第4章 The Needle 银针

The gay belles of fashion may boast of excelling

In waltz or cotillon, at whist or quadrille;

And seek admiration by vauntingly telling

Of drawing, and painting, and musical skill:

But give me the fair one, in country or city,

Whose home and its duties are dear to her heart,

Who cheerfully warbles some rustical ditty,

While plying the needle with exquisite art:

The bright little needle, the swift-flying needle,

The needle directed by beauty and art.

If Love have a potent, a magical token,

A talisman, ever resistless and true,

A charm that is never evaded or broken,

A witchery certain the heart to subdue,

'T is this; and his armory never has furnished

So keen and unerring, or polished a dart;

Let beauty direct it, so polished and burnished,

And oh! It is certain of touching the heart:

The bright little needle, the swift-flying needle,

The needle directed by beauty and art.

Be wise, then, ye maidens, nor seek admiration,

By dressing for conquest, and flirting with all;

You never, whate'er be your fortune or station,

Appear half so lovely at rout or at ball,

As gayly convened at the work-covered table,

Each cheerfully active, playing her part,

Beguiling the task with a song or a fable,

And plying the needle with exquisite art:

The bright little needle, the swift-flying needle,

The needle directed by beauty and art.

—Samuel Woodworth.

时髦的美人或许在夸耀，

用优美的华尔兹舞曲或花步舞，

在惠斯特舞或者方舞中；

夸耀自己的绘画和音乐天赋，以此博取赞美；

在乡村或城市，请给予我万里无云的天气，

谁的家才能够捕获她的芳心，

在展现精湛刺绣手艺的时候，

她还在欢快地唱着田园小调：

亮闪闪的小银针，灵活穿梭的银针，

美和艺术才是她的主宰。

如果爱拥有强大而富有魅力的象征，

一个护身符，曾经是那么不可阻挡和真实，

永远无法规避或者破碎的魅力，

巫术无法令内心折服，

他那毫无陈设的军章，

是如此逼真形象，像是擦得锃亮的飞镖；

就让美来指引、装点它吧！

噢！它触碰到了内心深处：

亮闪闪的小银针，灵活穿梭的银针，

美和艺术才是她的主宰。

要变得聪明，姑娘们，不要盲目崇拜，

依靠穿着打扮，来吸引众人的目光；

无论你的财富和地位如何，

都不能在舞会上表现你的优越，

大家聚在带有刺绣图案的桌子旁，

所有人都兴致勃勃地忙碌着，

一边工作，一边哼着歌儿听着传说，

用精湛的技艺挥舞着银针：

亮闪闪的小银针，灵活穿梭的银针，

美和艺术才是她的主宰。

塞缪尔·伍德沃兹