【英译】 Confucius said: “If governing a country by education in morality, a lord will be like the Big Dipper which is located in a certain orientation with all stars around it.”
【译解】 (1) 治理政务:治理,有两种意思。1. 统治、管理:govern, administer. 比如治理国家:govern a country, administer a country. 2. 控制:bring something under control. 比如治理河流:bring waters under control, harness rivers. 其中的harness还做“利用”解,如利用无穷无尽的太阳能:harness the limitless power of the sun. 政务:government affairs. 如果按照字面直译,“治理政务”应该可以翻译成administer government affairs. 而我的译文governing a country,这是意译,因为原文中没有主语,只有从上下文揣测,看后面说的“众星共之”,也就是“众星捧月”的架势来看,似乎是指对一国之君而言。如果这样,一国之君治理政务,不就是治理国家吗?当然,孔夫子说的这个道理并不局限于一国之君,对于一般的官员,哪怕只是一科之长,一组之长,一家之长,都非常适用。
【英译】 Confucius said: “Having 300 poems, 《Poems》could be generalized into one sentence: the thought is pure.”
【译解】 (1)邪:这也是个十分常见的刺儿头。“邪”的基本概念就是“不正当”:evil, vice. 请看五花八门的例词例句。邪不压正Evil can never prevail over good. 或The upright need not fear the crooked. / 不信邪not believe in heresy / 至于平时说的“邪道”或“邪路”则另有说法:evil ways, vice, depravity. 比如:走邪路give oneself over to evil, give onself over to vice, give oneself over to depravity, take to evil ways. / 把某人引入邪道lead somebody astray / 邪恶evil, wicked, devilish 如邪恶的念头:a wicked idea / 邪门歪道:crookedways, foul means, dishonest practices / 邪魔evil spirit, demon, Satan / 邪念(邪心)wicked idea, devilish thought, evil interntion / 邪气bad influence, baneful influence, evil influence; unhealthy trend, evil trend, perverse trend. / 邪说heresy, fallacy / 邪行(邪恶的行径)evil deeds.
【英译】 Confucius said: “If a lord guides his people with orders and restrains them with penal law, the people will only try to avoid punishment which is caused owing to crimes but will lost sense of shame. Yet, if a lord guides his people with education in morality and use propieties to make his people’s words and actions keep in line , then the people will not only have a sense of shame but also try to abide by rules.”
【译解】 (1)本段依然是无主句。我还是把主语设想为“一国之君”。 (2) if a lord guides his people with education in morality and use propieties to make his people’s words and actions keep in line: 这句话使用最简单,最常见的句型结构,已经能够很清楚地把意思表达出来。但是如果仔细分析,前后两截的句式并不协调,如果从原文句意与句式的协调考虑,应该这样: if a lord guides his people with education in morality and makes his people’s words and actions keep in line with propieties. 不过因为后半截的动宾结构过长,把with propieties远远地甩到句尾,显得太松散,读者会感到鞭长莫及,别说读者,就是我这个译者,在写这段译解时才发现,因为句式太长,竟然将with propieties给漏掉了!发现之后,感到一股热血轰然涌向头顶。鉴于这个“血的教训”,于是才改换现在这样,但这样一来,则把原文中地位卑微的丑小鸭“以礼”二字,升格为天鹅所处的主要地位了。从这句话的翻译对比可以看出,翻译这个活儿,有时总难免顾此失彼,因此也只能以“甘蔗没有两头甜”来给自己找台阶下了。
【英译】 Confucius said: “I was determined to study at the age of fifteen, scored some achievements at thirty, no longer felt puzzled at forty, was enlightened at fifty, could distinguish between truth and falsehood at sixty, could do as I liked without overstepping usual practice at seventy.”
【译解】 (1) 三十而立:另有解释为“三十岁能自立”。如果这样,那就可译成I could stand on my own legs at thirty. 其中的legs可以换成 feet. 而“自立”,就是独立,自食其力之类的意思。自立还了翻译成fend for oneself, earn one’s own living. (2) 五十而知天命:另有解释为“五十岁懂得客观规律”,“天命”就是“规律的意思,是说能够按照普遍规律办事。如果是这样,就可翻译成I could do anything according to general law at fifty. 现在来说“规律”。“规律”可以有两种翻译:law, rule. 请看例词例句:普遍规律general law, general rule; universal law, universal rule. / 自然规律law of nature / 符合。。。的规律conform to the law of…, conform to the law of … / 违反。。。的规律contrary to the law of…, gainst the law of …, go against the law of …,violate the law of …注意:自然科学的规律,一般用law 不用rule.
【英译】 Meng Yitzu asking questions about filial devotion, Confucius said: “Filial devotion means not going against standards of morality.” Later on, Fan Chi drove carriage for Confucius, Confucius told him: “Meng Sun asked me what filial devotion is. I told him that filial devotion means not going against standards of morality.” Fan Chi said: “What do you mean by saying not going against standards of morality?” Confucius said: “When parants are alive, you should serve them according to standards of morality; when they pass away, you should burry them and offer sacrifices to them according to standards of morality.”
【译解】 (1) Meng Yitzu asking questions about filial devotion: 说一说这句话的句法。其实它不是一个完整的句子,只是全句中的附加部分,用语法术语说就是“悬垂”语。“悬垂”语是由一个状语从句凝缩而成,往往以现在分词形式出现。可分成两种情况:1. 如果“悬垂”部分的主语和主句的一致,则无需主语。如:When the boy entered the classroom, he saluted his teacher. (男孩进入教室的时候,他向老师行个礼。)由于时间状语从句和主句两者的主语一致,因此可以浓缩成这样的悬垂结构:Entering the classroom, he saluted his teacher. 2. 如果状语从句和主语两者的主语不一致,悬垂语就要保留原来的主语。如:When the boy entered the classroom, his teacher smiled to him. (男孩进入教室的时候,老师朝他笑了笑。)状语从句和主语两者的主语不一致,前者是男孩,后者是老师,因此悬垂语要保留原来的主语“男孩”:The boy entering the classroom, his teacher smiled to him. 使用悬垂句式可以使句型灵活多变,免得总用简单地句式,显得太小儿科。现在再回过头来看Meng Yitzu asking questions about filial devotion,大概就不觉得怪了。因为如果把悬垂结构还原成完整句子,就会是:When Meng Yitzu asked questions about filial devotion, Confucius said…不难看出,主从句两部分主语不一致,因此悬垂部分要保留原来主语Meng Yitzu.
【英译】 Meng Wubo asking questions about filial devotion, Confucius said: “The key point is that you should especially be concerned about your parants’ illness.”
【译解】 (1) 担忧:worry (about), feel anxious (about), be concerned (over, at, about). 请看例词例句:为某人的健康担忧worry about somebody’s health, be worried about somebody’s health / 为某人的安全担忧be anxious about somebody’s safety, be concerned over somebody’s safety / 我担忧我们不能按时完成任务。I’m afraid we may not finish our work on time. / 担忧发生最糟糕的情况fear the worst / 我们对他的病情感到特别担忧。We feel great anxiety about his illness. / 他已彻底解除担忧。He was completely relieved of one’s anxiety.
【英译】 Tzu You asking questions about filial devotion, Confucius said: “The so called filial devotion nowadays only means to provide for parants. But even dogs and horses can be provided for. So, if we don’t emphasize the necessity of respecting parants, then what’s the difference between providing for parants and raising dogs and horses?”
【译解】 (1) 养:这是个十分常见的词。它和其它字搭配起来还会形成各种各样的派生词,翻译起来十分麻烦。现在就从最基本的意思谈起。1. 供养:support, provide for. 比如:养家support one’s family 2. 饲养:raise, keep, rear. 比如:养猪raise pigs, rear pigs / 养蜂keep bees / 养鸟keep pet birds 3. 培植:grow 比如:养花grow flowers 4. 生育:give birth to 比如:养了一女give birth to a daughter 5. 领养:foster, adoptive 比如:养父foster father, adoptive father / 养女adopted daughter 6. 培养:cultivate, acquire 比如:养成优良作风cultivate good style of work 7. 调养:recuperate比如:调养身体recuperate ( one’s health) / 调养好伤heal one’s wound 8. 留长:grow 比如:养胡子grow a beard, cultivate a beard, raise a beard. 其它:养兵maintain an army / 养兵千日,用兵一时 maintain an army for a thousand days to use it in the moment of truth / 养病recuperate (from an illness) / 他现在北京养病。He is now recuperating at Beijing. / 养老1.奉养父母或老人provide for one’s parents, provide for the aged 2. 年老闲居修养spend the rest of one’s days in retirement / 养老金old-aged pension / 养料nutriment, nourishment / 从…吸取养料draw nourishment from, take nourishment from / 养路maintain a road / 养道班road maintenance crew / 养路费road toll / 养神repose, rest with ease of mind and body / 闭目养神sit in repose with closed eyes / 养生keep fit, maintain one’s health, preserve one’s fit / 养育bring up / 养育子女bring up children / 养殖breed, cultivate / 水产养殖aquatic farm / 海水养殖sea-farming / 养殖海带cultivate kelp / 养猪场pid farm, piggery (2) 再来看几条带“养”字的成语。1. 养虎遗患:nurture a tiger to court disaster; warm a snake in one’s bossom, cherish a snake in one’s bossom ; Appeasement brings disaster. (appeasement姑息或让步) 2. 养精蓄锐:conserve one’s strength, store up one’s energy. 3. 养尊处优:revel in high position and live in fomfort, be in a bed of roses, be in clover. revel in 迷恋;clover本是三叶草,用到成语里则意思翻新,十分有趣, be in clover 或livelike pigs in clover, 都是说生活优裕,即养尊处优。
【英译】 Tzu Xia asking questions about filial devotion, Confucius said: “The most difficult thing is to treat parents with amiable looks. If having something to do, you can do it for them; if having food and wine, you let them enjoy. Could it be said that it is considered filial devotion to parents?”
【译解】 (1) 难道,难道说:这个句式翻译成英文有点别扭。基本有两个说法:1. Surely it doesn’t mean that …2. Could it be said that…请看例句:难道这点困难我们还不能克服吗?Surely it doesn’t mean that we can’t overcome evern such small difficulties. / 难道这是办不到的吗?Could it be said that it is impossible of attainment? / 到这个时候难道她还在睡觉(不成)?Surely she can’t still be in bed at this hour? / 难道你还不愿意?Surely you can’t mean to refuse this offer? 或Don’t tell me you’re unwilling! 注意这最后两句的变形。
【英译】 Confucius said: “When I taught Yan Hui, he never had any objections all day long just like a foolish man. But after he left, I examined his private words and found he had developed what I’d taught him. Therefore, he is not foolish at all.
【译解】 (1) after he lef:我非常喜欢用动名词和悬垂结构,这句话似乎可以改成After Yan Hui’s leaving, I examined his private words或Yan Hui leaving, I examined his private words. 但是我考虑这句话是处于对话之中,并非处于叙述之中,对话时很随便,一般不会考虑什么悬垂结构等语法问题,因此用完整的句子为好,如果是叙述的口吻说这件事,则何以改变花样,使用上述两种结构。
【英译】 Confucius said: “If you want to know a person, you should analyze the motives of his words and deeds, observe the way he takes and examine what he is up to with ease of mind. If so, how can a person cover up himself? How can a person cover up himself?”
【译解】 (1) 安心:be easy in mind, set one’s mind at ease. 比如:安心在疗养院休息吧!Set your mind at ease and have a good rest in the sanatorium. / 安心工作settle down to one’s work 或set about one’s work with ease of mind. (2) 做事:除be up to之外,还可以用work on的结构。写到此处,手边正好放着一份餐馆广告,上面有一句话可以作为最佳例句:We’re constantly working on new products made with less sodium. 我们目前正不断地研制由微量苏打材料制作的新产品。其中的work on 与be up to意思相同,表示从事、致力于某事。因此,“考察他所安心做的事”还可以翻译成:examine what he is working on with ease of mind.