中國文學(xué)英譯絮談

沙楓

“曉月過殘壘”的過錯(cuò)

“曉月過殘壘，繁星宿故關(guān)。”這兩句詩，Bynner 將之譯成如下：

The moon goes down behind a ruined fort,
Leaving star-clusters above an old gate.

錢歌川認(rèn)為 Bynner 是譯錯(cuò)了，忘記補(bǔ)入主語就出了毛病，譯者把“月”當(dāng)作主語，實(shí)際上，“過”和“宿”的主語都是應(yīng)該譯成“you”（你）的，“曉月”和“繁星”只是副詞而已。

這兩句詩是唐朝司空曙寫的，題為《賊平后送人北歸》，全詩是這樣的：

世亂同南去，時(shí)清獨(dú)北還。
他鄉(xiāng)生白發(fā)，舊國見青山。
曉月過殘壘，繁星宿故關(guān)。
寒禽與衰草，處處伴愁顏。

Bynner 把整首詩譯成這樣：

In dangerous times we two came south,
Now you go north without me.
But remember my head growing white among strangers,
When you look on the blue of the mountains of home.
The moon goes down behind a ruined fort,
Leaving star-clusters above an old gate.
There are shivering birds and withering grasses,
Whichever way I turn my face.

劉師舜的譯文就對了，是這樣的：

I came south with you in times of disorder;
Now peace is restored, and you are off north alone.
While here your hair has begun to grizzle;
At home you'll look on the blue mountains.
You'll pass ruined forts while the moon still shines at dawn,
You'll spend the night in some old pass,
On which the light of myriad stars glistens;
And your sad company will be shivering birds and withered grass!

“曉月過殘壘，繁星宿故關(guān)”這一聯(lián)，與“他鄉(xiāng)生白發(fā)，舊國見青山”這一聯(lián)，是差不多的。但“他鄉(xiāng)生白發(fā)”不會譯錯(cuò)，因?yàn)椤班l(xiāng)”是不會生白發(fā)的，只有人才會生白發(fā)?？墒?，“曉月”卻是很容易譯錯(cuò)，因?yàn)樵乱彩菚^殘壘的，故不限于人。一不小心，就誤解了。Bynner 之英譯，原因在此。不過如果細(xì)味全詩，當(dāng)領(lǐng)會到過殘壘的是人而非月。

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