Their vesper songs of grateful praise ascend From lips sincere; then rev’rently they bend, Each humbly kneeling on the grassy sod, Before the altar of the living God.
他们真诚的嘴唇唱出了晚祷的感恩之歌；然后他们恭敬地弯下腰，每个人谦卑地跪在绿草地上，面对着永生神的祭坛。
The shepherd priest, the aged Hebrew sire, The sacrificial rites performs—the hallow’d fire Of true devotion kindling o’er his face, Bright with the radiance of faith and grace.
牧羊人的祭司，年迈的希伯来族长，正在进行祭祀仪式——他脸上闪耀着真正的虔诚之火，因信仰和恩典的光辉而明亮。
Then sacred beams descending from on high, Approve the offerings of piety: The meekly-kneeling suppliants surround, And cast an air of peacefulness around; Sweet innocence each placid brow illumes, Unsadden’d o’er with guilt and sin’s alarms: At peace with God, their conscience void of guile, Their hearts accord with Nature’s lovely smile, Which, breathing o’er the scene a gentle calm, Diffuses there a spirit-soothing balm, With voice decisive, manifest, and clear, Symphoniously proclaims that God is near.
接着，神圣的光芒从高处降临，认可了虔诚的奉献：谦逊跪着的祈求者们围绕四周，散布着一种宁静的气息；甜蜜的纯真照亮了每个平静的额头，未被罪恶的恐惧所困扰：与上帝和解，他们的良心毫无欺诈，他们的心与大自然美丽的微笑相契合，那温柔的平静笼罩着整个场景，扩散出一种安抚心灵的药膏，伴随着清晰、明确、明显的声音，和谐地宣告着上帝就在近旁。
But, see! while gathers round the ev’ning shade, A wand’rer passes down the noiseless glade, With lagging step and strange suspicious air, Like some stern ruffian creeping from his lair, With fell desire, by blood or plunder fed, Making his way with cautious watchful tread.
但看哪！当夜晚的阴影聚集时，一个流浪者悄无声息地穿过幽静的林间小径，步伐迟缓，神情怪异且可疑，像某个凶残的匪徒从巢穴中爬出，怀着邪恶的欲望，靠血腥或掠夺维生，小心翼翼地踩着谨慎的步伐前进。
With what foul purpose doth he thus invade The sweet sequester’dness of Arbah’s glade? Is it with burning lust of dark revenge The death of slaughter’d Shechemites t’ avenge,[5] That, like a wolf on rav’ning purpose bent, He prowls about the shepherds’ peaceful tent, Watching the hapless wanderer to clasp In his fierce, ruthless, execrable grasp? Seeks he, with savage unappeased hate, His unsuspecting prey to immolate— To lave his passion in warm reeking gore; And pleased, bloody, full libations pour, Hoping by such funereal obsequies His injured brethrens’ manes to appease? No: ’tis no deadly plotting Shechemite, Who cautious seems to shun the gleaming light, Which, flitting now and then athwart the way, The transient glimmering of th’ expiring day, Appears to smile along the woodland dell, And parting, kindly speaks a sweet farewell.
他带着何种邪恶的目的如此侵犯亚拉巴谷地的甜美宁静？是为了复仇的强烈渴望去为被屠杀的示剑人报仇吗？[5] 他像一头贪婪的狼，四处游荡于牧羊人宁静的帐篷周围，注视着不幸的流浪者落入他凶猛、无情、可憎的掌握之中吗？他是否怀着无法平息的野蛮仇恨，寻找毫无防备的猎物加以屠杀——在他的热血和腥臭的血液中满足他的激情；并且心满意足地倾倒血淋淋的大量祭品，希望借由这样的丧葬仪式安抚他受伤的兄弟们的灵魂吗？不：这不是一个致命阴谋的示剑人，他似乎谨慎地避开闪现的光芒，这光芒时而在这条路上闪烁，是白昼消逝时短暂的微光，仿佛在林间山谷中微笑，然后离去，亲切地说着甜蜜的告别。
Whoe’er he be, or what his errand there, Or what the cause of his mysterious care, He now the shepherds’ domicile draws near, His visage pale and sad with guilty fear.
无论他是谁，或他去那儿有何差事，或他神秘忧虑的原因是什么，他现在正接近牧羊人的住所，脸色苍白且悲伤，带着有罪的恐惧。
To peace, alas! the breast a stranger is That’s haunted by th’ accusing scrutinies Of watchful Conscience, who asserts her pow’r, Loud and importunate at such an hour, When soothing calm and evening’s soft repose The wakeful mind to thoughtfulness dispose— And wakeful mem’ry conjures to the view The deeds of times gone by, and marshals, too, Th’ avenging hosts in horrible array— And Justice, claiming for her lawful prey The guilty soul who doth her laws offend, Conscious of wrath deserved and self-condemn’d.
唉！对于被警惕的良心审视所困扰的人来说，内心对和平而言是个陌生者，她在这个时刻大声而急切地宣称她的力量，当舒缓的宁静和夜晚的柔软休息使清醒的头脑转向沉思时——以及清醒的记忆召唤出过去的作为，并排列出可怕的复仇大军——正义声称对她法律的冒犯者有合法的权利，那自觉应得愤怒并自我谴责的有罪灵魂。
The guardian watch-dog wakes his warning note, Whose pealing accents down the woodland float, Borne by the breeze, by sportive echo found, Who playful takes the notes and back responds the sound; But watchful Canis recognized the tread Of him who then along the green sward sped Towards the aged Patriarch’s tent his way, Scarcely discern’d in the dim ev’ning gray.
守护的看门狗发出警告的吠声，那洪亮的声音穿过树林飘荡，被微风携带，被调皮的回声捕捉，回声愉快地接过音符并回应声音；然而，警惕的犬科动物认出了那个正在绿草地上疾驰的人的脚步声，他朝着年迈族长的帐篷走去，几乎难以在昏暗的暮色中辨认。
The ev’ning’s sacrificial service o’er, The holy Patriarch seated at the door Of peaceful, past’ral cot, engages now In pious musings—contemplating how The years commingled with the eternal void, And lent for great designs, had been employ’d— The passed days and years which, fled for aye, Should, on a future retributive day, In God’s eternal register appear, Recorded full, and manifest, and clear.
晚祷的祭祀仪式结束后，圣洁的族长坐在和平牧舍的门口，此刻陷入虔诚的沉思——思索着岁月如何与永恒的虚空交织，并为伟大的计划所利用——那些已经永远逝去的日子和年岁，将在未来的审判日，在上帝永恒的记录中显现，完整、明确且清晰。
Then mused he of all th’ eventful things Which had befall’n him—all his journeyings: Revolving, too, he thought of other times, When sojourned he in Syria’s distant climes;[6] A stranger in a strange and unknown land, Still kept by God’s protecting, mighty hand.
接着，他思索着所有发生在他身上的重大事情——他所有的旅程：他还回顾了其他时光，那时他旅居在遥远的叙利亚；[6] 在一个陌生且未知的土地上，作为一个陌生人，始终受到上帝强有力的保护之手的庇佑。
Then through the lapse of years he hastened on, And with paternal fondness thought upon Those who were foremost in his tender care, His children absent, but remember’d there— Remember’d, and on Faith’s strong pinions borne In ardent prayer to Mercy’s gracious throne.
然后，他匆匆穿越岁月的流逝，满怀父爱地思念着那些最需要他温柔关怀的人，他的孩子虽不在身边，却被铭记在那里——被铭记着，并在热烈的祈祷中乘着信仰的坚强翅膀飞向慈悲的宝座。
Yet chiefly does the old man’s thoughts engage, Joseph, the solace of his wintry age: Contemplating, he mus’d what speed he had, Or what, perchance, should have befall’n the lad— When, lo! before the Patriarch’s door doth stand One of his sons—one of that guilty band, Commissioned by the partners of his guile To maturate their base and cruel wile; Bearing the tidings to old Jacob’s ears Of Joseph, subject of his hopes and fears.