莎士比亚Sonnet 1试译

FROM fairest creatures we desire increase,

That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,

But as the riper should by time decease,

His tender heir might bear his memory.

But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,

Feed’st thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel,

Making a famine where abundance lies,

Thyself thy foe, to the sweet self too cruel.

Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament

And only herald to the gaudy spring,

Within thine own bud buriest thy content

And, tender churl, mak’st waste in niggarding.

Pity the world, or else this glutton be,

To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.

原诗的基本意思是人们渴望美好的事物（造物）经久不衰，但显然只是一厢情愿，因而需要其子嗣、继承者继承“它”的“意志”，使之繁荣昌盛。但作为人类的“你”却残忍放弃这份美丽，不愿意繁衍，实在是世之不幸，你就与坟墓一起剥夺了世界的“利益”。

原诗为抑扬格五音步（轻重音可标注为¯｀/¯｀/¯｀/¯｀/¯｀/），韵式为abab/cdcd/efef/gg，恰好可对应诗歌的四个部分，即：感叹美好事物易失去，需要传承——惋惜“你”不愿意将“你”的美“洒”向世间——劝诫“你”繁衍子嗣以在世间留下你的“美好”——谴责“你”的不愿意繁衍是一种自私的行为，致使世界折损了美好。

译诗尝试借用七律格式，试译如下：

红断香销絮亦非

骚人迁客叹春晖

春晖他日依常在

玉相来年不复垂

阁上明星遮雨雾

世间才子枉唇眉

茔前冷落三秋雪

身后悠扬万里悲