陶铸·《狱中》英译

秋来风雨费吟哦，铁屋如灰黑犬多。

国未灭亡人半死，家无消息梦常过。

攘外空谈称绝学，残民工计导先河。

我欲问天何瞶瞶，漫凭热泪哭施罗。

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In Prison (1933-1937)

Tao Zhu

Much wind and rain (autumn’s around)

Exact a poet’s imagination.

The iron-barred cell’s in an ashen

Half-light; outside, black hounds (1) abound.

This country has not fallen yet,

The people, though, seem semi-dead.

No news from home; yet in my dreams

I’m often there again, it seems.

They feign Resistance (2); ready lies

Pop out, --O fist-rate wizardry!

Oppressors all, their expertise

Knows no precedent nor rivalry!

Of Heaven I’d almost inquire:

Hast Thou a cataract in the eye?

For Shi and Lo (3) I feel but dire

Grief, can only hot, hot tears cry!

(1)    Kuomingtang gaolers used to wear black uniforms.

(2)    The Kuomingtang had a motto: “In order to combat enemies abroad, we must first suppresss those at home”. The actual emphasis was naturally put on the latter objective, and the former became a sheer deception.

(3)    Shi (Shi Yi, assumed name of Deng Zhongxia, a prominent leader of the C.C.P. in its earlier period) and Luo (Luo Dengxian) were arrested about the same time of Tao’s imprisonment. The news of their martyrdom reached Tao not long afterwards.