中译英｜逃出大英博物馆（老规矩：不过万不更新）

2023-09-11 03:09

【原文】

“从哪来回哪去。” “你要带我回中国吗？”

近来，一段名为《逃出大英博物馆》的视频火了。据介绍，《逃出大英博物馆》是两位网络博主拍摄的3集系列短片，讲述的是一盏中国玉壶“逃出”大英博物馆寻找回国之路的故事。看完短剧的网友们则表示，其中最令人动容的一幕，是小玉壶来到记者和朋友的住处后感叹，“这么大的柜子只住两个人”。

前几日，大英博物馆声明自己是“文物盗窃”受害者，然而追根溯源，中国显然才是文物被盗的最大受害者之一。据统计，在大英博物馆里有约2.3万件来自中国的文物，其中约2000件长期展示。文物囊括了新石器时代的石器、仰韶文化的彩陶、商周春秋战国的青铜器、唐宋三彩、珐琅器等几乎所有艺术类别，件件都是绝世珍藏。它们被簇拥在玻璃柜里，一个个冰冷的编号试图掩盖它们背后的故事。

据报道，迄今中国流失文物的回归途径主要有三种，即购回、捐回和追索。据统计，从1949年至2019年的70年间，中国通过各种途径，成功促成了300余批次、共15万件流失文物回归祖国。近几年在各方努力下，又有多批次流失文物回归。愿我们的文物，早日回家！

【参考译文】

“You should return to your hometown.” “Will you take me back to China?”

Recently, a video series named “Escape from the British Museum” has gone viral. As a three-episode series directed by two Chinese vloggers, it tells the journey of how a Chinese jade teapot escapes from the British Museum and finds its own way back to China. Viewers were particularly moved by a scene where the little teapot exclaims “Such a big cabinet is shared only by two people!” upon arrival at the place of the journalist and his friend.

A few days ago, the British Museum claimed to be the victim of “cultural theft” which, if we look back to the history, is apparently what China has indeed suffered from. Statistics have shown that there are approximately 23,000 Chinese relics in the British Museum, with about 2,000 of them on long-term display. These priceless relics, including stone tools in the Neolithic period, colorful pottery from the Yangshao culture, bronze artifacts in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, tri-colored glazed pottery of Tang and Song dynasties, and enamels, involve nearly all artistic categories. They are numbered and packed in glass cabinets so that their origins are concealed.

It is reported that there are three common ways to retrieve lost Chinese cultural artifacts: purchase, donation, and demands. From 1949 to 2019, a total of 150,000 Chinese relics in over 300 batches were recovered. Recent years have seen more batches reclaimed thanks to combined efforts. May all of our lost cultural treasures come back home soon!

翻译组：

Alf，小小少年，很多烦恼

校对组：

Lora，一只庸俗的骡，一只脱离了高级趣味的骡

Anne，女，爱读书爱Borges的小翻译，热爱文艺，经济学人爱好者

解析组：

Alf，小小少年，很多烦恼

【翻译解析】

1.“这么大的柜子只住两个人”。

如果顺着字面直译的话可以是：There are only two people living in such a big cabinet. 但显然不是很对味儿，总感觉意思没出来。所以不妨转换一下视角，译为Such a big cabinet is shared only by two people! 这就把原文所隐含的意外之感给翻出来了。

2. “大英博物馆声明自己是‘文物盗窃’受害者，然而追根溯源，中国显然才是文物被盗的最大受害者之一。”

这句话里有两个“受害者”，在汉译英的时候尽量不把两个都翻出来，可以归一处理，不然英文行文会显得比较啰嗦；“追根溯源”可以但没有必要点出是origin，理解一下原文不难发现就是回望过去的意思。因此整句话不妨译为The British Museum claimed to be the victim of “cultural theft” which, if we look back to the history, is apparently what China has indeed suffered from.

3. “它们被簇拥在玻璃柜里，一个个冰冷的编号试图掩盖它们背后的故事。”

读完整句话会发现“簇拥”“编号”“掩盖”在这儿比较适合以谓语动词的形式出现在英语译文中，所以译文的结构大致上可以确定，即They are numbered and packed in glass cabinets，接着后半句讲“掩盖”。后半句原译是as if it were a try to conceal their origins，改译为so that their origins are concealed，这样的处理能让语气听上去更坚决，更好地点明作者的立场。

4. “300余批次、共15万件”

这个表达比较基础，但是很固定很常见，所以就单拎出来了，我们可以说：a total of 150,000 Chinese relics in over 300 batches。

5. “近几年在各方努力下，又有多批次流失文物回归。”

如果贴着字面来翻的话，可以是In recent years, more batches have come back home under the joint efforts of all sides.意思基本上没有问题，但是参考译文Recent years have seen more batches reclaimed thanks to combined efforts.在灵活性和生动性上明显更胜一筹。