车辚辚,马萧萧;行人弓箭各在腰。车辚辚1,马萧萧2;行人弓箭各在腰。兵车隆隆响,战马萧萧鸣,远征的士兵腰间都挂上了弓箭。
The war-chariots rattle,
The war-horses whinny.
Each man of you has a bow and a quiver at his belt.
耶娘妻子走相送,尘埃不见咸阳桥。耶娘3妻子走相送,尘埃不见咸阳桥4。爹娘妻儿奔跑来送行,扬起的尘土遮天蔽日以致看不见咸阳桥。
Father, mother, son, wife, stare at you going,
Till dust shall have buried the bridge beyond Changan.
牵衣顿足拦道哭,哭声直上干云霄。牵衣顿足拦道哭,哭声直上干云霄。送行的人牵着士兵衣服,拦在路上顿脚痛哭,哭声直上天空冲入云霄。
They run with you, crying, they tug at your sleeves,
And the sound of their sorrow goes up to the clouds;
道旁过者问行人,行人但云点行频。道旁过者问行人,行人但云点行5频。路旁经过的人问正在行走的士兵,士兵只说因为征兵很频繁。
And every time a bystander asks you a question,
You can only say to him that you have to go.
或从十五北防河,便至四十西营田。或从十五北防河6,便至四十西营田7。有的人十五岁便到黄河以北去戍守,到了四十岁还要到西部边疆去屯田。
...We remember others at fifteen sent north to guard the river
And at forty sent west to cultivate the campfarms.
去时里正与裹头,归来头白还戍边。去时里正与裹头8,归来头白还戍边。出发时里长替他包裹头巾,回来时头发已白,还要再去防守边疆。
The mayor wound their turbans for them when they started out.
With their turbaned hair white now, they are still at the border,
边庭流血成海水,武皇开边意未已。边庭流血成海水,武皇9开边意未已。边疆无数士兵流血像海水般,但武皇开拓边疆的念头仍未停止。
At the border where the blood of men spills like the sea --
And still the heart of Emperor Wu is beating for war.
君不闻汉家山东二百州,千村万落生荆杞。君不闻汉家山东二百州10,千村万落生荆杞。您没听说汉家华山以东二百个州,万千村落都长满了荆棘吗?
...Do you know that, east of China's mountains, in two hundred districts
And in thousands of villages, nothing grows but weeds,
纵有健妇把锄犁,禾生陇亩无东西。纵有健妇把锄犁,禾生陇亩无东西。即使有健壮的妇女拿着锄犁耕种,庄稼也在田里长得杂乱无章。
And though strong women have bent to the ploughing,
East and west the furrows all are broken down?
况复秦兵耐苦战,被驱不异犬与鸡。况复秦兵耐苦战,被驱不异犬与鸡。何况秦地的士兵能够经得起苦战,被驱使去作战与鸡犬没有分别。
...Men of China are able to face the stiffest battle,
But their officers drive them like chickens and dogs.
长者虽有问,役夫敢申恨?长者虽有问,役夫敢申恨?长者虽然有所问,服役的人怎敢申诉怨恨?
Whatever is asked of them,
Dare they complain?
且如今年冬,未休关西卒。且如今年冬,未休关西11卒。就像今年冬天,函谷关以西的士兵也不得休息。
For example, this winter
Held west of the gate,
县官急索租,租税从何出?县官急索租12,租税从何出?县官紧急地催逼百姓交租税,租税可从哪里拿出?
Challenged for taxes,
How could they pay?
信知生男恶,反是生女好。信知生男恶,反是生女好。实在知道生男孩是坏事情,反而生女孩更好。
...We have learned that to have a son is bad luck-
It is very much better to have a daughter
生女犹得嫁比邻,生男埋没随百草。生女犹得嫁比邻,生男埋没随百草。生女孩还能够嫁给近邻,生男孩只会死于沙场埋没在荒草里。
Who can marry and live in the house of a neighbour,
While under the sod we bury our boys.
君不见青海头,古来白骨无人收。君不见青海头13,古来白骨无人收。您没有看见吗?青海的边上,自古以来战死士兵的白骨没有人收殓。
...Go to the Blue Sea, look along the shore
At all the old white bones forsaken --
新鬼烦冤旧鬼哭,天阴雨湿声啾啾!新鬼烦冤旧鬼哭14,天阴雨湿声啾啾15!新鬼喊冤旧鬼哭泣,天阴下雨时便有凄厉的哭叫声!
New ghosts are wailing there now with the old,
Loudest in the dark sky of a stormy day.