牟山雁
我似高飛雁，家鄉傍牟山。先賢名列子，才俊數潘安。
孟浩然《春曉》是一首廣為傳頌的唐人絕句。此詩英譯，我見到的有很多種。
春眠不覺曉，
處處聞啼鳥。
夜來風雨聲，
花落知多少。
In a spring slumber, unaware of the dawn,
Until everywhere I hear the birds crying.
During the night, sounds of wind and rain,
How many flowers, I wonder, have been falling?
上麵的譯文是我參考前賢譯作而寫成，雖然自認接近原詩意旨，卻不敢掠人之美。
下麵僅對幾首較好的譯作加以分析討論。
先看“意譯”為主，即比較隨便、不講求逐字翻譯的譯作：
許淵衝：
This morn of spring in bed I'm lying,
Not woke up till I hear birds crying.
After one night of wind and showers,
How many are the fallen flowers!
翁顯良：
This spring morning as I awake I know.
All around me the birds are crying, crying，
The storm last night, I sensed its fury.
How many, I wonder, are fallen, poor dear flowers!
許淵衝、翁顯良都沒有緊扣原詩、逐字逐句翻譯，而且為了韻腳，還添加了一些字詞，象”I'm lying” and “poor dear flowers”，但顯然都較好地傳達了原詩的意趣。
再看兩首西人英譯“意譯”之作：
Witter Bynner:
I awake light-hearted this morning of spring,
Everywhere round me the singing of birds—
But now I remember the night, the storm,
And I wonder how many blossoms were broken.
John Turner:
How suddenly the morning comes in Spring!
On every side you can hear the sweet birds sing.
Last night a midst the storm– Ah, who can tell，
With wind and rain，how many blossoms fell?
這兩首譯作也沒有緊扣原詩逐字翻譯，並基本上傳達了原詩意境。不足之處是將“啼”譯為“singing” or “sing”, 而不是”crying”，丟失了原詩中惜春、傷春的哀愁意味(曾有人指出這一點，似乎不少人不以為然，但我是讚同的)。這自然是對中國文學傳統的理解偏誤造成的。
下麵幾首譯作是偏重“直譯”的例子，雖然“直”的程度有所不同：
Elling Eide：
Asleep in spring unaware of dawn,
And everywhere hear the birds in song.
At night the sound of wind and rain,
You’ll know how much from the flowers gone.
William Nienhauser 倪豪士:
Spring slumber won’t awake to dawn,
Everywhere I hear the sound of birds calling.
During the night, sounds of wind and rain—
I wonder how many flower petals have been falling?
Stephen Owen 宇文所安：
Sleeping in spring, unaware of the dawn,
Then everywhere I hear birds singing.
Last night, the sound of wind and the rain –
Flowers have fallen, I wonder how many.
吳鈞陶:
Slumbering, I know not the spring dawn is peeping，
But everywhere the singing birds are cheeping.
Last night I heard the rain dripping and wind weeping，
How many petals are now on the ground sleeping?
前三首譯作是最接近原詩的，雖然他們對“覺”的理解不同。隻是前者把“啼鳥”譯為“birds in song”，後者則譯作“birds singing”，都沒有譯出傷春的意味。
吳鈞陶的譯文是所有華人譯作中我最為欣賞的，不但緊扣原詩，而且不為原詩所拘囿，押韻合轍，讀來朗朗上口。隻可惜，他似乎也忽略了中國文學傳統中的惜春、傷春意緒。
(2021-6-21)
山雁兄就是一個文學大家，我們都受益匪淺：）
Sleeping in spring unaware of dawning,
Hither and thither are heard birds chirping.
Last night came sound of wind and rain,
How many flowers fell I am wondering.