他在学校经受挑选的伙伴想
他长大后肯定会出名:
琢磨着同样的念头，他过起有序的生活,
他整个二十岁的年代被苦干填塞;
‘然后呢？’柏拉图的鬼魂唱, ‘然后呢？’
他所写下的一切都有人阅读,
熬过一定的年头后他赚得了
足够他开销的钱数,
也得到些真正值得一交的朋友;
‘然后呢？’柏拉图的鬼魂唱, ‘然后呢？’
所有他更令人欢欣的梦想都成真---
一栋小房屋, 妻子, 儿女,
还有空地，生长着李树和卷心菜。
诗人和智士们围着他转；
‘然后呢？ ’ 柏拉图的鬼魂唱, ‘然后呢？ ’
‘工作已经完成，’他在衰老中想，
‘依据的是我少年时代的理想；
让傻瓜去激动吧， 我无动于衷，
将一切做到至臻完美；’
但是鬼魂越唱越高‘然后呢？’
译于2001，3，6，
What then?
His chosen comrades thought at school
He must grow a famous man:
He thought the same and lived by rule,
All his twenties crammed with toil;
'What then?' sang Plato's ghost, 'what then?'
Everything he wrote was read,
After certain years he won
Sufficient money for his need,
Friends that have been friends indeed;
'What then?' sang Plato's ghost, 'what then?'
All his happier dreams came true--
A small old house, wife, daughter, son,
Grounds where plum and cabbage grew,
Poets and Wits about him drew;
'What then?' sang Plato's ghost, 'what then?'
'The work is done,'grown old he thought,
'According to my boyish plan;
Let the fool rage, I swerved in nought,
Something to perfection brought;'
But louder sang that ghost 'What then?'
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