辛棄疾的《青玉案·元夕》一詞膾炙人口。英文翻譯有很多。最著名的非許淵沖老先生翻譯的版本莫屬了。許淵沖----詩(shī)譯英法唯一人 ,北京大學(xué)教授,翻譯家。在國(guó)內(nèi)外出版中、英、法文著譯六十本,包括《詩(shī)經(jīng)》、《楚辭》、《李白詩(shī)選》、《西廂記》、《紅與黑》、《包法利夫人》、《追憶似水年華》等中外名著,是有史以來(lái)將中國(guó)歷代詩(shī)詞譯成英、法韻文的唯一專家。1999年被提名為諾貝爾文學(xué)獎(jiǎng)候選人。
青玉案·元夕
(宋)辛棄疾
東風(fēng)夜放花千樹(shù),更吹落,星如雨。
寶馬雕車香滿路,鳳蕭聲動(dòng),壺光轉(zhuǎn),一夜魚龍舞 。
蛾兒雪柳黃金縷,笑語(yǔ)盈盈暗香去。
眾里尋他千百度,驀然回首,那人卻在,燈火闌珊處。
“上元”,“元夕”,指的都是“元宵節(jié)”。辛棄疾的這首《青玉案》,描繪了在元夕燈火中等尋情人的情景,是稼軒詞中為數(shù)很少的涉及愛(ài)情的作品之一。
辛棄疾的《青玉案·元夕》一詞膾炙人口。英文翻譯有很多。我們選出三個(gè)相對(duì)優(yōu)秀的英譯版本,簡(jiǎn)單地評(píng)論一下,看看是否能找出其中最好的一篇。
三篇譯文,都比其它譯文簡(jiǎn)潔,流暢,有詩(shī)意,而且比較忠實(shí)于辛公原作。音韻上,三篇中許譯和U譯都押韻,念起來(lái)很有音樂(lè)感。陶譯基本上不押韻,念起來(lái)比較平淡。
文字上,各有千秋。例如雕車一詞,許譯直接用雕車(carved cabs),U譯用香車(scented chariots),陶譯用華車,裝飾華麗的車 (ornate carriages ) 。這一詞,許譯比較忠實(shí)于原來(lái)文字。寶馬的馬字,許譯和U譯用英語(yǔ)詩(shī)中常用的馬字(steeds),比較好。而陶譯則用普通的馬字(horses)。
鳳簫一詞,U譯用( Phoenix-cooing flutes)最好,有鳳之形和鳳之聲。Cooing 是鳥(niǎo)類的鴣鴣聲,也可以是人類的喁喁情話。想像一下,鳳簫聲動(dòng),發(fā)出如鳥(niǎo)鳴,如情話之聲,多么美。許譯只簡(jiǎn)單地用簫(flute)一字,沒(méi)有譯鳳字。陶譯則用神奇的簫(magic flute)代替,也沒(méi)有用鳳字。
玉壺一詞,U譯和陶譯都是譯成玉壺 (jade pot, jade urn)。比較符合原作之意。許譯成月亮,雖然有此一說(shuō),但是與原作之意不甚貼切。因?yàn)閾?jù)周密《武林舊事。元夕》:“燈之品極多,。。福州所進(jìn),則純用白玉,晃耀奪目,如清水玉壺。。。”。所以玉壺應(yīng)該就是白玉雕飾的燈。
暗香一詞,U譯成浮香(fragrance floating),說(shuō)出香的形態(tài)而沒(méi)有說(shuō)是微淡的香。陶譯成幽香(subtle perfume), 許譯成縷香(trials of scents)都很好。但是,如果根據(jù)林和靖詠梅詩(shī):“疏影橫斜水清淺,暗香浮動(dòng)月黃昏。”則暗香的形態(tài)可以是浮動(dòng)的。因此,如果U譯加一字,改成暗香浮動(dòng)(faint fragrance floating),就貼切了。
“暗香去”的去字,U譯和陶譯用過(guò)去(passing, gone)不及許譯用融入(melts into)好。
“驀然回首”一詞中的驀然,陶譯比較簡(jiǎn)單,只用偶然(perchance )一字, U譯用匆匆一瞥(only on a glance),兩者都未能表達(dá)出驀然一詞中有突然的意思。許譯成突然(when all at once), 最貼切了。
由上可見(jiàn),詩(shī)詞的英文翻譯要做到簡(jiǎn)潔,流暢,有韻律,有詩(shī)意,貼切,忠實(shí)于原作,并不容易。
The Lantern Festival Night - to the tune of Green Jade Table
by Xin Qiji
(1)許淵沖、許明譯,簡(jiǎn)稱許譯
One night's east wind adorns a thousand trees with flowers
And blows down stars in showers.
Fine steeds and carved cabs spread fragrance en route;
Music vibrates from the flute;
The moon sheds its full light
While fish and dragon lanterns dance all night.
In gold-thread dress, with moth or willow ornaments,
Giggling, she melts into the throng with trails of scents
But in the crowd once and again
I look for her in vain.
When all at once I turn my head,
I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed.
(2)譯者U君,簡(jiǎn)稱U譯
The east wind at night has flowered a thousand trees,
Bringing showers of glowing stars down streets,
Fleeting our scented chariots and stately steeds.
Phoenix-cooing flutes resounding,
Jade-pot-flashing lanterns revolving,
Dolphins and dragons are dancing away--
All night long it’s bright as day.
See the grain moths silvern, the tassels golden?
See the snow-clad willow twigs of the maidens
Passing with laughter gurgling, fragrance floating?
Far and near, among the crowds surging,
Tens of thousands of rounds for one I’ve been searching;
Only on a glance cast backward do I behold:
There she is, where lights are burning so low!
(3)溫哥華陶先生譯,簡(jiǎn)稱陶譯
Night lights a thousand trees in bloom
A shower of stars blown
By the east wind
Ornate carriages drawn by gallant horses
Filled the boulevards with a sweet fragrance
Voice of the magic flute flowing
Luster of the jade white urn turning
All night the fishes and the dragons danced
Butterflies, willows, charms of gold
Gone -- that angelic laughter, that subtle perfume
In the crowds for her I’d searched a thousand times
Perchance I turned
And there she was
Where lights were few and dim