散文時間即生命英譯賞析

　　看看墻上掛著的可以一張張撕下的日歷，每天撕下一張就是表示我們壽命又縮短了一天。因為時間即生命。下面是小編分享的英譯散文《時間即生命》賞析，歡迎欣賞!

　　時間即生命

　　Time Is Life

　　梁實秋

　　Liang Shiqiu

　　最令人怵目驚心的一件事，是看著鐘表上的秒針一下一下的移動，每移動一下就是表示我們的壽命已經縮短了一部分。再看看墻上掛著的可以一張張撕下的日歷，每天撕下一張就是表示我們壽命又縮短了一天.因為時間即生命。

　　It is most startling to hear a watch or clock clicking away the seconds, each click indicating the shortening of one’s life by a little bit. Likewise, with each page torn off the wall calendar, one’s life is shortened by another day. Time, therefore, is life.

　　要點：

　　1，“每移動一下”此處的“移動”專指鐘表指針的走動，因此譯為click

　　2,” 再看看墻上掛著的可以一張張撕下的日歷”因為前文與此句意思相近的表述，所以譯為likewise

　　3，“我們壽命又縮短了一天”譯為one’s life is shortened by another day，由于中西方思維上的差異，漢語多以人稱做主語，代詞也比較少，采用主動結構;英語多以物稱做主語，多代詞~此處無實際意義的“我們”多譯為one.

　　4，be shorten by意為“減少了…”在政經類翻譯中也常見

　　沒有人不愛惜他的生命，但很少人珍視他時間。如果想在有生之年做一點什么事，學一點什么學問，充實自己，幫助別人，使生命成為有意義，不虛此生，那么就不可浪費光陰。這道理人人都懂，可是很少人真能積極不懈的善為利用他的時間。

　　Nevertheless, few people treasure their time as much as their life. Time must not be wasted if you want to do your bit in your remaining years or acquire some useful knowledge to improve yourself and help others, so that your life may turn out to be significant and fruitful. All that is foolproof, yet few people really strive to make the best use of their time.

　　要點：

　　1，“沒有人不愛惜他的生命，但很少人珍視他時間。”譯為Nevertheless, few people treasure their time as much as their life.此處“沒有人不愛惜”和“很少有人珍視”意思相近，所以兩句合譯為一句，以as much as連接，整句都采用了意譯法，簡潔緊湊~

　　2，“如果想在有生之年做一點什么事，學一點什么學問，充實自己，幫助別人，使生命成為有意義，不虛此生，那么就不可浪費光陰。”譯為Time must not be wasted if you want to do your bit in your remaining years or acquire some useful knowledge to improve yourself and help others, so that your life may turn out to be significant and fruitful.

　　① 譯者將“不可浪費光陰”提前，表強調，突出原文作者的意圖

　　② do your bit意為“做出自己的貢獻，盡自己所能“，較contribute to 更貼近原作語言風格，我之前提到過，散文翻譯中很少會出現像政經類文章中常使用的大詞，而是一些小詞的靈活運用~

　　③ “不虛此生”譯為fruitful,為了和前面“有意義“可以并列而譯，采用反話正說~

　　3，“這道理人人都懂”譯為All that is foolproof，其中foolproof作very simple to understand解，意同“不言而喻”或“簡單明了”。此句也可譯為All that is self-evident。

　　我自己就是浪費了很多時間的一個人。我不打麻將，我不經常的聽戲看電影，幾年中難得一次，我不長時間看電視，通常只看半個小時，我也不串門子閑聊天。有人問我：“那么你大部分時間都做了些什么呢?”

　　Personally, I am also a fritterer. I don’t play mahjong. I seldom go to the theatre or cinema—I go there maybe only once every few years. I seldom spend long hours watching TV—usually I watch TV for no more than 30 minutes at a sitting. Nor do I go visiting and gossiping from door to door. Some people asked me, “Then what do you do with most of your time?”

　　要點：

　　1，“我自己就是浪費了很多時間的一個人”譯為personally, I am also a fritterer，其中fritterer一詞在用法上既可泛指“時間、金錢等等的浪費者”，又可專指“不愛惜時間的人”(a person who wastes time)。

　　2，“我不經常的聽戲看電影，幾年中難得一次“譯為I seldom go to the theatre or cinema—I go there maybe only once every few years.其中”聽戲看電影“轉譯為go to the theatre or cinema。另，后一分句”幾年中難得一次“為前一分句的解釋說明，用破折號連接使得譯文的結構更加清晰。下一句”我不長時間看電視，通常只看半個小時“的翻譯也同此句是一個道理。

　　3，no more than表示“僅僅，只“在張的譯文很常見，比only更能表現作者情緒

　　我痛自反省，我發現，除了職務上的必須及人情上所不能免的活動外，我的時間大部分都浪費了。我應該集中精力，讀我所未讀過的書，我應該利用所有時間，寫我所要寫的東西。但是我沒能這樣做。我的好多時間都糊里糊涂的混過去了，“少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲。”

　　Introspecting with remorse, I found that apart from the time earmarked for my job and unavoidable social activities, most of my time had been wasted. I should have concentrated my energies on reading whatever books I have not yet read. I should have utilized all my time in writing anything I want to write. But I’ve failed to do so. Very much of my times has been frittered away aimlessly. As the saying goes, “One who does not work hard in youth will grieve in vain in old age.”

　　要點：

　　1，“我痛自反省，我發現“漢語流水賬式語言又粗線了，結合下文，主要動詞為”發現“，因此將”反省“譯為非謂語。另外“痛自反省“意即”徹底反省“，此處譯為Introspecting with remorse，體現了作者的悔過之心

　　2，earmarked for意為“指定給“，earmark=指定用途，預先安排，撥款，政經類比較常見，如：President Obama Calls for Earmark Reform(總統呼吁進行專項撥款改革)

　　3，“但是我沒能這樣做。“譯為But I’ve failed to do so.fail to do 表”未能做某事“也是正說反譯的一種

　　4，“‘少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲。’”譯為, “One who does not work hard in youth will grieve in vain in old age.”注意，引語要加As the saying goes，(即使原文不說也要加~)，此處的兩句詩使用從句連為一句，符合英語行文習慣，也保留了漢語的原意

　　例如我翻譯莎士比亞，本來計劃于課余之暇每年翻譯兩部，二十年即可完成，但是我用了三十年，主要的原因是懶。翻譯之所以完成，主要的是因為活得相當長久，十分驚險。翻譯完成之后，雖然仍有工作計劃，但體力漸衰，有力不從心之感。假使年輕的時候鞭策自己，如今當有較好或較多的表現。然而悔之晚矣。

　　Take the translation of Shakespeare for example. I had initially planned to spend 20 years of my spare time in doing the translation, finishing two plays a year. But I spent 30 years instead, due primarily to my slothfulness. The whole project would probably have fallen through had it not been for my fairly long life. After that I had other plans for work, but, because of my approaching senility, somehow I failed to do what I had wished to. Had I spurred myself on in my youth, I would have done more and better work. Alas, it is too late to repent.

　　要點：

　　1，“翻譯之所以完成，主要的是因為活得相當長久，十分驚險”的意思是“幸虧自己命長，否則可能完成不了莎士比亞的翻譯”。其中“十分驚險”的意思是“險些完成不了”。現全句譯為The whole project would probably have fallen through had it not been for my fairly long life。注意本句的虛擬語氣哦

　　2，“但體力漸衰，有力不從心之感”譯為because of my approaching senility, somehow I failed to do what I had wished to，其中senility指因年邁而導致身心兩個方面的衰退.”力不從心“意譯為fail to do what one had wished to，較直譯更能讓讀者領會~

　　再例如，作為一個中國人，經書不可不讀。我年三十才知道讀書自修的重要(5)。我披閱，我圈點。但是恒心不足，時作時輟。

　　Another example. The reading of Chinese classics is a must for all Chinese. But it was not until I was over 30 that I came to realize the importance of self-study in the matter of classics. I did read carefully though, marking words and phrases for special attention with small circles and dots. But my efforts at self-study were off and on.

　　要點：

　　1，“經書不可不讀”意即“(讀)經書是必須的(事)”，轉譯為a must,三筆也有相同的例子“除夕的年夜飯是必不可少的程序…”譯為Feast dinner is a must for the whole family on the New Year’s eve…

　　2, “我年三十才知道讀書自修的重要”中的中的“讀書”，根據上下文應指“讀經書”，故此句譯為came to realize the importance of self-study in the matter of classics，其中in the matter of作in relation to或in regard to(就……而論)解。

　　3，“批閱”“圈點”均采用意譯法譯為read carefully through(=read through carefully), marking words and phrases for special attention with small circles and dots

　　4, “時作時輟”譯為off and on

　　五十以學易，可以無大過矣，我如今年過八十，還沒有接觸過《易經》，說來慚愧。史書也很重要。我出國留學的時候，我父親買了一套同文石印的前四史，塞滿了我的行篋的一半空間，我在外國混了幾年之后又把前四史原封帶回來了。直到四十年后才鼓起勇氣讀了《通鑒》一遍。現在我要讀的書太多，深感時間有限。

　　Confucius says, “I shall be free of great faults if I can live long enough to begin the study of Yi at the age of 50.” I feel ashamed to admit that I haven’t even touched Yi though I’m now over 80. Chinese history book are equally important. When I was leaving China to study abroad, father bought a set of the Tong Wenlithographic edition of the First Four Books of History, and crammed them into my travelling box, taking up half of its space. Several years later, however, after drifting along abroad, I returned home carrying with me the same books all unread. It was not until 40 years later that I plucked up enough courage to read through Dong Jian. So many books still remain to be read, and I much regret not having enough time to do it.

　　要點：

　　1，“五十心學易，可以無大過矣”出自《論語述而》中的“子曰，加我數年，五十以學易，可以無大過矣。”其意為“讓我再多活幾年，到五十歲時去學習《易經》，就可以沒有多大的過錯了。”現按此意用加字法譯Confucius says, “I shall be free of great faults if I can live long enough to begin the study of Yi at the age of 50.”同樣，引用古語前要加出處~

　　2，“我如今年過八十，還沒有接觸過《易經》，說來慚愧“譯為 I feel ashamed to admit that I haven’t even touched Yi though I’m now over 80.翻譯這種句子時，可以將句子的前半部分“我如今年過八十，還沒有接觸過《易經》”視為“事實”，將后半句“說來慚愧”視為表明作者態度的“評論”，中文的習慣是“先事實后評論”，而英文則是“先評論后事實”，如”我對總統的來訪表示熱烈歡迎”譯為I warmly welcome Obama’s visit.

　　3, “前四史”指《史記》、《漢書》、《后漢書》以及《三國志》。即The Historical Record, The Book of Han,The Book of Later Han and The Annals of the Three Kingdoms.《通鑒》是指《資治通鑒》即the 294-volume chronicle by Sima Guang.

　　4,”原封不動地帶回來“意即”打都沒打開過，從沒讀過“譯為returned home carrying with me the same books all unread

　　5，“鼓起勇氣“=pluck up one’s courage

　　無論做什么事，健康的身體是基本條件。我在學校讀書的時候，有所謂“強迫運動”，我踢破過幾雙球鞋，打斷過幾只球拍。因此僥幸維持下來最低限度的體力。老來打過幾年太極拳，目前則以散步活動筋骨而已。寄語年輕朋友，千萬要持之以恒的從事運動，這不是嬉戲，不是浪費時間。健康的身體是作人做事的真正的本錢。

　　Whatever you do, you need a sound body first of all. In my school days, in response to the so-called “compulsory physical exercises”, I went in for many sports at the expense of many pairs of sneakers and rackets, thus luckily building up a minimum of good physique. When I was approaching old age, I did Tai ji quan (shadow boxing) for several years. Now I only do some walking exercises. Dear young friends, my advice to you is: Do physical exercises perseveringly. That has nothing to do with merry-making or time- wasting. Good health is the wherewithal for a successful life and career.

　　要點：

　　1，“我在學校讀書的時候，有所謂“強迫運動”，我踢破過幾雙球鞋，打斷過幾只球拍。因此僥幸維持下來最低限度的體力“.又是流水賬式的散句，需要合譯~譯者將其意思做了轉譯，將“‘強迫運動’”看成原因，“踢破幾雙球鞋”看做結果，故譯為In my school days, in response to the so-called “compulsory physical exercises”, I went in for many sports at the expense of many pairs of sneakers and rackets, thus luckily building up a minimum of good physique.其中 in response to和 at the expense of是為了連句的需要而產生的增譯

　　2,”寄語“即”忠告“，譯為advice

　　3, “健康的身體是作人做事的真正的本錢”譯為Good health is the wherewithal for a successful life and career，其中the wherewithal意同the necessary means(必要的資金、手段等)。又“作人做事”指“生活”與“事業”兩方面，故參照上下文譯為a successful life and career

　　作者簡介

　　梁實秋，原名治華，字實秋，1903年1月6日出生于北京，浙江杭縣（今杭州）人。筆名子佳、秋郎、程淑等。中國著名的散文家、學者、文學批評家、翻譯家，國內第一個研究莎士比亞的權威，曾與魯迅等左翼作家筆戰不斷。一生給中國文壇留下了兩千多萬字的著作，其散文集創造了中國現代散文著作出版的最高紀錄。代表作《莎士比亞全集》（譯作）等。

　　1923年8月赴美留學，取得哈佛大學文學碩士學位。1926年回國后，先后任教于國立東南大學（東南大學前身）、國立青島大學（中國海洋大學前身）并任外文系主任。1949年到臺灣，任臺灣師范學院英語系教授。1987年11月3日病逝于臺北，享年84歲。

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