音乐剧《猫》中的一段歌词没有看懂

TinaIsBunny

这是音乐剧《猫》中，老首领的一段唱词，没怎么看懂，尤其是assign 那里。
" A. E5 O; B0 s1 A请帮分析一下，应该如何理解
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[Old Deuteronomy]
The moments of happiness
7 G  r( e) j5 o" {/ m8 `7 L1 b: ^We had the experience but missed the meaning
' O+ x- G7 w5 O' V- k) ZAnd approach to the meaning restores the experience.
  e/ l$ Q, P; ^9 E' T2 [/ oIn a different form beyond any meaning we can assign to happiness
The past experience revived in the meaning
Is not the experience of one life only
) B* j7 K+ i$ ~9 x' k4 d8 h0 ]2 SBut of many generations
& e3 a0 }; Q; \; M& a/ j4 k6 T9 GNot forgetting something that is probably quite ineffable



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elusty

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好像，你的标点符号不对，所以也就不好理解（定语从句）：
The moments of happiness—not the sense of well-being,
Fruition, fulfilment, security or affecton,
Or even a very good dinner, but the sudden illumination—
We had the experience but missed the meaning,
* z( t6 z: g) @/ n4 ?# C0 YAnd approach to the meaning restores the experience
In a different form, beyond any meaning
; b% a* H- N' O8 T9 l7 h" FWe can assign to happiness. I have said before
& K4 z+ g* z0 J/ V* K+ tThat the past experience revived in the meaning
+ |2 M* B# w3 |4 K3 f% ?Is not the experience of one life only
( t; [8 i. u0 A" n; jBut of many generations—not forgetting
Something that is probably quite ineffable:
The backward look behind the assurance
Of recorded history, the backward half-look
Over the shoulder, towards the primitive terror.
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For Eliot, the passage of time ought to teach us much about permanence: many people merely pass through experiences and miss their meaning. He ties this idea to the deceptive notion that momentary happiness is more important than well-being. It is the “meaning-of” which restores the meaning of experience: “We had the experience but missed the meaning,/And approach to the meaning restores the experience/In a different form, beyond any meaning/We can assign to happiness …”
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TinaIsBunny

elusty 发表于 2020-1-26 22:03
好像，你的标点符号不对，所以也就不好理解（定语从句）：
The moments of happiness—not the sense of we ...

The backward look behind the assurance
Of recorded history, the backward half-look
; z; s, N" T% ?& p/ [5 [Over the shoulder, towards the primitive terror

这段什么意思啊。
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还有解释中的这句话是什么意思啊
It is the “meaning-of” which restores the meaning of experience:

elusty

翻译不好，大概这样理解：
回顾历史记录中确信背后的真相，越过（表象）的肩膀，观察最初的恐惧
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0 u: H  D5 ]3 K# e! a, y8 j2 N1 ^它是正确理解经验意义后的意义。

dgww

歌剧歌词是Four Quartets节选的文字，原文这样标点更容易阅读和理解。The moments of happiness not the sense of well-being, fruition, fulfilment, security or affection or even a very good dinner, but the sudden illumination — We had the experience but missed the meaning.And approach to the meaning restores the experience in a different form, beyond any meaning we can assign to happiness. I have said before that the past experience revived in the meaning is not the experience of one life only but of many generations—not forgetting something that is probably quite ineffable.

翻译可以参考,哈
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