学问与趣味Learning and Personal Inclination

梁实秋 Liang Shiqiu

| 译文摘自张培基《英译中国散文选一》

一个有中上天资的人,对于普通的基本的文理科目,都同样的有学习的能力,绝不会本能的长于此而拙于彼。只有懒惰与任性,才能使一个人自甘暴弃的在“趣味”的掩护之下败退。由小学到中学,所修习的无非是一些普通的基本知识。就是大学四年,所授课业 也还是相当粗浅的学识。
People with an average natural gift are equally capable of mastering the basics of liberal arts and natural science. They are never predetermined by nature to be good in one subject and poor in another. It is laziness and waywardness, however, that causes one to give himself up as hopeless and back down on the pretext of "no interest". Primary and secondary school will impart to you only some rudiments of knowledge .Even what you learn during the four years of university will be something quite superficial too.

要点:
1.“对于…有同样的能力”=be equally capable of doing ,其原型是be capable of doing
2,“本能的”文中译为predominated by nature,同义词有instinctive, innate, inborn, congenital
3,” 长于此而拙于彼”= be good in one subject and poor in another,可以和上文的“而语文程度不足以达意”一起记
4,“在’趣味’的掩护之下败退”意即“借口‘缺乏趣味’而放弃不干”,故译为back down on the pretext of "no interest",其中back down意为“打退堂鼓,放弃,让步”
5,rudiment意为“基本原理,基础”此外还有许多词可表“基本的”如:basic, fundamental

综述:本段还是有一些如“长于此而拙于彼“之类的具有鲜明汉语特色的词出现,翻译时注意抓本质含义~

世人常称大学为“最高学府”,这名称易滋误解,好像过此 以上即无学问可言。大学的研究所才是初步研究学问的所在,在这里作学问也只能算 是粗涉藩篱,注重的是研究学问的方法与实习。学无止境,一生的时间都嫌太短,所以古人皓首穷经,头发白了还是在继续研究,不过在这样的研究中确是有浓厚的趣味。
A university has often been misleadingly referred to as "the highest seat of learning", which sounds as if there were no more learning to speak of beyond it. The research institute of a university, however, is the place for preliminary scholarship. But even there you get only the first taste of learning and the emphasis is on research methodology and practice. Art is long, life is short. That is why some of our ancients continued to study even when they were hoary.

要点:
1,“世人常称大学为‘最高学府’,这名称易滋误解”译为”大学经常被误称为‘最高学府’“=本句为了突出新信息而采用了被动语态~译为A university has often been misleadingly referred to as "the highest seat of learning"
2,“无…可言“可用no…to speak of表示,如在旧社会,该城毫无工业可言,那时他还是孩子。 In the old days, when he was a child, the city had no industry to speak of.
3,“是…所在“=be the place for
4, 初涉藩篱,意译为get only the first taste of learning
5,“学无止境,一生的时间都嫌太短“译为Art is long, life is short.其中,art
作“学问,知识“解=learning, scholarship.根据《张培基散文选》的注释,art is long,一句见于美国十九世纪诗人Longfellow(郎费罗)的名著A Psalm of Life(人生礼赞),今借用之~
6,“皓首穷经” 指一直到年老头白之时还在深入钻研经书和古籍。同下文“头发白了还是在继续研究”意思重复,因此只取一个来译~

综述:本段句式不难,重点在于积累表达

在初学的阶段,由小学至大学,我们与其倡言趣味,不如偏重纪律。一个合理编列的课程表,犹如一个营养均衡的食谱,里面各个项目都是有益而必需的,不可偏废,不可再有选择。所谓选修科目也只是在某一项目范围内略拣选余地而已。
During the preliminary stage of learning, from primary school to college, it is better to advocate discipline than interest. A properly arranged school curriculum, like a cookbook for a nutritionally well-balanced food, must include all the useful and indispensable courses-courses which are equally important and obligatory. The so-called electives mean only some little option within the scope of a certain item.

要点:
1,“与其…不如…”通常是用more(或比较级) 。。。than来表示的,如:So my point is that some of these groups are actually more like an angel groups than a venture capital fund.(我认为,这些团体与其说是风险资本基金,不如说实际上仍是天使团体。)
此外,not so much as,和rather than 也通常用来表示此意,如:
① I think you'd call it a lecture rather than a talk.(我认为,与其说这是交谈,不如说是演讲。)
② It was not so much a rebirth as a recovery of an older culture.(与其说它是古代文化的再生,倒不如说是它的再现。)
注意!!!!!不论是more than,还是rather than,not so much as,在翻译时都要先翻than或as后的内容!
2,properly arranged和well-balanced,都是英语复合词中“副词+过分“的结构,常见的相同结构的词有:well known著名的,而equally important 则是”副词+形容词“结构的复合词,复合词的使用可以使行文更加生动简洁

综述:掌握“与其说…到不如说“的表达~

一个受过良好教育的人,犹如一个科班出身的戏剧演员,在坐科的时候他是要服从严格纪律的,唱工作工武把子都要认真学习,各种角色的戏都要完全谙通,学成之后才能各按其趣味而单独发展其所长。
A well-educated person is like a professionally trained Peking opera singer. While undergoing the training, he must observe a most exact discipline. He must pay equal attention to singing, acting, and acrobatic skills, and learn to play different roles. It is not until he has finished the all-around training that he begins to develop his own specialty according to his personal disposition.

要点:
1,“科班出身“=”经过专业训练的“,依旧是”副词+过去分词“的形式
2,“严格纪律“译为a most exact discipline,其中a most意为”非常“,而exact除了有”精确的“的意思,还有”严格的“意思哦
3,“唱工作工武把子“中的”武把子“意为”表演武打的人“此处作”武打技能“译为acrobatic skills
4,deposition=性情性格,=character, temper ,personality

综述:注意以上重点词用法~

学问要有根底,根底要打得平正坚实,以后永远受用。初学阶段的科目之最重要莫过于语文与数学。语文是阅读达意的工具,国文不通便很难表达自己,外国文不通便很难吸取外来的新知。数学是思想条理之最好的训练。其他科目也各有各的用处,其重要性很难强分轩轾,例如体育,从另一方面看也是重要得无以复加。
Laying a solid foundation for learning will be of great lifelong benefit to you. Of all the school subjects during the preliminary stage of learning, languages and mathematics are the most important. Languages serve as a tool for reading and communication. Without a good knowledge of Chinese, you will find it difficult to express yourself. Without a good knowledge of a foreign language, you will find it difficult to absorb new knowledge from abroad. Mathematics makes for logic thinking. Other subjects also have their respective uses. It is hard to say which is more important. Physical education, for example, is also extremely important from another point of view.

要点:
1,“语文是阅读达意的工具”中的“是”译为serve as意为“充当,担任”,后面主要街“工具,手段等词“这个表达在翻译中也是灰常常见,如:贸易,应当是互相满足对方的需要,不应当成为经济掠夺的一种手段。
Trade should be an exchange to meet each others needs. It should not serve as a means of economic plunder.
此外act as,有时也可用来表示“是“~
2, make for意为“有利于,对…有益,拥护“
3, “其重要性很难强分轩轾“中”难分轩轾“意为”不分伯仲,难以分出高下“故意译为It is hard to say which is more important.
4, “重要得无以复加“也采用了意译的手法,译为extremely important

综述:本段注意之前不常见的make for, 以及serve as的用法~

总之,我们在求学的时代,应该暂且把趣味放在一边,耐着性子接受教育的纪律,把自己锻炼成为坚实的材料。学问的趣味,留在将来慢慢享受一点也不迟。
In short, while in school, we should temporarily put aside our personal liking and patiently observe school discipline so that we may temper ourselves and become solid stuff. Don't hurry, there will be a time for you to find relish in learning in the days to come.

要点:
1,本文中的“趣味“意即”喜爱,个人兴趣“译文中译为liking,此外还有inclination ,fondness,也是表达此类含义的”高级用词“哦
2,temper作动词意为“锻炼,使缓和“,如:temper oneself in a grassroots unit
下基层锻炼
3,“留在将来慢慢享受一点也不迟“译为there will be a time for you to find relish in learning in the days to come.反话正说,将”不迟…”转译为“还有时间做某事”,用肯定句加强了语气~
4,in the days to come之前也见到过,表示“将来“,这个用法很常见哦

综述:本段句式上无难点,注意liking, relish, temper等重点词用法即可~

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。