
《紅樓夢》的英譯本中,漢學家霍克斯的版本流傳較廣?;艨怂箤ⅰ都t樓夢》翻譯為The Story of the Stone(《石頭的故事》),在翻譯書中一些經典名句時,他加入了自己的理解。如“兩彎似蹙非蹙罥煙眉,一雙似喜非喜含情目”,霍克斯譯為:
“Her mist-wreathed brows at first seemed to frown, yet were not frowning; Her passionate eyes at first seemed to smile, yet were not merry. ”
目前公認的最貼近原著的《西游記》的英譯本,來自學者余國藩。對《西游記》里一些大家耳熟能詳的句子,余國藩給出了自己的翻譯,例如:
“貧僧是東土大唐國奉旨意上西天拜佛求經的?!?/p>
“I am a priest from the Tang country in the East, and I am going to the Western Heaven to ask for holy scriptures.”
在《三國演義》的翻譯上受到大家一致好評的是美國著名漢學家羅慕士。羅慕士是個標準的講究人,喜歡摳字眼兒,他將“滾滾長江東逝水,浪花淘盡英雄。是非成敗轉頭空。青山依舊在,幾度夕陽紅”翻譯為:
“On and on the Great River rolls, racing east.
Of proud and gallant heroes its white-tops leave no trace,
As right and wrong, pride and fall turn all at once unreal.
Yet ever the green hills stay.
To blaze in the west-waning day.”
《水滸傳》比較完整的英譯本是約翰·登特-楊父子合譯的The Marshes of Mount Liang(《水泊梁山》),由香港中文大學出版社于1994年至2002年分5卷出版。這是目前《水滸傳》的英譯本中唯一的120回的譯本。
(灰灰摘自《揚子晚報》,視覺中國供圖)