鹅妈妈童谣集（Mother Goose）是一部著名的英国童谣集，自17世纪末问世以来已经有过多种版本，现在既被当作父母念给幼儿听的最佳英语读物之一，也是文化研究者的重要研究对象。

简介

内容摘录

影响

其它

简介

关于真正的鹅妈妈童谣集究竟应该包含哪些歌谣，历来说法不一，事实上也不可能有一个真正的定论，因为随着历史的推进，鹅妈妈童谣集的版本也不断改变。尽管经常被当作英国特色的典范，鹅妈妈童谣集最早并不是英国人的作品。1697年，法国作家佩罗出版了一本由八个民间故事组成的小册子，并将它命名为Contes de ma mère l'Oye（Tales of Mother Goose）。这些故事于1729年被翻译成英文。在这之后，一个英国人John Newbery发现出版类似的面向儿童市场的小册子利润可观，于是他和同伴决定合作整理并出版一本民间流传的童谣合辑。于是在1791年，鹅妈妈童谣集（Mother Goose's Melody）在英国正式出版，收录了52首小诗，每一首都配有寓意和木版画的插图。这一版本现在已经是非常难得的珍品了。此后又出现过各种新的版本，集子中收录的童谣数量也不断增长，这些童谣产生的时间跨度达几百年之久，有些甚至可以追溯到十四世纪。

多年以来，作为传统的幼儿睡前读物，鹅妈妈童谣集中那些朗朗上口的歌谣已经成为许多英国人精神文化深处的一部分，其影响难以估价。正像《黑麦奇案》中马普尔小姐说的：

“如果一个人是听鹅妈妈的童谣长大的——那可就意味深长了，不是吗？”

内容摘录

TWEEDLE-DUM AND TWEEDLE-DEE

Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee

Resolved to have a battle,

For Tweedle-dum said Tweedle-dee

Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew by a monstrous crow,

As big as a tar barrel,

Which frightened both the heroes so,

They quite forgot their quarrel.

THREE BLIND MICE

Three blind mice! See how they run!

They all ran after the farmer's wife,

Who cut off their tails with a carving knife.

Did you ever see such a thing in your life

As three blind mice?

HUMPTY DUMPTY

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;

All the King's horses, and all the King's men

Cannot put Humpty Dumpty in his place again.

THE LION AND THE UNICORN

The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown,

The Lion beat the Unicorn all around the town.

Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown,

Some gave them plum-cake, and sent them out of town.

SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE

Sing a song of sixpence,

A pocket full of rye;

Four-and-twenty blackbirds

Baked in a pie!

When the pie was opened

The birds began to sing;

Was not that a dainty dish

To set before the king?

The king was in his counting-house,

Counting out his money;

The queen was in the parlor,

Eating bread and honey.

The maid was in the garden,

Hanging out the clothes;

When down came a blackbird

And snapped off her nose.

THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF POOR COCK ROBIN

Who killed Cock Robin?

"I," said the sparrow,

"With my little bow and arrow,

I killed Cock Robin,"

Who saw him die?

"I," said the fly,

"With my little eye,

I saw him die."

Who caught his blood?

"I," said the fish,

"With my little dish,

I caught his blood."

Who'll make his shroud?

"I," said the beetle,

"With my thread and needle.

I'll make his shroud."

Who'll carry the torch?

"I," said the linnet,

"I'll come in a minute,

I'll carry the torch."

Who'll be the clerk?

"I," said the lark,

"If it's not in the dark,

I'll be the clerk."

Who'll dig his grave?

"I," said the owl,

"With my spade and trowel

I'll dig his grave."

Who'll be the parson?

"I," said the rook,

"With my little book,

I'll be the parson."

Who'll be chief mourner?

"I," said the dove,

"I mourn for my love,

I'll be chief mourner."

Who'll sing a psalm?

"I," said the thrush,

"As I sit in a bush.

I'll sing a psalm."

Who'll carry the coffin?

"I," said the kite,

"If it's not in the night,

I'll carry the coffin."

Who'll toll the bell?

"I," said the bull,

"Because I can pull,

I'll toll the bell."

All the birds of the air

Fell sighing and sobbing,

When they heard the bell toll

For poor Cock Robin.

My mother has killed me

My mother has killed me,

My father is eating me,

My brothers and sisters sit under the table,

Picking up my bones,

And they bury them

under the cold marble stones.

妈妈杀了我、

爸爸吃了我，

兄妹们从桌下拣起我的骨，

埋在冰冷的石墓里。

There Was A Man, A Very Untidy Man

There was a man, a very untidy man,

Whose fingers could nowhere be found

to put in his tomb.

He had rolled his head far underneath the bed;

He had left legs and arms lying all over the room.

死了一个男子，

一个没出息的男子，

懒得动手把他埋在坟墓里。

头滚落在床下，

四肢散乱的在房间里

Lizzie Borden Took An Axe

Lizzie Borden took an axe,

Hit her father forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

She hit her mother forty-one.

丽兹玻顿拿起斧头，

砍了爸爸四十下。

当她意识到她做了什么，

她砍她妈妈四十一下。

(这首据说是根据真实故事改编的)

What are little boys made of

What are little boys made of ?

Frogs and snails

And puppy-dogs' tails,

What are little girls made of ?

Suger and spice

And all that's nice.

小男孩是由什么做的？

青蛙和蜗牛

还有小狗的尾巴

小女孩是由什么做的？

糖和香料

都是那么的美好呀

十个小黑人出外用膳

Ten little nigger boys went out to dine

Ten little nigger boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self, and then there were nine.

Nine little nigger boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself, and then there were eight.

Eight little nigger boys travelling in Devon;

One said he'd stay there, and then there were seven.

Seven little nigger boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in half, and then there were six.

Six little nigger boys playing with a hive;

A bumble-bee stung one, and then there were five.

Five little nigger boys going in for law;

One got in chancery, and then there were four.

Four little nigger boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one, and then there were three.

Three little nigger boys walking in the Zoo;

A big bear bugged one, and then there were two.

Two little nigger boys sitting in the sun;

One got frizzled up, and then there was one.

One little nigger boy living all alone;

He got married, and then there were no

十个小黑人出外用膳；

一个噎死还剩九个。

九个小黑人熬夜到很晚；

一个睡过头还剩八个。

八个小黑人在到丹文游玩；

一个说要留在那儿还剩七个。

七个小黑人在砍柴；

一个把自己砍成两半还剩六个。

六个小黑人玩蜂窝；

一只黄蜂叮住一个还剩五个。

五个小黑人进入法院；

一个被留下还剩四个。

四个小黑人到海边；

一条红鲱鱼吞下一个还剩三个。

三个小黑人走进动物园里；

一只大熊抓走一个还剩两个。

两个小黑人坐在太阳下；

一个热死只剩一个。

一个小黑人觉得好寂寞；

他上吊后一个也不剩。

所罗门.格兰蒂

Solomon Grundy

Solomon Grundy,

Born on a Monday,

Christened on Tuesday,

Married on Wednesday,

Took ill on Thursday,

Worse on Friday,

Died on Saturday,

Buried on Sunday.

This is the end

Of Solomon Grundy.

所罗门.格兰蒂

月曜日出生

火曜日受洗礼

水曜日结婚

木曜日得病

金曜日病加重

土曜日死去

日曜日被埋在土里

这就是所罗门.格兰蒂的一生

Do Your Ears Hang Low

Do your ears hang low?

Do they wobble to and fro?

Can you tie ’em in a knot?

Can you tie ’em in a bow?

Can you throw ’em over your shoulder

Like a continental soldier?

Do your ears hang low?

你是否垂耳倾听？

他们是否摇摆不定？

你能否将他们打进一个结中？

你能否将他们系进一张弓中？

你能否将他们从肩头掷出

就像一个步兵？

你是否垂耳倾听？

The Cats Went Out To Serenade

The cats went out to serenade

And on a banjo sweetly played;

And summer nights they climbed a tree

And sand, "My love, oh, come to me!"

猫儿们出去歌唱小夜曲，

用一台班卓琴美妙演奏；

在这夏夜它们爬上了树，

唱着：“吾爱，哦，来我怀抱！”

Come To The Window

Come to the window,

My baby, with me,

And look at the stars

That shine on the sea!

There are two little stars

That play bo-peep

With two little fish

Far down in the deep;

And two little frogs

Cry "Neap, neap, neap;"

I see a dear baby

That should be asleep.

来窗边，

我的宝贝，和我一起，

看看繁星，

闪耀在海上。

有两颗小星星，

他们玩躲猫猫

和两条小鱼儿

远在深海里；

两只小青蛙，

叫着：“小潮，小潮，小潮；”

我看见一个亲爱的宝贝

他该睡觉了

影响

由于这些歌谣中洋溢着的浓厚英国气息，后世的许多作家都喜欢从其中汲取素材，如被称为“侦探小说女王”的阿加莎·克里斯蒂，维多利亚时代的作家刘易斯·卡罗尔，以及日本漫画家由贵香织里。

阿加莎·克里斯蒂的侦探小说中经常出现鹅妈妈童谣集里的歌谣，有时甚至直接拿来作书名，如在《黑麦奇案（A pocket full of rye）》的书名直接取自在书中占核心地位的歌谣Sing a song of sixpence。

刘易斯·卡罗尔的童话《爱丽丝漫游奇境记》与《爱丽丝镜中世界奇遇记》中也有很多地方与鹅妈妈童谣集密切相连，《爱丽丝镜中世界奇遇记》尤甚，里面的很多角色如TWEEDLE-DUM和TWEEDLE-DEE这对双胞胎、Humptydumpty、狮子和独角兽（Lion and the Unicorn），都出自童谣里的故事。

更多的中国年轻读者则可能是从由贵香织里笔下知道鹅妈妈童谣集的。以创作华丽阴暗作品著称的由贵香织里，她的13卷漫画《毒伯爵该隐》中引用了许多鹅妈妈童谣中的歌谣，以此来渲染那种维多利亚式的气息。然而有一点经常被人误会：《毒伯爵该隐》中引用的那些阴暗的童谣并不都是出自鹅妈妈童谣集，很多是出自格林兄弟收集的德国民谣；而出自鹅妈妈童谣集的部分也有很多被用在与原作风格相当不符的场合，比如书中某幅该隐坐在破碎的蛋中的扉页图，配的文字“蛋打破了/蛋打破了/国王的全部人马/也不能再将其修补”出自鹅妈妈中的童谣Humptydumpty。Humptydumpty是什么人？从那幅唯美的扉页来看，也许有人会对其抱有比较美丽的猜测，然而……Humptydumpty其实是英国传说中的一个大胖子，之所以会被译成“蛋”，是因为他的身体已经胖到了和鸡蛋同一形状……

其它

西方媒体3月1日报道，一个叫克里斯.罗伯茨的英国人写了一本名为《轻松抛弃沉闷文字》的书，论证出很多英国古老儿歌并不纯洁，王室丑闻、宗教仇恨、暴力凶杀、色情金钱交易等充斥于歌词之中。

罗伯茨在新书里表示：“那时没有专门写给孩子唱的童谣，大人整天哼着自己编的或者当时流行的小调，孩子们耳濡目染，也就学会了；有些家长故意以当时的‘新闻’为歌词，再配上上口的调子，用这种形式给孩子们讲故事，哄他们睡觉，所以宗教、性、金钱和丑闻成为儿歌的主题并不希奇。” 的歌谣如何“隐晦地带有不良信息”，其中一个例子说的是著名的《杰克和吉尔上山去》，罗伯茨认为，这首歌的歌词表面上看说的是一个男孩和一个女孩上山挑水，而实际上则是讲一对少年男女偷尝禁果，女孩可能因此怀孕了，她觉得非常后悔。

罗伯茨指出，在英国都铎王朝到斯图亚特王朝时期，英国内战爆发，宫廷丑闻不断传出。由书中举出了不少例子，分析那些脍炙人口于人们被勒令不得公开谈论这些事件，只得把这些事编成儿歌，结果被一代又一代的孩子们传唱至今。例如，描写伦敦风情的《橘子和柠檬》、影射玛丽女王一世的《玛丽玛丽很矛盾》、暗指白金汉公爵的《乔治.波吉》等许多著名儿歌都是在这两大王朝期间产生的，这阶段的儿歌内容隐晦，但是旋律动人，歌词琅琅上口，因而流传很广。

作曲家拉威尔更是以《鹅妈妈童谣》为灵感来源，写出了《鹅妈妈组曲》。