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埃德加·李·马斯特斯（Edgar Lee Masters，1869-1950年），美国诗人。他的《匙河集》（Spoon River Anthology，1915）是一系列短小的自由诗体独白，据称是从伊利诺伊州某小城墓地的碑铭上摘录的。这些诗传达出了在沉闷压抑的现实中倍感失意的男男女女内心深处的思想。笔者尝试品读他的诗：《乔治·格雷》，为了更好地体会诗意，先看英文原文：
George Gray
I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me—
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment；
Sorrow knocked at my door，but I was afraid；
Ambition called to me，but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one’s life may end in madness，
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire—
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
诗中的人害怕可能的艰难痛苦，不敢大胆拥抱生活，却又躁动不安：因模糊的愿望未能实现而遗憾终生，自己成了从未扬帆出海的玩具船。先分析对一些词句的理解：
study：look at something or watch it very carefully，in order to find something out.
The marble，根据下文可以看出指的是a marble boat。
disillusionment：1.disappointment caused by a frustrated ideal or belief.
2.the disappointed feeling you have when you discover that someone or something is not as good as you had believed.
sorrow：1.a feeling of deep sadness caused by a loss or misfortune.
2 .an unfortunate event，experience，or other cause of sorrow.
chance：an unpleasant or dangerous possibility；risk.
madness：1.great enthusiasm or excitement.
2.rash or thoughtless behavior.
3.ideas or actions that show a lack of good judgment and careful thought.
4.severe mental illness.
詩的前五行使用了现在完成时、一般过去时、一般现在时：石船是很久以前别人为“我”雕刻的，不知从什么时候起，“我”会反复端详，思华年，已惘然——这艘船浓缩了“我”的一生，是“我”一生的写照，静泊于海港，风帆卷起，却不是远航归来，而是从来就未曾扬帆，枯守港湾，终其一生。
诗的六至九行用一般过去时详细地解释了为什么这样的一艘船刻画了“我”的一生，同时精炼地概括了“我”的一生：害怕爱情会是一场空而退缩；哀伤更让“我”害怕不敢开门；种种风险让“我”恐惧，不敢有什么雄心抱负；虽然如此，却又一直渴望人生能有意义，但只能困守于害怕和渴望之中。
诗从第十行到末尾都用的是一般现在时，是喟叹、感慨，也是劝勉（注意人称代词的转换I-we-one）：哪怕疯狂一把，也比无尽的折磨要好，不要做渴望大海却又害怕出海的玩具船。
诗歌用人名作为标题，用第一人称叙事，弱化了说教的意味，更易于让读者接受和深思。美国作家梭罗说：世界上绝大多数人都过着平静但没有任何希望的生活。读了这首诗，感慨的同时有冲动：人生在于体验，不以成败论人生，人生苦短，必须激情，要徜徉不要徘徊。只要我曾经豪情万丈，哪怕归来的是空空的行囊，也不虚此生，至少比坐港望海有意义。
George Gray
I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me—
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment；
Sorrow knocked at my door，but I was afraid；
Ambition called to me，but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one’s life may end in madness，
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire—
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
诗中的人害怕可能的艰难痛苦，不敢大胆拥抱生活，却又躁动不安：因模糊的愿望未能实现而遗憾终生，自己成了从未扬帆出海的玩具船。先分析对一些词句的理解：
study：look at something or watch it very carefully，in order to find something out.
The marble，根据下文可以看出指的是a marble boat。
disillusionment：1.disappointment caused by a frustrated ideal or belief.
2.the disappointed feeling you have when you discover that someone or something is not as good as you had believed.
sorrow：1.a feeling of deep sadness caused by a loss or misfortune.
2 .an unfortunate event，experience，or other cause of sorrow.
chance：an unpleasant or dangerous possibility；risk.
madness：1.great enthusiasm or excitement.
2.rash or thoughtless behavior.
3.ideas or actions that show a lack of good judgment and careful thought.
4.severe mental illness.
詩的前五行使用了现在完成时、一般过去时、一般现在时：石船是很久以前别人为“我”雕刻的，不知从什么时候起，“我”会反复端详，思华年，已惘然——这艘船浓缩了“我”的一生，是“我”一生的写照，静泊于海港，风帆卷起，却不是远航归来，而是从来就未曾扬帆，枯守港湾，终其一生。
诗的六至九行用一般过去时详细地解释了为什么这样的一艘船刻画了“我”的一生，同时精炼地概括了“我”的一生：害怕爱情会是一场空而退缩；哀伤更让“我”害怕不敢开门；种种风险让“我”恐惧，不敢有什么雄心抱负；虽然如此，却又一直渴望人生能有意义，但只能困守于害怕和渴望之中。
诗从第十行到末尾都用的是一般现在时，是喟叹、感慨，也是劝勉（注意人称代词的转换I-we-one）：哪怕疯狂一把，也比无尽的折磨要好，不要做渴望大海却又害怕出海的玩具船。
诗歌用人名作为标题，用第一人称叙事，弱化了说教的意味，更易于让读者接受和深思。美国作家梭罗说：世界上绝大多数人都过着平静但没有任何希望的生活。读了这首诗，感慨的同时有冲动：人生在于体验，不以成败论人生，人生苦短，必须激情，要徜徉不要徘徊。只要我曾经豪情万丈，哪怕归来的是空空的行囊，也不虚此生，至少比坐港望海有意义。