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0General Prologue（开篇序言From The Canterbury Tales)
As soon as April pierces to the root
The drought of March, and bathes each bud and shoot
Through every vein of sap with gentle showers
From whose engendering liquor spring the flowers;
当四月的甘霖将三月枯竭的根须穿透，
沐洗每一个蓓蕾与嫩枝，
以轻柔的阵雨浸润树液的每一条脉络，
花朵便从这催生的液汁中绽放；
When Zephyrus have breathed softly all about
Inspiring every wood and field to sprout,
And in the zodiac the youthful sun
His journey halfway through the Ram has run;
当西风轻柔地吹拂四方，
催得每一片树林与田野萌发新芽，
而在黄道带中，
年轻的太阳已在白羊座的行程中走完一半；
When little birds are busy with their song
Who sleep with open eyes the whole night long
Life stirs their hearts and tingles in them so,
Then off as pilgrims people long to go,
当小鸟们忙着啼唱，
它们整夜睁着眼睛睡觉，
生命在它们心中搅动，如此激荡，
于是人们渴望作为朝圣者出发，
And palmers to set out for distant strands
And foreign shrines renowned in many lands.
And specially in England people ride
To Canterbury from every countryside
游方僧则启程前往遥远的海岸，
以及在许多国度闻名的异国圣地。
尤其在英格兰，
人们从每一处乡间骑马前往坎特伯雷
To visit there the blessed martyred saint
Who gave them strength when they were sick and faint.
去拜访那受祝福的殉道圣徒，
当他们病痛虚弱时，是他给予他们力量。
In Southwark at the Tabard one spring day
It happened, as I stopped there on my way,
Myself a pilgrim with a heart devout
Ready for Canterbury to set out,
春日的一天，在南华克的泰巴客店，
我恰好在途中停留，
我自己是一名心怀虔诚的朝圣者，
准备出发前往坎特伯雷，
At night came all of twenty-nine assorted
Travellers, and to that same inn resorted,
Who by a turn of fortune chanced to fall
In fellowship together, and they were all
Pilgrims who had it in their minds to ride
Toward Canterbury.
夜晚来了二十九位形形色色的旅人，
都来到了同一家客店，
他们因机缘巧合聚在一起，
全都是一心想要骑马前往坎特伯雷的朝圣者。
The stables doors were wide,
The rooms were large, and we enjoyed the best,
And shortly, when the sun had gone to rest,
I had so talked with each that presently
I was a member of their company
And promised to rise early the next day
To start, as I shall show, upon our way.
马厩的门很宽敞，
房间也很大，我们住得很舒适，
不久，当太阳落山后，
我和每个人都交谈过，
很快我就成了他们中的一员，
并答应第二天早起，
如我所述，踏上我们的行程。
But none the less, while I have time and space,
Before this tale has gone a further pace,
I should in reason tell you the condition
Of each of them, his rank and his position,
And also what array they all were in;
And so then, with a knight I will begin.
尽管如此，趁我还有时间和篇幅，
在这个故事进一步展开之前，
按理我应该向你们讲述他们每个人的状况，
他们的身份地位，以及他们的穿着打扮；
那么，我就先从一位骑士讲起。
