巴黎的公園

文/愛德華·科平 譯介/寧一中

1825 年，迪洛爾出版了《巴黎郊區的故事》，魯夫賴地區那片古老的森林尚不為人所重，不禁令人嘆息。僅在10 年前，那里還駐扎著一支外國軍隊。郁郁蔥蔥的山坡和林木成蔭的大道上，英俄士兵比肩而駐。茂盛的樹木被砍伐，搭建成侵略者的營地，真是恥辱！

2Thirty years have passed since Dulaure wrote.The aspect of the ancient Bois has been, in fact, completely changed within the last few years.When Horace Walpole1第四任奧福德伯爵（1717—1797），英國作家。其小說《奧特蘭托城堡》被認為開創了哥特式小說之先河。was in Paris he complained that it had no park.Many subsequent visitors have echoed the lamentation.They have admired the fine houses of the French capital, the broad streets, the pleasant promenades, the cheerful gardens; but they have always qualified their admiration by this disparaging observation, “There is no park!”

2不過迪洛爾描寫的已是30年前的事了。實際上，過去幾年里，這片古老的森林已是舊貌換新顏。霍勒斯·沃波爾在巴黎時曾抱怨巴黎沒有公園。后來有不少訪客也表達了同樣的遺憾。他們對這法國首都漂亮的房舍、寬闊的街道、愜意的步道、愉悅的花園多有贊詞，卻每每在贊美之余不屑地加上一句“可惜沒有公園！”。

3They can do so no longer.The Bois de Boulogne has become a park—the park of Paris.You have but to see the Bois de Boulogne on a fine summer’s evening, more especially if the evening be that of Sunday, to feel convinced it is the most popular of Paris.Every avenue, every footway, every bridle path seems to be full of company, company of the most varied kind.

3現在他們沒法再這么說了。布洛涅森林已經成了一個公園——巴黎的公園。你只需在一個夏日晴朗的傍晚，尤其是在星期天的傍晚，去布洛涅森林看看，就會確信那里是巴黎最受歡迎的地方。每一條大路、每一條小徑、每一條馬道，似乎都擠滿了，有各色人等，也有各種馬匹。

4The millionaire is here from the Bourse; his clerk is here also; the fashionable lady who occupies herself only with coquetting and conquest is here;your blanchisseuse, who concentrates all her energies upon washing and starching, is just behind her; blazing carriages illuminated by incandescent footmen are here; domestic shandrydans and mouldy street cabs are not absent;spirited English horses, graceful and delicate as forest fawns, are here.

4來自交易所的百萬富翁淹留于此，他的伙計緊隨左右。時髦女郎現身于此，忙著打情罵俏，征服男士；洗衣婦就在她身后，全神貫注漿洗衣服。這里還有被熱情高漲的男仆用彩燈裝飾得閃閃發亮的馬車，也少不了家用輕便馬車和街頭老式出租馬車的身影。精神抖擻的英國馬匹在這里展露身姿，優雅如林間的小鹿。

5Five years ago, then, the scene began to change.Engineers, builders,architects, surveyors, gardeners, and excavators were sent for; new paths were cut through the wood; new roads were laid out; flowers and exotic shrubs were planted; grass was sown; trees were introduced; lakes were dug; artificial streams were made; grottoes were constructed; islands were formed; cascades were built; —the wilderness was changed into a smiling garden.

如果對源語作品功能上相關的語境特征在譯語的一部分文化中卻不存在時，就產生了一個與語言不可譯性完全不同的問題，這就是文化不可譯性。文化不可譯主要體現在傳統觀念、地理環境、歷史文化和宗教文化上。

5森林的變化是從五年前開始的。工程師、建筑工、建筑師、測量員、園藝家被派到這里，挖掘機也開到這里；新辟了林間小徑，規劃了新的道路；種上了鮮花和奇異的灌叢，播撒了草種，引進了樹苗；掘了湖，挖了人造小溪，鑿了人工洞穴，建了小島，引了瀑布。這片荒野被改造成了盈盈笑靨的花園。

6Here flowers are allowed to grow unimprisoned within heptagonal or octagonal fortifications.Paths are permitted to wind round bush and thicket, over hill and dale, without hinderance or restraint, as happy children might wander on a summer holiday.Rock and stone,instead of being tamed by the sculptor into attitudes of lifeless symmetry, are allowed to retain all their native wildness of aspect.They have full liberty also to welcome the rippling stream, the loving moss, or the foot-weary traveller.

6在這里，七角形或八角形的圍壘里，花兒自由地開放。小徑翻山越嶺，蜿蜒于灌木和灌叢間，無拘無束，暑假里快樂的孩子們會漫游其間。大大小小的石頭，未讓雕刻家刀斧雕琢為毫無生機的對稱姿態，而是保持原生野趣。它們也能充分自由地迎迓漣漪圈圈的小溪、可愛的苔蘚，或是步履疲憊的游客。

7The effect of all this is charming.You have the wild beauties of nature softened and refined by art.You have the pebble, which on the sea-beach looked so beautiful, rendered even more beautiful by the lapidary’s skill.Compared with a mountain or a crag, it looks very insignificant, doubtless.But then, we cannot carry off the mountain or the crag, and keep it always by us.The pebble, on the contrary, we may for ever have beneath our eyes.

7所有這些的效果都很好。天然的野性美得到藝術的柔潤與修飾。瞧那鵝卵石，在沙灘上就顯得很美，一經攻石之術的精巧安排，顯得更美了。與高山峭壁相比，它確實顯得不值一提。但高山峭壁我們搬不動，更不能一直隨身攜帶；而鵝卵石卻可以隨時擺在眼前欣賞。

8Alas! Must it be said? There are persons who regret the uncultivated roughness of the ancient wood, and complain of the change which has banished it.They recall, with the fondness with which we always evoke the memories of the past, (for who stores in his mind other than happy recollections of former days?) they recall, I say, the wild freedom of the old Bois, the unmown sward, the unenclosed slopes, the unclipped brushwood, the untended flowers, the untouched footways.Their fancy warms in speaking of these things.

8唉，不用說，有人會為古林失去野趣而嘆息，抱怨是現在的變化造成的。他們回憶時滿懷柔情，那是我們憶起往事時總會帶著的柔情（除了過去的好時光，誰還會在腦子里留存其他什么呢？）。嗯，他們回憶的是舊日森林的任性自由，草地未經修剪，山坡沒有圍欄，灌木從未整枝，花兒無人照看，小徑無人踏足。說起這些，他們就興致盎然。

9The Bois, as I have said, has become much more frequented than of yore.Carriage company has doubled in number.Equestrians have augmented in the same proportion.Pedestrians even more so.For every ten persons who visited the place in former days there are a hundred, probably, now.But if there are more guests so also is there more accommodation for them.

9如我之前所說，來布洛涅森林的人比過去多了許多。馬車數量翻了倍。騎馬者的數量也同樣翻了倍。步行者的數量更是如此。如今，來這里游覽的人數大概是過去的十倍。不過，即使游客再增加，這里也有足夠的空間容納他們。

10Often and often have I wandered during the week along the winding footpaths of the wood, musing upon literary studies, listening to the singing of the birds, or watching the morning sunlight creep through the trees, as the friendly breeze opened a passage for it mid their branches.Sometimes for an hour I have scarcely met with human form.Not a single idler has crossed my path.The whole Bois has been for the time my own.Except occasional parties of woodmen, engaged in their daily occupations, there has been no one near to scan my aspect, criticise my garb, or interfere in any way with my movements.

10我常常在工作日徜徉于彎彎曲曲的林間小道，思索著文學研究的問題，聽著鳥鳴，或者，看著悅人微風吹開枝葉，讓晨光穿林過木。有時一小時都見不到人影兒。一路上碰不到一個閑人。那會兒整個森林都屬于我。除了偶爾看到三三兩兩的伐木工人忙著他們的營生，旁邊沒有人看我長得如何、穿著如何，或者干涉我的行止。

11Perhaps I have spoken too warmly in favour of the Bois.It has been my favourite haunt so long that I have grown attached to it.I look upon it, it may be,as the lover looks upon his mistress.Where others see blemishes I see beauties.What the unsympathising call a freckle, I call a love mark.

11也許我這些關于布洛涅森林的好話說得過于熱情了吧。我喜歡到此流連時日已久，對它有了感情。我愛它，或許就像情人愛他的心上人。別人看到的瑕疵，在我眼里全是美。沒有情感投入的人稱為雀斑的東西，我稱之為愛痣。

12It may be so, I say; it maybe that my mind is full of these amorous delusions.But, then, are not these and similar delusions the charm of our lives? If we were to lose them would not existence be dull indeed? ■

12是的，也許就是這樣，也許我腦中滿是這些充滿愛意的幻覺。話又說回來，這些幻覺和類似的幻覺不正是生活的魅力嗎？沒有了這些幻覺，活著該是多么的無趣呢！ □