Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a family well known for educational and political activity. After the Civil War Dickinson lived a secluded life. Although she started writing poetry around 1850, almost all of her poems were discovered and published after her death.

狄金森(1830-1886)生于麻萨诸塞州。父亲为名律师及议员。她在中年后遁世隐居。她的诗短而抒情，感情与意象密切结合。大部分的诗在她死后才被发现而结集出版。

I'm Nobody! Who Are You?...

我是个无名小卒！你呢？...

I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us ─don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!
			

我是个无名小卒！你呢？
你也是个无名小卒？
那我们可成了对──别说出来！
你知道，他们会把我们放逐。

做一个名人多可怕！
众目之下，象只青蛙
整天哇哇高唱自己的名字
对着一个咂咂赞美的泥淖！


(非马  译)
			

Two Swimmers Wrestled on the Spar...

两个泳者在甲板上搏斗...

Two swimmers wrestled on the spar
Until the morning sun,
When one turned smiling to the land.
O God, the other one!

The stray ships passing spied a face
Upon the waters borne,
With eyes in death still begging raised,
And hands beseeching thrown.
			

两个泳者在甲板上搏斗
直到朝阳东升，
当一个微笑着转向陆地。
天哪，另一个！

路过的船只看到一张脸
在水面漂荡，
在死亡里依然举目乞求，
双手哀恳地伸张。


(非马  译)
			

If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking...

如果我能使一颗心免于破碎...

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
			

如果我能使一颗心免于破碎，
我便没白活；
如果我能使一个生命少受点罪，
或缓和一点痛苦，
或帮助一只昏迷的知更鸟
再度回到他的窝，
我便没白活。


(非马  译)