《紅樓夢(mèng)》中的詩詞曲賦共約170首。不同譯本采用了不同的體裁翻譯,一些英譯本采用自由體進(jìn)行翻譯。而影響較大的霍克斯譯本和楊憲益夫婦譯本卻都采用了格律體。兩位譯者都嫻熟地駕馭格律形式,且對(duì)中國傳統(tǒng)文化擁有頗深造詣。本文將列舉幾個(gè)譯例,希望同大家一起欣賞和學(xué)習(xí)。 馮紫英唱曲 你是個(gè)可人;你是個(gè)多情;你是個(gè)刁鉆古怪鬼精靈;——你是個(gè)神仙也不靈。 我說的話兒你全不信,只叫你去背地里細(xì)打聽,才知道我疼你不疼你! 楊譯: You can bill and you can coo, Be an imp of mischief too, But a fairy? No, not you, As my word you doubt. Ask around and you'll find out I love you. yes, I do! 霍譯: You're so exciting, And so inviting; You're my Mary Contrary; You're a crazy, mad thing. You're my goddess, but oh! You're deaf to my praying: Why won't you listen to what I am saying? If you don't believe me, make a small investigation: You will soon find out the true depth of my admiration. 解析 1)對(duì)于這段唱曲,兩位譯者的譯文不論是風(fēng)格還是遣詞造句上差別較大。原文小調(diào)活潑俏皮,霍譯不免有些沉悶臃腫。此外,investigation、admiration這類大字眼用在民間小調(diào)上似乎并不適合。反觀楊譯,棄“形”求“神”,整個(gè)譯文節(jié)奏輕快,押韻得當(dāng),朗朗上口。 2)值得注意的是,對(duì)于“刁鉆古怪鬼精靈”的處理,霍譯其中的“刁鉆古怪鬼精靈”被霍克斯譯成了“Mary Contrary”,“Mary Contrary”來自英國的一首兒歌,所謂contrary, 指她頗難相處,難按常規(guī)捉摸,在這一點(diǎn)上,接近原文的“刁鉆古怪鬼精靈”?;艨怂共捎玫氖怯媚康恼Z中合適的喻體代替源語言中的喻體,這一翻譯方法經(jīng)常被用在兩種語言存在文化錯(cuò)位或空缺的情況下。 警幻仙姑賦(片段) 其素若何:春梅綻雪;其潔若何:秋慧披霜。 其靜若何:松生空谷;其艷若何:霞映澄塘。 其文若何:龍游曲沼;其神若何:月射寒江。 楊譯: Her whiteness? Spring plum-bloosom glimpsed through snow. Her purity? Autumn orchids coated with frost. Her tranquility? A pine in a lonely valley. Her beauty? Sunset mirrored in a limpid pool. Her grace? A dragon breasting a winding stream. Her spirit? Moonlight on a frosty river. 霍譯: Her purity I can best show In plum-trees flowering in the snow; Her chastity I shall recall In orchids white at first frost-fall; Her tranquil nature will prevail Constant as lone pine in an empty vale; Her loveliness as dazzled make As sunset gilding a pellucid lake; Her loveliness as dazzled make As sunset gilding a pellucid lake; Her glittering elegance I can compare With dragons in an ornamental mere; Her dreamy soulfulness most seems Like wintry waters in the moon's cold beams. 解析 霍譯采取排比結(jié)構(gòu),大多數(shù)詩行為“抑揚(yáng)格四音步”(iambic tetrameter), 少數(shù)行為“抑揚(yáng)格五音步”(iambic pentameter)。押韻格式為“雙行聯(lián)韻體”(couplet)。譯文韻腳密集,且都是雙元音或長元音,因此韻味醇厚,給人以強(qiáng)烈的音樂美。楊譯譯文十分有特色,沒有押韻,大膽采取“字對(duì)字”譯法,甚至都沒有使用動(dòng)詞。一般說來,“字對(duì)字”譯法是不可取的,然而此處卻用得十分恰當(dāng),而且效果很好。譯文富于節(jié)奏感,節(jié)奏鮮明,語言簡練準(zhǔn)確。比較以上兩個(gè)譯文,兩種譯文各有所長。 《紅樓夢(mèng)》曲(片段) 縱然是齊眉舉案, 到底意難平。 楊譯: Even a pair thought well-matched May find disappointment. 霍譯: Even a wife so courteous and so kind. No comfort brings to my afflicted mind. 解析 1)這句道出寶玉被騙與寶釵成婚的極大痛苦和始終不屈的反抗的心聲。“齊眉舉案”的意思為送飯時(shí)把托盤肖得跟眉毛一樣高。后形容夫妻互相尊敬,相敬如賓。楊譯為“ a pair thought well-matched”,是a pair thought to be well-matched的省略,這句話表達(dá)的是寶玉與寶釵的結(jié)合在他人眼中是金玉良緣,而非他們二人之間的感情寫照,雖然未能很好體現(xiàn)相敬如賓的感覺,但也側(cè)面表現(xiàn)了寶黛愛情悲劇的主因主要源自外界,那個(gè)封建禮教的社會(huì)。而霍譯則選擇從女方切入,將齊眉舉案譯成“a wife so courteous and so kind”,沒有體現(xiàn)夫妻雙方的互動(dòng),卻體現(xiàn)古代女性在婚姻中的生存狀態(tài),一個(gè)恭敬和順的妻子就夠了,只不過對(duì)于心有所屬的寶玉而言仍然無法接受。 2)“意難平”展現(xiàn)了寶玉被騙婚后內(nèi)心的掙扎與憤懣。楊譯為“disappointment”,只道出失望,情感層次不免有些淺了。而霍譯采用“afflicted'這一詞,它表示苦惱折磨,更深層次地展現(xiàn)了寶玉此刻的心情。如果只是失望,則不會(huì)出現(xiàn)后續(xù)寶玉的出家行為。 《冬夜即事》詩 松影一庭惟見鶴, 梨花滿地不聞鶯。 楊譯: Only a stork can be seen in the pine-shadowed court, No oriole sings in the snow which has drifted like pear-blossom. 霍譯: Only a stork outside is to be found — No oroles now, though white flowers mask the ground. 解析 第一句宛若一幅“松鶴圖”,霍譯沒有較好展現(xiàn)這一意境。楊譯獨(dú)出心裁采用構(gòu)詞法,構(gòu)造出“pine-shadowed”,效果很好。第二句中“梨花”比喻雪,霍譯“梨花”譯為“white flowers”,不免讓不了解中國文化的譯文讀者不能很好體會(huì)這一暗喻修辭的美妙。楊譯把暗喻轉(zhuǎn)為明喻,不失為一種好辦法。 |
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