当今中国文坛很怪,总会不时有人间歇地发病:疯病,臆想病,自恋病等。头些年,有王姓作家就疯了一把,把几乎所有人们记忆中能一下子想到的中国文学巨匠,给骂个遍。但结果却并不妙,那些中国文学巨匠们的作品仍然在中国大地上发挥着巨大滋养作用,发挥着抚慰心灵作用,发挥着打击敌人激发人们斗志的作用。最近,又有些人疯了,又开始拿中国文学巨匠们说事儿。不过,结局恐怕也不会好到什么地方上去。
这不由让人想起上世纪80年代,一帮所谓“先锋派”诗人们的作为来。记得当时也很有趣,写诗的几乎个个不读诗,更不读古诗,个个弄得蓬头垢面的,发毒誓,说从此以后,再没有什么李白杜甫白居易了,并出狂言道那些古人从此以后被清除中国文学舞台了。时间无情地走过了二十多年了。结果怎么样呢?还有几个“先锋派”诗人活在人们的记忆之中?还有几首他们写的蹩脚诗留给文坛,留给读者呢?显然,那么一大帮子人写了那么一大堆近乎废话的东西,最后,不过让人能记住的就是杀了自己妻子的顾姓诗人的“黑夜给了我黑色眼睛”了。今天,文坛里又有人疯了,原因无怪乎就是为了吸引人们的眼球,别让人把自己给忘了,玩玩票,耍耍酷而已,或者也师承王姓作家的手法:因深层次的原因____江郎才尽?!于是拿文坛巨匠们说说事儿,肚子里却只剩二两油了?
实际上,此种做法只给人无奈感,也足见造次者的无聊心态。其实,冰心做为1900年出生的人,其文笔真是了得。我最开始读冰心是由读泰戈尔的诗开始的。凡是英语达到一定水准的人,(大概是现在的8级?我说不准,)我说的是英语阅读水平达到一定高度的人,至少会对冰心的译文感到十分佩服。冰心对原文意思的把握,加上她那近乎完美的中文笔触,把泰戈尔诗中蕴涵着的美给十足地表现了出来。如果说真有什么“信,达,雅”的译文的话,可以说,惟冰心的译文是也。假如有人问我拿什么东西可以用做英译中教材而永远不会出错更不会过时的话,我可以很负责地说,惟冰心的译文是也。这是做学问方面。
另外,尽管有人不承认学历在成长道路上的重要作用,但我却以为,一个19岁就进入燕京大学学习的谢冰心,无论从整体上看还是从细节上比,都应该比没有上过什么学就决定辍学的人更趋于完美些吧。况且人家谢冰心的父亲,还是个参加过甲午战争的爱国海军军官呢。再用一句时髦的话说,中华民族饱受列强欺凌的屈辱历史,也绝对激发过谢冰心的爱国之情呢。这是做人方面。
为表示对冰心的支持,或用现在时髦话说,严重支持,下面我就把冰心译的泰戈尔的诗摘录几首在这里,当然是中英对照的,对于没上过大学可能也蔑视英语但却一点羞耻心没有的人来说,读起来一定困难不少。毕竟,隔着生僻的26个字母呢。
《园丁集》
泰戈尔诗,谢冰心译
随意选择之第一首
I try to wreath all the morning, but the flowers slip and they drop out.
You sit there watching me in secret through the corner of your prying eyes.
Ask those eyes, darkly planning mischief, whose fault it was.
整个早晨我想编个花环,但是花儿滑掉了。
你坐在一旁偷偷地从侦伺的眼角看着我。
问这一对沉黑的恶作剧的眼睛,这是谁的错。(张:翻译得非常到位)
I try to sing a song, but in vain.
A hidden smile trembles on your lips; ask of it the reason of my failure.
Let your smiling lips say on oath
how my voice lost itself in silence like a drunken bee in the lotus
我想唱一支歌,但是唱不出来。
一个暗笑在你唇上颤动;你问它我失败的缘由。
让你的微笑的唇儿发一个誓,
说我的歌声怎样地消失在沉默里,像一只在荷花里沉醉的蜜蜂。(张:整句与原文的感觉十分吻合)
It is evening, and the time for the flowers to close their petals.
Give me leave to sit by your side,
and bid my lips to do the work that can be done in silence
and in the dim light of stars.
夜晚了,是花瓣合起的时候了。
容许我坐在你的旁边,
容许我的唇儿做那在沉默中、
在星辰的微光中能做的工作吧。
随意选择之第二首
Do not keep to yourself the secret of your heart, my friend!
Say it to me, only to me in secret.
You who smile so gently, softly whisper, my heart will hear it, not my ears.
不要把你心的秘密藏起,我的朋友!
对我说吧,秘密地对我一个人说吧。
你这个笑得这样温柔, 说得这样轻软的人, 我的心将听着你的语言,不是我的耳朵。
The night is deep, the house is silent, the birds' nests are shrouded with sleep.
Speak to me through hesitating tears, through faltering smiles,
through sweet shame and pain, the secret of your heart!
夜深沉,庭宁静,鸟巢也被睡眠笼罩着。(张:结合了中国古诗的韵味)
从踌躇的眼泪里,从沉吟的微笑里,(张:把精髓给译了出来)
从甜柔的羞怯和痛苦里,把你心的秘密告诉我吧!
随意选择之第三首
Speak to me, my love! Tell me in words what you sang.
The night is dark. The stars are lost in clouds.
The wind is sighing through the leaves.
对我说吧,我爱!用言语告诉我你唱的是什么。
夜是深黑的, 星星消失在云里,
风在叶丛中叹息。
I will let loose my hair. My blue cloak will cling round me like night.
I will clasp your head to my bosom; and there in the sweet loneliness murmur
on your heart. I will shut my eyes and listen. I will not look in your face.
我将披散我的头发,我的青蓝的披风将黑夜一样地紧裹着我。
我将把我的头紧抱在胸前:在甜柔的寂寞中
在你心头低诉.我将闭目静听.我不会看望你的脸。(张:murmur翻译成“低诉”,是真的吃透了原意并非常有诗人的感觉才会译出。实际上,现在这个“低诉”还无数遍地被当代诗人们应用着啊。)
When your words are ended, we will sit still and silent. Only the trees will whisper in the dark.
The night will pale. The day will dawn. We shall look at each other's eyes and go on our different paths.
Speak to me, my love! Tell me in words what you sang
等到你的话说完了,我们将沉默凝坐,只有丛树在黑暗中微语。
夜将发白,天光将晓,我们将望望彼此的眼睛,然后各走各的路。(张:工整对仗。)
对我说话吧,我爱!用言语告诉我你唱的是什么。
随意选择之第四首
Hands cling to hands and eyes linger on eyes: thus begins the record of our hearts.
It is the moonlight night of March; the sweet smell of henna is in the air;
my flute lies on the earth neglected and your garland of flowers is unfinished.
This love between you and me is simple as a song.
手握着手,眼恋着眼;这样开始了我们的心的纪录。(张:linger on在此被译成“恋”,太传神了。)
这是三月的月明之夜;空气里有凤仙花的芬芳;(张:言简意赅,又非常形象)
我的横笛抛在地上,你的花串也没有编成。
你我之间的爱像歌曲一样地单纯。
Your veil of the saffron colour makes my eyes drunk.
The jasmine wreath that you wove me thrills to my heart like praise.
It is a game of giving and withholding, revealing and screening again; some
smiles and some little shyness, and some sweet useless struggles.
This love between you and me is simple as a song.
你橙黄色的面纱使我眼睛陶醉。
你给我编的茉莉花环使我心震颤,像是受了赞扬。
这是一个又予又留,又隐又现的游戏;(张:四个“又”字加上四个动词,工整地把意思给表达出来了。)
有些微笑,有些娇羞,也有些甜柔的无用的抵拦。(张:“抵拦”一词翻译得非常把握火候,把struggles的意思用精致的中文给表达了出来。)
你我之间的爱像歌曲一样单纯。
No mystery beyond the present; no striving for the impossible;
no shadow behind the charm; no groping in the depth of the dark.
This love between you and me is simple as a song.
没有现在以外的神秘;不强求那做不到的事情;
没有魅惑后面的阴影;没有黑暗深处的探索。
你我之间的爱像歌曲一样的单纯。
We do not stray out of all words into the ever silent; we do not raise our
hands to the void for things beyond hope.
It is enough what we give and we get.
We have not crushed the joy to the utmost to wring from it the wine of pain.
This love between you and me is simple as a song.
我们没有走出一切语言之外进入永远的沉默;我们没有向空举手
寻求希望以外的东西。(张:英语加定冠语七个单词,冰心用九个汉字就最忠实地表达了原意。不容易。)
我们付与,我们取得,这就够了。
我们没有把喜乐压成微尘来榨取痛苦之酒。(张:没有深厚的中英文功底,不可能如此传神地翻译。)
你我之间的爱像歌曲一样的单纯。
随意选择之第五首
Your questioning eyes are sad. They seek to know my meaning
as the moon would fathom the sea.
I have bared my life before your eyes from end to end, with
nothing hidden or held back. That is why you know me not.
If it were only a gem, I could break it into a hundred pieces
and string them into a chain to put on your neck.
你的疑问的眼光是含愁的。综要追探了解我的意思,(张:动词“含”的使用,使“sad”变得非常生动。)
好像月亮探测大海。
我已经把我生命的终始,全部暴露在你的眼前,(张:整个句子重新组合得非常到位。)
没有任何隐秘和保留.因此你不认识我。
假如它是一块宝石,我就能把它碎成千百颗粒,
穿成项链挂在你的颈上。
If it were only a flower, round and small and sweet, I could pluck it
from its stem and set it in your hair.
But it is a heart, my beloved. Where are its shores and its bottom?
You know not the limits of this kingdom, still you are its queen.
If it were only a moment of pleasure it would flower in an easy smile,
and you could see it and read it in a moment.
假如它是一朵花,圆圆小小香香的,我就能
从枝上采来藏在你的发上。
但是它是一颗心,我的爱人。何处是它的边和底?
你不知道这个王国的边极,但你仍是这王国的女王。
假如它是片刻的欢娱,它将在喜笑中开花,(张:越是简单的单词想翻译得传神越不容易。但冰心做到了。)
你立刻就会看到,懂得了。
If it were merely a pain it would melt in limpid tears, reflecting its
inmost secret without a word.
But it is love, my beloved.
Its pleasure and pain are boundless, and endless its wants and wealth.
It is as near to you as your life, but you can never wholly know it.
假如它是一阵痛苦,它将融化成晶莹的眼泪,
不着一字地反映出它最深的秘密。(张:“不着一字”使用得让人称奇。)
但是它是爱,我的爱人。
它的欢乐和痛苦是无边的,它的需求和财富是无尽的。
它和你亲近得像你的生命一样,但是你永远不能完全了解它。
随意选择之第六首
Do not go, my love, without asking my leave.
I have watched all night, and now my eyes are heavy with sleep
I fear lest I lose you when Iam sleeping.
Do not go, my love, without asking my leave.
不要不辞而别,我爱。
我看望了一夜,现在我脸上睡意重重。
只恐我在睡中把你丢失了。
不要不辞而别,我爱。
I start up and stretch my hands to touch you.
I ask myself, "Is it a dream?"
Could I but entangle your feet with my heart and hold them fast my breast!
Do not go, my love, without asking my leave.
我惊起伸出双手去摸触你,我问自己说:(张:start up翻译成“惊起”,没有深厚的英语功底,看不到这一层级。)
“这是一个梦么?”
但愿我能用我的心系住你的双足,紧抱在胸前!
不要不辞而别,我爱。