我和北大图书馆
Peking University Library and I

季羡林
Ji Xianlin

| 译文摘自张培基《英译中国散文选二》

我对北大图书馆有一种特殊的感情，这种感情潜伏在我的内心深处，从来没有明确地意识到 过。最近图书馆的领导同志要我写一篇讲图书馆的文章，我连考虑都没有，立即一口答应。但我立刻感到有点吃惊。我现在事情还是非常多的，抽点时间，并非易 事。为什么竟立即答应下来了呢？如果不是心中早就蕴藏着这样一种感情的话，能出现这种情况吗？
I cherish a particular affection for Peking University Library—an affection that has hidden deep in my heart without my knowledge. Therefore, recently when the curator asked me to write an article on the library, I readily agreed without any hesitation. Nevertheless, immediately afterwards, I felt a bit surprised at the rash promise I had made, for, with already too many irons in the fire, I could hardly have time to spare. What had made me give the promise? Could I have done that had it not been for my deep-seated affection for the University library?

要点：
1. “但我立刻感到有点吃惊。我现在事情还是非常多的，抽点时间，并非易事。”意为“我立刻对自己轻率的允诺感到吃惊，因为我有许多事要办，很难抽出时间” 两句有隐含的因果关系，因此可以合起来译为一句为Nevertheless, immediately afterwards, I felt a bit surprised at the rash promise I had made, for, with already too many irons in the fire, I could hardly have time to spare.其中rash译为“轻率的”是增益成分，起解释说明作用。
2. too many irons in the fire是英语成语，译为“同时有许多事要做”
3. “抽点时间，并非易事”转换说法，译为“我几乎抽不出时间”= I could hardly have time to spare，并没有直接用don’t来否定，而是采取否定转移，以副词hardly来表示
4. “为什么竟立即答应下来了呢？”意即“是什么驱使我答应下来了呢”译为What had made me give the promise?
5. “如果不是心中早就蕴藏着这样一种感情的话，能出现这种情况吗”译为Could I have done that had it not been for my deep-seated affection for the University library?注意本句中包含虚拟语气的疑问句，其中had it not been for 为if it had not been for 的省略形式。

综述：又是季羡林大师的一篇文章，他的散文风格一向是平实自然，言简意赅的，注意文章最后一段的虚拟语气的使用，好的翻译也是要有强大语法根基的。

树有根，水有源，我这种感情的根源由来已久了。
Every tree has its roots and every river its source. My deep affection for the University library has an origin of long standing.

要点：“由来已久”译为 has an origin of long standing。

1946年，我从欧洲回国。去国将近11年，在落叶满长安（长安街也）的深秋季节，又回到了北平。在北大工作，内心感情的波动是难以形容的，既兴奋，又寂寞；既愉快，又惆怅。然而我立刻就到了一下可以安身立命的地方，这就是北大图书馆。当时我单身住在红楼，我的办公室（东语系办公室）是在灰楼。图书馆就介乎其中。
In 1946, I returned to China after staying Europe for about eleven years. When I arrived in Peiping, it was late autumn, with Chang’an Street strewn with fallen leaves. My first days at Peking University found me experiencing an indescribable mixed feeling of both elation and loneliness, and both joy and gloom. Fortunately, I soon found a place where I could settle down to a tranquil life and get on with my work, that is, Peking University Library. At that time, I lived alone at the Red Building and my office, the office of the Oriental Languages Department, was in the Gray Building. And the University library was situated in-between.

要点：
1. “1946年，我从欧洲回国。去国将近11年，在落叶满长安（长安街也）的深秋季节，又回到了北平。”这句话如果按原文顺序译必定会造成句式的冗杂，因此要适当调换顺序，对句子成分重新进行排列组合即“1946年在出国11年后我又回到了祖国。到达北平的时候正是深秋，落叶布满了长安街”译为In 1946, I returned to China after staying Europe for about eleven years. When I arrived in Peiping, it was late autumn, with Chang’an Street strewn with fallen leaves.
2. “在北大工作，内心感情的波动是难以形容的，既兴奋，又寂寞；既愉快，又惆怅”可理解为“初到北大，内心感情…”译为My first days at Peking University found me experiencing an indescribable mixed feeling of both elation and loneliness, and both joy and gloom.
3. “然而我立刻就到了一下可以安身立命的地方”译为Fortunately, I soon found a place where I could settle down to a tranquil life and get on with my work.其中fortunately是增译部分，表达作者内心的喜悦，也起到承上启下的作用
4. “安身立命的地方”即“能够安静生活专心工作的地方”译为a place where I could settle down to a tranquil life and get on with my work

综述：注意第一句的翻译，句式特别散的时候，要注意整合。

承当时图书馆的领导特别垂青，在图书馆里给了一研究室，在楼下左侧。窗外是到 灰楼去的必由之路，经常有人走过，不能说是很清静。但是在图书馆这一面，却是清静异常。我的研究室左右，也都是教授研究室，当然室各有主，但是颇少见人 来，所以走廊里静如古寺，真是念书写作的好地方。我能在奔波数万里、扰攘十几年，有时梦想得到一张一尺见方的书桌而渺不可得的情况下，居然有了一间窗明几 净的研究室，简直如坐天堂，如享天福了。
Thanks to the thoughtfulness of the curator, I was allotted a research room in the library, on the left side of its ground floor. It was a bit noisy out of the window due to a passage alongside the building, which was the only leading to the Gray Building. But it was very quiet in the library itself though. Around me were also research rooms belonging to other professors, but I seldom saw them. So it was all quiet in the corridor, like in an ancient temple. It was an ideal place for doing studies and writing indeed. Imagine how overwhelmed with joy I was to have a bright research room complete with a desk after spending more than a decade rushing about form place to place sometimes with the vain dream of getting a mere small desk of my own!

要点：
1. “承当时图书馆的领导特别垂青…”中的“垂青”此处理解为“照顾”比较好，译为thoughtfulness of the curator…
2. “奔波数万里、扰攘十几年”译为spending more than a decade rushing about form place to place，其中“扰攘”意为”忙乱,匆忙”，整句话可理解为“花了十几年，匆匆从一个地方到另一个地方”
3. “有时梦想得到一张一尺见方的书桌而渺不可得的情况下”即“有时会做着无用的梦”或“有时会奢望”译为sometimes with the vain dream of getting a mere small desk of my own
4. “一尺见方”意即“小型的”，译为small
5. “简直如坐天堂，如享天福了”理解为“我多么喜出望外啊！”译为Imagine how overwhelmed with joy

综述：本段需要理解原文之后再行翻译。

研究室的真正在害还不在窗明几净——当然，这也是必要的——而在有没有足够的书。在这 一点上，我也得到了意外的满足。图书馆的领导允许我从书库里提一部分必要的书，放在我的研究室里，供随时查用。
To me, however, what really mattered in a research room were not bright windows and clean desks, which were of course also indispensable, but sufficient books. Now I had my wish unexpectedly gratified. I was given permission from the curator to equip my research room with necessary books for easy reference taken direct from the stack rooms.

要点：
1，“真正要害”即“真正重要的是”译为what really mattered。
2，“研究室的真正在害还不在窗明几净——当然，这也是必要的——而在有没有足够的书”采用“不在…而在…”此处使用not… but… 句型。
3，“从书库里提一部分必要的书，放在我的研究室里”即“使我的研究室里有一些必要的书籍”，译为equip my research room with necessary books。
4，“供随时查用”意即“以便查用”，译为for easy reference。

综述：本篇译文在精简句式，转换说法上都做得十分出彩，值得我们学习。

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，如有不妥之处，欢迎指正。