《长生殿》第二十一出《窥浴》，写有两位宫女看杨贵妃玉体(人民文学插图版100页)

悄偷窥，亭亭玉体，

宛似浮波菡萏，

含露弄娇辉。

轻盈臂腕消香腻，

绰约腰身漾碧漪。

明霞骨，沁雪肌。

一痕酥透双蓓蕾，

半点春藏小麝脐。

爱杀红巾罅，

私处露微微。

杨宪益的译文(外文出版社，211页)

We take a stealthy look. Her slender body

Is floating like a lotus on the waves,

In all its limpid beauty; there she moves

Her supple ankles, her smooth, scentedarms

And her willowy waist throuth the translucent water.

Look, how fine-boned she is,

And what a snow-white skin!

后四行干脆不译了。

许渊冲的译文(对外翻译出版公司舞台本，307页和309页)

We take a peep on her body slender,

Floating like lotus flower tender

With sweet inpearled dew

Shining in fascinating hue.

She moves her arms like a fairy queen,

And her willowy waist in water green,

And her breast blooming like double flower.

See her private vernal bower!

很任性地译了最后五行中的两行。另外，“蓓蕾”译成flower，而且double flower本意是重瓣花，在上下文中看未免有些怪异。“蓓蕾”字面上应该是bud，不过在句子中也不好。

两位译者都把“绰约腰身”译成willowy waist，确实很妙。汉语中本来就有“柳腰”的说法，如温庭筠《春宵曲》“转盼如波眼，娉婷似柳腰。”许渊冲在翻译《西厢记》时，把“软玉柔香抱满怀”中的“软玉”译为willowy waist，也很传神。

不管怎样，两位翻译大师译上述那段话恐怕不能得满分。