儿歌《Goosey Goosey Gander》(大鹅,大鹅,瞧一瞧!)
Goosey Goosey Gander
大鹅,大鹅,瞧一瞧
Whither shall I wander,
我该到哪里去呢?
Upstairs and downstairs
楼上还是楼下,
and in my lady's chamber
还是在女士的闺房中呢?
There I met an old man
我遇到了一个老男人
who wouldn't say his prayers,
算不上是一个教徒,
I took him by the his left leg
我抬起他的左腿
and threw him down the stairs.
把他扔下了楼梯
Goosey Goosey Gander
where shall I wander,
Upstairs, downstairs
and in my lady's chamber
There I met an old man
who wouldn't say his prayers,
I took him by the left leg
and threw him down the stairs.
歌曲来源及背景:
对于该童谣有多种背景解释,首先鹅在西方文化中是和性有一定关联的,在《天鹅与丽达》中就是典型代表,以前大户人家(出身高贵 a high born)的小姐都有自己的闺阁(chamber)。鹅在在闺阁中晃荡(In my lady's chamber"),难免有瓜田李下之嫌。大英百科中灰雁(greylag goose)因其高生育率而与性相关。
1784年伦敦出版《Gammer Gurton's Garland or The Nursery Parnassus》 中记载歌谣如下:
Goose-a goose-a gander,
Where shall I wander?
Up stairs and down stairs,
In my lady's chamber;
There you'll find a cup of sack
And a race of ginger.
有些版本新增了几句:
The stairs went crack,
He nearly broke his back.
And all the little ducks went,
'Quack, quack, quack'.
1780年《Iona and Peter Opie》中记载内容已经逐步在融合了。
Old father Long-Legs
Can't say his prayers:
take him by the left leg,
And throw him downstairs
在英国内战时期克伦威尔的士兵通常迈着“鹅步(goose-step)”队列穿过。这正是天主教徒遭受迫害的时期,"There I met an old man a-saying of his prayers"。在天主教梵蒂冈第二届大公会议前,天主教一直使用拉丁文进行祈祷,它是一种天主教信徒的必备能力。而英国当时禁止天主教徒使用拉丁文,所以听到起祷告即能区分是否为天主教徒。"I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs" 暗指(alluded)天主教徒的别称"left-footer", 这里可以看做是圆颅党(Roundhead)四处搜捕天主教徒(Catholics)及神父(particularly Priests),只要抓到就进行虐待( ill-treated)。参看:为何称天主教为左脚(其实我看了半天没看明白)
教徒们藏身之所称为“神父穴 'Priest Holes' ”非常狭小一般在房屋的隐蔽处或楼梯间。这也能理解歌中楼上楼下的走动。这一时期称这些为狂热的教徒 (Zealous Protestants)
Goosey
goose ”雌鹅; 傻瓜 古英语gōs >中古英语gose, goos“+y
Gander /ˈgændə(r)/ 雄鹅; 看一看,瞧一眼
源于古英语 gan(d)ra
chamber / [ ˈtʃeɪmbə(r) ]/n.室,卧室,会客室; 内庭;v.限制,幽禁,封闭或限制; 使备有房间
中古英语 chambre < 古法语< 拉丁语camera "a chamber, room"< 希腊语kamára ,它与照相机camer同源,照相机就是一个暗室,一个小屋子。
praye r/ preə/ 祈祷; 祈祷(习惯); 祈祷文; 经文
中古英语 preiere < 古法语< 拉丁语precāria,precārius 阴格=prec- (prex词干) prayer + -ārius -ary
allude / əˈlu:d / 暗指; 间接提到
源自拉丁语 Latin allūdere “to play beside, make a playful allusion to,” =al- “倾向于 ”+ lūdere “to play ”
Roundhead /raʊndhed/ 圆颅党=round“圆”+head “头”
particularly /pəˈtɪkjələli / 特别; 尤其; 异乎寻常地
拉丁语particulāris, =particul (a)
Priest / pri:st / 神父,牧师; 司铎,司祭; 领导者; 神甫
拉丁语presbyter ”长老presbyter “>古英语prēost>中古英语priest
Zealous /zeləs / 热心的,热情的
源自拉丁语 zēlōsus "热情饱满full of zeal"=zeal(终于英语zele <</SPAN> 拉丁语zēlus <希腊语zêlos)+ous
Protestant /'prɒtɪstənt/新教教徒
源自拉丁语prōtestantēs=protest(拉丁语 protestari "declare publicly, testify, protest,"