刘丹翎 西安交通大学

 

此次由太白文艺出版社和国家新闻出版署签约的项目、陕西本土著名作家叶广芩的长篇小说《青木川》的翻译工程，是一次了不起的尝试。由陕西省翻译协会承接、由西安两所高校（西北大学和西安交通大学）的青年女教师高敏娜，杜丽霞和刘丹翎负责具体翻译工作，并由美国知名作家JERRY PIASKY 进行英文审校的翻译模式，开创先河，使文学作品翻译更符合目标语言读者的审美取向，使小说翻译的目标语言英语更为流畅、地道，符合英美读者的表达习惯，也使得翻译后的作品不失原有的文学性和艺术性。为了使小说《青木川》的英文版顺利、圆满地出版发行，陕西省翻译协会的领导、资深翻译家安危主席和马柯秘书长的组织、策划和协调工作做得非常细致、突出和到位。

当然，这种中外合作的翻译模式原已有之，比如著名翻译家杨宪益、戴乃迭夫妇。他们一中、一外，把原作如中国古典名著《红楼梦》、《水浒传》等经典著作的内容信息准确把握和传递出来，并由另一位润色成为流畅、准确而地道的英文。虽然其他的翻译家和翻译工作者们无法保证也像这对夫妇一样中西合璧，但是像这一次，陕西省译协组织的中美合作的翻译团队，完全可以并也几乎达到了前述两位夫妇翻译家的水平高度和翻译效果。所以说，这是一次非常有益的尝试和高效的翻译实践。

小说《青木川》主要讲述了一个位于川陕甘交界处的陕南宁强县青木川镇的当地富豪、土匪出身并靠种植鸦片发家的魏富堂的故事；讲述了魏富堂如何在发迹后，带动当地居民发展地区经济，并在暴富之后又如何追求精神文明，造桥修路，出资办学，开办剧社，并鼓励当地的穷孩子们上学以及资助他们到省城和四川成都读大学这样一个故事。小说作家叶广芩先生摒弃了以往的小说主人公的塑造单一、呆板和片面的程式和套路，把魏富堂塑造成了一个有血有肉、丰满立体、而且善恶兼具的一个生动鲜活的人物形象。总体来说，虽然是出身低微并且当过土匪，但正因为他致富后有着高尚的追求和济贫慈善的义举，所以魏富堂被作者塑造成一个‘仓廪实而后知礼节’的一个基本正面的艺术形象。

同时，小说也展现了魏富堂为了改良基因，急切盼望子孙后辈能够成为知书达理、有学问、受尊敬的一代人，并切为了他的后辈能够以礼仪廉耻和知识学问代替他所创造的财富和金钱来光耀祖宗和门楣，他亲自出山前往省城西安迎娶了破落贵族‘进士及第’家的两位知书达理、精通琴棋书画的赵氏小姐，以及后来由于出身和教育背景及精神层面的巨大差距而造成的二位赵氏小姐和魏富堂的极为不协调的悲剧的婚姻关系及至她们悲剧的结局。

笔者作为小说第三、第四章和第五章1、2节的译者，在翻译的过程中为了准确、忠实、得体地向英语读者传递原作的创作宗旨和意图以及原作的艺术性和思想性，主要把握了以下的原则：（一）遣词造句要能够符合和体现原作人物塑造的基本思想。（二）故事的叙述范式也尽量保留原作的以间接引语和自由直接引语为主的模式。（因为这种叙事模式更具有国际性，它会从人性的高度来塑造和展现一个普通的人物，让这个人物的艺术形象具有一种普世特点，不被民族、地域和语言以及阶级、地位和身份所局限，能够被不局限于某一（些）特定民族的普遍广大的读者所认同和接受。）

为了达到这种效果，笔者在翻译过程中尤其侧重考虑了直译的适当运用、时态的正确选择和一致性、文化负载词的信息传递以及合理的叙事方式。

 

不久前，陕西省翻译协会邀请了我国著名的翻译家、翻译终身成就奖获得者江枫先生来西安讲学。在他的报告中，他提出“忠实乃翻译的灵魂”（Fidelity is the Soul of Translation）

的原则。并以自己的译著为例，现身说法，给大家展示了直译的传神效果。毋庸赘言，虽说各民族的语言、宗教、和风俗习惯以及政治体制各有不同，但各民族、各国家的基本的生活、艺术和精神领域的思维差异并不悬殊。这不仅有荣格的‘集体无意识’的精神分析理论可以证明，而且，不言而喻，古往今来，‘英雄所见略同’。因此，不同语言对于思想感情的表达也是有着相似性的。以江枫所译的英国浪漫派伟大诗人雪莱的《西风颂》为例，我们可以看到高明和准确的直译，可以最佳表达原作的意思。

 

V

 

象你以森林演奏，请你也以我为琴，
哪怕我的叶片也象森林一样凋谢！
你那非凡和谐的慷慨激越之情，

定能从森林和我同奏出深沉的秋乐，
悲怆却又甘洌。但愿你勇猛的精灵
竟是我的魂魄，我能成为剽悍的你！

请把我枯萎的思绪播送宇宙，
就象你驱遣落叶催促新的生命，
请凭借我这韵文写就的符咒，

就象从未灭的余烬扬出炉灰和火星，
把我的话语传遍天地间万户千家，
通过我的嘴唇，向沉睡未醒的人境，

让预言的号角奏鸣！哦，风啊，
如果冬天来了，春天还会远吗？

 

江枫的译文，既直截了当、言简意赅，又准确精当、流畅典雅，同时还不失诗的韵律、悠扬和艺术性。

再如杨宪益和戴乃迭译的《红楼梦》。第三十七回，

“秋爽斋偶结海棠社    蘅芜苑夜拟菊花题。”

第三十八回，黛玉魁夺菊花诗，《咏菊》一首：

无赖诗魔昏晓侵，绕篱欹石自沉音。

笔端蕴秀临霜写，口齿噙香对月吟。

满纸自怜题素怨，片言谁解诉秋心。

一从陶令平章后，千古高风说到今。

   可以看出，杨译的黛玉题诗既忠实于原诗，又有英诗的韵律和格律特点。十分典雅。

 

同样道理，笔者也在译文中采用了大量的直译，意在把原作的思想性和艺术性尽量保持原汁原味。在英文表达不够精当之处，由美国作家JERRY加以润色和完善。例如：第三章，

 

“闯荡几年，魏富堂得出的经验是，要牢牢把住青木川这块谁也管不着的风水宝地，努力发展经济，扩大生产，把青木川的经济和军事实力提高到一个历史的新阶段。”

He was illuminated by his adventurous experience in the past few years and decided to cling like grim death to this treasure land of Greenwood Riverside which was so far away from the madding crowd. He was to work hard to develop the local economy and expand the production so that the economic strength and military power of Greenwood Riverside would be boosted up to a new historical stage.（笔者译）

The past few years had enlightened Wei Futang about the ways of the world to the point where he intended to cling like grim death to his Greenwood Riverside. Far from the maddening crowd was exactly where he intended to be, and stay. Wei Futang made it his quest to develop the local economy, expand production，and strengthen the armed forces in Greenwood Riverside to levels never before seen in the region.（JERRY）

中方译者力求把典型的中国式的带有意识形态色彩的思维方式传递出来，而JERRY 的润色和修改使得译文似乎更符合英文读者的接受习惯。

再如，第四章：

“1949年的山路上，许忠德穿着长衫拿着雨伞，斜挎着小包袱，大步流星地走着。太阳刚刚冒红，他已经攀上了凤凰山山巅。五十多年后许忠德还记得那天的太阳是一下子跳出东面山峰的，那是一个瞬间，不是缓慢的过程。他还记得太阳出来的情景，刹那间大地一片金光，那光明来得突然迅速，让人来不及思索，虽然脚下的峰峦大部分还在暗影中，但站在山顶的他已完全沐浴在阳光下，浑身上下金光灿烂，充满了神圣。那情景，很像是他后来在“文革”期间看到的《毛主席去安源》。《毛主席去安源》是当时一幅著名的油画，大街小巷挂着，各家的屋里贴着。无论走到哪儿，都能看到年轻的毛泽东穿着长衫，拿着雨伞，迎着太阳走在山的峰顶，脚下的群山还在沉睡，毛主席却阳光灿烂，满怀着希望和责任……”

On the mountain path in 1949, Xu Zhongde walked with vigorous strides, wearing a long robe, holding an umbrella and carrying a small parcel at his side. The sun had just emerged reddish; he had already climbed up to the top of the Phoenix Mountain. Fifty years later, Xu Zhongde still remembered that the sun jumped out of the eastern mountain peaks at one stroke. It was an instant, not a slow process. He could still recall that sunrise, in the twinkling of an eye the earth was shone upon a vast expanse of golden rays. The luminosity befell abruptly and promptly, leaving no time for him to reflect. Even though the mountain ridges and peaks beneath his feet were still in the shadow, he on the mountain top was already bathed in the sunshine and enveloped in the golden splendor all over and was filled with sacredness. That scene resembled very much the picture he saw during the “Cultural Revolution”, “Chairman Mao Went to AnYuan”. “Chairman Mao Went to AnYuan” was a very famous painting then; it was hung in high streets and back lanes, and was put up on the wall in every household.  Wherever you went, you could see young Mao Zedong in the long robe holding an umbrella walking towards the sun on the summit; beneath his feet all the mountains were still asleep, while Chairman Mao was in bright sunshine and full of hope and mission. （笔者译）

 

On the mountain path in 1949, Xu Zhongde walked with vigorous strides, wearing a long robe, holding an umbrella and carrying a small parcel at his side. By the time the sun dawned red, gold, and clear; he had already climbed to the top of Phoenix Mountain.

Fifty years later, Xu Zhongde still remembered that the sun jumped out of the eastern mountain peaks in one brilliant crimson/golden stroke. Sunrise that day was an instant, not a process. He could still recall that dawn, in the twinkling of an eye the high earth sparkled in a vast expanse of magical rays. Even though the valleys, ridges and peaks below him were still in shadows, he was already bathed in full sunshine and enveloped in the golden splendor of life. He felt it to be a sacred moment.

Xu Zhongde felt the scene resembled very much the picture he saw during the “Cultural Revolution” entitled “Chairman Mao Went to Anyuan.” He would actually chuckle at the thought of comparing his experience to Chairman Mao’s, before again being thankful for the gift from nature. “Chairman Mao Went to Anyuan” was a very famous painting during the Revolution. It was hung in main streets and back lanes, and was put up on the wall in every household. Wherever you went, you could see young Mao Zedong in a long robe, holding an umbrella, walking toward the sun on a high summit. Beneath him, all the mountains were still in shadow-sleep, while Chairman Mao was in bright sunshine, and full of hope and mission. （JERRY）

上面的文字是记述曾做过魏富堂副官的许忠德，一个受过魏资助的年轻的大学生，在收到魏富堂的亲笔信后，立即返乡，希望为保卫和建设家乡出力。1949年，时局动荡，魏富堂写信给十几位他资助的正在外地求学的青木川的青年学子，希望他们尽快回乡辅佐他度过这一特殊时期，待局势平稳，他保证大家再续学业。但在众多被他资助的学生中，只有许忠德一人积极响应，并带着崇高的理想和使命返回了家乡青木川。虽然，他在日后的历次运动中都挨整，也因此一辈窝在了山沟里，但是许忠德却是一个知恩图报的、充满理想和神圣使命的青年知识分子的光辉形象。因此，他特别喜爱和欣赏“毛主席去安源”这幅画，因为画中的青年毛泽东正是这样一位满怀理想和使命的热血青年。本段的译文中方译者基本忠实地反映了原作的思想；英文审校JERRY也遵照原译文对英文加以润色，使之更加顺畅和完善。只有划线部分是JERRY 后补充上去的。译文基本是直译。

又如，第五章：“魏富堂来到赵家门口，正是深秋时日，秋高气爽，大雁南飞，站在赵家门楼的高台阶上，可以遥遥望到秦岭。秦岭屹立西安正南，苍劲朦胧，混沌如象，他就是从那里出来的，他是那座山里的一只老虎，现在山里的老虎来到了关中平原，这对他来说完全是个生疏的地界，一个充满危机，充满陷阱的地界。在这里，他必须藏头藏尾，收敛爪牙，装成一只喵喵的猫儿，速战速决地将“进士及第”家的姑娘弄进山去，而不出半点疏漏。”

WeiFutang went up to the gate of the Zhao’s. It was then late autumn. The autumn sky was clear and the air was crisp; a line of geese were flying south. Standing on the doorsteps in the arch over the gateway, they could look into the distance toward south and could see the QinLing Mountains. The QinLing Mountains stood towering to the due south of Xi’an; vigorously upright in dark green, it looked elephant like as if it were in the primeval chaotic state. He came from there; and there, deep inside that mountain he was a tiger. Now the tiger had come to GuanZhong Plain, which to him was a totally strange and unfamiliar place, where it was full of crises and snares. Here, he must hide both his head and his tail, and restrain his talons as well as his fangs and learned to be a submissive cat. He must get the two girls of the family of “The Successful Candidate That Passed the Highest Imperial Examinations” out of here as soon as possible (in a way of fighting and winning battles of quick decision) without any slip.（笔者译）

 

Wei Futang traveled to Xi’an in the late autumn. The sky was bright blue and the air crisp. A flock of geese flew in formation pointing south.

Standing on the doorstep in the arch over the gateway, Wei Futang and Lao Wu looked in the distance where the Qinling Mountains towered, vigorously upright and dark green. They were like elephants resting on the horizon; a place both primeval and chaotic. Wei Futang came from there; and there, inside those mountains, he was a tiger. Now the tiger had come to Xi’an, which to him was a totally strange and unfamiliar place full of crises and snares. Here, he must hide both his head and his tail, and restrain his claws as well as his fangs. In this urban jungle he had to learn to be a submissive cat. Wei Futang knew he had to get the granddaughters of “The Successful Candidate That Passed the Highest Imperial Examinations” out of Xi’an as soon as possible without a slip. It reminded him of fighting to win a battle quickly, lest the foe regroup and strike back. （JERRY的译文）

此处展现了魏富堂为了改良后代，亲自去西安迎娶‘进士及第’的大家闺秀赵家二位小姐。但是，作为陕南一霸、富甲一方的魏富堂，来到了关中平原，就仿佛‘虎落平川’。此处的景色描写衬托出了他的急迫心情：希望尽快把赵氏小姐们带出西安。同时，秦岭深山和古城西安的巨大差别，也衬托出了魏富堂与破落贵族‘进士及第’家的名门闺秀的天壤之别。就此奏响了又一幕悲剧的序曲。JERRY 的译文在对中文译者的译文加以润色后，基本保持了英文的直译，因而准确地传递了原作的信息。

综上观之，著名翻译家江枫先生所倡导的“忠实（信）”的原则在《青木川》的翻译过程中得到了很好的体现。不仅如此，由中方译者和美方审校JERRY 的通力合作，不仅以直译方式准确忠实地传递和展现原小说的故事性和艺术性，而且使得英文表达更趋完善、地道和符合英语读者的阅读习惯，同时也保留了原作品的文学性和艺术风貌。

中美合力，由中方译者做到“信”和“达”，然后由英文审校臻于“雅”。

 

 

Ø        时态

《青木川》的故事有两条基本主线：老革命冯明在经历了近半个世纪的风风雨雨后带着他的作家女儿冯晓羽返回青木川，这个他年轻时曾经生活、战斗过的地方去凭吊和缅怀过去以及他的初恋。另一条主线就是魏富堂的故事。魏富堂的故事既以倒叙的方式也以平行的独立故事的方式叙述出，两条线索时而交织时而平行，使得整部作品丰富而又有立体感，展示了作家高超的驾驭题材和架构情节的才能。

因此，译者在翻译的过程中，需要十分谨慎地处理各部分的时间（时态）表现的关系。因为对于中国人来说，时间观念通常比较含混，并不精确。我们可以很简单地用‘过去’、‘现在’和‘将来’就可以明确地表达时间观念；或者使用助词如‘着’、‘了’、‘过’这些明显的时间标记。但是对于英语读者来说，他们对于时间和时态就非常敏感。如果时态表达稍有含混，就会造成小说中的叙事声音的芜杂，使得英美读者搞不清事件或人物之间的关系了。基本上，两条主线都有叙事、倒叙和插叙，那么两个故事就都使用一般过去时来叙事。则故事里面的故事以及故事里面的倒叙、插叙等就相应地用过去完成时、过去将来时等时态来表现。比如：

“从上资料看，青木川的历史复杂而厚重。冯小羽明白，这是一块能产生文学作品的土地。”

   Viewing from the aforesaid materials, Greenwood Riverside indeed had a rich and complicated history. Feng Xiaoyu knew that this was a land that could nurture literature.　（笔者译）

   Feng Xiaoyu’s research quickly revealed that Greenwood Riverside indeed had a rich and complicated history. She knew that this was a land that had nurtured great literature. （JERRY）．

又如：“少年许忠德由青木川赶过来，说那边的酒宴已经安排多时.”

　The young man Xu Zhongde hurried from Greenwoods Riverside informing them that the dinner had been arranged for a long time. (笔者译)

　The young Xu Zhongde met the group to say the dinner had been arranged and was ready. （JERRY）

　　关于时态的处理，JERRY审校后的译文也大体保持了中文译者译文的原貌。至此，小说的各个部分的线索能够得以明晰展示。

　

Ø        文化负载词

关于作品中频繁出现的中国传统文化的词汇以及陕南当地的风俗的词语，笔者也绞尽脑汁遍查资料。有些译法借助于网上词典，有些则是自己的翻译。对于这类词语的译文，英文审校JERRY也都完全保留和延用下来。比如：

“进士及第”，“The Successful Candidate That Passed the Highest Imperial Examinations”（借用）。

“率性之谓道，修道之谓教”，“The Innate Quality Is Hight Tao[1]; Education Is the Cultivation of Tao”。（笔者译）

“天命隐显，知行合一”，Destiny was both latent and foreseeable (visible) （笔者译）；Knowledge and action should go hand in hand.（借用）

“无状之状，无象之象”，substance without substance and shape without shape。（借用？）

当地的专有名词如“斗南山庄”，“风雨桥”，“滑竿”等分别被译为：

“斗南山庄”，“Dounan Mountain Villa”. （笔者译）

“风雨桥”，“Feng Yu Bridge”和 “Wind And Rain Bridge”. （笔者译）

“滑竿”：” Bamboo  Sedan  Chair”. （笔者译）

 

Ø         叙事方式

小说《青木川》的作者叶广芩先生在叙述故事时，基本上采用了间接引语和自由直接引语。她并没有模仿以表现人物对话的方言特点而见长的其他本土作家。然而，这种叙事方式的使用，使得这部作品更具有一种质感。在表现人物之间的交流时，仍旧是间接引语和自由直接引语比直接引语使用的多。这样，在人物的塑造方面，给人一种从人性的高度来展现的感觉，使作品更具有一种国际的视野和大格局。

而且，间接引语和自由直接引语的方式叙事，使人物具有一种朦胧和不很清晰的神秘感，或者说使人物的面目不那么清晰和黑白分明。而这样的方式恰恰符合对魏富堂这个具有传奇特点的人物的塑造。因为他虽说土匪出身，种大烟发家，但是他致富后的许多举动都是善举和义举。尤其他富裕后不忘兼富其乡，发财后不忘建立学堂、发展教育，应该说他是个知廉耻有荣辱感的一个人，也可以说善恶兼具。所以这样的叙事方式，对于塑造这个有争议的人物是十分恰当的。

那么，笔者在翻译时，就着重考虑到这一点，在很多地方都遵循了原作的处理方式，以间接引语或自由直接引语的方式表现人物之间的交流。比如：第五章：

 

“不知怎的他心里有些不安，回头去望滑竿上的小赵。小赵朝他微微一笑，脱口吟出，“山气日夕佳，飞鸟相与还。此中有真意，欲辩已忘言”的诗句。许忠德说夫人吟的是陶渊明的诗，说的是山气归鸟使她陶醉，她喜欢这山，喜欢得不知说什么好了。 魏富堂问陶渊明是哪个，许忠德说是晋代诗人。魏富堂问有多近，许忠德说有千多年了。魏富堂说千多年还近！ ”

Somehow he felt uneasy and turned around to look at the younger Miss Zhao sitting on the bamboo sedan chair; the latter threw him a faint smile and immediately a few verse lines escaped her mouth.

    “The mountain air is fine at dusk of the day,

   And flying birds return together homewards.

      Within these things there is a hint of truth,

     But when I start to tell it, I cannot find the words.”

Xu Zhongde said that what the lady had chanted was a poem by Tao Yuanming, which described the fine mountain air and the returning birds that intoxicated her；and which could only prove that she loved these mountains and didn’t know what to say.

Wei Futang asked who Tao Yuanming was. Xu Zhongde told him that he was a poet of Jin dynasty. Wei Futang asked how far it was from now. Xu Zhongde said that it was about a thousand years away from now. Wei Futang said with displeasure, “How can it be called ‘near (recent)’ (NOTE) when it was about more than a thousand years?” （笔者译）

 

此处的文字游戏（双关）在原文中完全是使用的间接引语混合自由直接引语。意在表现叙述者、作者、包括读者在内，对魏富堂的无知的无可奈何的反讽。笔者在翻译时也延用了原文的间接引语而只使用了一个直接引语，以此来突出这个双关的效果。

 

Ø        总结

笔者很荣幸能得到这次翻译实践的机会。在翻译过程中，愈能体会小说《青木川》是一部难得的优秀作品。只有在字斟句酌的翻译中方更能体会作者叶广芩先生的伟大和匠心独运。整个翻译过程对于笔者不仅是一次锻炼和语言能力的检验，更是一次珍贵的学习机会。笔者所遇到的有难度、难以处理和翻译值得商榷之处还比比皆是，因篇幅所限，在此不赘。

幸好，有省译协的领导们协调，有英文审校JERRY PIASKY把关，使我们母语为非英语的译者的译文能够得到锤炼和修饰，方不减原作风貌，我们因此才能不辱使命。在为向世界推出我们陕西本土作家的文学作品这项伟大的工程和事业中，尽一份绵薄之力。

 

 

                                                       刘丹翎    西安交大

                                                       2012-08-17