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the bab ballads(巴布民谣)-第5部分
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The warrior whose ennobled name Is woven with his country's fame;
Triumphant over all; I found weak; palsied; bloated; blear; His province
seemed to be; to leer At bonnets in Pall Mall。
Would that ye always shone; who write; Bathed in your own innate
limelight; And ye who battles wage; Or that in darkness I had died Before
my soul had ever sighed To see you off the stage!
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Ballad: Babette's Love
BABETTE she was a fisher gal; With jupon striped and cap in crimps。
She passed her days inside the Halle; Or catching little nimble shrimps。
Yet she was sweet as flowers in May; With no professional bouquet。
JACOT was; of the Customs bold; An officer; at gay Boulogne; He
loved BABETTE … his love he told; And sighed; 〃Oh; soyez vous my
own!〃 But 〃Non!〃 said she; 〃JACOT; my pet; Vous etes trop scraggy pour
BABETTE。
〃Of one alone I nightly dream; An able mariner is he; And gaily serves
the Gen'ral Steam… Boat Navigation Companee。 I'll marry him; if he but
will … His name; I rather think; is BILL。
〃I see him when he's not aware; Upon our hospitable coast; Reclining
with an easy air Upon the PORT against a post; A…thinking of; I'll dare to
say; His native Chelsea far away!〃
〃Oh; mon!〃 exclaimed the Customs bold; 〃Mes yeux!〃 he said (which
means 〃my eye〃) 〃Oh; chere!〃 he also cried; I'm told; 〃Par Jove;〃 he added;
with a sigh。 〃Oh; mon! oh; chere! mes yeux! par Jove! Je n'aime pas cet
enticing cove!〃
The PANTHER'S captain stood hard by; He was a man of morals strict
If e'er a sailor winked his eye; Straightway he had that sailor licked; Mast…
headed all (such was his code) Who dashed or jiggered; blessed or blowed。
He wept to think a tar of his Should lean so gracefully on posts; He
sighed and sobbed to think of this; On foreign; French; and friendly coasts。
〃It's human natur'; p'raps … if so; Oh; isn't human natur' low!〃
He called his BILL; who pulled his curl; He said; 〃My BILL; I
understand You've captivated some young gurl On this here French and
foreign land。 Her tender heart your beauties jog … They do; you know they
do; you dog。
〃You have a graceful way; I learn; Of leaning airily on posts; By which
you've been and caused to burn A tender flame on these here coasts。 A
fisher gurl; I much regret; … Her age; sixteen … her name; BABETTE。
〃You'll marry her; you gentle tar … Your union I myself will bless; And
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when you matrimonied are; I will appoint her stewardess。〃 But WILLIAM
hitched himself and sighed; And cleared his throat; and thus replied:
〃Not so: unless you're fond of strife; You'd better mind your own
affairs; I have an able…bodied wife Awaiting me at Wapping Stairs; If all
this here to her I tell; She'll larrup you and me as well。
〃Skin…deep; and valued at a pin; Is beauty such as VENUS owns …
HER beauty is beneath her skin; And lies in layers on her bones。 The other
sailors of the crew They always calls her 'Whopping Sue!'〃
〃Oho!〃 the Captain said; 〃I see! And is she then so very strong?〃
〃She'd take your honour's scruff;〃 said he 〃And pitch you over to Bolong!〃
〃I pardon you;〃 the Captain said; 〃The fair BABETTE you needn't wed。〃
Perhaps the Customs had his will; And coaxed the scornful girl to wed;
Perhaps the Captain and his BILL; And WILLIAM'S little wife are dead;
Or p'raps they're all alive and well: I cannot; cannot; cannot tell。
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Ballad: To My Bride … (Whoever
She May Be)
Oh! little maid! … (I do not know your name Or who you are; so; as a
safe precaution I'll add) … Oh; buxom widow! married dame! (As one of
these must be your present portion) Listen; while I unveil prophetic lore
for you; And sing the fate that Fortune has in store for you。
You'll marry soon … within a year or twain … A bachelor of CIRCA two
and thirty: Tall; gentlemanly; but extremely plain; And when you're
intimate; you'll call him 〃BERTIE。〃 Neat … dresses well; his temper has
been classified As hasty; but he's very quickly pacified。
You'll find him working mildly at the Bar; After a touch at two or three
professions; From easy affluence extremely far; A brief or two on Circuit …
〃soup〃 at Sessions; A pound or two from whist and backing horses; And;
say three hundred from his own resources。
Quiet in harness; free from serious vice; His faults are not particularly
shady; You'll never find him 〃SHY〃 … for; once or twice Already; he's been
driven by a lady; Who parts with him … perhaps a poor excuse for him …
Because she hasn't any further use for him。
Oh! bride of mine … tall; dumpy; dark; or fair! Oh! widow … wife;
maybe; or blushing maiden; I've told YOUR fortune; solved the gravest
care With which your mind has hitherto been laden。 I've prophesied
correctly; never doubt it; Now tell me mine … and please be quick about it!
You … only you … can tell me; an' you will; To whom I'm destined
shortly to be mated; Will she run up a heavy MODISTE'S bill? If so; I
want to hear her income stated (This is a point which interests me greatly)。
To quote the bard; 〃Oh! have I seen her lately?〃
Say; must I wait till husband number one Is comfortably stowed away
at Woking? How is her hair most usually done? And tell me; please; will
she object to smoking? The colour of her eyes; too; you may mention:
Come; Sibyl; prophesy … I'm all attention。
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The Bab Ballads
Ballad: The Folly Of Brown … By A
General Agent
I knew a boor … a clownish card (His only friends were pigs and cows
and The poultry of a small farmyard); Who came into two hundred
thousand。
Good fortune worked no change in BROWN; Though she's a mighty
social chymist; He was a clown … and by a clown I do not mean a
pantomimist。
It left him quiet; calm; and cool; Though hardly knowing what a crown
was … You can't imagine what a fool Poor rich uneducated BROWN was!
He scouted all who wished to come And give him monetary schooling;
And I propose to give you some Idea of his insensate fooling。
I formed a company or two … (Of course I don't know what the rest
meant; I formed them solely with a view To help him to a sound
investment)。
Their objects were … their only cares … To justify their Boards in
showing A handsome dividend on shares And keep their good promoter
going。
But no … the lout sticks to his brass; Though shares at par I freely
proffer: Yet … will it be believed? … the ass Declines; with thanks; my well…
meant offer!
He adds; with bumpkin's stolid grin (A weakly intellect denoting);
He'd rather not invest it in A company of my promoting!
〃You have two hundred 'thou' or more;〃 Said I。 〃You'll waste it; lose
it; lend it; Come; take my furnished second floor; I'll gladly show you how
to spend it。〃
But will it be believed that he; With grin upon his face of poppy;
Declined my aid; while thanking me For what he called my
〃philanthroppy〃?
Some blind; suspicious fools rejoice In doubting friends who wouldn't
harm them; They will not hear the charmer's voice; However wisely he
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may charm them!
I showed him that his coat; all dust; Top boots and cords provoked
compassion; And proved that men of station must Conform to the decrees
of fashion。
I showed him where to buy his hat To coat him; trouser him; and boot
him; But no … he wouldn't hear of that … 〃He didn't think the style would
suit him!〃
I offered him a county s
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