中译英｜徐涛《历史的面孔》之容闳的使命：入海的第一滴水

2023-10-31 00:10

【原文】

容闳一生都在放弃，一生也都在争取。

从耶鲁大学毕业后，他放弃了在美国的生活，回国争取为国效力的机会。初到国内，他放弃了当律师、当买办发财的机会，宁可贫穷，也要争取尊严。在将近十年的时间里，他都像孔子所说的“丧家之犬”，在自己的祖国成了游民。结识曾国藩后，他暂时放弃了自己的理想，去争取一个长远的机会。戊戌变法后，他放弃了平稳的生活，宁可成为通缉犯，也要选择革命救国。

容闳的一生，无愧于“赤子”的称号。

【参考译文】

Yung Wing spent his entire life giving up the small self to pursue the greater one.

After graduating from Yale University, he relinquished the comforts of life in America to return to China and seek opportunities to serve his country. Upon arrival, he turned down the chance to become a lawyer or a profiteer to make a great fortune, pursuing dignity even trapped in poverty. For nearly a decade, he lived like "a stray dog" as Confucius once talked of, becoming a drifter in his own homeland. After making the acquaintance of Zeng Guofan, Yung Wing temporarily set aside his own aspirations to seek a long-term opportunity. In the wake of China's Reform Movement of 1898, he abandoned a stable life, choosing to become a wanted revolutionary in order to contribute to the salvation of his country.

Yung Wing’s whole life was the epitome of a “true patriot.”

翻译组：

Alf，小小少年，很多烦恼

校对组：

JackJan，实践出真知

Lora，一只庸俗的骡，一只脱离了高级趣味的骡

解析组：

Lora，一只庸俗的骡，一只脱离了高级趣味的骡

【翻译解析】

1.“放弃”和“争取”。

文中以排比的形式多次重复使用这对反义词，在翻译时要照顾英文的“不喜重复”，在用词上灵活使用近义词。如relinquish, turn down, set aside, abandon,表示放弃；pursue, seek, choose, in order to 表示争取。

2.时间状语不止一种译法。

中文以时间顺序组织语段，每一句开头都有时间状语。从耶鲁大学毕业后，after graduating from Yale University;初到国内，upon arrival; 在将近十年的时间里， for nearly a decade; 结识曾国藩后, after making the acuquaintance of Zeng Guofan; 戊戌变法后，in the wake of ...

3.容闳的一生，无愧于“赤子”的称号。

这句有两个难点：无愧于+赤子。“无愧于”可以理解为当之无愧be worth the title of ...，或rightly praised，也可以像译文一样理解为“是典型的……”be the epitome of ...。“赤子”不宜直译，要根据上文理解，提炼出容闳“争取”的初衷是爱国。

4.容闳一生都在放弃，一生也都在争取。

中文并未开头说明放弃什么，争取什么，相当于卖了个关子。但是读者看完整篇节选之后不难归纳出，容闳放弃的是个人利益，争取的是国家和人民的利益。倘若翻译成Yung Wing spent his entire life giving up and pursuing.未免叫人不知所云，不符合英文开门见山的行文特点。