To A Stray Dog Poem by Luo Zhihai

★ To A Stray Dog

☆ Poetry by Ambrose Bierce


Well, Towser (I'm thinking your name must be Towser) ,
You're a decentish puppy as puppy dogs go,
For you never, I'm sure, could have dined upon trowser,
And your tail's unimpeachably curled just so.

But, dear me! your name-if 'tis yours-is a 'poser':
Its meaning I cannot get anywise at,
When spoken correctly perhaps it is Toser,
And means one who toses. Max Muller, how's that?

I ne'er was ingenious at all at divining
A word's prehistorical, primitive state,
Or finding its root, like a mole, by consigning
Its bloom to the turnep-top's sorrowful fate.

And, now that I think of it well, I'm no nearer
The riddle's solution than ever-for how's
My pretty invented word, 'tose, ' any clearer
In point of its signification than 'towse'?

So, Towser (or Toser) , I mean to rename you
In honor of some good and eminent man,
In the light and the heat of whose quickening fame you
May grow to an eminent dog if you can.

In sunshine like his you'll not long be a croucher:
The Senate shall hear you-for that I will vouch.
Come here, sir. Stand up. I rechristen you Goucher.
But damn you! I'll shoot you if ever you gouch!


▲Chinese Translation

★ 致一只流浪狗

☆ [美] 安布罗斯•比尔斯 (1842 - 1913) 诗
☆ [中] 罗志海 译


好吧，Towser（我想你的名字必须是Towser）
小狗们走在一起，你是一只小狗，很体面
因为你从来，我敢肯定，不在大狗那里吃饭
你的尾巴毋庸置疑地如此曲卷

但是，亲爱的我！如果你的名字是"poser"
意思是指我不想
也不能正确拼读成Toser
意思是toses。马克斯•穆勒，怎么样？

我从不曾灵巧地专注于占卜
一个字史前的，原始的状态
像一只鼹鼠找到它的根，托付
向着轮转的悲哀命运绽开

我觉得现在很好哇
我没有接近以往的谜底
我美轮美奂造了"tose"这个单词
含义的要点比 "towse"更清晰吗？

因此，Towser（或Toser），我的意思是给你改名
表示对一些好人、名人的尊敬
光和热加速你的名声
如果可以，你会长成一只名狗，杰出闻名

阳光下你不会久久屈服听命
参议院会听到你的声音，我保证
到这里来吧，先生。站起来。我再次给你，Goucher施洗礼
你他妈的！如果你曾经是Gouch，我要开枪射你！


注：英文Towser意思是大狗。


北京时间2015年2月23日翻译
Beijing time on February 23,2015, Translation