Chapter Three Beauty Is the Smile on the Earth’s Face
A ship in sail,
an opening flower,
a town at night,
the song of the blackbird,
a lovely poem,
leaf shadows,
a child’s grace,
apple trees in spring,
sheep-bells on a hill,
the starry skies,
a rippling stream,
a butterfly,
the crescent moon,
the thousand sights or sounds or words
that evoke in us the thought of beauty —
these are the drops of rain that keep the human spirit from death by drought.
They are a stealing and silent refreshment
that we perhaps do not think about,
but which goes on all the time.
Beauty is the smile on the earth’s face,
open to all, and needs but the eyes to see, the mood to understand.
——John Galsworthy
参考译文
美是大地的微笑
杨帆的航船，
绽放的鲜花，
夜幕中的小镇，
优美的诗行，
可爱的诗人
婆娑的树影，
孩童的烂漫，
漫天的繁星
春天的果树，
山上的羊铃声，
一道潺潺流水，
一只蝴蝶 ，
这个新月，
这些使我们潜生美感的万千景象，音籁和词句
仿佛雨露般滋润着我们干涸的心田。
它们悄然而来
在我们不经意中荡涤尘寰
绵延不断
美是大地的笑容，
人人得以享受，只要我们用眼去捕捉，用心去感受。
