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LESSON 4
Charles G. Eastman (b. 1816, d.1861) was born in Maine, but removed at an early age to Vermont, where he was connected with the press at Burlington, Woodstock, and Montpelier. He published a volume of poems in 1848, written in a happy lyric and ballad style, and faithfully portraying rural life in New England.
1. The farmer sat in his easy-chair
Smoking his pipe of clay,
While his hale
old wife with busy care,
Was clearing the dinner away; A sweet little girl with fine blue eyes, On her grandfather’s knee, was catching flies.
2. The old man laid his hand on her head,
With a tear on his wrinkled face,
He thought how often her mother, dead,
Had sat in the selfsame place;
As the tear stole down from his half-shut eye,
“Don’t smoke!” said the child, “how it makes you cry!”
3. The house dog lay stretched out on the floor,
Where the shade, afternoons, used to steal;
The busy old wife by the open door
Was turning the spinning wheel,
And the old brass clock on the manteltree
Had plodded
along to almost three.
4. Still the farmer sat in his easy-chair,
While close to his heaving
breast
The moistened brow and the cheek so fair
Of his sweet grandchild were pressed;
His head bent down, all her soft hair lay;
Fast asleep were they both on that summer day.
【中文阅读】
查尔斯·基·伊士曼(1816～1861)出生于美国缅因，但早年就已迁往佛蒙特州，在那里，他与伯灵顿、伍兹托克以及蒙彼利埃数处媒体联系密切。1848年，他出版了以抒情和民谣风格表现的诗歌集，真实地描绘了新英格兰的乡村生活。
1.躺在休闲椅上的老农，
悠闲地抽着陶制烟斗，
他硬朗的年迈妻子，
忙碌收拾着杯盘狼藉。
蓝眼睛可爱的小姑娘，
趴在爷爷膝上捉蜻蜓。
2.老人摩挲孙女的头，
满脸皱纹，泪水扑簌在流。
孩子的妈妈去世不久，
好像还坐在从前地方。
“不要抽烟！”孩子开口说话，
“你怎么哭了，爷爷？”
3.趴在午后荫凉地上，
惬意打盹的老狗；
片刻不得空闲的老妇人，
门前，吱呀呀纺着棉花。
壁炉楣顶上古老铜钟，
快到三点的时针在爬。
4.老人还躺在休闲椅上，
他呼吸急促，神色安详，
饱经沧桑的脸颊沾满泪渍，
怀里抱着他可爱的孙女，
头发蓬松，脑袋耷拉，
夏日午后，祖孙俩都睡着啦。