经典英语散文精彩段落——《散文与诗》：缺乏范围界线既是散文的易出危险处，也是它的特有自由。诗歌这种体裁的特点在于它的凝练集中；其中的每道罅隙尽可以使之蕴蓄无穷。
Prose and Poetry《散文与诗》
It is the danger and privilege ofprose that it has no limits．The veryform of verse is a concentration；you canload every rift with more ore．Prose，with its careless lineage direct fromspeech，has a certain impromptu and casualness about it：it has allowed itself somuch license among trivialities that a tooserious demeanour surprises；we are aptto be repelled by a t00 strait observanceof law on the part of one not really a citizen．And there is one thing that prosecannot do；it cannot sing．A distinctionthere is between prose and lyrical verse，even in actual language，because herewords are used by rhythm as, notes inmusic，and at times with hardly morethan that musical meaning．As Jouberthas said，in a figure which is a precisedefinition："In the style of poetry everyword reverberates like the sound of awell-tuned lyre，and leaves after it numberless undulations．"The words may bethe same，or，by preference，simpler；but，as the rhythm comes into it，therewill come also something which，thoughit may be born 0f music，is not music．Call it atmosphere，call it magic；say，againwith Joubert："Fine verses are those thatexhale like sounds or perfumes"； weshall never explain， though we may dosomething to distinguish， that transformation by which prose is changed miraculously into poetry．
缺乏范围界线既是散文的易出危险处，也是它的特有自由。诗歌这种体裁的特点在于它的凝练集中；其中的每道罅隙尽可以使之蕴蓄无穷。但是这个本属一般话语漫不经心的产物的散文，却不免带有某种即兴与偶发的性质；它既在种种琐细之中陷溺放纵惯了，一旦板起面孔讲话，反会被人嗔怪；我们会对文学界中这个化外之民的过度循规蹈矩做法而大生反感。不过散文虽然自由，却有一事它做不来；散文不会歌唱。即使在实际用语当中，散文与抒情诗之间也有差别，原因是在诗里面，文字的使用全凭节奏，正如音符之在乐曲那样，而且有时音乐意义而外，几乎再无其他意义。下面茹伯特的一个譬喻(实即一条精湛定义)讲道："在诗体中，每个词的出现恰如一具精确弦琴上的回荡那样，其韵悠然，袅袅不绝。"那里面的词语即是常用的词语，并不奇特；那里面的语句即是常用的语句，甚至更简单些；然而，一旦节奏进入其中，另外一种源于音乐但并非音乐的东西就又会随之而来。是气氛?是幻术?恐怕我们还是不能不同意茹伯特的说法："好诗读来应当悠扬动听，芳馥四溢。"散文如何便奇迹般地一下转化成诗?对于这一现象，我们或许尚能加以辨识，但却永远无从解释。
