石紅梅

(吉首大學(xué)外國語學(xué)院,湖南張家界427000)

英漢互譯中直譯與意譯的美感體現(xiàn)

石紅梅

(吉首大學(xué)外國語學(xué)院,湖南張家界427000)

直譯和意譯是翻譯的兩種最根本的策略與方法,各自的魅力在譯文中交相輝映。文章從理論和實踐兩方面分析各自的特點,論述直譯之美在于流暢,而意譯之美在于形式、意象、意境和修辭上的創(chuàng)新。

直譯;流暢;意譯;創(chuàng)新

在翻譯界,直譯與意譯一直被看作是翻譯的兩種最根本的策略和方法,然而兩者還是各有其特點和魅力的。論文將從理論和實踐兩方面分析兩者各自的特點,探討其魅力所在。

一、直譯之美在于流暢

美國翻譯學(xué)家韋努蒂(Venuti)說得好,翻譯的倫理就是差異的倫理,翻譯就是要保持原文的語言和文化差異,不要用本土的語言文化和價值觀去壓制原文的他性話語[1](P74-75)。他所倡導(dǎo)的就是反歸化式譯論。本雅明(Benjamin)也認(rèn)為“只有直譯才是真實的保證”[2](P35-38)。美國翻譯理論家奈達(dá)對翻譯提出了“三字方針”——closest,natural,equivalent(Nida,1997)[3](P55-61)。這些應(yīng)該說對直譯而言更為貼切。因為只有直譯才有可能真正做到在風(fēng)格上最貼近,在表述上最自然,在風(fēng)格、形式諸方面最對等。

(一)形式對等

這種流暢之美是靠形式上對等達(dá)到的,而這種遣詞造句上的對等在英漢互譯中又是不勝枚舉,足可效法的。

1.雪萊“Mutability”中的首章如下翻譯就是用詞對等:

Theflowerthatsmilestoday/Tomorrow dies;/All that we wish to stay,/Tempts and then flies./What is this world's delight?/Lightning that mocks the night,/Brief even as bright

今天還微笑的花朵,/明天就會凋謝,/我們希望留下的一切/誘一誘人就飛,/什么是這世間的歡樂?/(那是)嘲笑黑夜的閃電,/雖明亮,卻短暫。(查良錚)

2.形式上的對等還表現(xiàn)在句式上的對等,如圣經(jīng)中這一段關(guān)于愛的語錄就是很好的例子:

Love is patient,love is kind,it does not envy,it does not boast.It is not proud,it is not rude,it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered.It keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects,always trusts,always hopes,always perseveres.

愛是恒久忍耐,又有恩慈;愛是不嫉妒;愛是不自夸,不張狂,不作害羞的事,不求自己的益處,不輕易發(fā)怒;不計算人的惡,不喜歡不義,只喜歡真理;凡事寬容,凡事相信,凡事盼望,凡事忍耐。其中尤以4個“凡事”譯得惟妙惟肖,神形兼?zhèn)洹?/p>

3.王佐良教授所譯培根散文“Of Love”中的警句,也是典型的例子:

Nuptial love maketh mankind;friendly love perfecteth;but wanton love corrupteth,and embaseth it.

夫妻的愛,使人類繁衍。朋友的愛,致人以完善。但那荒淫縱欲的愛,卻只會使人墮落毀滅。

4.趙甑陶教授所譯李白《靜夜思》堪稱佳例:

床前明月光,疑是地上霜,舉頭望明月,低頭思故鄉(xiāng)。

Moonlight before my bed/Could it be frost(instead)?/Heading up I watch the moon,/Heading down I think of my home.

5.英國翻譯家Maude所譯托爾斯泰《復(fù)活》第一章第一段與中文譯本比較,也是直譯的典型佳品:

Though hundreds of thousands had done their very best to disfigure the small piece of land on which they were crowded together,paving the ground with stones,scraping away every sprouting blade of grass,lopping off the branches of trees,driving away birds and beasts,filling the air with the smoke of coal and oil still spring was spring,even in the town.(Resurrection by Lev Tolstov)

雖說成千上萬的人拼命糟蹋他們所集居的那塊小小的土地,在地面鋪上石塊,拔除每一片剛萌發(fā)的草葉,砍伐樹枝,趕走一切飛禽走獸,讓空氣中充滿煤和油煙的氣味,春天還是春天——即使在這個小鎮(zhèn)上。

(二)風(fēng)格貼近

直譯的流暢美還表現(xiàn)在風(fēng)格上的貼近。

1.修辭格對等

保持原作的風(fēng)格,重點在于保持原有的修辭格。例如,下面的廣告詞就在修辭上各具特色,直譯時可力求形似、對等,譯出特色:

原文:

a.One of the greatest pleasures in life is simply to be treated as an individual.To speak and be heard.To ask and be helped.(parallelism)

b.No problems too large;No business too small.(parallelism and omission)

c.Unlike me,my Rolex never needs a rest.(personification)

d.Double delicious;Double your pleasure.(parallelism)

e.We have hidden a garden full of vegetables where you never expect.In a pie.(hyperbole)

f.The choice is yours.The honour is ours.(parallelism)

譯文:

a.人生最大的樂趣無過于受到尊重,說話有人聽,求助有人幫。

b.沒有不做的小生意,沒有解決不了的大問題。(IBM公司)

c.不像我,我的勞力士表永遠(yuǎn)不要休息。

d.口味多多,快樂多多。

e.我們把滿園蔬菜藏在一個你意想不到的地方——一塊餡餅里。

f.任君選擇,不勝榮幸。詩的翻譯也是如此,例如,彭斯的“一朵紅紅的玫瑰花”中第一章:

A Red,Red Rose by Robert Burns:O my luve is like a red,red rose,/That's never sprung in June;/O my luve is like the melodie/That's sweetly played in tune.

啊,我的愛人像一朵紅紅的玫瑰花,/它在六月里初開;/啊,我的愛人像一支美麗的樂曲,/它美妙地演奏起來。(袁可嘉譯)

2.句子長短與行文節(jié)奏恰當(dāng)

這種流暢美還表現(xiàn)在對原文句子長短與行文節(jié)奏的考慮。詩人卞之琳在譯莎翁的劇本時就特別注意這一點,用翻譯家和譯評家江楓先生的話來說,就是“以頓代步,一步一趨”[4](P84-85)。卞老所譯“哈姆雷特”中那段膾炙人口的獨白就是雄辯的說明:

To be or not to be:that is the question:/Whether it is nobler in mind to suffer,/The slings and the arrows of outrageous fortune,/Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,/And by apposing end them…

活下去還是不活,這是問題:/要做到高貴,究竟該忍氣吞聲/來容受這狂暴的命運(yùn)的矢交呢/還是挺身反抗這無邊的苦惱/掃它個干凈?……

3.風(fēng)格相同

這種流暢美還應(yīng)表現(xiàn)在風(fēng)格上相同。美國人Edward Connynham翻譯的詩人徐志摩的《再別康橋》和作家梁實秋翻譯的John Suckling的“A Ballad upon a Wedding”《婚禮曲》,均可謂達(dá)到了惟妙惟肖、淋漓盡致的地步[5](P125-127)。首先,來欣賞一下《再別康橋》中的三章:

原文:

那河畔的金柳,/是夕陽中的新娘;/波光里的艷影,/在我的心頭蕩漾。

軟泥上的青草,/綠油油的在水底招搖,/在康河的柔波里,/我甘心作一條水草。

那榆蔭下的一潭,/不是清泉,是天上虹,/揉碎在浮藻間,/沉淀著彩虹似的夢。

譯文:

The river bank golden willows/Like brides in a setting sun./Beautiful shadows in bright waves/Waving in my heart.

The soft mud's green grass,/Bright green,waving on the river bottom./Would I were a blade of water grass,/In the river Cam's gentle waves.

That lake under the Elm shadow,/Not a clear fountain but a rainbow in heaven/Twisted into floating weeds./Precipitating rainbow dreams.

接著,來品味一下《婚禮曲》的譯文:原文:

A Ballad upon a Wedding

The maid——and thereby hangs a tale;/For such a maid no Whitsun-ale/Could ever yet produce;/No grape,that's kindly ripe,could be/So sound,so plump,so soft as she,/Nor half s full of juice.

Her finger was so small and the ring/Would not stay on,which they did bring;/It was so too wide a peck;/And to say truth(for it out must),/It looked like the great collar(just)/About our young colt's neck.

Her feet beneath her petticoat,/Like little mice stole in and out,/As if they fear the light;/But oh,she dances such a way/No sun upon Easter day/Is half so fine a light.

Her cheeks so rare as white was on,/No daisy makes comparison/(Who sees them is undone)./For streaks of red were mingled there/Such as are on Katherine pear/(The tide that's next to sun.)

Her lips were red,and one was thin/Compared to that was next her chin/(Some bee had stung it newly);/But,Dick,her eyes so guard her face/I dar'st no more upon them gaze/Than on the sun in July.

Her mouth so small,when she does speak,/Thou'dst swear her teeth her words did break,/That they might passage get;/But she so handled still the matter,/They came as good as ours,or better,/And are not spent a whit.

(by Sir.John Suckling)

譯文:

婚 禮 曲

講到新娘(說來話長)/像她那樣的姑娘,/圣靈降臨慶祝會上也未見過;/沒有成熟的葡萄像她那樣紅潤,/那樣圓實,那樣豐滿,那樣細(xì)嫩,/漿汁有一半那樣多。

她的手指又細(xì)又長,/戒指戴上去就要溜掉,/因為太松了一點;/老實說(非說不可)/恰似小馬駒頸上套著/一只大項圈。

她裙下露出的兩只腳/老鼠似的出出進(jìn)進(jìn)地跑/像是怕外面的光亮/但是她的舞步翩翩/太陽在復(fù)活節(jié)那一天,/也沒有那樣美麗的景象。

她的兩頰白得出奇,/沒有雛菊能和她相比;/令人一看魂兒飛上了天;/因為那白里還帶著紅色/活像枝頭小梨一個朝著太陽那一邊。

她的唇是紅的,一片很薄,/挨近下巴那片就厚得多/(必是才被蜜蜂蜇傷);/但是,狄克,她的兩眼保護(hù)著臉,/我不敢多看一眼/有如對著七月的太陽。

她的嘴好小,說起話來/她的牙齒要把字兒咬碎/以便從嘴里擠送出去;/但是她處理得很得體,/談吐不比我們差,/而且一點也不吃力。

黃雨石先生曾經(jīng)說,“詩不可譯”,因為“意境難描”,“再現(xiàn)無方”,“韻律各異”,翻譯詩歌就是“知其不可譯而譯之”[6](P414)。對于一般的譯者而言,由于缺少了對詩、對自然的領(lǐng)悟,又囿于英漢理解和表達(dá)能力的限制,翻譯詩歌確實是很難的事情。詩人聞一多在20世紀(jì)20年代曾提倡現(xiàn)代詩歌應(yīng)有“音樂的美”、“繪畫的美”和“建筑的美”,而《再別康橋》一詩,可以說是“三美”具備,堪稱徐志摩詩作中的絕唱。原詩描繪了一幅幅流動的畫面,構(gòu)成了一處處美妙的意境,融氣氛、感情、景象于一體,景中有情,情中有景,細(xì)致入微地將詩人對康橋的愛戀,對往昔生活的憧憬表現(xiàn)得真摯、濃郁、雋永,表現(xiàn)出詩人高度的藝術(shù)技巧。Edward Connynham的譯詩有著同樣的風(fēng)格,語言清新秀麗,節(jié)奏輕柔委婉,和諧自然,伴隨著情感的起伏跳躍,猶如一曲悅耳徐緩的散板,輕盈婉轉(zhuǎn),撥動著讀者的心弦。康橋可以說是詩人徐志摩“最心愛的對象”,而Edward Connynham在譯詩中對它的描繪是成功的,沒有描壞它,沒有說過分。通過動靜結(jié)合、虛實相間的幾個意象(“willow”、“shadow”、“rainbow”等)及通篇的音韻(“setting sun”、“bottom”、“heaven”等)和節(jié)奏的運(yùn)用,再加上美麗逼真的描繪,把詩人的感情表達(dá)得淋漓盡致。

John Suckling原作多取主從結(jié)構(gòu),語法、邏輯嚴(yán)密,猶如一顆大樹,主干粗壯明顯,枝條交錯蔓生,而梁實秋的譯文則多取平行結(jié)構(gòu),猶如從泉眼奔涌而出的流水,節(jié)奏感強(qiáng),層次分明。梁實秋掌握了原文的內(nèi)涵,對詞的色彩情狀(如“Who sees them is undone”譯為“令人一看魂兒飛上了天”等)的分寸掌握得好,詞義延伸十分得當(dāng),其譯文既不違背原文的本意,與原文的形式和內(nèi)涵基本對應(yīng),又流暢、可讀,體現(xiàn)了原文的優(yōu)雅與細(xì)膩的風(fēng)格,同時充分展現(xiàn)了譯者深厚的母語素養(yǎng)和極強(qiáng)的表達(dá)能力。由此可見,上面兩位學(xué)者確實將直譯的流暢美升華到了近乎完美的境界。

威斯利(Samuel Wesley)說得好:“Style is the dress of thought;a modest dress,Neat,but not gaudy,will true critics please.”(風(fēng)格是思想的外衣;合身的衣裳整潔而不花俏,深受行家好評。)

西亞多·沙瓦利說得更明確:Style is the essential characteristic of every piece of writing,the outcome of the writer's personality,and his emotion at the moment,and nosingle paragraph can be put together without revealing in some degree of the nature of its author.(風(fēng)格是作品的本質(zhì)特征,作家個性的體現(xiàn),和感情的流露,任何一篇作品無不在一定程度上揭示出作家的天性。)[7](P201-203)

徐志摩的恬淡與深沉,薩克林(Suckling)的細(xì)膩與優(yōu)雅給譯者帶來了困難。奈達(dá)說得好:Source texts also differ greatly in the excellence of style.Generally,an excellent style also means greater problem for translation in doing justice to the associative meanings.[8](P131)(原文的風(fēng)格美是大相徑庭的。一般來說,越是優(yōu)雅的文體,要公正譯出原義,難度就會越大。)

上述選詩非得由這些高手來轉(zhuǎn)譯,他們用地道的譯語和優(yōu)雅的風(fēng)格,將原詩演繹得酣暢淋漓,讀起來朗朗上口,韻味十足。

二、意譯之美在于創(chuàng)新

選擇意譯是因為“譯入語”與“目的語”之間在遣詞造句、語法修辭和寫作風(fēng)格上差異明顯,在形式上無法對等,在風(fēng)格上難以貼近,在表達(dá)上難以自然流暢等原因。意譯之美在于創(chuàng)新(recreation)。不言而喻,這種創(chuàng)新是多方面的,用許鈞教授的話來說,就是“去字梏,重組句,建空間”。而用呂俊先生的話來說,就是“一種文化、思想、意識形態(tài)在另一種文化、思想、意識形態(tài)環(huán)境里的改造、變形或再創(chuàng)作”。[9](P59)筆者認(rèn)為,概括起來,這種創(chuàng)新主要表現(xiàn)在下述方面:

(一)形式創(chuàng)新

美國20世紀(jì)女詩人Lowell翻譯的張貴妃《贈張云容舞》就是很好的例子:原文:

羅袖動香香不已,紅蕖裊裊秋煙里,輕云嶺上乍搖風(fēng),嫩柳池邊初拂水。譯文:

Dancing

Wide sleeves sway./Scents,/Sweet scents/Incessant coming.

It is red lilies,/Lotus lilies,/Floating up,/Out of autumn mist.

Thin clouds/Puffed,/Fluttered,/Blown on a rippling wind/Through a mountain pass.

Young willow shoots/Touching,/Brushing,/The water/Of the garden pool.

由格律詩到自由體(free verse),由四行一句變四節(jié)(stanza)五句,遣詞(puffed,fluttered,touching,brushing)造句(每stanza各為一句,第一節(jié)除外)、修辭(重復(fù),利用節(jié)奏分行,用分詞保持原詩動感)與原文相比毫無遜色之處。

(二)意象和意境創(chuàng)新

意境,簡而言之,“乃謂意中之境”。最早見于王昌齡的《詩格》,把“境”分三種,“一曰物境……二曰情境……三曰意境。亦張之于意,而思之于心,則得其真也”[10](P43)。王佐良先生在其《英詩的境界》一書中開宗明義,指出:“所謂境界,是指作品所展示的情感和精神世界?！盵11](P12-13)應(yīng)該說也就是我們所說的意境?！耙庀蟆迸c“意境”是有區(qū)別的?！耙庀蟆笔侵妇唧w的事物(image)在特定的環(huán)境中在人的頭腦(意)產(chǎn)生的印象,所以意隨象生,“境生意外”。故真正有意境的詩,得意(義)忘象(表言)。賴力行教授在其《中國古代文論史》中寫到:“詩歌的意境產(chǎn)生自意象又超于意象,所以詩可意會而不可言傳,不免曲高和寡?！盵12](P161-162)

Bynner在翻譯唐詩《楓橋夜泊》(張繼)時,在意境的再造上就很成功:

月落烏啼霜滿天,江楓漁火對愁眠。姑蘇城外寒山寺,夜半鐘聲到客船。

While I watch the moon go down,/a crow caws through the frost;/Under the shadows of maple-trees a/fisherman moves with his/torch;/And I hear from beyond Suzhou from/the temple on cold/Mountain,/Ringing for me here in my boat/the midnight bell.

“對愁眠”譯成“moves with his torch”,動靜相映,意境更美。(呂叔湘)

(三)修辭創(chuàng)新

1.轉(zhuǎn)換增添修辭格

李發(fā)全在英譯李白《春思》第一二行時,就省去原詩的比喻,改成補(bǔ)語形式:

燕草碧如詩,秦桑低綠枝。

In north,Yan,silky grass grows blue and rank;

In south,Qin,green mulberries shoot long and lank.

英諺的翻譯有時也需要作修辭格的轉(zhuǎn)換:

The web of our life is of a mingled yarn,good and ill together.

生活就像一團(tuán)亂麻,有苦也有樂。

在譯文中,英語中的暗喻轉(zhuǎn)換成漢語中的明喻。

2.轉(zhuǎn)換標(biāo)題

初大告教授在英譯101《中華雋詞》時別出心裁,根據(jù)其不同內(nèi)容,將全部詞牌另換標(biāo)題,如李煜的《虞美人》(春花秋月何時了)譯成了“The Everlasting Sorrow”;蘇軾的《水調(diào)歌頭》(明月幾時有)譯成了“Drinking in the Mid-Autumn Night,and thinking of my younger brother,Su Zhe”(中秋夜飲——兼懷子由)[13](P38-39)。其他,如“Uncle Tom's Cabin”譯成“紅菱艷”;“G one with the wind”譯成“飄”;這些都是根據(jù)中西文化特點而意譯的,具有畫龍點睛,言簡意賅的創(chuàng)新美。

3.變換句讀

漢語言學(xué)家王力先生說得好“:西洋語法是硬的,沒有彈性;中國語法是軟的,富于彈性……唯其中文是軟的,所以中國語法以達(dá)意為主,如初序的目的格可以做次序的主格,又如不相關(guān)的兩件事可以硬湊在一起,不用任何連詞……所以英國人寫文章時,往往化零為整。而中國人則化整為零。”[14](P8-10)

英籍華裔女作家韓素音女士在“The Morning Deluge”《(黎明的洪濤》)一書中英譯毛澤東《沁園春·長沙》一詞時,就對原詞變換句讀,大加合并。上半闕中第一至四行就合并成一個長句:

原文:

獨立寒秋,/湘江北去,/橘子洲頭,/看萬山紅遍。譯文:

Alone,standing in autumn's chill/Asthe Hsiang River/Flows north past Orange Island,/I see the red-stained thousand hills/with crimson forests trooping.

這樣改寫能使譯文更加流暢,渾然一體,毫無凝滯之處。反之,也是一樣,在翻譯下面這個英文長句時,要“化零為整”,拆譯成多句:

原文:

The contrast between this knowledge and understanding of Kissinger's tactics and this uncertainty about his strategy is characteristic of most of what is written and said,not just about his role in Middle East but about a whole range of Kissinger's ventures,including the most important he has undertaken.

譯文:

基辛格不僅在中東起了作用,而且還從事了一系列的冒險活動,還包括一些重要的冒險活動。

(第一層意思譯成第一句)對此人們曾經(jīng)寫過不少文章。發(fā)表過不少言論。(第二層意思譯成第二句)。但這些文章和言論大部分都有一個特點,就是既反映出對他的策略有所認(rèn)識和了解,又表現(xiàn)出對他的策略捉摸不透。

顯然,這個長句變成了4個漢語分句,讀起來十分順暢。

在翻譯實踐中,直譯與意譯并行不悖,常常彼此交織,各自的魅力交相輝映。直譯會散發(fā)出自然、流暢和恬淡的陣陣清香;意譯可閃爍出別出心裁和創(chuàng)新的光環(huán)。因此,在翻譯過程中,不可以說此處只能直譯,彼處只可意譯。關(guān)鍵在于將原文反復(fù)咀嚼,融會于心,心領(lǐng)神會,自然而然地將原文譯成地道的譯文。

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[9] 辜正坤.中西詩鑒賞與翻譯[M].長沙:湖南人民出版社,1998.

[10] 呂叔湘.中詩英譯比錄[M].北京:中華書局出版社,2002.

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Abstract:Literal and liberal translations are the most essential strategies and methods in translation,with their artistic charm adding radiance and beauty to each other.Based on both theory and practice,this paper analyses their characteristics respectively and expounds that literal translation is good at ease and grace,while the aesthetic feeling of liberal translation lies in the recreation of form,artistic conception,image and rhetoric.

Key words:literal translation;ease and grace;liberal translation;recreation

(責(zé)任編輯 白 晨)

Preservation of Beauty in Both Literal and Liberal English-Chinese T ranslation

SHI Hong-mei
(College of Foreign Languages,Jishou University,Zhangjiajie,Hunan 427000,China)

H 315.9

A

1672-9951(2010)05-0028-05

2010-04-27

湖南省2009年哲學(xué)社會科學(xué)基金課題階段性研究成果(09YBB336)

石紅梅(1970-),女,湖南吉首人,吉首大學(xué)外國語學(xué)院副教授,碩士。