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昨天上午我正忙得不亦樂乎地毛體踏思婷的時候,一個朋友給我發了這樣一首詩,問我翻譯得怎麽樣:
墓門行 - Passing a tomb gate
伊人寂寂而長眠兮,Rest In Peace alone,
任春與秋之代謝。As spring and autumn came and gone.
野花繁其弗賞兮,Blossoming wild flowers you could not enjoy,
亦誰(何)知水(冰)深而雪下。Neither could you know the depth of ice and cold snow
水潺湲兮, 長槐垂首而聽之。Water stream flows gently, tall pagoda (locust) trees are listening.
鳥聲喧兮, 好音誰其應之?Birds are chirping, but who would respond the pretty chords?
風嗚咽兮而怒飛兮,Wind is crying, and angrily flying
陳死人兮安所知兮。The lying dead could no longer feel anything
和平之神穆以慈兮,The God of Peace is kind and mercy.
長眠之人於斯永依兮。May the dead be remembered forever
我看了一眼,說:“翻譯得不錯啊!誰的詩呀?”
朋友又給我發了這樣一張圖片:
我說:“原來是胡適的詩啊!我沒讀過呢。”
朋友說:“你能不能給翻譯一下?”
我說:“我覺得英文翻譯得挺好的。”
朋友說:“不是,我是說翻譯成中文。”
我覺得有些好笑:“那本來就是中文啊!還要翻譯什麽中文?”
朋友說:“我是說把那古詩翻譯成白話文。你知道我的中文水平.”
我試著口述了一下:
“那人已經靜靜地長眠地下,任由春去秋來時光荏苒。繁花似錦她也不
朋友表示感謝,我說:“這隻是我粗略的理解,不一定準確。其實胡適這詩有幾點我不太清楚。第一點是關於伊人。伊人可以是指自己的意中人,美人兒,或者是泛指一般人。另外關於‘陳死人’雖然是泛指死了很久的人,放在這裏感覺冷漠,所以我搞不清胡適與死者的關係,感覺隻是偶爾經過墳墓的路人偶發感慨,”
到了晚上,我有空時查詢了一下,才發現墓門行根本就不是胡適的原創。在《胡適留學日記》卷九 三0、《墓門行》有原文記錄:
四月十二日)
ROADSIDE REST
(Anonymous inscription at the entrance to a little wayside burial ground at North Woodstock, N. H.)
Such quiet sleep has come to them,
The Springs and Autumns pass,
Nor do they know if it be snow
Or daisies in the grass.
All day the birches bend to hear
The river's undertone;
Across the hush a fluting thrush
Sings evensong alone.
But down their dream there drifts no sound:
The winds may sob and stir;
On the still breast of Peace they rest—
And they are glad of her.
從原詩可知胡適把They翻譯成伊人,實在易生誤解,伊人一般都是指女子吧,但原詩隻是指墓地裏的死者。還有把雛菊翻譯成野花,把畫眉翻成鳥兒,把樺樹翻成長槐。。。看來胡適為了雅一點也不在意信與達。
不但如此,我對圖片中隻簽名胡適也感覺不舒服,覺得若不是深究之人,都會很容易誤解那就是他的原創,大有欺世盜名之嫌啊!故有此口水貼,戒之。