中国文学英译絮谈

沙枫

“花落知多少”英译知多少

中诗英译，有人主张押韵，也有人主张不押韵。试举孟浩然的《春晓》为例，原诗是：

春眠不觉晓，处处闻啼鸟。
夜来风雨声，花落知多少。

先举四种不押韵的英译，再举三种押韵的英译。刘师舜的英译是不押韵的，如下：

I scarcely knew it was dawn,
So sound was the sleep of spring
Everywhere there was birdsong.
All night long was the sough of wind and rain,
How many flowers have fallen to the ground?

赖恬昌的英译也是不押韵的，如下：

Lying in bed one Spring morning I was not aware of dawn,
But I can hear outside the birds everywhere chirping;
All through last night I heard the lashing of wind and rain,
Counting the flowers that dropped on the garden floor.

林如斯的英译是不押韵的，如下：

To birdcalls everywhere loud,
I woke lazily from spring slumber——
Remembering the night's storm,
Ah, how many petals flew down to the ground?

美国人 Bynner 的英译也是不押韵的，如下：

I awake light-hearted this morning of spring,
Everywhere round me the singing of birds——
But I remember the night, the storm,
And I wonder how many blossoms were broken.

黄雯的英译是押韵的，如下：

Spring dreams unconscious of dawning,
Everywhere I hear birds singing;
O nightlong wind and rain voices——
Know you how many petals falling?

吴经熊的英译也是押韵的，如下：

In spring how sweet is sleep! I don't know the day has dawned!
But what a riotous chorus of birds I hear all around!
Last night the sound of wind and rain stole into my ears——
I wonder how many flowers have fallen on the ground.

英国人 Turner 的英译也是押韵的，如下：

How suddenly the morning comes in Spring!
On every side you hear the sweet birds sing.
Last night amidst the storm——ah, who can tell.
With wind and rain, how many a blossom fell?

你喜欢译诗押韵呢还是不押韵呢？