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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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      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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