从心所欲_不逾矩——英汉翻译之我见

2023年12月10日发(作者：文明校园内容)

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从心所欲，不逾矩——英汉翻译之我见

英汉翻译是建立在两种语言的对比研究之上的。从句法层面讲，英语是形和句式 hypotactic syntax, 而中文是一意和句式 paratactic

syntax。这点往往被译者忽略，结果使用欧化的长句，名词前面有很长的定语，句子像野草滋蔓无度。董乐山先生翻译的《西方人文主义传统》（三联出版社）就是这样的典型。他的译文准确，但很累人。越是强调形似，往往越是不能译出原文的内在逻辑关系。下面一句话的中译文紧扣原文，却没能使原文语义显豁。作者用Lowland trees 与pine做对比，从而突出后者。译文中须要强调的是原文中的条件句。

Lowland trees may lean to this side and that, though it is but a

meadow breeze that bends them ; or a bank of cowslips from which their

trunks lean aslope. But let storm and avalanche do their worst, and let

the pine find only a ledge of vertical precipice to cling to, it will

nevertheless grow straight.

低地上的树木会东倒西歪，虽说使它们弓腰弯背的，不过是草地上吹过的一阵阵微风；或者，它们的躯干歪倒到一边，不过是由于一排野樱桃的影响。可是，尽管风暴和雪崩恣意摧残，松树所能依附的只是峭壁上一块凸出的岩石，它依然长得笔挺。

改译：即使草地上吹过的一阵阵微风，低地上的树木就会弓腰弯背，东倒西歪；即使不过是由于一排野樱桃的影响，它们的躯干歪倒到一边。但是任凭风暴和雪崩恣意摧残，哪怕松树所能依附的只是峭壁上一块凸出的岩石，它依然长得笔挺

英语的长句完全可以译成中文意和的流水句，同样也不失其逻辑性，如许国璋先生译的密尔顿的《论出版自由》。

They who to states and governors of Common wealth direct their

speech, High Court of Parliament, or wanting such access in private

condition, write that which they foree may advance for the public

good, I suppo them, as at the beginning of no mean endeavor, not a

little altered or moved inwardly in their mind; some with doubt of what

will be the success, others with fear of what will be the censure; some

with hope, other with confidence of what they have to speak.

夫为国献言，大夫条陈于明堂，议政于国会；一介之士则撰文章。文章，大业也。执笔之际，情为之移，神为之奋，或忧其败，或虑其

1 祸，或切盼其成功，或信其说必行。 [《英国散文流变》, p40]

原文是典型的拉丁句式，结构复杂，在句子主干上有很多附属成分，如条条藤蔓攀附于树干之上。而译者在缕顺了原文的逻辑关系后，使用古汉语的骈文译之，语气和原文一样排奡。可见英汉翻译要发扬汉语之长——简洁得一目了然，而且要发挥骈文的排比、对仗的对称美，和强烈节奏感的音韵美。

如果原文使用了parallelism,那么译文就更应该发挥中文的优势了。下面的排比句子出自 Henry Grady’s 《 The Race Problem in the

South》，译者使用骈文译之。

In the same field, the clover steals the fragrance of the wind, and the

tobacco catches the quick aroma of the rains. And …the river that,

tumbling or loitering, run wanton to the a.

风吹苜蓿偷香，雨打烟叶送馥。…江河汩汩，迤逦入海。 [《名人演说100篇》, p293,商务印书馆（北京）1986]

但是，使用中文的意和句式，使原文结构显豁的处理不能违背原文的语义，也就是“从心所欲，不逾矩”。句子的结构是语义的一部分，不能正确理解句法结构就会译错。下面一句话出自罗伯斯比尔的临刑演说，北京大学的石幼珊教授译错了。

Wherefore should I continue in an order of things, where intrigue阴谋 eternally triumphs over truth; where justice is mocked; where

passions the most abject卑鄙的, or fears the most absurd, override践踏 the sacred interests of humanity?

当阴谋诡计永远压到真理、正义受到嘲弄、热情常遭鄙夷、有所忌惮被视为荒诞无稽，而压迫欺凌被当作人类神圣不可侵犯的权利时，我还能在这样的制度下做什么呢？[《名人演说100篇》, p101,商务印书馆（北京）1986]

原文中passions the most abject, or fears the most absurd, 两个同位语词组是override的主语，因此，笔者改译如下：当阴谋诡计永远压到真理，正义受到嘲弄，当某些人出于猥琐的情感、荒谬的忌惮心理，践踏了人类神圣不可侵犯的权利，我还能在这样的制度下做什么呢？

在商务印书馆出版的穆勒《论自由》的中译本中，有很多因为没有搞懂原文的复杂句式而产生的错译。下面就是几个典型例子。

①It would be a great misunderstanding of this doctrine, to suppo

that it is one of lfish indifference, which pretends that human beings

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have no business with each other's conduct in life, and that they should

not concern themlves about the well-doing or well-being of one another,

unless their own interest is involved. ②Instead of any diminution, there

is need of a great increa of disinterested exertion to promote the good

of others. ③But disinterested benevolence can find other instruments to

persuade people to their good, than whips and scourges, either of the

literal or the metaphorical sort. ④I am the last person to undervalue the

lf-regarding virtues; they are only cond in importance, if even cond,

to the social……. ⑤The interference of society to overrule his judgment

and purpos in what only regards himlf, must be grounded on general

presumptions; which may be altogether wrong, and even if right, are as

likely as not to be misapplied to individual cas, by persons no better

acquainted with the circumstances of such cas than tho are who look

at them merely from without. [John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty”

chapter IV]

①对于这个教义，如果有人认定它是“各人自扫门前雪，不管他人瓦上霜”的说法，认定它硬说人类彼此之间在生活中的行为上各不相干，硬说每人除非牵涉到自己的利害就不应当涉身于他人的善行或福祉，那就是一个很大的误解。②毫无疑义，为着促进他人的好处的无私效劳决不需要有任何降减而是需要有大大增加的。③但是无私的慈善尽能够找到其他工具劝使人们得到好处，而不必使用鞭子或板子，无论是扣紧字义来说的或者是借作比喻来说的鞭子或板子。④若说有谁低估个人道德，我是倒数第一名；个人道德在重要性上仅仅次于，假如还能说是次于，社会道德。„„⑤社会在个人只关己身的事情上要强使他一反其自己的判断和目的，这种干涉只能是以一般的臆断为根据；可是这种一般臆断可能完全错误，而且即使是对的，怕也还是不可由一些对于某些个别情事的情况只不过有着仅仅从外表看来的一点认识的人错误地应用于那些个别情事。 （程崇华 译 商务印书馆 汉译世界名著丛书）

句① 对于这个教义，如果有人认定它是“各人自扫门前雪，不管他人瓦上霜”的说法，认定它硬说人类彼此之间在生活中的行为上各不相干，硬说每人除非牵涉到自己的利害就不应当涉身于他人的善行或福祉，那就是一个很大的误解。

译者错误的理解原文的结构：to suppo, 与which pretends不是并列关系，which pretends that…and that….是 doctrine的定语。

改：这种准则看上去似乎认为人与人在生活中的行为互不相干，

3 除非个人利害攸关，不然就不应该关注他人的善行与福祉。如果认为这种准则实质是自私的冷漠，那就是极大的误解。 [《英国文化选本（上），杨自伍编》

句② 毫无疑义，为着促进他人的好处的无私效劳决不需要有任何降减而是需要有大大增加的。正确。

句③但是无私的慈善尽能够找到其他工具劝使人们得到好处，而不必使用鞭子或板子，无论是扣紧字义来说的或者是借作比喻来说的鞭子或板子。

错误的理解原文的结构：But disinterested benevolence can find

other instruments to persuade people to their good, than whips and

scourges, either of the literal or the metaphorical sort. “either of the

literal or the metaphorical sort.”修饰other instruments 与to persuade

people to their good, than whips and scourges, 是同位关系。

改：但促进人们为善的无私义举能够采用有异于鞭子和鞭挞的的工具，无论是字面意义上的还是比喻意义上的。[同上]

④若说有谁低估个人道德，我是倒数第一名；个人道德在重要性上仅仅次于，假如还能说是次于，社会道德。„„

语义理解错误：be the last person to 是 would not in the least 的意思，译为“绝不”。

改：我决不会低估关心自我的德行。 [同上]

句⑤ 社会在个人只关己身的事情上要强使他一反其自己的判断和目的，这种干涉只能是以一般的臆断为根据；可是这种一般臆断可能完全错误，而且即使是对的，怕也还是不可由一些对于某些个别情事的情况只不过有着仅仅从外表看来的一点认识的人错误地应用于那些个别情事。

错误①as likely as not to 是 very likely的意思，译成很可能，不应该翻译成 怕也还是改 社会介入纯粹个人的事物从而控制个人的判断与意志，必须给予一般的假设，而这些假设很可能是大谬不然的，即使有其合理之处，也很有可能在应用于个别案例时被人误用。[同上]错误② by persons no better acquainted with the circumstances of

such cas than tho are who look at them merely from without. 结构理解错误，no better than 是 和…一样的意思。原文的意思是 这些人和局外人一样对个案知之甚少。改：这些人对个案细节详情毫不了解，相当于完全的局外人。 [同上]

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以上是英汉两族语在句法层面上的比较。在词汇层面上，英语抽象，而中文就极具优势，因为中文是象形文字，表意具体。而抽象词语的翻译也正是英汉互译的难点。下面一句话也出自罗伯斯比尔的同一篇最后演说， 石幼珊教授给出了妙译。

In witnessing the multitude众多 of vices which the torrent奔流

of the Revolution has rolled in turbid浑浊的 communion共享 with

its civic市的 virtues,…

目睹在革命的大潮中，泥沙俱下，鱼龙混杂…[《名人演说100篇》商务印书馆（北京）1986]

在韦伯斯特的《论美国的革命传统》的中译文中还有很多针对抽象词语的妙译。如

Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish, I give my hand and

my heart to this vote..

无论是生存死亡、成功失败，我将举双手赞成独立宣言。

Through the thick gloom of the prent I e the brightness of the

future as the sun in heaven. We shall make this a glorious, an immortal

day. When we are in our grave, our children will honor it. They will

celebrate it with thanksgiving, with festivity, with bonfires, and

illuminations. On its annual return, they will shed tears, copious,

gushing tears …

透过目前阴沉的形势，我看到了光明的远景，有如昭昭天日。今天将作为光荣不朽的日子载入史册。当我们长眠地下时，我们的子孙将纪念这个日子。他们将感激满怀，载歌载舞，高燃篝火，张灯结彩庆此佳节。年年此时，他们将痛洒热泪，湿袖沾襟… [同上]

如果不能搞清词汇在具体语境中的涵义，译文定会出错。下面一句话出自哈代的小说《苔丝》第四章，原文是讽刺人们酒后亢奋状态的，而孙致礼教授的译文却是在揄扬他们。

The stage of mental comfort to which they had arrived at this hour

was one wherein their souls expanded beyond their skins, and spread

their personalities warmly through the room.

这个时候，他们已经到了心旷神怡的程度，一个个魂灵超脱了形骸，在屋子里热切地表现自我。

5 这句改译为：这个时候，他们已经到了心醉神迷的地步，一个个放浪形骸，丑态百出。

下面一段话选自赫胥黎的《论开明教育》，用比喻论证说明人生如同下棋，对方是严酷的现实世界，我们只有东西世界的规律，并按其行事，才不会被对方打败。

Yet it is a very plain and elementary truth, that the life, the fortune,

and the happiness of every one of us, and, more or less, of tho who are

connected with us, do depend upon our knowing something of the rules

of a game infinitely more difficult and complicated than chess. It is a

game which has been played for untold ages, every man and woman of

us being one of the two players in a game of his or her own. The

chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the univer,

the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature. The player on

the other side is hidden from us. We know that his play is always fair, just,

and patient. But also we know, to our cost, that he never overlooks a

mistake, or makes the smallest allowance for ignorance. To the man who

plays well, the highest stakes are paid, with that sort of overflowing

generosity with which the strong shows delight in strength. And one who

plays ill is checkmated—without haste, but without remor

斜体字的译文：出色的奕者将获得丰厚的回报，那是强者对智慧和力量表现出的极其慷慨的赞许。不懂对弈的人则会被将死——不慌不忙，又毫不留情。仔细分析一下，the strong 是指我们的对手，那位隐而不显的对弈高手，他绝对强大，经常将死我们，但他却偏偏乐于同强者交锋，the strong shows delight in strength。于是sort of

overflowing generosity就不难理解了，指对方会倾其所有下上赌注。这样把原句应改译如下：To the man who plays well, the highest stakes

are paid, with that sort of overflowing generosity with which the strong

shows delight in strength. And one who plays ill is checkmated—without

haste, but without remor对方这位博弈高手在棋逢对手时会欣然罄其所有，孤注一奕。而对于拙于博弈的人，他会不慌不忙的坚决将死。

总之，英译汉无论从句法还是词汇层面，都要求译者发挥中文优势，翻译就是在创造，使用中文最好的表达方式——句法和词汇——译出原文。但是创造不能违背原文的语义，甚至风格。

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