笔者历经十年潜心信达雅英译了两千首唐宋诗词,分别编译为《唐诗大观英译选》收录了一百二十位唐代诗人的一千一百五十九首佳作。《宋诗词大观英译选》收录了一百四十多位宋代诗词人的九百多首佳作。从今年一月初开始,每天拿出来一首或十几首(系列或某位诗人的专辑),在北京日报北京号、百家号、搜狐号、网易号、今日头条、一点资讯、知乎、简书、豆瓣和新浪微博首发,不仅是对译介工作成果的检验,而且通过专家、学者和读者的反馈,更是让笔者学习、顿悟和提高的过程,通过发现不足,继续精细打磨,不断完善,使书稿日臻尽善尽美。

今天我们继续小众诗人的佳作译介。

温庭筠(约812—866),中国唐代诗人,词人。本名岐,字飞卿。太原祁(今山西祁县)人。《利州南渡》这首诗是温庭筠行旅于利州(治今四川广元)渡江时所作。这是一首寓意于景的抒情诗,诗人以朴实、清新的笔触描绘了一幅声色并茂、诗情画意的晚渡图,抒发了诗人欲步范蠡后尘忘却俗念、没有心机、功成引退的归隐之情,反映了诗人淡泊仕途、厌倦名利的心境,因此这首诗也是文化出海名片。

《利州南渡》

【唐】温庭筠

澹然空水对斜晖,曲岛苍茫接翠微。

波上马嘶看棹去,柳边人歇待船归。

数丛沙草群鸥散,万顷江田一鹭飞。

谁解乘舟寻范蠡,五湖烟水独忘机。

注释:范蠡:春秋时期越国的大臣。越国被吴国打败后,范蠡帮越王勾践卧薪尝胆,最终灭掉吴国。但他深知“飞鸟尽,良弓藏”的道理,功成后没有贪恋富贵,而是改名换姓去做生意,三次成为巨富又三次散尽家财,接济穷人。后人因此用“范蠡”指代功成身退、淡泊名利、智慧经商的典范。

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令人遗憾的是,著名国外翻译家Burton Watson、宇文所安、Witter Bynner、庞德、Arthur Waley(阿瑟・韦利)、Herbert Giles(翟理思)、包括国内翻译大家也都没有翻译并在其译著中收录过此诗。为了弘扬优秀传统文化,笔者的《唐诗大观英译选》不分大众小众,凡是佳作,悉数收录,笔者信达雅英译如下:

River‑Crossing at Lizhou

By Wen Tingyun (Tang Dynasty)

Translated by Wang Yongli

Still vacant waters face the sun’s last glow;

Dim winding isles meet green hill’s haze below.

By ripples, horses neigh; the boats driftfar from sight;

Men rest by willow-shade and wait the ferry’s flight.

From sand-grass tufts the gulls arise andscatter wide;

O’er broadriver-fields a lone heron soars and glides.

Who understands to sail and seek old Fan-Li’s way,

In mist-lakes to cast all worldly caresaway.

Note:

Fan Li was a minister of the State of Yueduring the Spring and Autumn period. After Yue was defeated by Wu, he helpedKing Goujian endure hardship and eventually destroy Wu. But knowing theprinciple that "when the birds are gone, the bow is put away," hechose to retire rather than cling to power and wealth. He changed his name,went into business, and became wealthy three times — but each time he gave awayhis fortune to help the poor. Later generations use "Fan Li" torepresent the model of retiring after success, staying detached from fame andwealth, and doing business with wisdom.

本译遵循信达雅、动态对等、“三美论”,以诗译诗。

一是韵律力求工整:采用英语传统押韵格式(如 glow/flow、sight/flight、wide/glides、way/away),每行大致保持音节对称,读来朗朗上口,贴近原诗对仗之美。

二是意象力求传神:如“vacant waters”“dim winding isles”“sand-grass tufts”等,精准还原原诗空阔苍茫的江景与黄昏氛围,画面感强。

三是,意译为主:不逐字直译,而是用英语诗歌语言重述诗意。如“Men rest bywillow-shade and wait the ferry’s flight”将“待渡”的动作化为具象画面,自然流畅。

四是,文化注释:末尾附上范蠡典故的英文解释,帮助不熟悉中国历史的读者理解“泛舟江湖、功成身退”的深层含义,兼顾可读性与文化传达。

因水平有限,不足之处,敬请专家、学者和读者批评指正。笔者愿意尽绵薄之力,为中华文化出海减少“文化折扣”做出点滴贡献。(王永利)