【原】学人寻踪 || 任泰（Jen Tai)是谁？

近期阅读香港《联合书院学报》（United College Journal），看到一位名为任泰（Jen Tai）的学者发表了三篇译作（诗）和八首自己创作的英语诗歌，翻译水平和英诗水平都挺高，可惜的是查阅了各种资料，无法弄清楚这位任泰具体是何人？

曾经见到一个信息与任泰相关，钟再强博士（后）曾在《外语研究》（2014年第3期）上发表文章“刍议赛珍珠英译《水浒传》的国外影响”，第三条参考文献中提到任泰先生，信息如下：Jen, T. 1933. A Chinese Classic: Review of All Men Are Brothers trans. by Pearl S. Buck[J]. Saturday Review of Literature, 10(7): 162-163.

哪位贤者知道他是谁？能否告知？如果方便，请在文后留言告知。谢谢！

他发表作（译）品的情况如下：

Three Poems in English 英文詩三首（1962年第1期）；

The Mu Lan Rhyme (A Translation) 英譯木蘭詩（1962年第1期）；

The Expedition Memorial of Chu-Ko Liang 諸葛亮出師表（1963年第2期）；

Five Poems 英文詩五首（1963年第2期）；

The Everlasting Woe (Ch'ang Hen Ko) 長恨歌（1964年第3期）

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诗文欣赏：

THREE POEMS

By

JEN TAI

任泰

To Chu Yuan

Commemorating the death of Chu Yuan on Poet's Day, the fifth day of the fifth month (the tenth of June), 1959. This poem also serves as my criticism against dehumanizing concepts of the West now tearing the world to pieces.

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My Heart

 

It grows in peace, it grows instrife,

                 With open joy,

Holding the universal life

                 Of nature's boy.

 

The voice of my heart is faint

                  and shy but speaks

With overpowering charm and scent

                  Like rosy cheeks.

 

And nowhere lies my heart, but search

                 And you will find

It outside this and that man's church

                 Among the wind.

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The Rose

 

Your silent gaze I covet, rose!

       While you arrest my heart

With wanton scent and jaunty blows

       That baffle works of art.

 

What mortal charm, what virgingrace,

       Could be so sweet and pure

As your emotive sylvan face

       Holding the woodland lure?

 

What language could to hearts convey

       Such joyous eloquence

As does your word of silence gay

       And blushing innocence?

 

With steadfast glance, without aword,

       You look at me to find

That your sweet panting thoughts are heard

       By ears blithe in my mind.

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FIVE POEMS

by

JEN TAI

1

Time Reaps Man's Harvest

 

Behind red leaves, behind the Western Hill

The sun is sinking—lonesome as my heart—

In silent glory. It has played itspart.

And all is mute, drinking a sullen chill

While deep in my self [voiceless voices fill

Me with this utterance: "I tends to start".

This autumn touch of nature's wanton art.

Is it against the urge of human will?

 

My heart is failing—lonesome as thesun—

With ebbing splendour. It has runthe race

That called for its warm blood. When life is done,

All shall be undone: passion, breath, and grace.

Against and for the will of human urge

Time reaps man's harvest: a high joy. a dirge.

 

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2

 

In Praise of Woman

 

Virgin, woman and mother! you aregreat.

Great beauteous feminine trinity!

The stream of life, with love,fecundity.

And grace, you nourish and perpetuate.

What human edifice, what human state

Or task, could reach for its sublimity

Without beauty's breath and love's sanctity?

Selfless, claimless you toil for your mate.

 

Sweet mystery and mortal-charming flower

Sublime! And in his passion desert burning

Your modest self, with streams of innocence

trickling full of delicious melting power.

Gives him peace, ecstasy, comfort and yearning

That hold him fast .to his own confidence. 

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3

 

Sonnet

 

I paint and powder only when I hate

To see my face, the beautiful creation

Of God and pride of human admiration,

Index the siege of time. All desperate

Trying to hold my beauty for my mate,

With prayers and sighs, courage and consternation,

I wage my losing war. What devastation

Could be so cruel as t' annihilate

The very hope and ecstasy of life?

When others drink my beauty, their high joy

I relish, and in peoples' eyes I see

My lot: beauty's passionate passion strife

Holds the griefs and joys of many a Troy

That burns with love's flaming eternity.

 

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4

 

Agelong Hesitation

 

I have traversed the continent of life;

It is not my home.

And back I turn to my self.

Back I turn to my self,

Forsaking all: everything and everyman.

And thoughtless, aimless I roam

From realms to realms

Far beyond torment and strife.

 

Could I, without those tender ties,

Without those smiles and tears,

Live by myself and for my self?

Let me take again the dirt andlies.

Let me breathe the mundane air,

Let me utter the cries for passion and powers:

These are part of myself—part of everyman.

Fare you well, my orchid flowers, 1

For back I turn now to hold and share,

With many a friend and foe,

With Christ and Satan,

Everyman's joy and everyman's woe. 

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1. Orchid flower is the symbol of fragrance, purity and hermitude. 

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5

 

The Gypsy in My Heart

 

There is that gypsy in my heart

Which makes me laugh and lie

When nature yields its crown toart.

And fountains, forests sigh

And sigh.

There is that gypsy in my heart

Which loves to read the star,

The holy book with human chart.

So high there but not far,

Not far.

There is that gypsy in my heart

Which loathes to stay at home;

Tearing my gentleman apart,

It bullies me to roam

And roam.

And so 1 roam from land to land,

Reading my wordless books

Of vagrant clouds, despairing sand,

Siren isles and lorn nooks-

Lorn nooks.

译诗欣赏：

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