英语美文欣赏：The Chimney Sweeper（扫烟囱孩子）--William Blake

The Chimney Sweeper 扫烟囱孩子(二)

--William Blake --威廉.布莱克

The Chimney Sweeper is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence and of Experience in 1794. It is located early in Songs of Experience, between The Little Girl Found and Nurse’s Song. This poem is best understood when read in conjunction with the corresponding poem, The Chimney Sweep, in the Songs of Innocence.

The first stanza is a testimony that describes the situation of a little chimney sweeper in the snow who is crying and calling for his parents while they are praying at the church. In the second and third stanzas, the child explains his situation. He describes that he had been happy and “smiled among the winter snow,” but also he was taught to suffer when he says “and taught me to sing the notes of woe.” Adults are mentioned in the poem when he questioned “Where are thy father and mother?” and when he says “God & his Priest & King.” Finally he blames “they” and adds “who make up a heaven of our misery.”

The poem is pictured by an engraving made by Blake himself. It shows the child walking along a street, it is a rainy day and he is alone. Furthermore, the boy is barefoot and dirty. With his right hand he is holding a brusher and is carring a dirty, big bag on his back. The rain is particularly dark. The final point is that the child is looking at the storm with what it seems a sad expression in his face.

A little black thing among the snow: 风雪里一个满身乌黑的小东西

Crying weep, weep, in notes of woe! “号呀，号”在那里哭哭啼啼!

Where are thy father & mother? say? “你的爹娘上哪儿去了，你讲讲?”

They are both gone up to the church to pray. “他们呀都去祷告了，上了教堂。

Because I was happy upon the heath, “因为我原先在野地里欢欢喜喜，

And smil’d among the winters snow: 我在冬天的雪地里也总是笑嘻嘻,

They clothed me in the clothes of death, 他们就把我拿晦气的黑衣裳一罩，

And taught me to sing the notes of woe. 他们还叫我唱起了悲伤的曲调。

And because I am happy & dance & sing, “因为我显得快活，还唱歌，还跳舞，

They think they have done me no injury: 他们就以为并没有把我害苦，

And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King, 就跑去赞美了上帝、教士和国王，

Who make up a heaven of our misery. 夸他们拿我们苦难造成了天堂。”

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