作为中国四大名著之一的《水浒传》，不仅对中国社会产生深远影响，在国外也备受关注和喜爱。《水浒传》的英译本有四个版本，其中较受欢迎，影响较大的是美国女作家赛珍珠版本的All Men Are Brothers。

赛译以直译为主，尽可能保留了原作的风格和意义，甚至原封不动地保留了一些即使中文读者也不是很感兴趣的内容。

例1、水浒传

赛译：All Men Are Brothers

解析：赛译“All Men Are Brothers”引用了《论语》中的名句“四海之内皆兄弟”，表达了梁山好汉之间的兄弟义气。

 

例2、若问我名字，吓碎你心胆

赛译：It will frighten your heart and gall into pieces.

解析：从这短短一句中，就能清晰看出赛译的特点，赛译逐字直译，表现出原文的夸张，译文也生动贴切。

 

例3、原来宋江是个好汉，只爱学使枪棒，与女色上不十分要紧。这阎婆惜水也似后生，况兼十八九岁，正在妙龄之际，因此，宋江不中那婆娘意。

译文：Because Sung Chiang was originally and by nature a good fellow and he loved only to use weapons and learn the ways of war and the love of women was to him a thing of no great importance. But this Po Hsi was a woman as unstable as water, and she was but eighteen or nineteen years old, and was in the flower of her youth, and for this she was not pleased with Sung Chiang.

解析：中文讲究意合，是“竹式结构”，多短句，句子之间地位平等，不太讲究严密的逻辑。而英语是“树形结构”，多长句、从句，句子结构严谨、讲究逻辑。赛珍珠在翻译时，也刻意保留了中文的“竹式结构”，多用“and”连接，而没有采取从句的方式。

 

例4、鲁达再入一步，踏住胸脯，提起那醋钵儿大小拳头，看着这郑屠道：“洒家始投老种经略相公，做到关西五路廉访使，也不枉了叫做镇关西。你是个卖肉的操刀屠户，狗一般的人，也叫做镇关西！你如何强骗了金翠莲！”

译文：Then Lu Ta went forward another step and as Cheng sprawled there, Lu put one foot in his breast. Lu Ta’s fists, each as big as a coarse earthen bowl, were outstretched and his eyes glared down at Cheng and he said, “ I was at first a guard before the general’s gate, and then I was raised to be an official over five different districts, and I do not think I held the title of lord in vain, and are you fit to be called by that name, who are but a meat-selling, knife-holding butcher — a man like a dog. Shall you be called an official? How did you dare to use force to cheat the maid surnamed Chin and named Jade Lotus?

解析：上文片段为“鲁提辖拳打镇关西”的片段，体现了鲁智深鲜明的人物形象。语言口语化，通俗生动。译文选词上也多为常用词，虽为直译，尽量保留了原文短句的形式，但多个“and”连接，反而失去了原文简练的特点。

 

赛珍珠为了保持原汁原味，尽可能还原原作中的叙述方式：

1、标题。《水浒传》为章回体小说，其标题多对偶，赛珍珠在翻译时也保留了对偶特征。

例5、入云龙斗法破高廉  黑旋风下井救柴进

译文：The Dragon Of The Clouds uses his magic to vanquish Kao. The Black Whirlwind descends into a well to save Chai Chin.

     三山聚义打青州  众虎同心归水泊

译文：The three mountains gather together to attack Ching Chou. All the tigers turn to the robber’s lair.

 

2、套语。套语是中国古典章回体小说的重要标志之一，极具中国文化特色。在每章结束时，作者会用“欲知后事如何，请听下回分解”这样的套语将故事引入到下一章节。

例6、......且听下回分解。

译文：......Pray hear it told in the next chapter

例7、......不在话下

译文：......Of that no more need be said.

例8、且说......

译文：Let it be told further...

解析：赛珍珠在翻译时保留了中国古典章回体小说文体，给读者带来一种新鲜感和陌生感，同时也让译文读者在一定程度上了解中国古典文化。

 

虽然很多学者对赛珍珠的译文褒贬不一，但不可否认的是，这种直译的方式，很大程度上保留了中国古典文学色彩，虽然会让西方读者一开始难以接受，但是却为其展现了中国古典文学的特点，带给读者一种新鲜和独特的感受，促进不同文化之间的交流与碰撞。