经典诗歌欣赏：A Roxbury Garden(2)

　　II

　　Battledore and Shuttlecock

学习啦在线学习网 　　The shuttlecock soars upward

　　In a parabola of whiteness,

　　Turns,

　　And sinks to a perfect arc.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Plat! the battledore strikes it,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And it rises again,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Without haste,

　　Winged and curving,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Tracing its white flight

学习啦在线学习网 　　Against the clipped hemlock-trees.

　　Plat!

　　Up again,

　　Orange and sparkling with sun,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Rounding under the blue sky,

　　Dropping,

　　Fading to grey-green

学习啦在线学习网 　　In the shadow of the coned hemlocks.

　　"Ninety-one." "Ninety-two." "Ninety-three."

学习啦在线学习网 　　The arms of the little girls

　　Come up -- and up --

　　Precisely,

　　Like mechanical toys.

学习啦在线学习网 　　The battledores beat at nothing,

　　And toss the dazzle of snow

　　Off their parchment drums.

学习啦在线学习网 　　"Ninety-four." Plat!

　　"Ninety-five." Plat!

　　Back and forth

　　Goes the shuttlecock,

　　Icicle-white,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Leaping at the sharp-edged clouds,

　　Overturning,

　　Falling,

　　Down,

　　And down,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Tinctured with pink

学习啦在线学习网 　　From the upthrusting shine

　　Of Oriental poppies.

学习啦在线学习网 　　The little girls sway to the counting rhythm;

　　Left foot,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Right foot.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Plat! Plat!

　　Yellow heat twines round the handles of the battledores,

　　The parchment cracks with dryness;

学习啦在线学习网 　　But the shuttlecock

学习啦在线学习网 　　Swings slowly into the ice-blue sky,

　　Heaving up on the warm air

　　Like a foam-bubble on a wave,

　　With feathers slanted and sustaining.

　　Higher,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Until the earth turns beneath it;

学习啦在线学习网 　　Poised and swinging,

　　With all the garden flowing beneath it,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Scarlet, and blue, and purple, and white --

　　Blurred colour reflections in rippled water --

学习啦在线学习网 　　Changing -- streaming --

　　For the moment that Stella takes to lift her arm.

　　Then the shuttlecock relinquishes,

　　Bows,

　　Descends;

　　And the sharp blue spears of the air

学习啦在线学习网 　　Thrust it to earth.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Again it mounts,

　　Stepping up on the rising scents of flowers,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Buoyed up and under by the shining heat.

　　Above the foxgloves,

　　Above the guelder-roses,

　　Above the greenhouse glitter,

　　Till the shafts of cooler air

学习啦在线学习网 　　Meet it,

　　Deflect it,

　　Reject it,

　　Then down,

　　Down,

　　Past the greenhouse,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Past the guelder-rose bush,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Past the foxgloves.

　　"Ninety-nine," Stella's battledore springs to the

　　impact.

　　Plunk! Like the snap of a taut string.

　　"Oh! Minna!"

　　The shuttlecock drops zigzagedly,

　　Out of orbit,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Hits the path,

　　And rolls over quite still.

　　Dead white feathers,

　　With a weight at the end.