The Jabberwocky
捷波奇
Lewis Carroll · 刘易斯·卡罗尔
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
那是明亮的黄昏，滑溜的獾
在草地上旋转打滚：
所有忧郁的博洛格夫，
还有麻木的蛇形怪叫起来。
"当心捷波奇，我的儿子！
那咬人的颚，抓人的爪！
当心朱布朱布鸟，避开
暴躁的班德斯纳奇！"
他手持利剑；
久久寻找那可怕的敌手——
于是在图姆图姆树旁歇息，
站着思索片刻。
而当他在阴郁的思绪中站立，
捷波奇，双眼如焰，
呼呼地穿过幽暗的树林而来，
一路咕噜作响！
一、二！一、二！来来回回
利剑咔嚓作响！
他把它杀死，提着它的头
凯旋蹦跳而归。
"你杀了捷波奇？
到我怀里来，光彩照人的孩子！
多美妙的一天！呼，噻！"
他满心欢喜地咯咯笑。
那是明亮的黄昏，滑溜的獾
在草地上旋转打滚：
所有忧郁的博洛格夫，
还有麻木的蛇形怪叫起来。
卡罗尔《爱丽丝镜中奇遇》里的名诗，用无意义的造字构成一个奇幻冒险，读来妙趣横生。