翻译练习

Lostalley in his following up post quoted a fragment of line from Herman Melville‘s novelette.  It was challenging to me so I found the complete paragraph and spent some time to figure out the meaning of it.  Here is what I got.  It was a good translation practice.  I share my translation here and I welcome discussions.

“The stranger had given a blithesome promise, and anchored it with oaths, but oaths and anchors equally will drag; naught else abides on fickle earth but unkept promises of joy. Contrary winds from out unstable skies, or contrary moods of his more varying mind, or shipwreck and sudden death in solitary waves — whatever was the cause, the blithe stranger never was seen again. ”

“那陌生人留下了让人充满希望的诺言， 并一再发誓要承诺它， 但誓言和承诺是一样靠不住的； 在这个多变的世界没有什么不变， 如有， 只是那些无法兑现， 让人空欢喜的诺言, 无法预测的天空中刮来的逆风， 或他原本多变的心中出现的另一种心情， 抑或不幸翻船， 死于突然出现的孤立波 - 无论是什么原因， 那乐观的陌生人再也没有出现。”