我坐了木船I Took a Wooden Boat

叶圣陶Ye Shengtao

| 译文摘自张培基《英译中国散文选一》

从重庆到汉口,我坐了木船。

木船危险,当然知道。一路上数不清的滩,礁石随处都是,要出事,随时可以出。还有盗匪——实在是最可怜的同胞,他们种地没得吃,有力气没处出卖,当了兵经常饿肚皮,无可奈何只好出此下策。——假如遇见了,把铺盖或者身上衣服带下去,也是异常难处的事儿。

I took a wooden boat from Chongqing to Hankou.
  Of course I know it is risky to travel by wooden boat. With countless shoals and reefs to negotiate, accidents may happen any time. To complicate matters, there are bandits lurking around-those pitiful fellow countrymen who, unable to ward off starvation by farming or soldiering or whatnot, have been reduced to the disreputable business as a last resort. I'll be in a real fix if they should rob me of, say, my bedding or clothes.

要点:
1,“一路上数不清的滩,礁石随处都是,要出事,随时可以出。”此句乍看没有主语,隐藏主语为“意外事件”,因此译为With countless shoals and reefs to negotiate, accidents may happen any time. with句交代背景~
2,“种地没得吃,有力气没处出卖,当了兵经常饿肚皮”是指这些人不管干什么都免不了挨饿,译为unable to ward off(避开,防止) starvation by farming or soldiering or whatnot(等等)
3,“无可奈何只好出此下策”译为have been reduced to the disreputable business as a last resort.其中,disreputable business(不体面的行为)指“下策”,reduced to意为“被逼从事…”(之前我们在《背影》中也见到过be in reduced circumstances这个表述,意为“光景惨淡”),as a last resort 意为“作为最后一招”。
4,be in a real fix 意为“陷入困境”或“尴尬”~多读大师的翻译我们可以发现,高境界的译文很大程度上是靠这些不常见的小词撑起来的~

综述:
本段乃至本篇文章的语言翻译起来都需要几经推敲,比如“无可奈何只好出此下策”=“被逼着从事不体面的勾当来维持生活”,就像之前说的要深挖它最本质的意思~

但是,回转来想,从前没有轮船,没有飞机,历来走川江的人都坐木船。就是如今,上上下下的还有许多人在那里坐木船,如果统计起来,人数该比坐轮船坐飞机的多。
Now, on reflection, I realize that in the days before steamers and aircraft came into use, people used to travel by wooden boat up and down the Sichuan section of the Yangtze River. Even today, many continue to do so, and statistic will invariably show a higher percentage of people travelling by wooden boat than by steamer or aircraft.

要点:
1,“回转来想”译为on reflection(反思,回想)
2,看到up and down许多童鞋会下意识地反应为“上上下下”,其实它也有“来来往往”之意
3,“在那里坐木船”译为中的“那里”一定要讲明是川江,即the Sichuan section(地区地段) of the Yangtze River,之前《背影》中的“那年冬天”也译为“In the winter of more than two years ago”,随时都要有身为一个译者的自觉~
4,statistic will invariably show=“据统计”,新说法~换掉你的according!
5,“(数量)比…多”=“(比率)比…高”,译为a higher percentage (of)…than…,又是一个新表述,如According to the table above , compared with volleyball, basketball has a higher percentage.
(与排球相比,篮球的比例更大)

综述:本段着重注意几个新表述,积累起来哦~

人家可以坐,我就不能坐吗?我又不比人家高贵。至于危险,不考虑也罢。轮船飞机就不危险吗?安步当车似乎最稳妥了,可是人家屋檐边也可以掉下一张瓦片来。要绝对避免危险就莫要做人。
Why shouldn't I do the same? Why should I think it beneath myself to travel by wooden boat? As for safety, is it less dangerous to travel by steamer or aircraft? Going on foot seems to be the best choice, but a tile falling off the eaves of somebody's house might prove equally disastrous to foot passengers. Enjoying absolute safety is humanly impossible.

1,“人家可以坐,我就不能坐吗?”是一个反问句,根据意思译为Why shouldn't I do the same?
2,“轮船飞机就不危险吗?”是另一个反问句,译为is it less dangerous to travel by steamer or aircraft?它的意思等同于Isn’ it dangerous to travel by streamer or aircraft?
3,“要绝对避免危险就莫要做人”译为Enjoying absolute safety is humanly impossible. humanly意为“从做人的角度看”,我等平民一定会将这句话当做一个条件句来处理,然而译者转换说法,让这句话译得很妙,婶婶地感受到了自己和大师的差距~

综述:本段积累反问句的译法,反问句在翻译时有时译为一般疑问句,有时译为特殊疑问句,还有时译为陈述句。

要坐轮船坐飞机,自然也有办法。只要往各方去请托,找关系,或者干脆买张黑票。先说黑票,且不谈付出超过定额的钱,力有不及,心有不甘,单单一个“黑”字,就叫你不愿领教。
It stands to reason that I can go by steamer or aircraft if I care to. I can simply go around fishing for help or personal connections, or just buy a "black" ticket. But I'll have to pay more than the regular price for a "black" ticket, which I can ill afford and which I disdain to do. And the very word "black" generates in me a feeling of repulsion.

要点:
1,“自然也有办法”译为it stands to reason that…(自然)
2,“请托,找关系”译为fish for help or personal connection,本文关于“请托”的表述很多,童鞋们注意积累
3,“且不谈付出超过定额的钱,力有不及,心有不甘。”根据意思翻为But I'll have to pay more than the regular price for a "black" ticket, which I can ill afford and which I disdain to do.意为“我不得不付超过定额的钱,这些钱我付不起也不愿意付”。这种将三个分句融进一个句子的手法值得学习。
4,Can ill afford 意为“难以提供”,如:I can ill afford it.
这我办不到。(又是一个can’t 的进阶版~
5,四字短语,一般是根据意思翻译的,文中“心有不甘”意即“不屑一顾”,译为disdain to do。Disdain意为“蔑视,( ̄_, ̄ )不屑”常和for搭配,如:I have nothing but disdain for such a person.
对这种人我只是蔑视。
6,“the very word "black" generates in me a feeling of repulsion”中generate in sb a feeling of有木有很熟悉,之前在《艰难的国运与雄健的国民》中这个表述也有出境哦~
7,very word 中的very 无实际意义,这哥们儿就是来加强加强语气的,有时可以译为“正是,恰恰”,如:Soft, is the very word for her eye.(柔媚正是描写她眼神的字眼。)

综述:本段译起来的确有些烧脑,原因就在于其语言的文学性高,译时要不断推敲~大家注意积累高级表达

“黑”字表示作弊,表示越出常轨。你买黑票,无异同作弊,赞助越出常轨。一个人既不能独立转移风气,也该在消极方面有所自守,邦同作弊,赞助越出常轨的事儿,总可以免了吧,——这自然是书生之见,不免通达的人一笑。
"Black" signified fraud or illegal practice. Buying a "black" ticket is as good as getting involved in a fraud or an illegal practice. If it is beyond one's capacity to single-handedly stem the prevailing social evils, one should at least be self-disciplined so as not to make matters worse. All this is undoubtedly the pedantic view of bookish person—a view which must sound ridiculous to all sensible gentlemen.

要点:
1, signify=表明,说明;预示,表达~他的小伙伴还有: mean indicate show imply suggest denote(表示,偏重字面上) connote(意味着,暗示,偏重隐含义)
2, “无异同”=“无异于”译为as good as
3, “不能够做某事”=beyond one’s capacity to do, 此外还有“be in no position to do”等表述也可以表示“不能”,不要给我说can’t不要跟我说can’t~(还记得之前有个类似的can ill afford吗,把它叫出来我们谈谈 (~ o ~)~
4, single-handedly意为“单独地,单枪匹马地”
5, “风气”这个词在翻译时也很常见,可以根据语境译为ethos,fashion, climate等词,此处译者将其译为social evils,(社会弊病)
6, “书生之见”译为the pedantic view of bookish person,其中pedantic=impractical,作“不现实的”解
7, “通达”即“明事理的”,译作sensible

综述:
本段的重点依旧在理解和积累高级表达~

再说请托找关系,听人家说他们的经验,简直与谋差使一样的麻烦。在传达室恭候,在会客室恭候,幸而见了那要见的人,他听说你要设法买船票,或是飞机票,爱理不理的答复你说,“困难呢……下个星期再来打听吧……”于是你觉得好像有一线希望,又好像毫无把握,只得挨到下星期再去。
Some people have told me from their own experience that soliciting help or speaking personal connections is something as difficult as hunting for a job. You may be kept cooling your heels in a janitor's office or a reception room before an interview is granted. Hearing that you are trying to get a steamer or air ticket, the much sought-after interview may reply in a cold and indifferent manner, "Ah, that's difficult...Come see me next week..." Thereupon you seem to see a ray of hope, and you may also feel totally uncertain of success. All you can do is wait until then.

要点:
1,注意“请托关系”又粗现啦,这次译者用了soliciting help or speaking personal connections,其中solicit意为“征求,索求,请求…给与”如:We solicit a continuance of your confidence and support.
我们寻求你的持续信任和支持
2,“在传达室恭候,在会客室恭候”译为You may be kept cooling your heels in a janitor's office or a reception room before an interview is granted.其中cool your heels意为“长等,空等”。
3, sought-after意为“吃香的,紧俏的,广受欢迎的”如:There is no doubt that the Ford Mustang is one of the most highly sought after vehicles in automotive history.
毫无疑问,福特野马是其中最高度追捧的车辆在汽车的历史。
4,“爱理不理的”译为in a cold and different manner

综述:本段可以给“请托关系”的相关表述做个总结啦~

跑了不知多少趟,总算有眉目了,又得往这一处签字,那一处盖章,看种种的脸色,候种种的传唤,为的是得一份充分的证据,可以去换张票子。
After making you don't know how many visits, there eventually appear signs of positive outcome. Then you have to go here and there to get a signature or a seal, meet with all sorts of cold reception and wait for all sorts of summonses—all for the purpose of obtaining a useful certificate to buy a ticket with.

要点:
1,“跑了不知多少趟,总算有眉目了”译为After making you don't know how many visits, there eventually appear signs of positive outcome.
注意其中的you don’t know how是插入语,修饰many。
2,“眉目”即“积极的结果”=sign of positive outcome
2,“这一处签字,那一处盖章”=“跑东跑西地到处签字盖章”,译为go here and there to get a signature or a seal~
3,“为的是”译为all for the purpose of,其中for the purpose of意为“为了”,同义的还有with a view to, with the purpose of,关于目的的表述在翻译中十分常见,童鞋们要注意积累不同表述,避免翻译时千篇一律。

综述:注意本句没有主语哦,翻译时一定要寻找隐藏的主语~
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