散文漢譯英佳作賞析：何其芳《雨前》

雨前
Praying for Rainfall

何其芳
by He Qifang

最後的鴿羣帶着低弱的笛聲在微風裏劃一個圈子後，也消失了。也許是誤認這灰暗的淒冷的天空爲夜色的來襲，或是也預感到風雨的將至，遂過早地飛回它們溫暖的木舍。
The last flock of pigeons have also gone out of sight after doing their final circling in the soft breeze, the sound of their whistles barely audible. They are hastening back to their warm wooden dovecote earlier than usual perhaps because they have mistaken the bleak leaden sky for nightfall or because of their presentiment of a storm.

幾天的陽光在柳條上撤下的一抹嫩綠，被塵土埋掩得有憔悴色了，是需要一次洗滌。還有乾裂的大地和樹根也早已期待着雨。雨卻遲疑着。
The willow twigs, daubed with a light green by several days of sunshine, are now covered all over with the dust and look so sickly that they need to be washed. And the perched soil and tree roots have likewise been dying for rainfall. Yet the rain is reluctant to come down.

我懷想着故鄉的雷聲和雨聲。那隆隆的有力的搏擊，從山谷反響到山谷，彷彿春之芽就從凍土裏震動，驚醒，而怒茁出來。細草樣柔的雨絲又以溫存之手撫摸它，使它簇生油綠的枝葉而開出紅色的花。這些懷想如鄉愁一樣縈繞得使我憂鬱了。我心裏的氣候也和這北方大陸一樣缺少雨量，一滴溫柔的淚在我枯澀的眼裏，如遲疑在這陰沉的天空裏的雨點，久不落下。
I can never forget the thunderstorm we often had in my home town. Over there, whenever the rumble of thunder reverberated across the valley, the buds of spring would seem to sprout freely after being disturbed and roused up from their slumber in the frozen soil. Then tenderly stroked by the soft hands of fine rain, they would put forth bright green leaves and pink flowers. It makes me nostalgic and melancholy to think about the old times and my mind is as depressed as the vast expanse of North China is thirsty. A tear stands in my dull eye and, like the rain lingering in the murky sky, is slow to roll down.

白色的鴨也似有一點煩躁了，有不潔的顏色的都市的河溝裏傳出它們焦急的叫聲。有的還未厭倦那船一樣的徐徐的划行。有的卻倒插它們的長頸在水裏，紅色的蹼趾伸在尾後，不停地撲擊着水以支持身體的平衡。不知是在尋找溝底的細微食物，還是貪那深深的水裏的寒冷。
White ducks have also become somewhat impatient. Some are sending out irritated quacks from the turbid waters of an urban creek. Some keep swimming leisurely and tirelessly like a slow boat. Some have their long necks submerged headfirst in the water while sticking up their webbed feet behind their tails and splashing them desperately so as to keep their balance. There is no knowing if they are searching for tiny bits of food from the bottom of the creek or just enjoying the chill of the deep water.

有幾個已上岸了。在柳樹下來回地作紳士的散步，舒息划行的疲勞。然後參差地站着，用嘴細細地撫理它們遍體白色的羽毛，間或又搖動身子或撲展着闊翅，使那綴在羽毛間的水珠墜落。一個已修飾完畢的，彎曲它的頸到背上，長長的紅嘴藏沒在翅膀裏，靜靜合上它白色的茸毛間的小黑眼，彷彿準備睡眠。可憐的小動物，你就是這樣做你的夢嗎?
Some of them stagger out of the water and, to relieve their fatigue, begin to saunter up and down with a gentleman-like swagger in the shade of the willow trees. Then, they stand about to preen their white plumage carefully. Occasionally they give themselves a sudden shake or flap their long wings to let off water drops from among their feathers. One of them, after grooming itself, turns round its neck to rest on the back, then buries its long red beak under its wings and quietly closes its small black eyes tucked away among the white find hair. Apparently it is getting ready to sleep. Poor little creature, is that the way you sleep?

我想起故鄉放雛鴨的人了。一大羣鵝黃色的雛鴨遊牧在溪流間。清淺的水，兩岸青青的草，一根長長的竹竿在牧人的手裏。他的小隊伍是多麼歡欣地發出啾啁聲，又多麼馴服地隨着他的竿頭越過一個田野又一個山坡!夜來了，帳幕似的竹篷撐在地上，就是他的家。但這是怎樣遼遠的想象啊!在這多塵土的國度裏，我僅只希望聽見一點樹葉上的雨聲。一點雨聲的幽涼滴到我憔悴的夢，也許會長成一樹圓圓的綠陰來覆蔭我自己。
The scene recalls to my mind the duckling raiser in my home town. With a long bamboo pole in hand, he would look after a large flock of gosling-yellow ducklings moving about on the limpid water of a shallow brook flanked on both sides by green grass. How the little creatures jig-jigged merrily! How they obediently followed the bamboo pole to scamper over field after field, hillside after hillside! When night fell, the duckling raiser would make his home in a tent-like bamboo shed. Oh, that is something of the distant past! Now, in this dusty country of ours, what I yearn for is to hear the drip-drip of rain beating against leaves.

我仰起頭。天空低垂如灰色霧幕，落下一些寒冷的碎屑到我臉上。一隻遠來的鷹隼彷彿帶着憤怒，對這沉重的天色的憤怒，平張的雙翅不動地從天空斜插下，幾乎觸到河溝對岸的土阜，而又鼓撲着雙翅，作出猛烈的聲響騰上了。那樣巨大的翅使我驚異。我看見了它兩脅間斑白的羽毛。
When I look up at a gray misty pall of a low-hanging sky, some dust particles feel chilly on my face. A hawk, seemingly irked by the gloomy sky, swoops down sideways out of nowhere, with wings widespread and immovable, until it almost hits the hillock on the other side of the brook. But it soars skywards again with a loud flap. I am amazed by its tremendous size of its wings. And I also catch sight of the grizzled feathers on its underside.

接着聽見了它有力的鳴聲，如同一個巨大的心的呼號，或是在黑暗裏尋找伴侶的叫喚。然而雨還是沒有來。
Then I hear its loud cry----like a powerful voice from the bottom of its heart or a call in the dark for its comrades in arms. But still no rain.