评诗:乾隆《述悲赋》的英文译作精彩!赏析几句:
大谢阿立兄转贴的《乾隆写给富察皇后的情诗...》,乾隆的两首诗和英文译作都很精彩!当然啦,任何诗作进咱们诗坛想全身而退是不容易的,诗坛终究是诗坛,咱们是专门“玩”诗的,纵使鸡蛋里挑不出骨头,也一定在骨头里挑出鸡蛋!哈哈。容俺就本着这个原则评论一下乾隆原作和英文译作:
《述悲赋》 --- 题目没有译文?
望湘浦兮何先徂?求北海兮乏神术。 During her funeral service, I grieved to no avail. --- 把具体的译成抽象的,不太成功。估计是怕典故译起来文字太繁琐,有这个问题。
循丧仪兮徒怆然,例展禽兮谥孝贤。 --- “展禽”是鲁国大政治家,被封“柳下”这个地方,死后谥号为“惠”。故被后人称为“柳下惠”。个见以为乾隆这里用“展禽”作比,不伦不类,有凑字之嫌。 In line with established custom, she will be known posthumously as The Filial and Virtuous. --- 译文弃“展禽”而不顾,反而精准。
思遗徽之莫尽兮,讵两字之能宣? --- “两字”指谥号“孝贤” In view of her unbounded goodness, How might two words suffice? --- 译得好!
包四德而首出兮,谓庶几其可传。 --- “首出”者,“杰出”也。“庶几”是“差不多”的意思。上句刚说完“讵两字之能宣”,现在又说“庶几”,听乾隆这嘴得有多碎? Yet as her embodiment of the Four Virtues was exemplary, let these two words convey her nobility of spirit. --- 这两句译文也难为译者了。
惊时序之代谢兮,届十旬而迅如。 I am startled by the passage of time; a hundred days have rapidly elapsed. --- time 不准。“时序”是“季节”,不是单纯的时间,用season应该更合适。
睹新昌而增恸兮,陈旧物而忆初。 Seeing the new intensifies my sorrow, while displaying the old reminds me of the beginning. --- new 不准,new 只有“新”,“昌”没译出来。这个“昌”字很重要,要表达的是乾隆看到“日子越过越好”,于是想起皇后要是还活着得多好?故而“增恸”。单用个new应该是为了和下句的old相对。
亦有时而暂弭兮,旋触绪而欷歔。 --- 这两句写得好!但也是写给大臣们看的,哈哈。要是真的,就不会这么忙着下江南了。 There are times when I find a brief respite, yet before long, my feelings are affected and I break down once more. --- 译得好!
信人生之如梦兮,了万世之皆虚。 I can well believe that life is a dream, and that all things are but empty. --- 汉英皆佳!
呜呼!悲莫悲兮生别离,失内位兮孰予随? --- 介一“呜呼”就要结尾了。 Alas! Sorrow laces with sorrow; to be separated in life! Having lost my wife, who will follow me now? --- 英文中还真找不到与“呜呼”完全对等的词。另外wife并不等于“内位”,“失内位”是“主掌后宫的位置尚虚”,但这细微之处,译成英文也难。
入淑房兮阒寂,披凤幄兮空垂。 When entering her bedroom, I inhale sadness. I climb behind her phoenix bed-curtains, yet they hang to no avail. ---
这两句译文有译者的“发挥”,“发挥”的效果究竟如何,由洋鬼子们自己去感受了。汉语字面意思是:走进皇后的房间剩下的都是一片寂静,只有四周的帷幕,还空荡荡地悬挂在那里。整句和bedroom无关。乾隆如果在《述悲赋》中写皇后的bedroom,那是不雅的,乾隆最起码懂得这个。
春风秋月兮尽于此已,夏日冬夜兮知复何时? The
romance of the spring breeze and autumn moon all ends here. Summer days
and winter nights spent with her will never come again. --- 译得精彩,全得汉语原文的内涵。
到此已经评论完毕,还是得重复说,俺这是“英文二把刀侃英文”,谬误之处难免,请英文高手指正。
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