散文：A precious - moulde

A precious - mouldering¹ pleasure - 'tis -

To meet an Antique Book -

In just the Dress his Century wore -

A privilege - I think -

 

His venerable Hand to take -

And warming in our own -

A passage back - or two - to make -

To Times when he - was young -

 

His quaint² opinions - to inspect -

His thought to ascertain³

On Themes concern our mutual⁴ mind -

The Literature of Man -

 

What interested Scholars - most -

What Competitions ran -

When Plato - was a Certainty -

And Sophocles - a Man -

 

When Sappho - was a living Girl -

And Beatrice wore

The Gown that Dante - deified -

Facts Centuries before

 

He traverses - familiar -

As One should come to Town -

And tell you all your Dreams - were true -

He lived - where Dreams were born -

 

His presence is Enchantment⁵ -

You beg him not to go -

Old Volume shake their Vellum Heads

And tantalize⁶ - just so -

 

In this poem, Emily frames an antique book as an elderly traveler from times past by using such descriptions as, "the Dress his Century wore-" and "Old Volumes shake their Vellum Heads-", and gives the book a 'time machine'-like ability to transport the readers to its own era, which is entirely⁷ magical. She demonstrates her esteem⁸ of the old book she is reading by polite pronouncements, for example, "A privilege- I think" to make acquaintance with the book, or her assertion that, "His presence is Enchantment". The contradiction between "mouldering" and "pleasure" in her praise serves to reinforce that the book's age is no detriment⁹ to her ability to learn from and enjoy its company; in fact, it is an asset. 

 

And she refers to old legends of literature, and mentions luminaries¹⁰ such as Plato from the 10th century BCE, Sappho from the 7th century BCE, and Dante from the 14th century CE instead of more recent authors to stress the great age and experience of the books from which she seeks wisdom. Those old voices speak truths that still hold today.

 

一种正在衰退的珍贵的快乐

是遭遇一本古老的书，

他恰恰穿着那个世纪的打扮；

我认为，这是一种特权，

 

他庄严的手握在

我们手中，变得温暖，

一两个段落，通向

他青春年少的时代。

 

去探察他奇特的想法，

去揭开他奥秘的知识

那古老的文学，

和我们的思想有什么关联。

 

是什么使学者最感兴趣，

举行过什么样的竞赛

当柏拉图是一个必然，

而索福克勒斯是个人；

 

当萨福还是个活泼的少女，

而贝亚特里齐穿着

但丁崇拜的长袍。

若干世纪前的事实

 

他了解得非常详细，

如同一个人来到镇上

告诉你，你所有的梦都是真的：

他生活在梦诞生的地方。

 

他的存在让人着魔，

你恳求他不要离开；

而古书摇着他们上等皮纸的脑袋

逗引着你，不过如此。

1 mouldering   

v.腐朽( moulder的现在分词 )；腐烂，崩塌

参考例句：

• The room smelt of disuse and mouldering books. 房间里有一股长期不用和霉烂书籍的味道。
• Every mouldering stone was a chronicle. 每块崩碎剥落的石头都是一部编年史。 来自辞典例句

2 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

3 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

4 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

5 enchantment   

n.迷惑，妖术，魅力

参考例句：

• The beauty of the scene filled us with enchantment.风景的秀丽令我们陶醉。
• The countryside lay as under some dread enchantment.乡村好像躺在某种可怖的魔法之下。

6 tantalize   

vt.使干着急，逗弄

参考例句：

• The boy would come into the room and tantalize the dog with his feed.那个男孩会到房间里拿狗食逗弄狗。
• He tried to tantalize me by revealing that the Soviet Union was prepared to discuss a package deal.他想要逗弄我，于是就露出口风说，苏联愿意讨论一揽子交易。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 esteem   

n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。

9 detriment   

n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源

参考例句：

• Smoking is a detriment to one's health.吸烟危害健康。
• His lack of education is a serious detriment to his career.他的未受教育对他的事业是一种严重的妨碍。

10 luminaries   

n.杰出人物，名人（luminary的复数形式）

参考例句：

• In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 亚14:6那日、必没有光．三光必退缩。 来自互联网
• Includes household filament light bulbs & luminaries. 包括家用的白炙灯泡和光源。 来自互联网