也许有人不熟悉诗人朱湘。

朱湘，1904年生于湖南，清华大学毕业，1927年留学美国，1930年回国任安徽大学英文文学系主任，1933年投江。

朱湘1927年底转学到芝加哥大学，1928年2月在学生办校刊 Phoenix上发表两首翻译的宋词。有可能译词的内容还不为人所知，我读来抄录如下。

据朱湘写给友人的信里说：他“投稿两首译诗到本校学生办的《凤凰》杂志。这两首诗登出之后，被一个女同学看上了。”在下一篇，我试着抄录他和女同学在校刊上的往来诗篇。

南歌子

Song from the South

欧阳修

凤髻金泥带，

A phoenix plait with band of gold,

龙纹玉掌梳。

A comb carved with quaint device—

走来窗下笑相扶，

She, laughingly, beneath the casement hies,

爱道画眉深浅入时无？

To ask

If up to fashion be her eyebrow dyes.

弄笔偎人久，

She plays with her brush, nestling close;

描花试手初。

To trace some flowers her hand she plies—

等闲妨了绣功夫，

Oft stopping in her work of broideries,

笑问鸳鸯两字怎生书？

To ask

What birds are those that take flight for the skies.

摸鱼儿

Groping for Fish

辛弃疾

更能消、几番风雨，

The wind and rain are having now their sway—

匆匆春又归去。

In haste again Spring hath gone away.

惜春长怕花开早，

Of early flowers I have been afraid:

For then Spring will not linger long—

何况落红无数。

And now red petals stew all the way!

春且住，

Stay, O Spring, Stay!

见说道、天涯芳草无归路。

No homemade path

There is for you o’er grass so far away.

怨春不语。

Alas! No word doth she say—

算只有殷勤，画檐蛛网，尽日惹飞絮。

Only the zealous spider’s web

Is catching at willow flowers,

Catching them through the livelong day!

长门事，

Living here deserted,

准拟佳期又误。

I am long accustomed to dismay.

蛾眉曾有人妒。

Jealous of my curving brows are they.

千金纵买相如赋，

Though bars of gold brought me that tender lay

脉脉此情谁诉？

Yet will it reach his hand? Who can say?

君莫舞，

Do you dance away—

君不见、

Do you not see

玉环飞燕皆尘土！

Beauties of yore are now but dust and clay?

闲愁最苦！

Sorrows of hear deepest prey.

休去倚危栏，

Do not lean on those gilded rails—

斜阳正在，

Hid in mist, the dying sun

烟柳断肠处。

Is sinking under the willow spray!