中国文学英译絮谈

沙枫

茅盾《春蚕》的两种英译

茅盾最有名的长篇小说，是《子夜》。最有名的短篇，则是《春蚕》。

《子夜》于一九三一年出版。《春蚕》则写成于一九三二年。

《子夜》，谈的是城市。《春蚕》。写的是农村。

这一短篇小说是这样开头的：

老通宝坐在“塘路”边的一块石头上，长旱烟管斜摆在他身边。“清明”节后的太阳已经很有力量，老通宝背脊上热烘烘地，像背着一盆火。“塘路”上拉纤的快班船上的绍兴人只穿了一件蓝布单衫，敞开了大襟，弯着身子拉，额角上黄豆大的汗粒落到地下。

茅盾的小说，向来以细致著称，写来又如抽丝剥茧。

上述一段，写的是外表，接着下面的几行就有内容了：

看着人家那样辛苦的劳动，老通宝觉得身上更加热了；热的有点儿发痒。他还穿着那件过冬的破棉袄，他的夹袄还在当铺里，却不防才得“清明”边，天就那么热。

“真是天也变了！”

老通宝心里说，就吐一口浓厚的唾沫。

北京出版的茅盾的小说英译本，长篇有徐孟雄翻译的《子夜》（Midnight），短篇有美国人 Shapiro 翻译的《春蚕及其他短篇》（Spring Silkworms and Other Stories）。而《春蚕》这一篇，又有美国出版的翟氏父子（Chu Chai and Winberg Chai）的译文。

上引的几行，翟氏父子的英译是这样的；

At the sight of their strenuous toil, Lao Tung Pao felt even warmer——so warm that he began to be itchy. He was still wearing the tattered padded jacket in which he had passed the winter. His unlined jacket had not yet been redeemed from the pawnshop. Such heat was unexpected so soon after "Clear and Bright".

"Even the weather is changed!" Lao Tung Pao said in his mind, and spat emphatically.

农村所说的“清明边”，意是“清明后”，看了英译就清楚了。

Shapiro 的英译则是这样：

The sight of others toiling strenuously made Old Tung Pao feel even warmer; he began to itch. He was till wearing the tattered padded jacket in which he had passed the winter. His unlined jacket had not been redeemed from the pawnshop. Who would have believed it could get so hot right after "Clear and Bright".

"Even the weather's not what it used to be," Old Tung Pao said to himself, and spat emphatically.

两种译文，都力求忠实于原著，出入不大，有些字句几乎完全相同。的英译发表在先，翟氏父子可能参考了才翻译的。

《春蚕》是这样结束的：

就是这么着，因为春蚕熟，老通宝一村的人都增加了债！老通宝家为的养了五张布子的蚕，又采了十多分的好茧子，就此白赔上十五担叶的桑地和三十块钱的债！一个月光景的忍饥熬夜还不算！

寥寥数语，看似轻描淡写，其实是字字千钧，包含几许辛酸！