葉丹 徐溧
摘 要 《紅樓夢》的英譯活動(dòng)已有一百多年,但目前少有研究其量詞翻譯的文章。本文就楊、霍譯本的量詞翻譯分析對(duì)比,認(rèn)為譯者不能忽略英語本身的類量詞結(jié)構(gòu)表達(dá),要深入研究學(xué)習(xí)英漢量詞的異同及其語言功能。
關(guān)鍵詞 《紅樓夢》量詞 楊、霍譯本 異同比較
中圖分類號(hào):H059 文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)識(shí)碼:A
《紅樓夢》的英譯活動(dòng)可以追溯至1830年。至20世紀(jì)80年代,兩個(gè)最為人熟知全譯本問世,分別是中國翻譯名家楊憲益夫婦的A Dream of Red Mansions以及英國的漢學(xué)家霍克斯(David Hawkes)的 The Story of the Stone。據(jù)文軍、任艷(2012)對(duì)《紅樓夢》不同研究主題的論文數(shù)量統(tǒng)計(jì)發(fā)現(xiàn):詞語研究領(lǐng)域的研究論文數(shù)量是所有研究主題中最多的,達(dá)133篇,占總數(shù)的17%,涉及了許多類別的文化負(fù)載詞分析,如顏色詞、模糊語、稱呼等。但目前針對(duì)量詞翻譯的研究卻寥寥無幾。漢語量詞是表示事物或動(dòng)作數(shù)量的單位的詞,包括名量詞和動(dòng)量詞。單個(gè)的量詞在漢語中不能獨(dú)立使用, 必須要和數(shù)詞結(jié)合構(gòu)成數(shù)量短語共同充當(dāng)句子成分。漢語量詞體系龐大而復(fù)雜,但英語語法中卻實(shí)際并無量詞一說。因此在翻譯時(shí),語法范疇的不對(duì)等為翻譯工作帶來障礙,但也為譯者更多的研究、發(fā)揮空間。本文主要對(duì)《紅樓夢》中“一+量詞+名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)下的楊、霍譯的量詞翻譯進(jìn)行對(duì)比分析。
與英語名詞不同,漢語名詞本身不體現(xiàn)可數(shù)與不可數(shù)之分。當(dāng)“一+量詞+名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)中的名詞體現(xiàn)了英語可數(shù)名詞特征時(shí),兩譯本多采用了a/an + n的譯法。
例一:寶玉抬頭看見一幅畫貼在上面。楊譯:Baoyu noticed a fine painting;霍譯:Bao-yu glanced up and saw a painting.
例二:后面便是一所古廟,里面有一美人在內(nèi)看經(jīng)獨(dú)坐。楊譯:Next was depicted a seated girl reading a sutra alone in an old temple;霍譯:After this was an old temple with a beautiful girl sitting all on her own inside it reading a Buddhist sutra.
例三:迎面一道黑溪阻路,并無橋梁可通。楊譯:In front a black torrent barred their way and there was no bridge across.霍譯:Ahead of them the road ended at the edge of a dark ravine. No bridge connected it with the other side.
當(dāng)“一+量詞+名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)中的名詞體現(xiàn)不可數(shù)或集合特征時(shí),兩個(gè)譯本則大有不同?;糇g更多的采用了“a + n + of”詞塊結(jié)構(gòu)。
例一:當(dāng)下秦氏引了一簇人來至上房內(nèi)間。楊譯:Keqing led the party to an inner room;霍譯:Qin-shi conducted Bao-yu and his little knot of attendants to an inner room in the main building.
例二:剛至房門,便有一股細(xì)細(xì)的香甜襲人而來。楊譯:Now, having reached the young matrons room, they were meeting at the threshold by a subtle perfume;霍譯:As Bao-yu entered, a subtle whiff of the most delicious perfume assailed his nostrils.
例三:后面又畫幾縷飛云, 一灣逝水。楊譯:Next came a painting of drifting clouds and flowing water with the legend;霍譯:The next picture showed some scudding wisps of cloud and a stretch of running water followed by these words.
楊、霍譯本都有由譯者解讀而成的a + n + of結(jié)構(gòu)。因?yàn)橛⒄Z“量詞”不僅僅表現(xiàn)“量”,也能表現(xiàn)“質(zhì)”,表現(xiàn)事物的特征。
例一:仙袂乍飄兮,聞麝蘭之馥郁;荷衣欲動(dòng)兮,聽環(huán)佩只鏗鏘。楊譯:Her fairy sleeves, fluttering, give off a heady fragrance of musk and orchid. With each rustle of her lotus garments, her jade pendants tinkle.霍譯:And a fragrance of musk and orchid from fluttering fairy sleeves, And a tinkle of girdle-gems that falls on the ear,At each movement of her dress of lotus leaves.
例二:靨笑春桃兮,云堆翠髻。楊譯:Her dimpled smile is peach-blossom in spring, her blue-black hair a cluster of clouds. 霍譯:A peach-tree blossoms in her dimpling cheek; Her cloud-coiled tresses are halcyon-sleek.
英語量詞表達(dá)雖還未列入傳統(tǒng)的語法詞類,但是有大量的詞表達(dá)了數(shù)量概念,其功能和性質(zhì)相當(dāng)于漢語量詞??筛鶕?jù)事物的形狀、容積、容器和狀態(tài)分類。如:a bunch of grapes(一串葡萄);a choir of singers(一個(gè)唱詩班);a drop of rain(一滴雨水);a field of flowers(一片花海);a gust of wind(一股風(fēng));a mob of demonstrators(一群示威者);a pad of paper(一疊紙);a roll of newspaper(一卷報(bào)紙);a swarm of bees (一群蜜蜂);a wedge of pie(一塊楔形的餡餅),等。類似漢語量詞的英語結(jié)構(gòu)表達(dá),具有隱喻和意象功能,生動(dòng)地描繪著各色各異各態(tài)的事物。因此譯者不能忽略英語中固有的類量詞表達(dá),要充分深入研究學(xué)習(xí)兩種語言量詞的文化異同及其語言功能。
參考文獻(xiàn)
[1] 文軍,任艷.國內(nèi)《紅樓夢》英譯研究回眸(1979-2010)[J].中國外語,2012(1).