《翻译的最高境界》书评

沈苏儒去世

沈老昨天离开了，91岁。听说他走得很安详，没有病魔太长的折磨。我刚开始到社里工作，就听到这个名字。这是社里的传统，把爱泼斯坦、沈苏儒、张彦这些大家的名字挂在嘴边，打击新人气焰，刺激新人学习。“去看看爱老是怎么写稿子的！” “去读读的老沈的翻译！”很奇怪大家都叫他老沈，好像隔壁大爷。其是他英俊儒雅，风度翩翩，很有旧时知识分子的派头。即便年届耄耋，需要借助拐杖，也依旧潇洒。沈老曾亲自给我们讲翻译，内容我却已经不记得。后来看他的书，才明白他的那些方法技巧都极有用。只是当时年轻气盛听不进去，水平有限也没办法领会。《信达雅漫谈——翻译的最高境界》这本书是沈老在总结一生的翻译经验。Faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance. 无论这个理论今天如何被人诟病，它都是沈老这样老一辈翻译人的目标，并且一直在不懈努力。书在搬家时被扔了，想想可惜，不过当时手抄下一篇文章《黄山四绝》。描写风景一向让我头痛，因为审美是绝对个人的事，正如你之蜜糖他人之砒霜。每个人审美不同，更何况不同民族。当自然风光同审美习惯、宗教风俗、艺术实践揉合到一起，它的美便有了一种“潜台词”。而要把这样的美传递给文化传统截然不同的英语世界，便是大挑战了。《黄山四绝》完成了这个挑战。我手抄了下来，以及中文译文，足见当时触动很大。Huangshan's renowned "four wonders" - the rock formations, ancient pines, seas of clouds and hot springs - have long attracted painters and poets, philosophers adn pilgrims. Both Chinese landscape painting and Taoist philosophy are said to have drawn early inspiration from the mountain's stunning natural features. The interplay of its sunshine and roiling mists suggests the vitality of a scene from an inkwash scroll; its craggy pinnacles and enormous rounded boulders, found on opposite sides of the mountain, form contrasting, yet complementary, parts of a whole - classic models of yin and yang.Though Huangshan is not one of China's historically revered "five sacred mountains" (which formed the boundaries of the ancient empire), its scenic glories are said to surpass even those of Mount Tai, Mount Hua and the rest. "After seeing the five sacred mountains, ordinary mountains are nothing," wrote one 17th century visitor. "After seeing Huangshan, the five sacred mountains are nothing." Even allowing for a bit of Ming Dynasty hyperbole, that's a strong statement.黄山著名的“四绝”——岩石、古松、云海和温泉——长期以来吸引着无数画家、诗人、哲人和香客。中国的山水画和道家哲学，据说最初都是从黄山那令人惊奇的自然景色中得到启发的。这里，日光和云雾交错在一起，构成一幅生气勃勃的泼墨山水画。这里，一边是嵯峨的山峰，一边是圆圆的大石，两者组成了一个相反相成的整体，——这是“阴”、“阳”的典型。虽然黄山不属于中国历史上备受尊崇的“五座神圣的山”（它们标志着这个古代帝国的疆界）。它的胜景据说超过泰山、华山等等。一位17世纪的旅行者曾说：“看了五座神圣的山，普通的山就不值一看。看了黄山，那五座山也不值得一看了。”虽然明朝人说话有些夸大其辞，但他这两句话还是很有分量的。The Bei Hai and Xi Hai re situated near some of Huangshan's most famous peaks, pines and rock formations. But as we walked to the edge of Lion Peak to lli out over the North Sea, a thick wall ofclouds blocked the views. As a San Francisco redident, I know my fog - and this looked like fullscale whiteout. But another of my traveling companions, Chinese photographer Yuan Lian Min - who was made more than 100 trips up Huangshan and scenes its every nuance - suggested I wait and watch.Then came a remarkable transformation. The clouds suddenly parted, briefly revealing a chasm. Crowning a peak on the other side was a tableau of naturally sculpted rock formations known as "Teh Goddess of Mercy" adn "18 Arhat Worshipping the South Gate of Heaven." Arhats are monks who have reached Nirvana, and, for a moment, I felt that I had as well. We were treated to tantalizing glimpses of jagged, knife-like peaks, deep-green pines clinging to granite cliffs, and a great valley stretching far below. And then, just a suddenly, the scene was gone, enveloped in the cloud sea.This transience is one of the defining qualities of Huangshan, where light and landscape change not only season to season but hour to hour and even minute to minute. Sunshine, clouds, rain, mists and winter snows are all engaged in a kind of cosmic dance atop the mountain, with the rocks and trees their eternal partners.北海和西海距黄山的若干处最著名的山峰、奇松和怪石不远。但当我们走到狮子峰旁想俯瞰北海时，厚厚的云层挡住了视线。我住在美国旧金山，那里雾是常见的——但在这里，一眼望去是白茫茫一片。我的另一位旅伴，中国摄影家袁连民曾经登临黄山一百多次，对这里的景观非常熟悉。他要我等着瞧。果然，出现了奇特的变化。云层忽然分开，短时间里显出一条裂缝。在对面的山峰上出现了一片天然雕琢而成的岩石奇景，成为“观音”、“十八罗汉朝南海”。罗汉是已经到达“极乐世界”的和尚。在这霎那，我觉得我也到达“极乐世界”了。我们欣赏到了诱人的瞬间美景——锯齿似的群峰、花岗岩鄙视的青松和下面的深谷。然后，同刚才一样突然，眼前的景色消失了，一切又都被云海覆盖了。这样的变化是黄山特色之一。在这里，光线和风景不是每个季节都在变化，而是每个小时——甚至每一分钟——都在变化。阳光、云、雾、冬雪在黄山之巅一起参与一场宇宙舞蹈，岩石和树木则是他们的永久舞伴。