什么都可以翻譯
傳統(tǒng)意義上,我們所認(rèn)為的翻譯是把一種語(yǔ)言譯成另一種語(yǔ)言,以被所有的人所認(rèn)識(shí),所了解。但是這種語(yǔ)言與語(yǔ)言間的轉(zhuǎn)換,尤其是漢語(yǔ)與其他預(yù)言的轉(zhuǎn)換,我們所認(rèn)為的只是白話語(yǔ)言的轉(zhuǎn)換。
但在古老的中國(guó),傳統(tǒng)文化的傳播主要是通過(guò)文言文。何謂文言文?著名語(yǔ)言文學(xué)家、教育家王力先生在《古代漢語(yǔ)》中指出:“文言是指以先秦口語(yǔ)為基礎(chǔ)而形成的上古漢語(yǔ)書(shū)面語(yǔ)言以及后來(lái)歷代作家仿古的作品中的語(yǔ)言”。第一個(gè)“文”字,是美好的意思。“言”字,是寫(xiě)、表述、記載等的意思。文言文”的意思就是指“美好的語(yǔ)言文章”也叫做語(yǔ)體文。
而從名字上來(lái)看,文言文相對(duì)于白話文就是美的,而且文言文包含更多的中國(guó)文化。中國(guó)的四書(shū)五經(jīng),《大學(xué)》、《中庸》《論文》這些文言文書(shū)籍是中國(guó)儒家文化的代表。中國(guó)的傳統(tǒng)文化應(yīng)一代代延續(xù),而文化的傳承是每一個(gè)人的責(zé)任。翻譯家對(duì)于文言文的翻譯能讓世界更好的了解中國(guó),了解中國(guó)人的謙和敦厚,與人為善,能讓五千年的中國(guó)文化生生不息。
《紅樓夢(mèng)》是中國(guó)文學(xué)園地百花叢中的一朵奇葩。它塑造了眾多獨(dú)特鮮明的人物,是一部不朽的藝術(shù)珍品。書(shū)中的主要角色,如賈寶玉、林黛玉、薛寶釵、王熙鳳、劉姥姥等都宛如活在我們的心中?梢(jiàn)曹雪芹刻畫(huà)人物,功力深邃。
談到曹雪芹的藝術(shù)表現(xiàn)才華,不得不聯(lián)系到《紅樓夢(mèng)》的對(duì)白寫(xiě)法。對(duì)白寫(xiě)得活潑生動(dòng)是人物對(duì)比強(qiáng)烈、黑白分明時(shí),更容易在讀者心中產(chǎn)生鮮明的印象,因?yàn)閷?duì)白中所用的字眼和語(yǔ)氣最能表露出人物的神態(tài)。
附上大衛(wèi)·霍克斯譯的《枉凝眉》一首
Hope Betrayed
One was a flower from paradise,
One a pure jade without spot or stain.
If each for the other one was not intended,
Then why in this life did they meet again?
And yet if fate had meant them for each other,
Why was their earthly meeting all in vain?
In vain were all her sighs and tears,
In vain were all his anxious fears:
All,insubstantial,doomed to pass,
As moonlight mirrored in the water
Or flowers reflected in a glass.
How many tears from those poor eyes could flow,
Which every season rained upon her woe?
請(qǐng)欣賞霍克斯在《紅樓夢(mèng)》英譯本自序中的最后一段感人的話:
"My one abiding principle has been to translate everything-even puns. For although this is ,in the sense I have already indicated, an 'unfinished' novel, it was written (and written) by a great artist with his very life blood. I have therefore assumed that whatever I find in it is there for a purpose and must be dealt with somehow or other, I cannot pretend always to have done so successfully, but if I can convey to the reader even a fraction of the pleasure this Chinese novel given me , I shall not have lived in vain."