薩福這個人,她寫的所謂“詩”是讓人去遊方演唱的,隨意的很,而且常常帶了詼諧,夾了諷刺,開個玩笑。 仔細品味這首“詩”,你不覺得薩福很幽默嗎? 所以我就想,翻譯時也許可以試著譯得詼諧一點兒也許更和薩福的原意,而且這樣翻似乎意思也更明白些?
《騎兵,步兵,還是 ...... 》
—— 薩福
世界上是啥看了最讓人動心?
騎兵,步兵,還是乘風破浪的海軍?
要我說啊,最讓人動心的莫過於自己的心上人。
這道理是禿子頭上的虱子,擺得很明。
你看那個美豔無匹的海倫,
拋離了最傑出的男人,舍棄了親朋,
置女兒家人於不顧,跳上船就去了特洛伊城,
還不就因為那個塞浦路斯人瞧上了她,就讓她心神不屬,踏上歧程。
這倒讓我想起了我那遠在他鄉的阿那克多利雅,
要我說,我寧願看她俏臉生輝,嫋娜娉婷,
而不是去瞧立地亞國那些金光閃閃的戰車甲兵。
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“Some say cavalry and others claim”
by Sappho
Some say cavalry and others claim
infantry or a fleet of long oars
is the supreme sight on the black earth.
I say it is
the one you love. And easily proved.
Did not Helen who far surpassed all
mortals in beauty desert the best
of men, her kin,
and sail off to Troy and forget
her daughter and dear kinsmen? Merely
the Kyprian's gaze made her bend and led
her from her path;
these things remind me now
of Anaktoria who is far,
and I
for one
would rather see her warm supple step
and the sparkle of her face than watch
all the dazzling chariots and armored
hoplites of Lydia.