William-Blake——London赏析英文版(威廉布莱克-《伦敦》评析)

LondonIwanderthro’eachcharter’dstreet,Nearwherethecharter’dThamesdoesflow.AndmarkineveryfaceImeetMarksofweakness,marksofwoe.IneverycryofeveryMan,IneveryInfantscryoffear,Ineveryvoice:ineveryban,Themind-forg’dmanaclesIhearHowtheChimney-sweeperscryEveryblack’ningChurchappalls,AndthehaplessSoldierssighRunsinblooddownPalacewallsButmostthro’midnightstreetsIhearHowtheyouthfulHarlotscurseBlaststhenew-bornInfantstearAndblightswithplaguestheMarriagehearseThepoemLondonwaswrittenbytheBritishpoetandengraverWilliamBlake.Ithas4quatrainswithalternativelinesrhyming.Writteniniambicpentameter,thepoemisbeautifullyrhymed.LondondealswiththedreadfulsceneintheindustrializedLondoninthe18thcentury.Inthefirststanza,Blakegivesanoverviewofthecityandsuccessfullycreatesthegloomy,darkandsuffocatingatmosphere.Blakeappliesvariedrhetoricaldevicesinthepoem,ofwhichthemoststrikingandsignificantisrepetition.Forexample,theword“chartered”isreiteratedinline1andline2toemphasizethefactthatthestreetsandriverareownedbythewealthyupperclass.Andtheword“mark”occursin“markineveryfaceImeet”(line3)and“markofweakness,markofwoe”(line4).Thetransitionoftheword“mark”fromverbtonounmanifeststhechangeofobservationtonoticeablesigns.EverypersonBlakemeetsinLondonisdesperateandfeeble.Whatahorriblesceneitis!Repeatedappearanceoftheword“every“inthesecondstanzastressestheideathateveryonesuffersfrommisery.Blakehearsthecryofthegrown-ups,andoftheinfantsinfear.Blakeperceivesthedestructiverestrictionsonpeople’smindcausedbylawandrules.“Mind-forgedmanacle”isametaphor.Blakecompareslimitationswithmanacles.TheexpressionthatBlakehears“manacles”issynesthesia.InthethirdstanzaBlakesatirizesthechurchandthemonarchies.Thechurchwallsarebecomingblackbecauseofpollution;thesoundofcryingfromthechimneysweeperscombineswiththesighofsoldiersarousesafeelingoffearandscareinme.Onaccountofrelentlesswarfare,soldier’sbloodrunsdownfrompalacewallswhere.Thethoughtofthecolorofscarletcontrastingwiththepalewallsmakesmeshivering.Duringthemidnight,thepoetwondersthroughstreetsandhearsthecurseofprostitutes.Theyareinfectedwithvenerealdiseaseswhichpassontotheirnew-bornbabies.IntheeyesofBlake,inLondon,marriageandbirth,thesymbolsusedtoberegardedasrevivalandvitality,nowforebodedeath.TheappallingscenecombineswithdevastatinghorrorandfearrevealsthesocialconditioninLondon.