英国人沉迷《红楼梦》，耗时十年翻译全本，备受红学界褒奖

戴维·霍克思（David Hawkes，1923～2009），英国汉学家、红学家。

枉凝眉

Hope Betrayed 

作 | 曹雪芹 译 | David Hawkes

一个是阆苑仙葩，

One was a flower from paradise,

一个是美玉无瑕，

One a pure jade without spot or stain.

若说没奇缘，

If each of the other one was not intended,

今生偏又遇着他；

Then why in this life did they meet again?

若说有奇缘，

And yet if fate had meant them for each other,

如何心事终虚化?

why was their earthly meeting all in vain?

一个枉自嗟呀，

In vain were all his anxious fears

一个空劳牵挂。

All, insubstantial, doomed to pass

一个是水中月，

As moonlight mirrored in the water

一个是镜中花。

Or flowers reflected in a glass.

想眼中能有多少泪珠儿。

How many tears from those poor eyes could flow,

怎经得秋流到冬尽，春流到夏！

Which every season rained upon her woe?

-end-

曲名《枉凝眉》: 意思是悲愁有何用，也即曲中所说的“枉自嗟呀”。凝眉，皱眉，悲愁的样子。

阆苑：传说中神仙所住的地方。也称阆风苑、阆风之苑，传说中在昆仑山之巅，是西王母居住的地方。在诗词中常用来泛指神仙居住的地方，有时也代指帝王宫苑。

仙葩：仙花。“阆苑仙葩”自然指绛珠仙子林黛玉。

虚化：成空，化为乌有。戚序本误作“虚花”，变动词为名词；程式乙本改作“虚话”，变心事为明言；甲戌本经涂改；今从庚辰本。

一个枉自嗟呀， 一个空劳牵挂：一个常因宝玉而流泪（指黛玉），一个常因黛玉而感叹（指宝玉）。