中国文学英译絮谈

沙枫

“智取生辰纲”的英译

《水浒》的“智取生辰纲”这一回，人多爱读。英译也较多，英国新出版不久的两本书都有选译。

白之（Birch）在“Anthology of Chinese Literature”选译了这一回，剑桥大学张心沧博士在“Chinese Literature popular Fiction and Drama”也选译了这一回。

且看：

那七个贩枣子的客人立在松树傍边，指着这一十五人，说道：“倒也！倒也！” 只见这十五个人，头重脚轻，一个个面面厮觑，都软倒了。

这一段话，是生动的。

白之的英译是这样的：

The seven peddlers of daters now ranged themselves at the edge of the pines and pointed at the fifteen. "Go on, fall down!" they cried.

And the fifteen men, heads heavy, feet light, gaped at each other and one after another crumpled to the ground.

张心沧的英译是这样的：

......the seven date merchants, who had been standing beside the pine trees, raised their right hands and, pointing seven mesmerizing fingers at the party of fifteen, chanted in chorus: "Sink! Sink! Sink in heavy slumber!" Instantly the Regent's carriers felt giddy in the head and wobbly at the knees; they stared dully at one another and sank to the ground.

上述两译，前者译来比较通俗，后者用字较深奥。

再看看三十年代的两种英译。

赛珍珠的英译是这样的：

Then those seven date merchants stood beneath the pine trees and pointed at the fifteen men and said, "Down they go! Down they go!"

They then watched these fifteen men; their heads were heavy and their feet light and each stared speechless at the other, and all fell feebly to the ground.

Jackson 的英译是这样的：

The seven traders of dates sitting under the pine trees pointed their fingers at the soldiers and said, "They are now falling down." The soldiers, in fact, felt "their heads heavy and their feet light," and after looking at each other slyly had laid down.

这两种英译，也是各有千秋。

“倒也！倒也！”四人的译法大不相同也。