狄克楊棒球雜談

凱西的復仇

棒球詩欣賞─凱西站上打擊區

狄克楊 -- 1999.2.2發表於「球魂」

介紹一首英文棒球詩「Casey at the Bat」，順道提一提棒球文學在台灣的困境。

幾年前在許昭彥先生的「美國職棒」書中，曾提到有一首最受歡迎的美國棒球詩「Casey at the Bat」，後來在Total Baseball中無意間再度發現這篇作品，還真的是美國棒球詩的代表作。之後在逛一逛台灣某些圖書館時，意外發現有些書籍將這首詩翻成中文，讀了一下感覺蠻不錯的，感謝有人願意翻譯。

以下將原版英文和修飾、整合過後的中文翻譯（因為有些翻譯明顯對棒球不太瞭解）完整秀出，和大家一起分享，希望我的普通英文程度能讓大家滿意。（本詩內容因為出版年代久遠，已超過著作權法保護時效，成為大家都可以自由運用的作品，故在此登出並不侵權）

Casey at the Bat

A Ballad of the Republic, Sung in the Year 1888

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day;

The score stood four to two with but one inning more to play.

And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,

A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

難耐的寂靜沈沈地佔據觀眾的心。

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair.

The rest Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;

They thought if only Casey could but get a whack at that--

We'd put up even money now with Casey at the bat.

凱西能站上打擊區，那就還有贏球的希望。

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,

And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;

So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,

For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

凱西上場的機會彷彿很渺茫。

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,

And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;

And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,

There was Johnnie safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

布雷克安全上到二壘，佛萊恩衝向三壘。

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;

It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,

For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

因為凱西，強棒凱西，正邁向打擊區。

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;

There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.

And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,

No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

沒有人不明白這是凱西上場的時刻。

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;

Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.

Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,

Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

輕蔑在凱西眼中閃現，冷笑在凱西唇邊出現。

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,

And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.

Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--

"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

凱西說：「這不合我的胃口。」，裁判說：「一好球。」

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,

Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.

"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted some one on the stand;

And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

要不是凱西伸手一擺，觀眾可能真的早殺了裁判。

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;

He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;

He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;

But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

然而凱西依舊不理，裁判說：「兩好球。」

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;

But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.

They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,

And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

他們知道，凱西絕不會讓下一個球輕易飛過。

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;

He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.

And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,

And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

凱西接著揮棒，流盪的空氣亂失了方向。

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville--mighty Casey has struck out.

然而，莫德威沒有歡笑，強棒凱西已被三振。

Ernest Lawrence Thayer

希望介紹了這首詩之後，能做個拋磚引玉，讓大家多多發表關於棒球的文學作品。