亚伯拉罕·达文波特

'T was on a May day of the far old year

Seventeen hundred eighty，that there fell

Over the bloom and sweet life of the Spring，

Over the fresh earth and the heaven of noon，

A horror of great darkness，like the night

In day of which the Norland sagas tell，

The Twilight of the Gods.

The low-hung sky

Was black with ominous clouds，save where its rim

Was fringed with a dull glow，like that which climbs

The crater's sides from the red hell below.

Birds ceased to sing，and all the barnyard fowls

Roosted；the cattle at the pasture bars

Lowed，and looked homeward；bats on leathern wings

Flitted abroad；the sounds of labor died；

Men prayed，and women wept；all ears grew sharp

To hear the doom blast of the trumpet shatter

The black sky，that the dreadful face of Christ

Might look from the rent clouds，not as he looked

A loving guest at Bethany，but stern

As Justice and inexorable Law.

Meanwhile in the old Statehouse，dim as ghosts，

Sat the lawgivers of Connecticut，

Trembling beneath their legislative robes.

“It is the Lord's Great Day！Let us adjourn，”

Some said；and then，as if with one accord，

All eyes were turned to Abraham Davenport.

He rose，slow-cleaving with his steady voice

The intolerable hush.“This well may be

The Day of Judgment which the world awaits；

But be it so or not，I only know

My present duty，and my Lord's command

To occupy till he come.So at the post

Where he bath set me in his providence，

I choose，for one，to meet him face to face，

No faithless servant frightened from my task，

But ready when the Lord of the harvest calls；

And therefore，with all reverence，I would say，

Let God do his work，we will see to ours.

Bring in the candles.”And they brought them in.

Then by the flaring lights the Speaker read，

Albeit with husky voice and shaking hands，

An act to amend an act to regulate

The shad and alewive fisheries.Whereupon，

Wisely and well spake Abraham Davenport，

Straight to the question，with no figures of speech

Save the ten Arab signs，yet not without

The shrewd，dry humor natural to the man:

His awe-struck colleagues listening all the while，

Between the pauses of his argument，

To hear the thunder of the wrath of God

Break from the hollow trumpet of the cloud.

And there he stands in memory to this day，

Erect，self-poised，a rugged face，half seen

Against the background of unnatural dark，

A witness to the ages as they pass，

That simple duty hath no place for fear.

译文　TRANSLATION

在那遥远往昔——

1780年5月的某天，

一片骇人的巨大的黑暗

覆盖了春日的甜美与繁花

覆盖了清新的大地和正午的天空

恰似北国传奇中

那白昼的深夜、诸神的黄昏。

低垂的天空

满是不祥的乌云，

在云的边缘镶着黯淡的光，

像从殷红的地狱坑凹里爬出。

鸟儿停止了歌唱，场院里的鸡都躲进窝里，

栏边的牛群望着它们的家，在“哞哞”低叫；

蝙蝠张着翅膀飞远；劳作的声音归于死寂；

男人在祈祷，女人在哭泣；大家都在谛听

喇叭宿命的爆响震碎墨色的天空，耶稣的圣容

出现在云间，他是那般肃穆，

全不似在贝瑟妮看到亲爱的挚友，

而是冷峻如正义，严苛似律法。

这时，在古旧的议会大厦，幽暗如鬼魂，

坐着康涅狄克州的立法者们，

他们的身躯在法袍下战果。

“这是上帝的伟大时辰！且让我们暂时休庭”，

有人如是说。话音未落，众人把目光一起

投向亚伯拉罕·达文波特。

只见他起身，以沉稳的声音打破难忍的沉默，

“今天也许就是世人等待的‘审判日’；

无论是抑或不是，我只知自己现下的责任

和我主之命——在他所许的位置上，静立、等待他的莅临。

我愿面对面与他相会——不忠的仆人将因这一任务而胆寒。

当收获之神呼唤我，我已准备好；于是，满带着敬畏，我说，

让上帝的工作归于上帝，而我们将检视我们自己的成果。

请把蜡烛拿进，”随之，他们将蜡烛拿进。

大法官就着明亮的烛光宣读鲱鱼捕捞规定的修正案，

倘若声音不那么枯涩、手不那样抖，多好！

对此，亚伯拉罕·达文波特有精辟的讲说，

切中要害，既不搬弄辞藻，也不烦琐论证，

而有着练达、出自天性的幽默。

他充满敬畏的同事凝神倾听，

在他论证的间隙，仿佛听到

上帝愤怒的雷霆，从云的号角中喷薄而出。

直到今天他仍屹立于记忆中，

挺拔、超然；在不自然的阴暗的背景烘托下，

嶙峋的面庞若明若暗。

宛如岁月的见证——简单的职责没有疑惧的位置。