations； will here probably demur。 What！ Dante not grotesque！ That tunnel…shaped structure of the infernal pit； Minos passing sentence on the damned by coiling his tail； Charon beating the lagging shades with his oar； Antaios picking up the poets with his fingers and lowering them in the hollow of his hand into the Ninth Circle； Satan crunching in his monstrous jaws the arch…traitors； Judas； Brutus and Cassius； Ugolino appeasing his famine upon the tough nape of Ruggieri； Bertrand de Born looking （if I may be allowed the expression） at his own dissevered head； the robbers exchanging form with serpents； the whole demoniac troop of Malebolge；are not all these things grotesque beyond everything else in poetry？ To us； nurtured in this scientific nineteenth century； they doubtless seem so； and by Leigh Hunt； who had the eighteenth…century way of appreciating other ages than his own； they were uniformly treated as such。 To us they are at first sight grotesque； because they are no longer real to us。 We have ceased to believe in such things； and they no longer awaken any feeling akin to terror。 But in the thirteenth century； in the minds of Dante and his readers； they were living； terrible realities。 That Dante believed literally in all this unearthly world； and described it with such wonderful minuteness because he believed in it； admits of little doubt。 As he walked the streets of Verona the people whispered； 〃See； there is the man who has been in hell！〃 Truly； he had been in hell； and described it as he had seen it； with the keen eyes of imagination and faith。 With all its weird unearthliness； there is hardly another book in the whole range of human literature which is marked with such unswerving veracity as the 〃Divine Comedy。〃 Nothing is there set down arbitrarily； out of wanton caprice or for the sake of poetic effect； but because to Dante's imagination it had so imposingly shown itself that he could not but describe it as he saw it。 In reading his cantos we forget the poet； and have before us only the veracious traveller in strange realms； from whom the shrewdest cross…examination can elicit but one consistent account。 To his mind； and to the mediaeval mind generally； this outer kingdom； with its wards of Despair； Expiation； and Beatitude； was as real as the Holy Roman Empire itself。 Its extraordinary phenomena were not to be looked on with critical eyes and called grotesque； but were to be seen with eyes of faith； and to be worshipped； loved； or shuddered at。 Rightly viewed； therefore； the poem of Dante is not grotesque； but unspeakably awful and solemn； and the statement is justified that all grotesqueness and bizarrerie in its interpretation is to be sedulously avoided。
Therefore； while acknowledging the accuracy with which Mr。 Longfellow has kept pace with his original through line after line； following the 〃footing of its feet；〃 according to the motto quoted on his title…page； I cannot but think that his accuracy would have been of a somewhat higher kind if he had now and then allowed himself a little more liberty of choice between English and Romanic words and idioms。
A few examples will perhaps serve to strengthen as well as to elucidate still further this position。
〃Inferno；〃 Canto III。； line 22； according to Longfellow：
〃There sighs； complaints； and ululations loud Resounded through the air without a star； Whence I at the beginning wept thereat。〃
According to Cary：
〃Here sighs； with lamentations and loud moans Resounded through the air pierced by no star； That e'en I wept at entering。〃
According to Parsons：
〃Mid sighs； laments； and hollow howls of woe； Which； loud resounding through the starless air； Forced tears of pity from mine eyes at first。〃＇42＇
＇42＇ 〃Quivi sospiri； pianti ed alti guai Risonavan per l' ner senza stelle； Perch' io al cominciar ne lagrimai。〃
Canto V。； line 84：
LONGFELLOW。〃Fly through the air by their volition borne。〃 CARY。〃Cleave the air； wafted by their will along。〃 PARSONS。〃Sped ever onward by their wish alone。〃＇43＇
＇43＇ 〃Volan per l' aer dal voler portate。〃
Canto XVII。； line 42：
LONGFELLOW。〃That he concede to us his stalwart shoulders。〃 CARY〃That to us he may vouchsafe The aid of his strong shoulders。〃 PARSONS。〃And ask for us his shoulders' strong support。〃＇44＇
＇44＇ 〃Che ne conceda i suoi omeri forti。〃
Canto XVII。； line 25：
LONGFELLOW。 〃His tail was wholly quivering in the void； Contorting upwards the envenomed fork That in the guise of scorpion armed its point。〃 CARY。 〃In the void Glancing； his tail upturned its venomous fork； With sting like scorpions armed。〃
PARSONS。〃In the void chasm his trembling tail he showed； As up the envenomed； forked point he swung； Which； as in scorpions； armed its tapering end。〃＇45＇
＇45＇ 〃Nel vano tutta sue coda guizzava； Torcendo in su la venenosa forca； Che； a guisa di scorpion； la punta armava。〃
Canto V。； line 51：
LONGFELLOW。〃People whom the black air so castigates。 CARY。〃By the black air so scourged。〃＇46＇
＇46＇ 〃Genti che l' aura nera si gastiga。〃
Line 136：
LONGFELLOW。〃Kissed me upon the mouth all palpitating。〃 CARY。〃My lips all trembling kissed。〃＇47＇
＇47＇ 〃La bocca mi bacio tutto tremante。〃
〃Purgatorio；〃 Canto XV。； line 139：
LONGFELLOW。 〃We passed along； athwart the twilight peering Forward as far as ever eye could stretch Against the sunbeams serotine and lucent。〃＇48＇
＇48＇ 〃Noi andavam per lo vespero attenti Oltre； quanto potean gli occhi allungarsi； Contra i raggi serotini e lucenti。〃
Mr。 Cary's 〃bright vespertine ray〃 is only a trifle better； but Mr。 Wright's 〃splendour of the evening ray〃 is； in its simplicity； far preferable。
Canto XXXI。； line 131：
LONGFELLOW。〃Did the other three advance Singing to their angelic saraband。〃
CARY。〃To their own carol on they came Dancing； in festive ring angelical 〃
WRIGHT。〃And songs accompanied their angel dance。〃
Here Mr。 Longfellow has apparently followed the authority of the Crusca； reading
〃Cantando al loro angelico carribo；〃
and translating carribo by saraband； a kind of Moorish dance。 The best manuscripts； however； sanction M。 Witte's reading：
〃Danzando al loro angelico carribo。〃
If this be correct； carribo cannot signify 〃a dance；〃 but rather 〃the song which accompanies the dance〃； and the true sense of the passage will have been best rendered by Mr。 Cary。＇49＇
＇49＇ See Blanc； Vocabolario Dantesco； s。 v。 〃caribo。〃
Whenever Mr。 Longfellow's translation is kept free from oddities of diction and construction； it is very animated and vigorous。 Nothing can be finer than his rendering of 〃Purgatorio；〃 Canto VI。； lines 97…117：
〃O German Albert！ who abandonest Her that has grown recalcitrant and savage； And oughtest to bestride her saddle…bow；
May a just judgment from the stars down fall Upon thy blood； and be it new and open； That thy successor may have fear thereof：
Because thy father and thyself have suffered； By greed of those transalpine lands distrained； The garden of the empire to be waste。
Come and behold Montecchi and Cappelletti； Monaldi and Filippeschi； careless man！ Those sad already； and these doubt…depressed！
Come； cruel one！ come and behold the oppression Of thy nobility； and cure their wounds； And thou shalt see how safe ＇？＇ is Santafiore。
Come and behold thy Rome that is lamenting； Widowed； alone； and day and night exclaims 'My Caesar； why hast thou forsaken me？'
Come and behold how loving are the people
