Essaie avec ça sous un webkit (safari, chrome) ou ff > 3.6, ou opera 10.5, ca rend pas mal (ca utilise plusieurs text-shadow  
 
 
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {
    background-image: url(http://www.stripegenerator.com/generators/generate_stripes.php?fore=C4BCBC&h=30&w=6&p=6&back1=ABA4A4&back2=ff0000>=0&d=0&shadow=0) ;
    color: #fff;
    font-family: rockwell, georgia, serif;
}
code {
    white-space: pre-wrap;
}
/** start */
#blurred {
    list-style-type: none;
    line-height:40px;
    font-size: 26px;
    background-color: rgba(0,0,0,.7);
    overflow: hidden; /* for the li float */
}
    
    #blurred li {
        float: left;
        text-align: center;
    }
    
        #blurred:hover a,
        #blurred:focus a {
            color: #eee;
            color: rgba(255,255,255,0.1);
            text-shadow:
             rgba(255,255,255,0.2) 0px 0px 2px
            ,rgba(255,255,255,0.3) 1px 0px 4px
            ,rgba(255,255,255,0.3) -1px 0px 4px
            ,rgba(255,255,255,0.3) 0px 1px 4px
            ,rgba(255,255,255,0.3) 0px -1px 4px
            ;
        }
        #blurred a,
        #blurred a:hover
        {
            display: block;
            padding: 20px 10px;
            
            color: #fff;
            text-decoration: none;
            font-weight: bold;
            text-shadow: #fff 0 0 1px;
        }
</style>
</head>
<body>
    <ul id="blurred">
        <li><a href="#">home</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">web</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">portfolio</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">hire me!</a></li>
    </ul>
</body>
</html>