前言
有人说翻译是一门技艺,也有人说翻译是一门学问,我始终认为翻译是一种心境,是一种以天合天、以心译心、以心感心的审美情愫。《译心斋集》正是一本精心撰写的翻译赏析集,书名源于一个中国古代的故事。
庄子《达生》篇里有一个叫梓庆的鲁国木匠的故事:他“削木为镶”,把一种乐器做成了“见者惊为鬼神”,乐器上面的猛虎被雕刻得栩栩如生。于是梓庆声名远播,鲁侯召见他,问他怎么能够雕刻得这么像?梓庆很谦虚,对鲁侯说:“我准备做这个镶的时候,一定要斋戒静心,让自己的内心真正安静下来,毫无杂念。三天之后,我就可以忘记‘庆赏爵禄’了,也就是说,我成功以后,可以得到的封功赏赐啊,升官发财啊,这些东西都可以扔掉了,也就是说忘记利益了。斋戒到第五天,我就可以忘记‘非誉巧拙’了,也就是说,我已经不在乎别人对自己是毁是誉、是是非非,是好也罢,是坏也罢,我都已经不在乎了,也就是说忘记名声了。到第七天的时候,我可以忘却我这个人的‘四肢形体’,也就是说,我忘记自己有四肢五官了,达到忘我之境。这个时候,我就进山了。进山以后,静下心来,寻找好的木材,观察木材的质地,看到形态合适的,就砍回来,顺手一加工,就能雕刻成现在的样子。我做事情只是‘以天合天’,这就是我的奥秘。”
鲁国木匠的故事给了我在翻译方面这样的启示:翻译的时候,一定要有一个好的心态,超越功利,静心忘我,细致研读原文,体味原文的行文风格、用字特色、感情色彩,才能做到“以天合天”。好的译者要有极强的领悟心与审美力,能够把握各种体裁的原文,把原作品里的镜中花、空中月、山之形、云之状采撷回来,把对原作的心灵感悟诉诸笔端,自然幻化为至臻至善、生机盎然的译文作品。
笔者担任大学英语系教职以来,曾经陆续在各个主要的英语报刊和诗歌会上发表翻译作品。在教授大学英汉、汉英翻译时,无论是在课堂内,还是在课堂外,总有好学的学生向我请教翻译的秘诀,他们孜孜不倦的求学态度是我撰写本书的动力与热情。翻译开阔了学生们的视野,让他们体味到不同的语言与文化之间也有相通之处。翻译也是信息传递的桥梁,是情感沟通的纽带,翻译者一定要守住心斋,才能把优秀精美的原文作品,用不同的语言雕刻出译文作品。
一是用译者的一颗心去揣摩体味原文作者的一颗心。本书简述了翻译的基本概念与实用技巧,结合翻译的充足实例,以天合天,以心译心,力图在翻译理论探索与翻译实践应用上有所突破。本书精选了笔者在全国优秀英语杂志《海外英语》主持的翻译专栏“月听清泉”里的文章,还精选了笔者在全国其他优秀英语报刊《英语世界》《新东方英语》《大学英语》《英语沙龙》《英语知识》《英语辅导报》上发表的译文。《人间词话》译文注解,格言隽语,秀草幽花,心灯意蕊,片金碎玉,则为之点缀。翻译实例还涉及考古美学等专业术语。
二是用译者自己的一颗心去感染打动读者的一颗心。苏联著名教育学家苏霍姆林斯基说过:“我一千次相信:没有一条富有诗意的、感情的和审美的清泉,就不可能有学生全面的智力的发展。富有诗意的创造开始于美的幻想,美使知觉更加敏锐,唤醒创造的思维。”本书不拘囿于枯燥的翻译理论说教,而是努力引导读者体味好的翻译作品的艺术魅力,这些作品有的字字珠玑,有的博大深沉,有的感心动耳,有的立意隽永,让读者体味到翻译之妙,翻译之美,翻译之巧,翻译之用,努力使读者对语言的本质与转换兼具理性与感性认识,从而提高他们的语言素养,陶冶他们的审美意识,培养他们的鉴赏能力,提升他们的人生品位。
好的译文,“外之能喻于人,内之能慊诸己”;好的译者,“遂于作者,又老于作者”;译道,“一名之立,旬日踟蹰”。
《译心斋集》原文作品都是近现代大家的作品,风格流派各具特点,各擅其美,译文努力传达出原作的各具形态的美感。
有关雄壮的:
His life was in his hand, and he was prepared to throw it away in that attempt. Having succeeded in placing himself a little above the large tree, he turned his face towards the bottom of the river, and dived down among the branches. And he also, after that, was never again seen with the life-blood flowing round his heart.
他竭尽全力,准备舍己救人。他成功地游到那棵大树偏上的位置,接着面朝河底,俯冲进树枝丛中。那以后,他生命的血液在心脏里再也没有流动。
有关平淡的:
...the one idea that gives salt to life is the idea of home. On some day, however distant it may be, they will once more turn their faces towards the little northern island, and then all will be well with them.
生活的滋味是对家的思念。某一日,无论相距多么遥远,他们的目光会再次转向北方小岛,那时那刻,一切就会好起来。
有关绮丽的:
It wasn't real night yet but the blinds were down in the dining-room and the lights turned on-and all the lights were red roses. Red ribbons and bunches of roses tied up the table at the corners. In the middle was a lake with rose petals floating on it... Two silver lions with wings had fruit on their backs, and the salt cellars were tiny birds drinking out of basins.And all the winking glasses and shining plates and sparking knives and forks...
天还没有完全黑,但是宴会厅的窗帘已经落下。华灯四落,散发出玫瑰色的光。餐桌的四角绑着红色彩带和玫瑰花束。桌子的中央是漂浮着玫瑰花瓣的水池。……两头带翼的银狮,背上驮着水果,池边喝水的小鸟原来是一个个装盐的瓶子。还有好多好多亮晶晶的玻璃杯、盘子和亮锃锃的刀叉……
有关凄美的:
The sky is the colour of jade. There are a great many stars; an enormous white moon hangs over the garden. Far away lightning flutters—flutters like a wing—flutters like a broken bird that tries to fly and sinks again and again struggles.
冷翡翠色的天空里,繁星万点,一轮硕大苍白的月悬在花园上空。远处的闪电忽明忽暗——扑哧扑哧像一只翅膀——像折翅的鸟儿挣扎着飞起来,跌下去,飞起又跌落。
有关清奇的:
In the day-time you felt that you had got high up, near to the sun, but the early mornings and evenings were limpid and restful, and the nights were cold.
白天里,你登高望远,似乎太阳也触手可及;拂晓或傍晚却来得清,来得静;到了夜间还有些许寒意。
有关肃穆的:
But in the midst of the long row there hangs a canvas which differs from the others. The frame of it is as fine and as heavy as any, and as proudly as any carries the golden plate with the royal crown. But on this one plate no name is inscribed, and the linen within the frame is snow-white from corner to comer, a blank page.
在这一长排正中间却悬挂着一块与众不同的亚麻布,它同样有精美厚重的画框,和带供放皇冠的金色托盘的画框一样,傲然挂立,但是它的托盘没刻上名字,画框里的亚麻布,竟然整块雪白雪白的,是一幅空白页。
有关典雅的:
Again the same softness of intimacy came over her, as she stood before a tumbling heap of pink petals. Then she wondered over the white rose, that was greenish, like ice, in the centre. So, slowly, like a white, pathetic butterfly, she drifted down the path, coming at last to a tiny terrace all full of roses. They seemed to fill the place, a sunny, gay throng. She was shy of them; they were so many and so bright. They seemed to be conversing and laughing. She felt herself in a strange crowd. It exhilarated her, carried her out of herself. She flushed with excitement. The air was pure scent.
当她站在层层叠叠、颤颤巍巍的粉色花瓣面前时,心中又会涌起亲密的柔情。她还惊讶地发现白色玫瑰,花心如冰,泛出淡淡的绿色。就这样,好似一只结着愁怨的白色蝴蝶,她轻挪着步子沿小路来到一个开满玫瑰花的小阳台。那儿似乎填满了玫瑰花,团团簇簇,灿烂欢快。在它们中间,她感到羞涩,它们是如此繁多,如此亮丽,它们似乎在畅谈,在大笑,她觉得自己身处一群陌生人当中,这让她激动不已,神魂颠倒。她兴奋得脸颊泛红。空气中弥漫着纯纯的花香味道。
有关悲慨的:
The sun was going down over the chestnut ridge. A lark was singing. It was late for a lark to sing. The red evening clouds floated above the pine trees on our pasture hill. My father stood beside the path. His black hair was moved by the wind. His face was red in the blue wind of day. His eyes looked toward the sinking sun.
太阳缓缓沉落到棕褐色山岭后。天色已晚,云雀仍在嘤唱。殷红的落霞飘浮在牧场山头、松树林间,父亲站在小路旁,任风儿吹动他的黑发,凛冽寒风中,他满脸通红,遥望西下的斜阳。
有关洗练的:
He had come in the night, under the roof of stars, as the moon shed rays of light on the quivering clouds of green.
他循着夜色而来,苍穹之间,繁星点点,明月相照,碧云漾漾。
有关质朴的:
Two people, vastly different, separated by language and culture and a whole lot else, yet giving and giving back the best they had to offer, their own humanity, their cartoons, their pickles. He gratefully accepted the pink plastic bag with its soggy lump, this beautiful token of universal friendship. It was incredible, so warming to the heart. He would keep it forever...
两个不同国度的人,语言不通,文化迥异,还有其他许多差异,但是仍然相互馈赠彼此最美好的东西,他们的博爱,他们的绘画,甚至是他们的咸菜。他感激地接过装有泡菜的粉色塑料袋,这是世界友谊的美好象征,这份礼物棒极了,情暖人心,他将永远珍藏它……
本译集的付梓要特别感谢武汉大学外国语学院翻译系前副主任胡孝申教授、澳门大学中文系博士生导师龚刚副教授、浙江大学外国语言文化与国际交流学院何辉斌教授的鼓励,父母的谆谆教诲与默默支持,我的挚友渭南师范学院陈平安、闫媛媛夫妇绘制了精美插图、我的学生伦敦政治经济学院研究生万琪珑、应用英语专业1603班陈红霞、豆玲、张启嵘、杨秋檀、王丽丽,师范英语专业1901班刘维嘉、1902班张楚睿等的协助。
王勣
戊戌年畅月
于湖师青山湖畔