原標題:Of Beauty
何新: 《論美》
說明: 譯文不夠準確!培根在這篇文章裏不是要談論泛意的“美”,即不是要談論花的美,鳥的美,自然的美,而是要說明什麽樣的人才算真正的美,即外表謙卑內有道德的人才算美,所以這裏的“美”是指人的“美”,即“美貌”。
試譯: 《論美貌》
培根原文第一段:Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely, though not of delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect. Neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy, not to err, than in labor to produce excellency. And therefore they prove accomplished, but not of great spirit; and study rather behavior, than virtue.
解析:
原文:Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set;
釋義:Virtue is like a rich stone. A rich stone looks the best when it is plainly mounted and so virtue looks the best when it is in a plain body.
何新:美德好比寶石,它在樸素背景的襯托下反而更美麗。
說明:這一句比較難處理,因為很難確定best plain set到底是跟virtue有關還是跟rich stone有關。用對現代英語的感覺去體會,好像應該是跟virtue有關,但按此譯成中文,又有點目明其妙。何新翻譯時很喜歡添油加醋,在這裏他恰恰采用了直譯:“美德好比寶石,它在樸素背景的襯托下反而更美麗。”問題是,在什麽情況下我們會用“背景”來襯托“美德”?很難想象有這種情況,所以這個譯文有點突兀。我認為,把它處理成跟rich stone有關,更符合邏輯性。
試譯:美德如寶石,寶石者,非素雅之鑲嵌不能盡顯其光彩。
原文:and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely, though not of delicate features; and that hath rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect.
釋義:and virtue is surely the best when it is in a body that is comely but not of delicate features and that has rather dignified appearance but not of peripheral beauty.
何新:同樣,一個打扮並不華貴卻端莊嚴肅而有美德者是令人肅然起敬的。
說明:原文的意思是:在如此如此的身體裏的virtue是best的,即如此如此的人最能顯示出virtue來;而何新譯文的意思則是:如此如此的人是如此。
試譯:故美德之光彩,非俊雅而不嬌豔、非端莊而不僅僅美豔之身軀不能盡顯。
原文:Neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were rather busy, not to err, than in labor to produce excellency.
釋義:It is rarely seen that very beautiful persons have virtue. This is so may be because nature is so busy that it would rather not produce beauty than to make mistakes.
何新:因而造物似乎是吝嗇的,他給了此就不再予彼。所以許多美男子徒有其表卻不是真正的男子漢,他們過於追求形體之美而忽略了內心的修養。
說明:何新的這一句譯文基本達意,但他的譯文是解釋性的,不是翻譯。
試譯:然,大美之人中鮮見美德者,仿佛造化忙不擇優,為求無過而舍求至美。
釋義:That is why beautiful people have made the achievements in their appearance but not in great spirit and they are more interested in behavior than in virtue.
何新:所以許多美男子徒有其表卻不是真正的男子漢,他們過於追求形體之美而忽略了內心的修養。
說明:同樣,譯文太過解釋性而非翻譯。
試譯:此何為美人雖有相貌但乏品性,重外表而輕美德也。
何新第一段的完整譯文:
美德好比寶石,它在樸素背景的襯托下反而更美麗。同樣,一個打扮並不華貴卻端莊嚴肅而有美德者是令人肅然起敬的。因而造物似乎是吝嗇的,他給了此就不再予彼。所以許多美男子徒有其表卻不是真正的男子漢,他們過於追求形體之美而忽略了內心的修養。所以許多美男子徒有其表卻不是真正的男子漢,他們過於追求形體之美而忽略了內心的修養。
聚曦亭第一段的完整譯文:
美德如寶石,寶石者,非素雅之鑲嵌不能盡顯其光彩。故美德之光彩,非俊雅而不嬌豔、非端莊而不僅僅美豔之身軀不能盡顯。然,大美之人中鮮見美德者,仿佛造化忙不擇優,為求無過而舍求至美。此何為美人雖有相貌但乏品性,重外表而輕美德也。