0907翻譯：致女兒的信（蘇霍姆林斯基）

0907翻譯：致女兒的信（蘇霍姆林斯基）

Translation: Letter to My Daughter (VasylSukhomlynsky)

(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)

親愛的女兒：

My Dear Daughter:

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您的問題使我心情非常激動。

I』m greatly stirred at the question you have raised.

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今天你整整十四歲了。您正跨越一個界限，

At the age of fourteen today, you are straddling aboundary.

越過它你就是一名成年女性了。

Once you pass it, then you will become a full-blownmature woman.

您問我：「爸爸，什麼是愛情？」

You asked me: 「Dad, what is love?」

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一想到我今天已不是跟一個幼稚的孩子在說話，我的心就跳得益發歡快。

When I realize today I am no longer talking to ana?ve child, my heart jumps with joy more and more.

你在跨越這個界限，願你幸福。

In crossing this dividing line, I wish you all the happinessin the world.

但我一個幸福的人，只能是在您成為有智慧的人的時候。

But in my view, you could only become happy after youhave become a person with wisdom.

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千百萬女性，尤其那些十四歲的少女，懷著一顆忐忑的心在思考著：什麼是愛情？

Millions of females, especially thosefourteen-year-old teenage girls, get all fluttery in their hearts by wondering:「What is love?」

對此各有各的理解。

In this regard, everyone has a differentinterpretation.

每個男青年，當他們已萌發成年男人的氣質時，也都在思考著這個問題。

Every young man, when he is sprouting with an airof adulthood, ponders this very question as well.

現在，親愛的女兒，我給您的信再不是從前那種信了。

Now, my lovely daughter, the letter I am sending toyou now is not the type I wrote to you previously.

我的宿願是把生活中的智慧，也可稱之為生活的本事傳授給你。

My sole desire is to pass on to you life』s wisdom,a.k.a. (1) life』s skills.

但願父輩的每一句話如同一可顆小小的種子，從中萌發出你自己的觀點和信念的幼芽。

I wish every word that I, as a father, provide willbe like a tiny seed that germinates to become your own perspective and belief.

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從前，這個問題也同樣使我不能平靜。

Some time ago, this same question also unsettledme.

在我少年和進入青年早期的時候，祖母瑪利亞是我最親近的人。

During my transition from youth to adolescence,Grandmother Maria was the person closest to me.

她真了不起。

She was absolutely (2) amazing.

我心靈中所獲取的一切美好的、智慧的、誠實的東西應該都歸功於她。

All the beauty, wisdom, and honesty acquired in my soulattribute to her doing.

她在戰前去世了。

She passed away before the war.

是她在我面前打開了童話、祖國語言和人類美德的世界。

It was she who opened the worlds of fairy-tales,mother-tongue language, and human virtues in front of me.

有一次，在初秋寧靜的夜晚，我和她坐在一棵枝葉繁茂的蘋果樹下，望著向溫帶飛去的鶴群，我問道：「奶奶，什麼是愛情？」

One quiet night in early autumn when I was sittingwith her underneath a densely grown apple tree and watching a flock ofsouthbound cranes (3), I asked: 「Grandma, what is love?」

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奶奶善於用童話解釋極其複雜的難題。

Grandma was good at using children』s stories toexplain very complicated issues.

她那雙烏黑的眼睛顯露出沉思和不安的神情，

Her pitch-black eyes were showing a pondering andill-at-ease expression.

不知為什麼，她用一種特別的，從未有過的目光看了我一眼。

For whatever reason, she took a peculiar and never-beforelook at me.

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「什麼是愛情？……

「What is love?

在上帝創造世界時他就把一切生物分散安置在地上並且教會他們傳宗接代，繁衍自己的子孫。

When God created the world, He (4) scattered allliving beings on earth and taught them how to perpetuate generation aftergeneration through proliferating of their own offspring.

給男人和女人都分了土地，教給他們如何築造窩棚，

He divided the land between man and woman andshowed them how to build shacks.

又給男人一把鏟子，女人一把穀粒。

From Him, man was provided with a shovel and womanwas given a handful of grain.

『生活下去，繁衍你們的後代吧！』上帝對他們說道：『我去忙自己的事了。

『Go live and reproduce children!』 God said to them,『I』m going to get busy with my own business.

一年以後我再來，看看你們這裡的情形。』

One year later I』ll come again to see how things aregoing in here.』

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剛過一年，上帝帶著大天使加夫里拉就來了。

One year had just gone by and God came with ArchangelGavrila.

那正是清晨，太陽升起的時候。他看到窩棚旁坐著一個男人和一個女人。

It was early in the morning, and He saw a man andwoman were sitting beside a shack.

他們面前的田地里是一片成熟的穀物。

In front of them was a field of ripened crops.

而在他們旁邊放著一隻搖籃，搖籃里躺著熟睡的嬰兒。

Next to them was a cradle with a baby in deep sleepinside.

那男人和女人一會兒望望天空，

One minute the man and woman were looking up to thesky.

一會兒你看看我。我看看你，相互傳情。

Another minute they were looking at each other andsharing the love they felt towards the other person (5).

在他們目光接觸的剎那間，上帝從那目光中發現了一種他所不理解的美和某種從未見過的力量。

God found from their eyes a type of mysteriousbeauty and certain unprecedented power.

這種美勝過天空和太陽、大地和麥田――勝過上帝所創造的一切。這種美使上帝迷惑不解，驚慌不已。

This sort of beauty was superior to that of sky, sun,vast land, wheat-field, and everything else that God had created (6); itpuzzled and rattled Him.

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「這是什麼呀？」他向大天使加夫里拉問道。

『What is this?』 (7) He asked his archangel Gavrila.

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「這是愛情。」

『This is love.』

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「愛情是什麼意思？」

『What is the meaning of love?』

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大天使無可奈何地聳聳肩。

The archangel shrugged his shoulders inresignation.

上帝走到男人和女人面前追問他們，什麼是愛情。可是，他們也無法向他解釋。

God walked in front of the man and woman and askedthem what love was, but they were unable to give Him a satisfactoryexplanation.

於是上帝勃然大怒。

So God was furious.

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「好呀！看我不懲罰你們才怪！

『Alright, I』ll be a fool if I don』t punish you.

從現在起你們就要變老。

From now on you will get old.

一生中的每時每刻都將消磨你們的青春和力量直到化為烏有！

Every moment in your lives you will be consumingyour youth and strength until they drop down to zilch.

五十年後我再來，看看你們眼睛裡還留春著什麼東西，該死的人!

Fifty years later, I』ll come back again and seewhat stuff you would have left in your eyes, you silly fools!』」

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「上帝為什麼要發怒呢？」我問了奶奶一句。

「Why did God get angry?」 I asked Grandma.

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「是因為沒有經過請示就創造了一種他自己聞所未聞、見所未見的東西。

「It was because they created something which Godhad never heard of or seen without consulting Him.

你還是往下聽吧！

Just keep listening.

五十年後上帝同大天使加夫里拉又來了。

Fifty years later God and archangel Gavrila cameagain.

這次他看到，原來有窩棚的地方已蓋起一幢圓木造的房子，

This time He saw a circular-log house stood at theplace where the shack used to be.

荒地變成了果園，

A wasteland nearby had been turned into an orchard.

地里一片見黃色的麥穗，

A field became a spread of yellowish growth ofwheat.

幾個兒子在耕地，女兒在收麥子，孫子們在草地上嬉戲。

Several sons were busy working on a field,daughters were harvesting wheat, and grandchildren were frolicking on the lawn.

老頭兒和老太婆坐在屋前，

The old man and woman were sitting in front of thehouse.

時而望望紅艷艷的朝霞，

Sometimes they looked at the blazingly red morningglow.

時而你看看我，我看看你，相互傳情。

Other times they were looking at each other full ofpassion.

上帝在這對男女的眼中看到了無與倫比的美和更大的力量，其中還含有一種新東西。

In their eyes, God detected unparalleled beauty andgreater power with a new element.」

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「這是什麼？「他問大天使。

『What is this?』 He asked the archangel.

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「忠誠。」大天使答道，但還是解釋不清楚。

『Fidelity,』 the archangel answered but hisexplanation was still not too clear.

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上帝怒不可遏。

God was hopping mad.

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「你老得還不夠快嗎？

『Aren』t the two of you not getting old fast enough?

該死的人，

Fools!

你活不了多久了。

You don』t have much longer to live.

我還要來，看看你的愛情還能變成什麼樣！」

I』ll come again to see how your love could turnout.』

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三年以後，上帝帶著大天使加夫里拉又來到這裡。

Three years later God went there again witharchangel Gavrila.

一看，有個男人坐在小土丘上。

He took a look and a man was sitting on top of asmall mound of soil.

他的一雙眼睛充滿憂鬱悲傷的神情，但不光中卻仍然使人感到一種不可理解的美和那種同過去一樣的力量。

His eyes were filled with sorrow, and yet the inexplicablebeauty and previously existing power were still there.

這已經不僅僅是愛情和忠誠了，

That was not merely love and fidelity.

還含有別的東西。

There was something else.

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「這又是什麼？」他問大天使。

『What is this?』 He asked the archangel.

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「心靈的追念。」

『It was spiritual mourning.』

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上帝手撫鬍鬚，離開了小土丘上的老頭兒。

God stroked His beard and left the old man on themound.

舉目向麥田、向火紅色的曙光望去：

He looked at the wheat-field and fiery-red firstglimmer of dawn.

金黃色的麥穗中站著許多青年男女，

Many young men and women were standing amongst thegolden-yellowish growth of wheat.

他們一會兒望望火紅色的天空，一會兒你看看我，我看看你，相互傳情……

One moment they glanced at the burning-red sky, andanother moment (8) they were looking at one another (9) in expressing theirmutual affection.

上帝久久地佇立凝視著。

God stood in stunned silence and stared at the sceneryfor a long time.

隨後深沉地思索著離去了。

Then He walked away in deep thoughts.

從那時期人就成了大地上的上帝。

From that time onwards man, became God of the vastland (10).

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「這就是愛情，小孫子。

This is love, my little grandson.

愛情，它高於上帝。

Love is above God.

這是人類永恆的美和力量。

It is an eternal beauty and power in mankind.

人們世代交替，我們每個人都不免變成一捧黃土，

In human race, one generation takes over anotherand in the end, each of us will unavoidably turn into dust.

但愛情卻成為人類種族的生命力永不衰敗的紐帶。」

But love will forever be the unfailing link thatties life forces of human race together.」

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這就是愛情，親愛的女兒。

This is love, my dear daughter.

萬物生存、繁殖、傳宗接代，但只有人才能夠愛。

All living beings live, reproduce and perpetuate throughsucceeding generations, but only humans could love.

同樣，從人本身來說，只有能以人的方式去愛的人，才成為真正的人。

Similarly from the personal perspective of mankind,only an individual who could love in such a manner as mankind would become areal human being.

如果不善待愛情，便不能提高到人類美這一高度，

If you don』t take good care of love, then you couldnever be elevated to the height of human beauty.

就是說它不僅僅是能夠成為人、但尚未成為真正的人的一種生物罷了。

That is to say it could merely become a human, thatis, only a living being that is not yet a real man.

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附註：

(1) 「a.k.a.」

The term 「a.k.a.」 is 「also known as」 for short.

It is a very popular modern expression that you would regularly see innewspapers and articles.

(2) 「absolutely」

「Absolutely」 is a graphic substitution for the adverb 「very」 or 「truly」, suchas 「She is absolutely beautiful.」 or 「She asked: 『Are you having fun?』 Heanswered, 『Absolutely!』」.

It has the connotation of 「flawlessly」.

(3) brevity of phrase

To be true to the Chinese version, I could have written the phrase 「…watching aflock of southbound cranes…」 as 「…watched a flock of cranes flying to warmerclimate area.」

But that version looks clumsy and so I opt for a phrase with brevity.

(4) capitalzed 「He/Him」

Normally God is the only individual who can use the capitalized pronoun 「He/Him」.

(5) 「the other」

See the rules applicable for 「other」 and 「another」 under #(8) below when thosetwo words mean 「different」 in the context where 「other」 should be used with aplural noun.

「Other」 can be used with a single noun when it means 「the second of the two」,such as in this case 「the love they felt towards the other person」 where it means 「the love they felt towardsthe second person of the two persons.」

In such a case, the word 「other」 is preceded by the determiner 「the」.

(6) 「everything」 and「everything else」

In this sentence: 「This sort of beauty was superior to that of sky, sun, vastland, wheat-field, and everything elsethat God had created.」

If I strictly follow the Chinese version, it would have become 「This sort ofbeauty was superior to that of sky, sun, vast land, wheat-field, and everything that God had created.」

The problem is 「everything」 should have included 「sky, sun, vast land, wheatfield」, and so there could be a logical flaw in counting certain objects twice.

Restructuring the sentence using the expression 「everything else」 would makemore sense.

If you insist on not using 「else」, you can structure the sentence this way:「This sort of beauty was superior to everythingthat God had created, including sky, sun,vast land and wheat field.」

(7) quotation markswithin quotation marks

If you used quotation marks within quotation marks, in North America you startwith a set of double-quotation marks and then use single-quotation markswithin, e.g., He said, 「Yesterday she said to me, 『I hate you.』」

(8) 「another moment」and 「other moment」

The phrase 「another moment」 was first written as 「other moment」 by me.

In English Grammar, 「other」 goes with a plural noun (when it means「different」), such as 「other moments」 (meaning different moments); 「another」goes with a single noun, such as 「another moment」 (meaning a different moment).

Therefore 「other moment」 is WRONG in this context.

As a corollary, 「others」 is a pronoun in place of 「other + plural noun」. Forexample, the sentence 「The bully was sad, but other boys were happy」 may be rephrased as 「The bully wassad, but others were happy.」

(9) 「each other」 and 「one another」

Normally 「each other」 refers to each of the two items (e.g., The couple ofhusband and wife loves each other) and 「one another」 refers to each of morethan two items, i.e., each of 3 or more items (e.g., The 20 children in theclass helped one another in time of needs.)

(10) 「a」, 「the」 and no 「a」 or 「the」

I have considered 3 different ways of presenting the phrase 「man became God ofthe vast land」.

I look at 「God」 as a proper noun implying one and only.

(a) 「a God of the vast land」 is a definite no-no because it means 「one of manyGods」. Supposedly there is only one God.

(b) 「the God of the vast land」 seems to be saying 「the the-God of the vastland」 and it doesn』t sound right to me and may even be a bit clumsy (note: althoughgrammatically there is nothing wrong).

(c) 「God of the vast land」 sounds more natural to me, just like saying 「DavidBeckham of England」 sounds better than 「the David Beckham of England」 or 「aDavid Beckham of England」.

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