Cinderella
—Sylvia Plath 西尔维娅·普拉斯(Sylvia Plath,1932—1963)是继艾米莉·狄金森和伊丽莎白·毕肖普之后最重要的美国女诗人。1963年她最后一次自杀成功时,年仅31岁。这位颇受争议的女诗人因其富于激情和创造力的重要诗篇留名于世,又因其与另一位英国诗人休斯情感变故自杀的戏剧化人生而成为英美文学界一个长久的话题。
The prince leans to the girl in scarlet heels,
Her green eyes slant, hair flaring in a fan
Of silver as the rondo slows; now reels
Begin on tilted violins to span
The whole revolving tall glass palace hall
Where guests slide gliding into light like wine;
Rose candles flicker on the lilac wall
Reflecting in a million flagons’ shine,
And glided couples all in whirling trance
Follow holiday revel begun long since,
Until near twelve the strange girl all at once
Guilt-stricken halts, pales, clings to the prince
As amid the hectic music and cocktail talk
She hears the caustic ticking of the clock.
王子倾身向穿着猩红色高跟鞋的姑娘,
她绿色的双目一瞥,她扇形铺开的长发闪着银光飞扬,当回旋曲放慢时;旋转开始了,由小提琴主奏的乐曲
将整个高大旋转的水晶宫殿环绕
宾客悄悄滑进如红酒一样的灯光;在淡紫色的墙上,玫瑰色的蜡烛摇曳着烛光
千万只酒瓶闪烁着它的光芒,
一对对滑动的舞伴旋转着
沉醉着,在早已开始许久的假日里徜徉,
直到临近午夜子时,那奇怪的姑娘突然负疚地戛然而止,面色苍白,偎依着王子
因为在音乐和鸡尾酒忙碌交谈的包围中
她听到了尖利刺耳的敲钟的声响。