《論語》英譯本賞析

《論語》是中華典籍的精華，也是中華文化典籍向世界傳播的最早的典籍之一。迄今爲止，中外學者翻譯的《論語》已達數十個版本。其中較爲著名的是理雅各（James Legge），辜鴻銘譯本，漢學家亞瑟·威利（Arthur Waley）譯本。理雅各和威利兩位譯者諳熟中國傳統文化，對中國的典籍有比較精深的研究。本文將賞析兩位大家的《論語》英譯本，體會兩位名家各自的特點和匠心。

例1、子曰：“溫故而知新，可以爲師矣。”

理譯：The Master said, ‘ If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as to continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others.’

威譯：The Master said, He who by reanimating the Old can gain knowledge of the New is fit to be a teacher.

解析：兩個譯文中的對“溫故”的翻譯值得借鑑。沒有使用常見的review等詞，理譯選用“cherish”含有“珍愛、珍惜”的意思，而威譯選用“reanimate”更富有“使得老的知識獲得新的力量”的意思。

例2、子欲居九夷。或曰：“陋，如之何？”子曰：“君子居之，何陋之有？”

理譯：The Master was wishing to go and live among the nine wild tribes of the East. Some one said, ‘ They are rude. How can you do such a thing?’ The Master said, ‘ if a superior man dwelt among them, what rudeness would there be?’

威譯：The Master wanted to settle among the Nine Wild Tribes of the East. Someone said, I am afraid you would find it hard to put up with their lack of refinement. The Master said, Were a true gentleman to settle among them there would soon be no trouble about lack of refinement.

解析：此段譯文，威譯更爲貼切原文。“陋”在文中的含義並非“粗魯”的意思，而是指“未開化，不高雅”的意思，所以理譯爲“rude”略顯不恰當。再者，“如之何”應理解爲“怎麼好住”，並不是“怎麼辦”的意思。

例3、季康子問政於孔子。孔子對曰：“政者，正也。子帥以正，孰敢不正？”

理譯：Chi K’ang asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, ‘ To govern means to rectify. If you lead on the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?’

威譯：Chi K’ang-tzu asked Master K’ung about the art or ruling. Master K’ung said, Ruling is straightening. If you lead among a straight way, who will dare go by a crooked one?

解析：這兩段譯文都較爲準確地表達的文意。但威譯本在語言氣勢上更好地還原了文本。原文讀起來擲地有聲，一身正氣。再者，此處對於“問政”的翻譯值得借鑑。威譯的翻譯爲“ask about the art of ruling”極其貼切。

例4、葉公問孔子於子路，子路不對。子曰：“女奚不曰，其爲人也，發憤忘食，樂以忘憂，不知老之將至云爾。”

理譯：The Duke of Sheh asked Tsze-lu about Confucius, and Tsze-lu did not answer him. The Master said, ‘ Why did you not say to him, — He is simply a man, who in his eager pursuit ( of knowledge) forgets his food, who in the joy of its attainment forgets his sorrows, and who does not perceive that old age is coming on?’

威譯：The ‘ Duke of She’ asked Tzu-lu about Master K’ung （Confucius）-lu did not reply. The Master said, Why did you not say “ This is the character of the man: so intent upon enlightening the eager that he forgets his hunger, and so happy in doing so, that he forgets the bitterness of his lot and does not realize that old age is at hand. That is what he is.”

解析：威譯對“發憤忘食，樂以忘憂”存在一定誤譯。此處，“發奮”爲好學，“樂”應指獲取知識時的欣喜。

例5、宰予晝寢。子曰：“朽木不可雕也，糞土之牆不可圬也；於予與何誅？”子曰：“始吾於人也，聽其言而信其行；今吾於人也，聽其言而觀其行。於予與改是。”

理譯：Tsai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, ‘ Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yu! — what is the use of my reproving him?’ The Master said, ‘ At first, my way with men was to hear their words, and give them credit for their conduct. Now my way is to hear their words, and look at their conduct. It is from Yu that I have learned to make this change.’

威譯：Tsai Yu used to sleep during the day. The Master said, Rotten wood cannot be carved, nor a wall of dried dung be trowelled. What use is there in my scolding him any more? The Master said, There was a time when I merely listened attentively to what people said, and took for granted that they would carry out their words. Now I am obliged not only to give ear to what they say, but also to keep an eye on what they do. It was my dealings with Tsai Yu that brought about the change.

解析：兩段譯文都做到了“信”，忠實原文。兩種譯文各有千秋。前者語言凝練，表達簡約，後者句式靈活，語言生動。比如“朽木不可雕也，糞土之牆不可圬也”這句，使用Nor連成一句，更顯緊湊。

《論語》作爲文言文文化典籍，翻譯難度可見一斑，譯者在追求“信達雅”的基礎上，更要在正確理解原文的基礎上，再開始翻譯。而對於文化典籍的翻譯不僅考察英語功底，更是對漢語語言功底的考量。