中國文學(xué)英譯絮談

沙楓

諸葛亮的《前出師表》

諸葛亮寫的文章，以《前出師表》最為有名。《前出師表》是這樣開頭的：

“先帝創(chuàng)業(yè)未半而中道崩殂，今天下三分，益州疲弊，此誠危急存亡之秋也?！?/p>

這一段話的英譯有兩種。

Brewitt-Taylor 的英譯如下：

The late Emperor had accomplished but half his great task at his death. At this moment the empire is in three parts, and our country is weak; it is a most critical moment for us.

以上譯文，見于《三國演義》英譯本“Romance of the Three Kingdoms”。

Parker 的英文譯文則是：

Your Majesty's servant regrets to submit that the late Emperor passed away in the midst of his brilliant career, when mot quite half of his intended scheme had been worked out. Now the country is still divided into three, and the situation of our kingdom is rather pessimistic; this is, indeed, a most critical point of time.

《前出師表》中，下面的一段是比較易念的：

“臣本布衣，躬耕于南陽，茍全性命于亂世，不求聞達(dá)于諸侯。先帝不以臣卑鄙，猥自枉屈，三顧臣于草廬之中，咨臣以當(dāng)世之事。由是感激，遂許先帝以驅(qū)馳。后值傾覆，受任于敗軍之際，奉命于危難之間，爾來二十有一年矣！”

前四句，Brewitt-Taylor 的英譯如下：

I was originally a private person, a farmer in Nanyang, concerned only to secure personal safety in a troubled age and not seeking conversation with the contending nobles.

Parker 的英譯則如下：

Your Majesty's servant hailed from the common stock, tilling his land in Nanyang. He content to be left undisturbed in a time of chaos, having no intention of seeking for fame and power in the courts of kings.

至于“三顧臣于草廬之中”這一句，一人譯作“to seek me thrice in my humble cot”，一人則譯作“to call at his hut thrice”。

“草廬”譯作“humble cot”，加了“humble”一字，讀來顯得抑揚(yáng)頓挫。

版權(quán)所有