中國的古詩用英文翻譯有什麼難點,能不能準確體現古詩的意境?
總體翻譯的水平如何?老外能體會到古詩的意境嗎?
正好看到一首英譯杜甫詩,節選幾句。
via Laijon Liu
不給題目的話,你們猜得到是哪首嗎?
這幾句出自杜甫《自京赴奉先縣詠懷五百字》:
杜陵有布衣,老大意轉拙。許身一何愚,竊比稷與契。居然成濩落,白首甘契闊。蓋棺事則已,此志常覬豁。
是不是覺得哪裡怪怪的,比如這句:
許身一何愚,竊比稷與契。
With a silly wish I held myself
To be a good servant in Emperor』s court.
感覺杜甫變成了一個特別上進的公務員…
然而這首詩的情調不是這樣的…
不是做翻譯研究的,讀過一些歪果仁研究詩歌的著作,有過度闡釋的地方,但越來越覺得他們文本細讀的能力超強,真是非常佩服。比如宇文所安,是我非常非常喜歡的學者。另外,宇文所安用八年時間譯杜詩,今年貌似出版了,應該還是值得一讀的。
以一首古詩為例,分別朗讀這首詩的中文版和英文版你就知道區別在哪兒了。
終南山
王維[唐]
太乙近天都,連山接海隅。
白雲回望合,青靄入看無。
分野中峰變,陰晴眾壑殊。
欲投人處宿,隔水問樵夫。
Mount Eternal South
Wang Wei
The highest peak scrapes the sky blue;
It extends from hills to the sea.
When I look back, clouds shut the view;
When I come near, no mist I see.
Peaks vary in north and south side;
Vales differ in sunshine or shade.
Seeking a lodge where to abide,
I ask a woodman when I wade.
-------------
私以為,像詩經、楚辭、唐詩、宋詞、元曲這樣傳統的東西,是無法用一種非傳統的語言譯出神韻的。
最近因為《朗讀者》大熱,特意找了許淵沖許老的《唐詩三百首》譯著來看。
看了幾篇,覺得中文,尤其是古典詩歌的音韻和意境之美,很難用另一種文字來表達。
舉幾個栗子:
王維《相思》:願君多採擷,此物最相思。
- 翻譯:Gather them till full is your hand; They would revive fond memories.
孟郊《遊子吟》:臨行密密縫,意恐遲遲歸。
- 翻譯:Sewn stitch by stitch before he leaves For fear his return be delayed,
杜甫《春夜喜雨》:隨風潛入夜,潤物細無聲。
- 翻譯:With wind it steals in night; Mute, it moistens each thing.
有感覺嗎?
我沒什麼感覺。
「願君多採擷」裡面的曖昧之情,「密密縫/遲遲歸」的音韻之美,還有「潤物細無聲」那種如同電影慢鏡頭一般的畫面感……都沒能在英譯本里傳達出來。
在我看的有限的幾篇里,比較喜歡的是許老的《蜀道難》翻譯。
那種驚險、雄渾和瑰麗的氣魄能夠通過譯詩感受到。
難道是直抒胸臆要比曲折婉約更容易用英文表達嗎?
許淵沖翻譯的比較擅長意譯,我這裡附上幾首,你可以看看。我在唐詩三百首裡面選的自己比較喜歡,而且比較出名的句子。
1.天生我才必有用,千金散盡還復來。(李白《將進酒》)
Heaven has made us talents,we』re not made in vain.A thousand gold coins spent,more will turn up again.(Li Bai, Invitation to wine)
2.長風破浪會有時,直掛雲帆濟滄海。(李白《行路難》)
A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves;I』ll set my cloudlike sail to cross the sea which raves.(Li Bai, Hard is the way of the world)
3.抽刀斷水水更流,舉杯消愁愁更愁。(李白《宣州謝朓樓餞別校書叔雲》)
Cutting running water with a sword,』twill faster flow;Drink wine to drown your sorrow,it will heavier grow.(Li Bai ,Farewell to Uncle Yun,the Imperial Librarian,at Xie Tiao』s Pavilion in Xuanzhou)
4.相看兩不厭,只有敬亭山。(李白《獨坐敬亭山》)
Gazing on Mount Jingting,nor I,Am tired of him,nor he of me. (Li Bai,Sitting Alone in Face of Peak Jingting)
5.桃花潭水三千尺,不及汪倫送我情。(李白《贈汪倫》)
However deep the Lack of Peach Blossoms may be,It』s not so deep,O Wang Lun!As your love for me.(Li Bai,To Wang Lun)
6.安能摧眉折腰事權貴,使我不得開心顏。(李白《夢遊天姥吟留別》)
How can I stoop and bow before the men in power.And so deny myself a happy hour!(Li Bai, Mount Skyland Ascended in a Dream----A Song of Farewell)
7.舉頭望明月,低頭思故鄉。(李白《靜夜思》)
Looking up,I find the moon bright;Bowing,in homsickness I』m drowned.(Li Bai ,Thought on a Tranquil Night)
8.出師未捷身先死,長使英雄淚滿襟。(杜甫《蜀相》)
But he died before he accomplished his career.How could heroes not wet their sleeves with tear on tear.(Du Fu, Temple of the Premier Shu)
9.會當凌絕頂,一覽眾山小。(杜甫《望岳》)
Try to ascend the mountain』s crest:It dwarfs all peaks under our feet.(Du Fu Gazing at Mount Tai)
10.好雨知時節,當春乃發生。(杜甫《春夜喜雨》)
Good rain knows its time right;It will fall when coming spring.(Du Fu, Happy Rain on Spring Night)
11.無邊落木蕭蕭下,不盡長江滾滾來。(杜甫《登高》)
The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour,A thousand miles from home,I』m grieved at autumn』s plight.(Du Fu, On the Height)
12.離離原上草,一歲一枯榮。(白居易《賦得古草原送別》)
Wild grasses spread o』er ancient plain;With spring and fall they come and go.(Bai Juyi,Grass on the Ancient Plain----Farewell to a Friend)
13.回眸一笑百媚生,六宮粉黛無顏色。(白居易《長恨歌》)
Turning her head,she smiled so sweet and full of grace,That she outshone in six palaces the fairest face. (Bai Juyi,The Everlasting Regret)
14.欲窮千里目,更上一層樓。(王之渙《登黃鶴樓》)
You can enjoy a grander sight,By climbing to a greater height.(Wang Zhihuan, On the Stork Tower)
15.醉卧沙場君莫笑,古來征戰幾人回?(王翰《涼州詞》)
Don』t laugh if we lay drunken on the battleground,How many warriors ever came back safe and sound?(Wang Han ,Starting for the Front)
16.但使龍城飛將在,不教胡馬度陰山。(王昌齡《出塞》)
If the Flying General were still there in command,No hostile steeds would have dared to invade our land.(Wang Changling ,On the Frontier)
17.大漠孤煙直,長河落日圓。(王維《使至塞上》)
In boundless desert lonely smoke rises straight;Over endless river the sun sinks round.(Wang Wei, On Mission to the Frontier)
18.只在此山中,雲深不知處。(賈島《尋隱者不遇》)
He stays deep in the mountain proud,I know not where,veiled by cloud.(Jia Dao, For an Absent Recluse)
19.誰知盤中餐,粒粒皆辛苦。(李紳《憫農(二)》)
Who knows the rice that feeds,Is the fruit of hard toil!(Li Shen, The Peasants II)
20.此情可待成追憶,只是當時已惘然。(李商隱《錦瑟》)
Such feeling cannot be recall again;It seemed long lost even when it was felt then.(Li Shangyin,The Sad Zither)
英譯過來的古詩詞若要完全再現原本的意境,應該說是不可能實現的。因為,中文無論就其表達習慣還是詞語用法都較英文來的含糊和凝鍊。也就是說,中文喜歡拐彎抹角、模模糊糊地吐字,英文喜歡直截了當、直抒胸臆地暢談。因此,英譯過來的詩詞是很難同時還原古詩詞的音美,形美,意美的。
信已難,何況達雅?
「夫譯事之難首推信,不信則愈雅愈荒唐。」——曾胡
我真心覺得不能。
我曾經咬著牙讀過一部分英文版紅樓夢。。。
太長時間積澱下來的文化差異,很難做到信達雅。信都不錯了。。。。
外語藝術翻譯成中文也是如此。翻譯的好的,不能說準確、完全的表達了外語詩詞的美感,更接近於再創作。
每一種語言都是從nativespeaker所在文化背景里生髮出來的。跟長久的文化積累密不可分。
班門弄斧一下。看我專欄第一期對《靜夜思》的英譯。敬請關注後續詩歌翻譯。
靜夜思英文
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