中国文学英译絮谈

沙枫

诸葛亮的《前出师表》

诸葛亮写的文章，以《前出师表》最为有名。《前出师表》是这样开头的：

“先帝创业未半而中道崩殂，今天下三分，益州疲弊，此诚危急存亡之秋也。”

这一段话的英译有两种。

Brewitt-Taylor 的英译如下：

The late Emperor had accomplished but half his great task at his death. At this moment the empire is in three parts, and our country is weak; it is a most critical moment for us.

以上译文，见于《三国演义》英译本“Romance of the Three Kingdoms”。

Parker 的英文译文则是：

Your Majesty's servant regrets to submit that the late Emperor passed away in the midst of his brilliant career, when mot quite half of his intended scheme had been worked out. Now the country is still divided into three, and the situation of our kingdom is rather pessimistic; this is, indeed, a most critical point of time.

《前出师表》中，下面的一段是比较易念的：

“臣本布衣，躬耕于南阳，苟全性命于乱世，不求闻达于诸侯。先帝不以臣卑鄙，猥自枉屈，三顾臣于草庐之中，咨臣以当世之事。由是感激，遂许先帝以驱驰。后值倾覆，受任于败军之际，奉命于危难之间，尔来二十有一年矣！”

前四句，Brewitt-Taylor 的英译如下：

I was originally a private person, a farmer in Nanyang, concerned only to secure personal safety in a troubled age and not seeking conversation with the contending nobles.

Parker 的英译则如下：

Your Majesty's servant hailed from the common stock, tilling his land in Nanyang. He content to be left undisturbed in a time of chaos, having no intention of seeking for fame and power in the courts of kings.

至于“三顾臣于草庐之中”这一句，一人译作“to seek me thrice in my humble cot”，一人则译作“to call at his hut thrice”。

“草庐”译作“humble cot”，加了“humble”一字，读来显得抑扬顿挫。