安德鲁·巴顿·帕特森(《班卓琴》)

在这里你会发现海,地狱和布里戈尔诗人安德鲁·巴顿·帕特森(《班卓琴》)

海,地狱和布里戈尔

“你们来看我吧,孩子们,”他说;“你什么时候来,我们都会欢迎你,给你一张床,还有威士忌;虽然我们的小镇没有一个热闹的地方的名字你知道,我住在布利戈尔。“人们对这个地区和这个城镇有一种可怕的诅咒——这种诅咒比地狱还要可怕;事实上,流传甚广的谚语是“海、地狱和地狱”。“毫无疑问,他们说这里比海地和地狱还糟糕,这很合他们的胃口。不过,你根本就不听他们的话。当然,这里很热,没人否认,还有沙子,灰尘,成堆的苍蝇,还有兔子,在布奥利戈尔。“可是这样一个令人愉快、安静的地方——你从来看不到一个陌生人的脸;他们几乎不愿意来拜访;车夫们大都路过这里——他们认为他们宁愿死也不愿在布利戈尔过夜。 "The big mosquitoes frighten some -- You'll lie awake to hear 'em hum -- And snakes about the township crawl; But shearers, when they get their cheque, They never come along and wreck The blessed town of Booligal. "But down to Hay the shearers come And fill themselves with fighting-rum, And chase blue devils up the wall, And fight the snaggers every day, Until there is the deuce to pay -- There's none of that in Booligal. "Of course, there isn't much to see -- The billiard-table used to be The great attraction for us all, Until some careless, drunken curs Got sleeping on it in their spurs, And ruined it, in Booligal. "Just now there is a howling drought That pretty near has starved us out -- It never seems to rain at all; But, if there should come any rain, You couldn't cross the black-soil plain -- You'd have to stop in Booligal." "We'd have to stop!" With bated breath We prayed that both in life and death Our fate in other lines might fall; "Oh, send us to our just reward In Hay or Hell, but, gracious Lord, Deliver us from Booligal!"