快乐的死亡Happy Death
陆文夫Lu Wenfu
| 译文摘自张培基《英译中国散文选一》
作家有三种死法。一曰自然的死，二曰痛苦的死，三曰快乐的死。
A writer can die three kinds of death: natural death, painful death, happy death.
要点:
原文中的“曰”是不是有股浓浓的学术味道？而同位语常见于学术和新闻翻译中，此处使用同位语，也是充分展现了原文的语言风格~
自然的死属于心脏停止跳动，是一种普遍的死亡形式，没有特色，可以略而不议。快乐的死和痛苦的死不属于心脏停止跳动，是人还活着，作品已经、或几乎是没有了！
Natural death, caused by the discontinuation of heartbeat, is a common form of death with no characteristics of its own, and therefore may as well be left out without any comment. In the case of happy death and painful death, which are not caused by the discontinuation of heartbeat, the writer, alive as he is, has stopped or almost stopped writing!
要点：
1，“自然的死属于心脏停止跳动“看到”属于“，我们心里的belong to就蠢蠢欲动啦~但是译者用了caused by，更加灵活，值得我们借鉴
2，“略去不译“= be left out without any comment
3，”快乐的死和痛苦的死不属于心脏停止跳动，是人还活着，作品已经、或几乎是没有了！“译为In the case of happy death and painful death, which are not caused by the discontinuation of heartbeat, the writer, alive as he is, has stopped or almost stopped writing!这句话在翻译时我们必须要清楚作者要强调是的后半句“人还活着，作品已经、或几乎是没有了”，所以将前半句话“快乐的死和痛苦的死不属于心脏停止跳动”降级为介词短语
4，“是人还活着，作品已经、或几乎是没有了”第一分句的主语是“人”，第二分句的主语是“作品”，可以考虑转换说法，“没有作品“即”停止写作“译为stop writing
综述：转换说法在本文中很常见，尤其是分句主语不一致时~
作家没有了作品，可以看作是个人艺术生命的死亡、职业的停顿。其中有些人是因为年事已高，力不从心。这不是艺术的死亡，而是艺术的离休，他自己无可自责，社会也会尊重他在艺术上曾经作出的贡献。
When a writer no longer produces any works, it is tantamount to the death of his artistic life or the end of his career. Some writers lay down their pens because they are too old to be equal to the task. We call it retirement from art rather than death of art. They have nothing to blame themselves for. And society at large will pay tribute to the contributions they have already made to art.
要点：
1，“看作是“译为tantamount to ，童鞋们也可以头脑风暴一下，看看自己能想出多少表述哦~
2，“其中有些人是因为年事已高，力不从心“意即”太老而不能胜任工作“译为too old to be equal to the task，equal+sth 可以表”胜任“，这个用法很常见。此外，”力不从心“已经是第二次见了，上一次是在《时间即生命》中，译为fail to do what I had wished
3，pay tribute to=表示敬意，称赞，致敬，在讲话中经常见到，如：On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to our veterans, to the fallen, and to their families.
值此退伍军人日，我们向我国退伍军人、捐躯将士和他们的家人致敬。
综述：掌握tantamount to，pay tribute to的意思及用法~
痛苦的死亡却不然，即当一个作家的体力和脑力还能胜任创作的时候，作品已经没有了，其原因主要是由于各种苦难和折磨（包括自我折磨）所造成。折磨毁了他的才华，苦难消沉了意志，作为人来说他还活着，作为作家来说却正在或已死去。这种死亡他自己感到很痛苦，别人看了心里也很难受。
Painful death is quiet another matter. It occurs when a writer abandons writing even though he is still sound in mind and body. It results mainly from various kinds of sufferings and torments (including self-inflicted torments). Torments ruin his talent while sufferings demoralize him. Though still alive as a man, he is dying or already dead as a writer. This kind of death causes not only much pain to the writer himself, but much sadness to other people as well.
要点：
1，“不然”意即“是另外一回事”译为“be another matter”
2，“体力和脑力”译为in mind and body,也可译为mentally and physically~这个表达我们也很常见咯~
3，” 作品已经没有了”=abandon writing,和之前stop writing,一样属于转换说法
4，“这种死亡他自己感到很痛苦，别人看了心里也很难受。“意即”这种死亡，不仅使他痛苦，也使别人感到伤感“，故译为This kind of death causes not only much pain to the writer himself, but much sadness to other people as well.
综述：注意第四点所体现的思想，转换说法，译为一句话~
快乐的死亡却很快乐，不仅他自己感到快乐，别人看来也很快乐。昨天看见他大会上做报告，下面掌声如雷；今天又看见他参加宴会，为这为那地频频举杯。昨天听见他在高朋中大发议论，语惊四座，今天又听见他在那些开不完的座谈会上重复昨天的意见。昨天看见他在北京的街头，今天又看见他飞到了广州……只是看不到或很少看到他的作品发表哪里。
Happy death is a joyful thing, bring happiness to both the writer himself and other people. Yesterday we saw him addressing a big meeting amidst thunderous applause, and today we saw him attending a banquet, drinking nonstop to this and that. Yesterday we heard him talking volubly to a gathering of distinguished guests, capturing the attention of all present, and today we heard him repeating himself at one of those endless forums. Yesterday we met him on a Beijing street, and today we saw him flying to Guangzhou… But never or every seldom do we find his new works seeing the light of today.
要点：
1，“快乐的死亡却很快乐，.”译为Happy death is a joyful thing,.显然” 快乐的死亡却很快乐“译为happy death is happy是有问题的(这样译，跟没说一样~)，因此需要转换说法，译为”快乐的死亡是一件快乐的事“
2，“不仅他自己感到快乐，别人看来也很快乐“译为bring happiness to both the writer himself and other people.译者认为两句有相同结构”感到快乐“，因此用both and串句，手法同“这种死亡…”一句~
3,“昨天看见他大会上做报告…”译为Yesterday we saw him…增译主语~
4, “为这为那地频频举杯”译为drinking nonstop to this and that，也可译为proposing repeated toasts to this and that.其中nonstop意为again and again,不过其语气略带讽刺~
5，“只是看不到或很少看到他的作品发表哪里”译为But never or every seldom do we find his new works seeing the light of today.首先注意时间状语位于句首句子的倒装，其次see the light本意为“见光”此处引申为“发表”,相较于较publish更符合原文调侃的笔调~
综述：本段很绕，需要耐下心来，把不统一的句式变为统一，
我不害怕自然的死，因为害怕也没用，人人不可避免。我也不太害怕痛苦的死，因为那时代已经过去。我最害怕的就是那快乐的死，毫无痛苦，十分热闹，甚至还有点轰轰烈烈。自己很难控制，即很难控制在一定的范围之内。
I do not fear natural death for nobody can avoid it, hence no use fearing. Nor do I fear painful death for it is something belonging to a bygone age. What I fear most is happy death, which is absolutely painless and full of bustle, excitement and even dramatic spectacle. It is difficult to exercise self-control, that is, difficult to keep within limits.
要点：
1，“我不害怕自然的死，因为害怕也没用，人人不可避免”译为I do not fear natural death for nobody can avoid it, hence no use fearing.译者巧妙地处理了后两句的原因，将因果关系重新调整，增译hence，使得行文更加连贯
2，“因为那时代已经过去”意即“那已经是过去的事情”，故译为for it is something belonging to a bygone age.其中bygone age指的是建国后的一段极左时期，包括文革时期
3，“轰轰烈烈”形容气势浩大而壮烈，译为dramatic spectacle
4，“即”通常用mean,namely，that is表示~
综述：注意第一句中因果关系的重新调整~
因为我觉得喝酒不一定完全是坏事，少喝一点可以舒筋活血，据说对心血管也是有帮助的。作家不能当隐士，适当的社会活动和文学活动可以开阔眼界，活跃思想，对创作也是有帮助的。可是怎么才能不酗酒、不作酒鬼，这有益的定量究竟是多少呢？怕就怕三杯下肚，豪情大发，嘟嘟嘟，来个瓶底朝天，而且一顿喝不上便情绪不高，颇有怨言，甚至会到处去找酒喝。呜呼，快乐地死去！
Drinking is, to my mind, not always bad because a few spots may help blood circulation and is, as they say, good for the heart and blood vessels. Being no hermit, a writer stands to benefit in writing as long as he gets properly involved with social and literary activities to widen his field of vision and stimulate his thinking. But how can he avoid excessive drinking or becoming of drunkard? What is the safety limit in this respect? The trouble is after three cups of alcohol he will get wild and unrestrained and end in gulping down a whole bottle. One meal without liquor will upset him and set him complaining and searching around for drink. Alas, just to end up dying happily!
要点：
1，a few spots本意为“几滴”，此处代指“小酌几杯”，此外take a sip也可表示此含义~
2，“作家不能当隐士，适当的社会活动和文学活动可以开阔眼界，活跃思想，对创作也是有帮助的。”本句第一分句主语为“作家“，第二句主语为”活动“，“作家”与“活动”的关系是”’作家‘参加’活动‘“，因此原句在翻译时可以转换为”作家可以持续在写作上受益，只要他适当参加活动去开拓他的眼界，活跃他的思维“，故译为Being no hermit（第一分句译为非谓语）, a writer stands to benefit in writing as long as he gets properly involved with social and literary activities to widen his field of vision and stimulate his thinking.合译最主要的就是找关系，这句关系并不好找~
3，“对创作也是有帮助的”译为stands to benefit in writing，其中stands作“出于某种状态”解~,
4，“可是怎么才能不酗酒、不作酒鬼，这有益的定量究竟是多少呢？”注意这句话其实两个问句哦，第一个是“如何不酗酒”，第二个是“定量是多少”，故拆译为But how can he avoid excessive drinking or becoming of drunkard? What is the safety limit in this respect?
5，“怕就怕”是比较口语的说法，翻译时译为“The trouble is…”
6, “豪情大发”= get wild and unrestrained；此处拟声词”嘟嘟嘟”译出来会显得啰嗦，因此略去不译，“瓶底朝天“= gulping down a whole bottle（囫囵喝下整瓶）
综述：注意口语化说法的翻译，以及本段第二句的翻译~
声明：本双语文章的中文评析系沪江英语原创内容，转载请注明出处。中文评析仅代表作者个人观点，仅供参考。如有不妥之处，欢迎指正。
