爱华网The Prologue -Modern
Here begins the Book of theTales of Canterbury
When April with his showers sweet withfruit
The drought of March has pierced unto theroot
And bathed each vein with liquor that haspower
To generate therein and sire the flower;
When Zephyr also has, with his sweetbreath,
Quickened again, in every holt and heath,
The tender shoots and buds, and the youngsun
Into the Ram one half his course has run,
And many little birds make melody
That sleep through all the night with openeye
(So Nature pricks them on to ramp andrage)-
Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage,
And palmers to go seeking out strangestrands,
To distant shrines well known in sundrylands.
And specially from every shire's end
Of England they to Canterbury wend,
The holy blessed martyr there to seek
Who help ed them when they lay so ill andweal
Befell that, in that season, on a day
In Southwark, at the Tabard, as I lay
Ready to start upon my pilgrimage
To Canterbury, full of devout homage,
There came at nightfall to that hostelry
Some nine and twenty in a company
Of sundry persons who had chanced to fall
In fellowship, and pilgrims were they all
That toward Canterbury town would ride.
The rooms and stables spacious were andwide,
And well we there were eased, and of thebest.
And briefly, when the sun had gone to rest,
So had I spoken with them, every one,
That I was of their fellowship anon,
And made agreement that we'd early rise
To take the road, as you I will apprise.
But none the less, whilst I have time andspace,
Before yet farther in this tale I pace,
It seems to me accordant with reason
To inform you of the state of every one
Of all of these, as it appeared to me,
And who they were, and what was theirdegree,
And even how arrayed there at the inn;
And with a knight thus will I firstbegin.
坎特伯雷故事集（选段）
总引（1-162行）
夏雨给大地带来了喜悦，
送走了土壤干裂的三月，
沐浴着草木的丝丝茎络，
顿时百花盛开，生机勃勃。
西风轻吹留下清香缕缕，
田野复苏吐出芳草绿绿，
碧蓝的天空腾起一轮红日，
青春的太阳洒下万道金辉。
小鸟的歌喉多么清脆优美，
迷人的夏夜怎好安然入睡——
美丽的自然撩拨万物的心弦，
多情的鸟儿歌唱爱情的欣欢。
香客盼望拜谒圣徒的灵台，
僧侣立愿云游陌生的滨海。
信徒来自全国东西南北，
众人结伴奔向坎特伯雷，
去朝谢医病救世的恩主，
以缅怀大恩大德的圣徒。
那是个初夏方临的日子，
我到泰巴旅店投宿歇息；
怀着一颗虔诚的赤子心，
我准备翌日出发去朝圣。
黄昏前后华灯初上时分，
旅店院里拥入许多客人；
二十九人来自各行各业，
不期而遇都到旅店过夜。
这些香客人人虔心诚意，
次日要骑马去坎特伯雷。
客房与马厩宽敞又洁净，
店主的招待周到而殷勤。
夕阳刚从地下线上消失，
众人同我已经相互结识；
大家约好不等鸡鸣就起床，
迎着熹微晨光赶早把路上。
可是在我叙述故事之前，
让我占用诸位一点时间，
依我之见似乎还很必要，
把每人的情况作些介绍。
谈谈他们从事什么行业，
社会地位属于哪个层阶，
容貌衣着举止又是如何，
那么我就先把骑士说说。
范守义译
