譯林絮談

沙楓

“龜兔賽跑”的譯文

“龜兔賽跑”的寓言，凡是學(xué)童大概都聽過的。故事出自《伊索寓言》。伊索為古希臘時(shí)人。這部寓言，有中譯本多種，英譯本也有多種。先介紹一種英譯本如下：

A hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow space of the Tortoise. The latter, laughing, said: "Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race." The Hare, deeming her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course, and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the race they started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the courses. The Hare, trusting to his native swiftness, cared little about the race, and lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.

中譯之一（英語出版社 S. T. Chin 譯）：

有一天，一只兔子嘲笑烏龜?shù)哪_短而走路遲慢。龜笑著道：“雖然你走路很快，假使我和你賽跑一次，我會贏你呢?！蓖米赢?dāng)它在夸口胡說，便依了它的的提議；議定請狐貍選擇跑道，指定終點(diǎn)。到了賽跑的那天，它們一同出發(fā)。龜一步也不停地，總是用慢而穩(wěn)的步子，值向那跑道的終點(diǎn)前進(jìn)。兔子自信它跑得快，一點(diǎn)也不將賽跑的事放在心上，在中途躺了下去，瞌睡起來。等到后來醒了，盡力向前跑去，龜卻早到終點(diǎn)，辛苦以后，正安適地在那里休息。

“At last”譯作“等到后來”，“等到”兩字是不必要的。

中譯之二（啟明書局出版，林華譯）：

有一天，一只兔子嘲笑烏龜腳短，步慢。烏龜笑著說：“雖然你走路很快像風(fēng)一樣，假如我和你賽跑一次，我會贏你呢?！蓖米诱J(rèn)為它的主張是不可能的，便依了它的提議；議定請狐貍選擇跑道，指定終點(diǎn)。到了賽跑的那一天，它們一同出發(fā)。烏龜一步也不停地，總是用慢而穩(wěn)的步伐，至向那跑道的終點(diǎn)前進(jìn)。兔子自信天生跑得快，一點(diǎn)也不將賽跑的事放在心上，在中途躺了下去，酣睡起來。后來醒了，盡力向前跑去，烏龜卻早已到了終點(diǎn)，辛苦之后，正安適地在那里微睡。

“Deeming her assertion to be simply impossible”譯作“認(rèn)為他的主張是不可能的”，譯得太直。然“trusting to his native swiftness”譯作“自信天生跑得快”，則譯得很生動。

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