Sonnets of William Shakespeare-Sonnet 59

　　Hath been before, how are our brains beguiled,

　　Which, labouring for invention, bear amiss

　　The second burden of a former child!

　　O, that record could with a backward look,

　　Even of five hundred courses of the sun,

　　Show me your image in some antique book,

　　Since mind at first in character was done!

　　That I might see what the old world could say

　　To this composed wonder of your frame;

　　Whether we are mended, or whether better they,

　　Or whether revolution be the same.

　　O, sure I am, the wits of former days

　　To subjects worse have given admiring praise.

　　如果天下無新事，現(xiàn)在的種種

　　從前都有過，我們的頭腦多上當(dāng)，

　　當(dāng)它苦心要創(chuàng)造，卻懷孕成功

　　一個前代有過的嬰孩的重?fù)?dān)!

　　哦，但愿歷史能用回溯的眼光

　　(縱使太陽已經(jīng)運行了五百周)，

　　在古書里對我顯示你的肖像，

　　自從心靈第一次寫成了句讀!--

　　讓我曉得古人曾經(jīng)怎樣說法，

　　關(guān)于你那雍容的體態(tài)的神奇;

　　是我們高明，還是他們優(yōu)越，

　　或者所謂演變其實并無二致。

　　哦，我敢肯定，不少才子在前代

　　曾經(jīng)贊揚過遠(yuǎn)不如你的題材。