——这是一首叙事诗，诗中讲的是父母临终前把撫养子女的责任托付给弟弟，而他的弟弟，也就是小孩的叔叔，为了得到哥哥的遗产，把两个小孩遗弃在森林里，使他们不幸死亡。但是天网恢恢，疏而不漏，善有善报，恶有恶报，叔叔罗宾.
知更鸟，也没有得到好下场。此前译过的《孩提梦影》这篇隽永的散文，就是从这首叙事诗演绎出來的。现依其意大致翻译于后。
林中小孩
为人父母，请好好想想我说的这些话。
你们听到的是一个悲惨的故事。
现在把它推演到诸位的前面，让它爆光。
一位有名望的绅士，在诺福克附近居住，
他的财产远在多数人之上，十分荣光。
***
他病得很重，生不如死，
因为他的生命已无法挽救。
他的妻子躺在他身边也因重病濒临死亡，
夫妻两人爱情永驻，
愿共一个墓穴下葬。
生时同衾，死后同穴，
留下两个婴儿谁来抚养？
***
一个男婴不到三岁，长得又好又漂亮。
女婴比哥哥还要小，似乎是美女模子里装裱出来的一样。
十分明显，当他长大到成年，
一年有三百英镑。
***
他的小女儿珍妮，
结婚日要付给她黄金五百磅。
这筆财产小孩子不能掌控，
如果孩子不幸死亡，
在他们有生之年以前，
他们的叔叔可以拥有他们的财产。
因为遗嘱写的就是这
样。
***
'我的好弟弟，'临终前哥哥说，
'照料好我可爱的孩子，
善待我的男孩与女儿，
他们没有別的朋友，
我向上帝推荐你來撫养。
亲爱的，我的孩子，
我留在这个世界上已没有多长时间。
***
'你既要当爸，也要当妈，
又是叔叔，三副担子一人担。
天知道他们将來会怎样。
我死了之后，
与他们亲爱的母亲长眠。
'啊，善良的小叔子，'她早就这样对你说过，
'你是必须把我们的宝贝带大的人，
是富有还是悲惨全仰仗于你呀！'
***
'我的好弟弟，'垂死的人说，
'照料好我的孩子，
善待我的儿子和女儿。
他们没有别的朋友，
我已经向上帝推荐你叔來撫养。
今天，我的亲爱的孩子，
我确信我们在这个世界上共同生活不会有太长的时间。
***
如果你精心照料他们，
上帝会赏赐于你。
如果你不这样做，
上帝也会尊重你的行为。
双唇冰凉如石头，轻轻地吻着他们的孩子。
'上帝保佑你们，我的亲爱的孩子。“
眼泪隨着流了下來。
***
听了这些话，小叔子开口了。
对这生病的两口子说，
`会照看好你们的孩子，好嫂子，不必害怕。
上帝从來没有让我兴旺发达，
我一无所有，
你们躺在坟墓里，
我怎么会错待你们的孩子！'
***
父母都逝去了，小叔子领着两个孩子径直回到自己的家。
他为他们做了很多，
可他从來没有撫育过这些漂亮的小孩。
养到十二个月零一天，
为了得到财富，他处心積虑要把他们都赶走。
***
他与两个强悍的恶棍讨价还价，以致于发了火。
他们必须把两个小孩带走，
在森林里把他们杀掉。
小叔给妻子编造了一个巧妙的谎言，
他在伦敦有一个朋友，
他要把他们送到那里去，让他们成人长大。
***
然后，孩子们跟着他们走了，
欢欣鼓舞，情绪高涨。
心情愉快。
他们骑着马，谈笑风生。
一路上，那两个屠夫的所作所为，
会把他们的一生毁掉。
***
孩子们灿烂的欢歌笑语，
使阴谋杀害他们的人于心不忍。
心酸而忏悔。
可是，其中一个，心腸狠毒无比。
发誓要履行他的使命。
因为雇他杀人的那个混蛋，
接受了一大笔钱财。
***
另一个不同意，
他们引发冲突。
要不要给孩子留下一条命，
他们彼此打了起来。
正是他，在別的地方的森林里也杀过人。
在人迹罕至的森林里，
孩子们吓得直哆嗦。
***
这恶棍牵着噙着泪水的孩子们的手，
吩咐他们跟着他走。
看他们停止了哭，
带领他们走了两英里。
孩子们嚷着饿了要吃东西，
他说，'在这儿呆着，我打回转时，给你们带面包來。”
***
两个俊秀的孩子，手牵着手，
上下游荡。
从小镇上走回來，
他们的双唇全都塗染了黑莓的颜色。
他们眼睜睜地看见夜幕降临，
坐在地上哭了起来。
***
这些可怜的孩子就这样游荡，
直到死亡结束了他们的悲伤，
因为缺失适当的救济，
他们拥抱着在彼此的怀里死亡。
这对漂亮的孩子没有得到任何人的埋葬，
直到他们的小叔罗宾. 知更鸟，虔诚地用树叶把他们盖上。
***
现在上帝给了他重重的惩罚。
他们的叔叔倒下了。
唷！可怕的鬼魂不时在他家出没。
他的良心受到谴责。
他的谷仓被烧掉，
他的财物被花光，
他两手空空，
牧场荒芜，
牛群死在田野上，
什么也没有留下。
***
在去葡萄牙的旅途上，
他的两个儿子全死了，
结局来了，给他本人带来的只有亏欠和忧伤。
所有的土地都抵押了，
七年前干的事情，
到最后，邪恶的举动终于有了报应。
***
那个牵着孩子的手要把他们杀掉的傢伙，
因一桩抢刼案被判处死刑。
上帝的旨意是这样，
他承认了真相，
正如这里所展示的一样。
叔叔因欠了债也死在牢房。
***
罗宾. 知更鸟，
你是遗嘱的执行人，
对失去父母孤儿的遗产，应当监督，节樽使用。
他们是失去父亲的孤儿，
是温顺柔弱的婴孩。
在这件事情上，就以你为例，
可以不受任何权益引诱而屈从，
以免上帝如此痛苦。
你的邪恶的心灵也会得到回报。
Children in the wood
Now ponder well, you parents dear,
These words which I shall write;
A doleful story you shall hear,
In time brought forth to light, A gentleman of good
account,
In Norfolk dwelt of late, Who did in honour far
surmount
Most men of his estate.
。。。。。。
Sore sick he was and like to die,
No help his life could save;
His wife by him as sick did die,
And both posseest one grave.
No love between these two was lost,
Each was to other kind;
Inlove they lived,in love they died,And left two babes
behind.
。。。。。。。。。
The one a fine and pretty boy
Not passing three years old,
The other a girl more young than
And framed in beauty’s
mould.
The father left his little son,
As plainly did appear,
When he to perfect age should come,
Three hundred pounds a year;
。。。。。。
And to his little daughter Jane
Five hundred pounds in gold,
To be paid down on marriage-day,
Which might not be controlled.
But if the children chanced to die
Ere they to age should come,
Their uncle should possess their wealth; For so the
will did run.
。。。。。。
‘Now ,
brother,’said the dying
man,\
‘Look to my children
dear;
Be good unto my boy and girl,
No friends else have they here;
To God and you I recommend
My children dear this day;
But little while be sure we have
Within this world to stay.
。。。。。。
‘You must be father and mother
both,
And uncle, all in one;
God knows what will become of them
When I am dead and
gone.’
With that bespake their mother
dear;
‘O brother kind,’
quoth she,
‘You are the man must bring our
babes
To wealth or misery.
。。。。。。
And if you keep them carefully,
Then God will you reward;
But if you otherwise should deal, God will your deeds
regard.’
With lips as cold as any stone,
They kissed their children small:
‘God bless you both, my children
dear!’
With that the tears did fall.
。。。。。。
These speeches then their brother
spake
To this sick couple there;
‘The keeping of your little ones, Sweet
sister, do not fear;
God never prosper me nor mine,
Nor aught else that I have,
If I do wrong your children dear
When you are laid in
grave!’
。。。。。。
The parents being dead and gone,
The children home he takes,
And brings them straight unto his
house
Where much of them he makes.
He had not kept these pretty babes
A twelvemonth and a day,
But , for their wealth, he did
devise
To make them both away.
。。。。。。。。
He bargained with two ruffians
strong,
Which were of furious mood,
That they should take these children
young,
And slay them in a wood.
He told his wife an artful tale
He would the children send
To be brought up in London town
With one that was his friend.
。。。。。。。。
Away then went those pretty babes,
Rejoicing at that tide,
Rejoicing with a merry mind
They should on cock-horse
ride.
They prate and prattle pleasantly,
As they ride on the way,
To those that should their butchers
be
And work their lives’
decay:
。。。。。。。。
So that the pretty speech they had
Made Murder’s heart relent;
And they that undertook the deed
Full sore now did repent.
Yet one of them ,more hard of
heart,
Did vow to do his charge,
Because the wretch thathired him
Had paid him very large.
。。。。。。。。
The other won’t agree there
to,
So there they fall to strife;
With one another they did fight
About the children’s
life;
And he that was of mildest mood
Did slay the other there,
Within an unfrequented wood;
The babes did quake for fear!
。。。。。。。。
He took the children by the hand,
Tears standing in their eye,
And bade them straightway follow
him,
And look theydid not cry;
And two long miles he led them on,
While they for food complain;
‘Stay here,’
quoth he ,
‘I’ll bring you
bread,
When I come back
again.’
。。。。。。。。
These pretty babess, with hand in
hand,
Went wandering up and down;
Approaching from the town.
Their pretty lips from blackberries
Were all besmeared and dyed;
And when they saw the darksome
night,
They sat them down and cried.
。。。。。。。。
Thus wandered these poor innocents,
Till death did end their grief;In one
another’s arms they
died,
As wanting due relief:
No burial this pretty pair
From any man receives,
Till Robin Redbreast piously
Did cover them with leaves.
。。。。。。。。
And now the heavy wrath of God
Upon their uncle fell;
Yea, fearful friends did haunt his
house,
His conscience felt an hell:
His barns were fired, his goods
consumed,
His hands were barren made,
His cattle were barren made,
His cattle died within the field,
And nothing with him stayed.
。。。。。。。。
And in a voyage to portugal
Two of his sons did die;
And to conclude, himself was
brought
To want and misery:
He pawned and mortgaged all his
land
Ere seven years came about.
And now at last this wicked act
Did by this means come out.
。。。。。。。。
The fellow that did take in hand
These children for to kill,
Was for a robbery judged to die.
Such was God’s blessed
will:
Who did confess the very truth,
As here hath been displayed:
The uncle having died in
jail’
Where he for debt was laid.
。。。。。。。。
You that executors be made,
And overseers eke,
Of children that be fatherless,
And infants mild and meek,
Take you example by this thing,
And yield to each his right,
Lest God with suchlike misery
Your wicked minds requite.
