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文學典故、歷史及風俗翻譯

第三章 文化翻譯之處理手法

第二節 文學典故、歷史及風俗翻譯

文學典故與歷史掌故呈現一國文學的悠久傳統,是小說翻譯的艱鉅挑戰。《邊 城》對於湘西邊境習俗、軼事,以及漢人的文學典故與歷史事件均多著墨。譯者 如何迻譯湘西傳說與中國文學典故,影響了譯本面貌與讀者的接受反應。

(例一)

作者拉遠距離,描寫茶峒依山傍水,臨水一面設有碼頭的景貌。接著形容其 流經本地時,與其他河水匯流,故略顯混濁。

原文:

那條河水便是歷史上知名的酉水,新名字叫作白河。白河到辰洲與沅水匯流後,

便略顯混濁,有出山泉水的意思。(p. 127)

邵/Hahn 譯文:

This river was the Yusui, famous in history, but they called it by a new name, the White River. Near Shenchow city it met with Yuansui, and where they mingled the White

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River’s waters were very clear and the other river very muddy, for the White River wished to prove the old Chinese proverb that “The stream that comes from the hills is pure, while that which stays on low ground is filthy.”(Jan. 1936, Tien Hsia Monthly)

金/Payne 譯文:

The river was once known as the Yu Sui, famous in history, but now it was more commonly known as White Stream. At Chenshow this river meets the Yuan Sui, and joins its own purity to the muddy waters of the greater river.(p. 195)

Gladys Yang 譯文:

This river, famed in history as the You, is now known as the White River. After reaching Chenzhou where it mingles with the River Yuan, its waters grow turgid.(p.

10)

Kinkley 譯文:

The river was the famous You Shui of history, whose new name is the Bai Shui or White River. After the White River got to Chenzhou and merged with the River Yuan, it became somewhat turbid, proving the adage that spring water becomes muddy when it leaves the mountains.(pp. 10-11)

此例中「出山泉水」典出杜甫〈佳人〉詩。詩人自比佳人,表示即使遭良人 拋棄,仍堅持初衷,幽居於空谷(在山泉水清),絕不肯曲意逢迎、隨波逐流(出 山泉水濁)。邵/Hahn 譯本為四譯本中解釋最詳盡者,說明白河出自高山,沅水 流經地勢較低之地區,故一清澄、一混濁;同時以 the stream comes from the hills is pure 譯「出山泉水」,明確傳達典故意義。筆者認為唯一值得商榷的地方,在於 原詩「在山泉水清 出山泉水濁」暗喻女子潔身自好,如同泉水一泓隱於深山,不

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肯流到人間。然而此處譯文逕以乾淨白河與混濁沅水對比,與原詩及本段文字之 意義皆有落差。金/Payne 譯本進行改寫,以 joins its own purity 反面譯出白河與原 水匯流後變混濁之意,未譯出典故。Gladys Yang 同樣忽略典故,譯文最短,以 turgid 一字翻譯;惟 turgid 應為 turbid 之誤。Kinkley 譯本相當詳盡,說明典故,

且是唯一譯出「泉水」(spring water)與「出山」(leaves the mountains)之譯本。

(例二)

此例描述端節競渡的盛況,並以南宋抗金名將梁紅玉與韓世忠夫婦鎮守老鸛 河,以及岳飛麾下的牛皋將軍平定楊么內亂之史實為喻,形容場面之浩大。

原文:

一船快慢既不得不靠鼓聲,故每當兩船競賽到劇烈時,鼓聲如雷鳴,加上兩岸人 吶喊助威,便使人想起小說故事上梁紅玉老鸛河時水戰擂鼓,牛皋水擒楊么也是 水戰擂鼓。(p. 134)

邵/Hahn 譯文:

The swiftness and slowness of the boat depended on the drum’s sound, so when two boats raced level to each other the drum-beats sounded like thunder, accompanied by shouts and cheers from the crowd on shore.(Jan. 1936, Tien Hsia Monthly)

金/Payne 譯文:

And since the speed of the boat depended on the drumbeats there were times when the sound of the drums and of people yelling exactly resembled continual explosions of thunder.(p. 204)

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Gladys Yang 譯文:

…, when the race reaches a critical stage they raise a din like thunder which, added to the roar of cheers and boos on the bank, reminds you of some epic river battle of old.(p.

19)

Kinkley 譯文:

The boat’s speed had to follow the sound of the drum and gong, so whenever two boats got to the climax of their competition, the thunder of the percussion, added to the encouraging cheers from both banks, recalled novels and stories about Liang Hongyu beating her drum in the historic naval battle at Laoguan River, and the cacophony when Niu Gao fished the rebel Yang Yao out of the water.(p. 25)

此段中包含兩個歷史故實,一為宋朝女將梁紅玉大敗金兵,一為牛皋將軍弭 平內亂,但邵/Hahn 譯本與金/Payne 譯本均省略未譯,Gladys Yang 以“some epic river battle of old” 簡單帶過。Kinkley 譯出歷史人物的名姓與戰事地點,說明楊么 是 rebel,以 “fish Yang Yao out of the water”譯出「水擒」二字,活靈活現。另於 書末附註,說明梁紅玉與牛皋之事蹟。

有趣的是,邵/Hahn 譯本將一船快慢,譯為 “the swiftness and slowness of the boat”,可佐證此一版本貼字翻譯。傳統中文多以代表相反意義的二個字,如「快 慢」、「多寡」、「輕重」、「胖瘦」,表達速度、數量、重量、體型等單一概念,

此處表示速度;因此貼字面翻成 the swiftness and slowness 略顯生硬,但文學意味 較強,頗帶古風。Gladys Yang 未譯出,金/Payne 與 Kinkley 以 speed 翻譯,用字 較現代。

(例三)

本段描述祖父與翠翠在無人過渡時,如何打發長長的辰光:曬太陽、扔木頭

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逗黃狗玩、祖父說故事給翠翠和黃狗聽、或祖孫二人吹豎笛取樂。此處僅引用其 中一句。

原文:

或祖父同翠翠兩人,各把小竹作成的豎笛,逗在嘴邊吹著迎親送女的曲子。(p. 125)

邵/Hahn 譯文:

Or Grandfather and Ts’ui Ts’ui would make little flutes of bamboo and play wedding music.(Jan. 1936, Tien Hsia Monthly)

金/Payne 譯文:

Or else Grandfather and Green Jade would make little flutes of bamboo and play wedding music…(p. 193)

Gladys Yang 譯文:

…or he and his grand-daughter play a wedding tune on their bamboo flutes.(p. 8)

Kinkley 譯文:

Other times they would each press a little upright bamboo flute to their lips and play the melodies of bridal processions, in which the groom went to the bride’s house and brought her home.(p. 6)

迎親送女是中國特有的禮俗,並不等於西方的婚禮(wedding)。前三個譯本 均以 wedding music 或 wedding tune 代替,惟 Kinkley 譯出 bridal processions,後 面添增一句說明,解釋「迎親送女」與新郎前往新娘家迎娶有關,有助於西方讀 者了解。

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同時此例可用以證明 Kinkley 體察文意之苦心,細膩周密的翻譯方式。本段 採疊代敘事模式,即透過語氣及用字暗示此一敘述乃經常發生之事件。本段原文 如下:「風日清和的天氣,無人過渡,鎮日長閒,祖父同翠翠便坐在門前大岩石上 曬太陽,或把一段木頭從高處項水中拋去,唆使身邊黃狗從岩石高處躍下,把木 頭啣回來。或翠翠同黃狗皆張著耳朵,聽祖父說些城中多年前的戰爭故事。或祖 父同翠翠兩人,各把小竹……」(粗體為筆者所加)這段文字運用「便」、「或」

等副詞,表示爺孫倆平常不外乎做這幾件事,排遣時光。一連幾個「或」字,翻 成白話便是「有時……,有時……,也有時候……」,因此 Kinkley 以 other times 翻 譯,表示確實體會到本段文意,也充分傳達出疊代敘事,日子悠緩無盡的況味。

此外 Kinkley 以 each 翻譯「各」字,press to their lips 譯「逗在嘴邊」,緊追 原文一字不漏,卻無翻譯腔。

(例四)

本段描述龍舟競賽結束後,熱鬧散去,薄暮悄然掩至,翠翠獨自一人站在碼 頭上等待爺爺。翠翠看到弔腳樓點起一盞盞燈籠,聽見娼妓彈奏唱曲、酒客划拳 拚酒,聞到泊岸的三兩船隻上傳來炒菜香味,但她只是一心一意等祖父來接她回 家。

此段因第一個譯本缺頁不全,僅比較第二至第四個譯本。

原文:

再過一會,對河那兩隻長船已泊到對河小溪裡去不見了,看龍船的人也差不多全 散了。弔腳樓有娼妓的人家,已上了燈,且有人敲小斑鼓彈月琴唱曲子。另外一 些人家,又有猜拳行酒的吵嚷聲音。同時停泊在弔腳樓下的一些船隻,上面也有 人在擺酒炒菜,把青菜蘿蔔之類,倒進滾熱油鍋裡去發出唦——的聲音。(p. 138)

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金/Payne 譯文:

Soon the two long boats belonging to the people on the other bank were moored in a small bay and disappeared from sight. Most of the onlookers too had disappeared. In the houses where the prostitutes lived, lamps were being lit, and the girls were beating their small drums and strumming their moon-shaped fiddles. From the other houses came the sounds of talking, of the “finger-game” and all the laughter which arises from a feast. And in the junks moored beneath these houses, tables were being set for dinner and you heard all the sounds of cooking, and the simmering of cabbages and turnips as they were poured into boiling oil.(p. 209)

Gladys Yang 譯文:

Presently the two dragon boats from the further bank rowed into a backwater and disappeared. Most of the spectators had scattered. Lights had been lit in the brothels, where girls were singing to the accompaniment of tambourines and guitars. From other houses came shouts of men in their cups playing the finger-game.* On some boats moored near by supper was being prepared: greens and turnips hissed and spluttered in boiling fat.(pp. 23-24)

Kinkley 譯文:

Soon two long boats from the other shore moved into a small tributary and disappeared. Nearly all the spectators had dispersed, too. The prostitutes in the houses on stilts lit their lanterns and some of them were already singing to the sound of tambourines and lutes. From other establishments came the raucous shouting of men drinking during the guess-fingers game. Meanwhile, in boats moored below the stilt houses, people were frying up dishes for a feast, greens and turnips sizzled in oil as

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they plopped into their woks.(pp. 32-33)

本段描寫之聲色非常豐富,有弔腳樓點燈,妓女彈琴唱曲,酒客猜拳行酒,

船上的人炒菜。首先,斑鼓55是一種單面牛皮小鼓,握在手中敲打,並非常見的 直立大鼓(drum)。金/Payne 逕以 small drum 翻譯,Gladys Yang 及 Kinkley 譯成 tambourine,是一種非洲手鼓,大小、功能與斑鼓較相近。至於月琴,金/Payne 以異化方式譯為 moon-shaped fiddle,Gladys Yang 譯成 guitar,Kinkley 譯成 lute,

均屬歸化。猜拳行酒一詞,僅金/Payne 版本未譯出划的是酒拳。Gladys Yang 於該 頁下方加註,說明中國人喝酒划拳的習慣。

此外,文中提到弔腳樓點燈,金/Payne 以 lamp 翻譯,Gladys Yang 譯成 light,

僅 Kinkley 做過考據,查知湖南古城弔腳樓點的是紅燈籠56,故譯為 lantern。可知 Kinkley 考證工夫較為充分。

最後一句描述船上的人做晚飯,沈從文把炒菜這件日常小事,寫得如聞其聲:

「倒進滾熱油鍋裡,發出唦的聲音」,彷彿聽到青菜在大鑊中翻炒的滋滋聲。

Kinkley 以 sizzle(在沸油中發出嘶嘶聲)、plop(撲通)等狀聲詞翻譯,以 wok 翻譯炒鍋,最接近大火快炒的形容。Gladys Yang 以 hissed and spluttered(嘶嘶、

劈啪聲)翻譯亦見功力,金/Payne 譯為 simmering57,與原意有出入。

(例五)

書中的第三個端午節,哥哥天保託楊馬兵代為轉達欲迎娶翠翠之意。但老船 夫愛惜孫女,想尊重她的意見,不肯立即答應,便打了個巧妙比方,給大老參詳。

原文:

55 網路資料:http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_63eeb4dd0100hkl8.html 搜尋日期:2014/5/23

56 參考自張欣(2013),《苗族吊腳樓傳統營造技藝》。安徽科學技術出版社。

57 根據劍橋線上英語辭典

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/simmer?q=simmer, “simmer”

means “to cook something liquid , or something with liquid in it, at a temperature slightly below boiling”,亦即在沸點以下溫度燉煮,中文意思接近煨、燉。

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老船夫說:「等他來時你說:老傢伙聽過了笑話後,自己也說了個笑話,他說:『車 是車路,馬是馬路,各有走法。大老走的是車路,應當由大老爹爹作主,請了媒 人來正正經經同我說。走的是馬路,應當自己作主,站在渡口對溪高崖上,為翠 翠唱三年六個月的歌。』」(p. 165)

邵/Hahn 譯文:

“When he comes back,” said the old ferryman, “you can tell him that the old fellow after hearing your joke told one of his own: ‘that there is a road for carriages and there

“When he comes back,” said the old ferryman, “you can tell him that the old fellow after hearing your joke told one of his own: ‘that there is a road for carriages and there