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对于杨晓虹的《切磋贴:聊聊对总理引用的古文的翻译》,粗粗一读后,也没太在意思考。因为斟酌翻译是一件苦事,再加上诗歌文艺类的翻译,本无定说(所谓“诗无达估”),何必如此费神?但后来发现又有若干人发表博文对此议论,引起我的注意,索性再回头看一看杨老师的翻译。感觉仍有可商榷之处。“智者千虑,必有一失;愚者千虑,必有一得”,我作为愚者,希望能有一得之处。此外,批评别的人看法要比提出自己的看法要容易些。
另,我国高官就职少有国外之就职演说,离职也无离职演说。通常记者招待会就成了高官的就职或离职的演说。作为总理的离职的演说,整点古文也无可厚非,一则可能是个人的言语风格,有“文艺范儿”,并非克意抢韩寒的粉丝,二则也不是为了你翻译方便,或外国佬容易理解,我就只说家常话。盖引用古文古语有其积极之修辞效果。对于自明心迹,又不宜说得太详细,且有抒情效果而言,引用古文古语是不错的。
A- 我将在最后一年“守职而不废,处义而不回”,永远和人民在一起。
现场翻译:In my last year in office, I will not waiver and carry out my duties, and will remain true to my conviction, I will always be with the people.
点评:"I will not waiver"这种表达方式似乎比较少见,而且完全可以更公整更eloquent,比如排比句。美国现任总统奥巴马,前总统里根和肯尼迪(还有他的弟弟Teddy Kennedy) 等公认出色的讲演家的其中一道杀手锏就是言简意赅的重叠式短句。 试试这个译法:
During my last year in office, I'll "remain loyal to my duties, remain true to my beliefs", and remain here with my people. (注:duties and believes更押韵,另作为一国之长,我总觉得用“my people"比一般的“the people"更有力。)
此处“waiver”为“waive”之误。详细见下
Waiver
n
1. (Law) the voluntary relinquishment, expressly or by implication, of some claim or right
2. (Law) the act or an instance of relinquishing a claim or right
3. (Law) a formal statement in writing of such relinquishment
waive
vb (tr)
1. to set aside or relinquish; To give up (a claim or right) voluntarily; relinquish
2. (Law) to refrain from enforcing (a claim) or applying (a law, penalty, etc.)
3. to defer
“waiver”或“waive”该词多用于法律中的“权利和主张的放弃”,此外略显不妥,杨老师批评到位。“my people"与“the people"均可,不必因为不是总统或主席就不能用“my people"。另外,conviction有如下意义:1. the state or appearance of being convinced(定罪,证明有罪);2. a fixed or firmly held belief, opinion, etc.(确信,信念,坚定的信仰);3. the act of convincing;4. (Law) the act or an instance of convicting or the state of being convicted。“conviction”似不如“beliefs”普通、常用。
B- “入则恳恳以尽忠,出则谦谦以自诲。”
现场翻译: Officials should serve as loyalas they can conscientiously when they are in office and engage in modest self-reflection when their terms end.
何教授:Once made in a responsible position, an official should do everything loyal to the country( or to the people), and when his terms end, hes hould give a self-assessment (selfcriticism) in a humble manner.
点评:这句话的后半部我觉得挺难翻译得好,上面两个版本我更赞同何教授的。我试着改了一下:
"When chosen, officials should spare nothing for the loyalty and only look back with humbleness when it's time to step down."
古语今用,通常都赋予新义,不宜胶柱鼓瑟。正如前面所说的“处义而不回”的“义”不必专指古代特定的道德范畴一样,此处“忠”也不能理解为“忠君”。模糊译为“忠于国家或忠于人民”即可。“入”和“出”个人认为上述理解较为正确,就是“入职”和“离职”而已。不是指“上班(上朝)”和“下班(退朝)”。“出将入相”中的“入”和“出”为“出征”和“入朝”。
“自诲”这里是“自我教导,自我明示”之意。唐朝白居易有一首《自诲》如下:
《自诲》
乐天乐天,来与汝言。
汝宜拳拳,终身行焉。
物有万类,锢人如锁。
事有万感,爇人如火。
万类递来,锁汝形骸。
使汝未老,形枯如柴。
万感递至,火汝心怀。
使汝未死,心化为灰。
乐天乐天,可不大哀,汝胡不惩往而念来。
人生百岁七十稀,设使与汝七十期。
汝今年已四十四,却后二十六年能几时。
汝不思二十五六年来事,疾速倏忽如一寐。
往日来日皆瞥然,胡为自苦于其间。
乐天乐天,可不大哀。
而今而后,汝宜饥而食,渴而饮;昼而兴,夜而寝;无浪喜,无妄忧;病则卧,死则休。
此中是汝家,此中是汝乡,汝何舍此而去,自取其遑遑。
遑遑兮欲安往哉,乐天乐天归去来。
将“自诲”译为“self-reflection”或“self-assessment”或“look back”虽不准确,但粗可达意。杨老师用“step down(To resign from a high post.(辞职))”似乎不如“terms end(任期结束)”中性、准确。
C- “知我罪我,其惟春秋。”
现场翻译:There are people who will appreciate what I have done but there are also people who will criticize me, Ultimately, history will have the final say.
何教授:What I have done may be appreciated and criticized by the people, yet ultimately history will give me a fair assessment(or judgment).
点评:这句话的中心是“我”,从这个角度我觉得何教授用被动语气突出“I"(更严格来说是"what I have done")是个很好的主意,现场版的“There are people"显得有点喧宾夺主了。但两个版本似乎都有点长,不够有力,反映不出原句的风采。试着把它改短一点:
"I might be appreciated or I might be condemned, but only time will be the judge." (注:condemned也可以换作vilified or denounced or demonized,但我觉得都比用criticize更恰当。Time这里我想也可以换成history。“have the final say"有点太口语化而“give me a fair assessment"则似乎太啰嗦了。)
“criticize”多用于“负面的评价”,较为中性,用“condemned,vilified or denounced or demonized”译“罪(指摘过失、错误;罪诟;诟病)”语义过强烈。但此处过份一点译好,还是根据国情变通一点好,可斟酌。
实际上“criticize”也有“To judge the merits and faults of; analyze and evaluate”之义。
D- “苟利国家生死以,岂因祸福避趋之”
现场翻译: In line with the conviction that I will do whatever it takes to serve my country even at the cost of my own life, regardless of fortune of misfortune to myself.
何教授:If a man is willing to sacrifice his life for the interests of his country, he will never mind things concerning his personal fortunes and misfortunes.
点评:第二版比现场版来得通顺易懂,但似乎都忘了“岂”字的语气,改一下:
"If one were to sacrifice his life for his country, why would he change course merely because of his fortune or misfortune."
杨老师用虚拟语气和反问句翻译地道。
E- “亦余心之所善兮,虽九死其犹未悔。”
现场译文:For the ideal that I hold dear to my heart, I'd not regret a thousand times to die.
点评: “For the good that my heart believes in, I have no regrets even if I would die many deaths."
此处“善”处理为“the ideal”或“the good”无不可,但“die many deaths”似可商榷。盖因“die”指动作、过程,“death”指结果。有一句名言,想必大家知道。Caesar says " cowards die many times before their deaths/ The valiant never taste of death but once."(胆小鬼在他们死前就已经死过很多次了;勇敢的人只能体会到一次死亡.)
F- “人或加讪,心无疵兮。”
现场译文:My conscience stays untainted in spite of rumors and slanders from the outside.
点评:有点长,改短一点:
"False attacks can't taint my soul."
“False attacks”个人认为此处“False”指“虚构的、模拟的、假的、不真实的”。虽然杨老师的句法精干,有警句修辞效果,但“False attacks”来代替“rumors and slanders”(“讪”)似有误。
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