大約在今年六月中旬，有一帖關於“齊眉舉案”如何翻譯的討論，詳細見下鏈接：
http://bbs.wenxuecity.com/mysj/203074.html
現找到David Hawkes 的 《紅樓夢》譯文， 與各位共享。他是這樣譯的：
|
[終身誤] （第五回） |
First Song: The Mistaken Marriage |
|
都道是金玉良姻， |
Let others all Commend the marriage rites of gold and jade; |
|
俺隻念木石前盟．
|
I still recall The bond of old by stone and flower made; |
|
空對著，山中高士晶瑩雪， |
And while my vacant eyes behold Crystalline snows of beauty pure and cold, |
|
終不忘，世外仙姝寂寞林．
|
From my mind can not be banished That fairy wood forlorn that from the world has vanished |
|
歎人間，美中不足今方信．
|
How true I find That every good some imperfection holds! |
|
縱然是齊眉舉案，到底意難平．
|
Even a wife so courteous and so kind No comfort brings to my afflicted mind. |
譯者又在Appendix中加了下麵一段說明：
“In the First Song the ‘marriage rites of gold and jade’ refers to the marriage of Bao-chai (gold) and Bao-yu (jade). ‘Stone’ and ‘flower’ are, of course, the avatars of Bao-yu and Dai-yu. The crystalline snow’ stands for Bao-chai’s surname Xue, and the ‘fairy wood forlorn’ for Dai-yu’ surname Lin.”
