英译中国现代散文选-张培基_word版_.doc

艰难的国运与雄健的国民
李大钊
历史的道路，不会是坦平的，有时走到艰难险阻的境界。这是全靠雄健的精神才能冲过去的(1)。 一条浩浩荡荡的长江大河，有时流到很宽阔的境界(2)，平原无际，一泻万里(3)。有时流到很逼狭的境界，两岸丛山迭岭，绝壁断崖，江河流于期间，回环曲折，极其险峻(4)。民族生命的进展，其经历亦复如是。
人类在历史上的生活正如旅行一样。旅途上的征人(5)所经过的地方，有时是坦荡平原，有时是崎岖险路(6)。志于旅途的人，走到平坦的地方，因是高高兴兴地向前走，走到崎岖的境界，俞是奇趣横生(7)，觉得在此奇绝壮绝(8)的境界，俞能感到一种冒险的美趣(9)。
中华民族现在所逢的史路，是一段崎岖险阻的道路。在这段道路上，实在亦有一种奇绝壮绝的境至，使我们经过此段道路的人，感得一种壮美的趣味，是非有雄健的精神的，不能够感觉到的。
我们的扬子江、黄河，可以代表我们的民族精神，扬子江及黄河遇见沙漠、遇见山峡都是浩浩荡荡的往前流过去，以成其浊流滚滚，一泻万里的魄势(10)。目前的艰难境界，那能阻抑我们民族生命的前进。我们应该拿出雄健的精神，高唱着进行的曲调，在这悲壮歌声中，走过这崎岖险阻的道路。要知(11)在艰难的国运中建造国家，亦是人生最有趣味的事……。
National Crisis vs Heroic Nation
Li Dazhao
The course of history is never smooth. It is sometimes beset with difficulties and
obstacles and nothing short of a heroic spirit can help surmount them.
A mighty long river sometimes flows through a broad section with plains lying
boundless on either side, its waters rolling on non-stop for thousands upon thousands of
miles. Sometimes it comes up against a narrow section flanked by high mountains and
steep cliffs, winding through a course with many a perilous twist and turn. A nation, in the
course of its development, fares likewise.
The historical course of man’s life is just like a journey. A traveler on a long journey
passes through now a broad, level plain, now a rugged, hazardous road. While a
determined traveler cheerfully continues his journey upon reaching a safe and smooth
place, he finds it still more fascinating to come to a rugged place, the enormously
magnificent spectacle of which, he feels, is better able to generate in him a wonderful
sensation of adventure.
The Chinese nation is now confronted with a rugged and dangerous section of its
historical course. Nevertheless, there is also in this section a spectacle of enormous
magnificence that inspires in us passers-by a delightful sensation of splendor. And this
delightful sensation, however, can only be shared by those with a heroic spirit.
The Yangtse River and the Yellow River are both symbolic of our national spirit the
two mighty rivers negotiate deserts and gorges until their turbid torrents surge forward
with irresistible force. The present national crisis can never obstruct the advance of our
national life. Let us brace up our spirits and march through this rugged, dangerous road to
the tune of our solemn, stirring songs. The greatest joy of life, mind you, is to build up our
country during its most difficult days.
注释:
李大钊此文载于1923年12月20日《新国民》第一卷第2号上，短小隽永，堪称一首诗意
盎然的抒情散文诗。作者用象征，比喻等手法，说明历史发展的必然规律以及中国革命面临的艰难险阻。
(1) “这是全靠雄健的精神才能冲过去的”译为nothing short of a heroic spirit can help surmount them，其中nothing short of 相当于nothing less than 或only。
(2)“宽阔的境界”须按上下文译为a broad section。“境界”在这里不宜译为realm、place、
area等。
(3)“一泻万里”译为rolling on non-stop for thousands upon thousands of miles，但也可译为
rolling on vigorously for tens of thousands of miles或rolling on for thousands of miles at a stretch。
(4)“回环曲折，极其险峻”译为winding through a course with many a perilous twist and turn，
其中twist and turn来自成语twists and turns。此句亦可译为following a dangerous tortuous course。
(5)“征人”即“远行之人”，故译“旅途上的征人”为a traveler on a long journey。
(6)“有时……，有时……”译为now……now……（＝sometimes……and sometimes……）。 (7)“奇趣横生”意即“极度吸引人”，故译为fascinating。
(8)“奇绝壮绝”意即“无限壮观”，故译为the enormously magnificent spectacle。
(9)“感到一种冒险的美趣”意即“一种敢于冒险的美妙感觉”，原译为a wonderful sensation
of adventure。
(10)“遇见沙漠，遇见山峡都是浩浩荡荡的往前流过去，以成其浊流滚滚，一泻万里的魄势”
译为negotiate deserts and gorges until their turbid torrents surge forward with irresistible force, 其中动词to negotiate 的意思是“顺利通过”（to succeed in getting past something difficult）。又，注意until在这里的用法。它在此不作“直到……为止”解，而是so that finally（“以至于……”或“最后”）的意思。
(11)“要知”译为mind you，插入句中。成语mind you的意思是mind what I say 或however,
相当于汉语的“请注意”或“说真的”。
螃 蟹
鲁迅
老螃蟹觉得不安了，觉得全身太硬了(1)，自己知道要蜕壳(2)了。
他跑来跑去的寻。他想寻一个窟穴，躲了身子，将石子堵了穴口，隐隐的蜕壳。
他知道外面蜕壳(3)是危险的。身子还软(4)，要被别的螃蟹吃去的。这并非空害怕，他实在亲眼见过。
他慌慌张张的走。
旁边的螃蟹(5)问他说：“老兄，你何以这般慌？”
他说：“我要蜕壳了。”
“就在这里蜕不是很好么？我还要帮你呢。”
“那可太怕人了。”
“你不怕窟穴里的别的东西，却怕我们同种么？”
“我不是怕同种。”
“那是怕什么呢？”
“就怕你要吃掉我(6)。”
The Crab
Lu Xun
An old crab grew restless. Finding himself stiff all over, he knew it was time for him
to moult his shell.
He dashed here and there in search of a cave to hide. He was going to block up the
mouth of cave so that he could moult in secret. He knew it would be very dangerous to
shed his shell in the open because, with his new shell still being soft, he might be eaten up
by other crabs. This fear was not groundless for he himself had really seen it happen to
other moulting crabs.
The old crab kept moving about in a hurry.
A nearby crab asked, “Hey, brother, what’s the rush?”
“I am going to moult,” answered the old crab. “Wouldn’t it be all right to moult right here? I could help you out with it.”
“How horrible that would be!”
“You mean while you’ll not scared of other things in the cave you’re scared of your
own kind?”
“No, I’m not scared of my own kind.”
“Then what are you scared of?”
“Nothing but being eaten up by you.”
注释:
《螃蟹》是近年发现的鲁迅佚文。文章发表于1919年8月间，时值五四运动方兴未艾，作
者通过寓言故事，提醒人们新生事物往往有被旧事物消灭于萌芽状态的危险。
(1)“觉得全身太硬了”译为Finding himself stiff al over，其中all over意即“全身”或“浑
身”，作状语短语用。如逐字译为finding his whole body stiff并无不可，但语言稍欠地道。
(2)“蜕壳”译为to moult his shell，其中to moult 为专用语，意同to cast off。
(3)“外面蜕壳”中的“外面”意即“在露天”，故译为（to moult）in the open，以代替to moult
outside the cave。
(4)“身子还软”意即“蜕去旧壳后新壳还软”，故译为with his new shell still being soft。如
按字面直译为with his body still being soft则欠确切，因“身子”在此指“新壳”，不泛指“躯体”。
(5)“旁边的螃蟹”译为A nearby crab比Ａcrab beside him灵活。
(6)“就怕你要吃掉我”译为Nothing but being eaten up by you, 乃I’m scared of nothing but
being eaten up by you之略。
落花生
许地山
我们屋后有半亩隙地。母亲说：“让它荒芜着怪可惜，既然你们那么爱吃花生，就辟来做花生园罢(1)。”我们几个姊弟(2)和几个小丫头都很喜欢——买种的买种，动土的动土，灌园的灌园；过了不几个月，居然收获了！
妈妈说：“今晚我们可以做一个收获节(3)，也请你们的爹爹来尝尝我们底新花生，如何？”我们都答应了。母亲把花生做成好几样食品(4)，还吩咐这节期要在园里底茅亭举行。
那晚上底天色不大好(5)，可是爹爹也来到，实在很难得！爹爹说：“你们爱吃花生吗？”
我们都争着答应：“爱！”
“谁能把花生底好处说出来？”
姊姊说：“花生底气味很美。”
哥哥说：“花生可以榨油。”
我说：“无论何等人都江堰市可以用贱价买它来吃；都喜欢吃它。这是它的好处。”
爹爹说：“花生底用处固然很多；但有一样是很可贵的。这小小的豆(6)不像那好看的苹果、桃子、石榴，把它们底果实悬在枝上，鲜红嫩绿的颜色(7)，令人一望而发生羡慕的心。它只把果子埋在地底，等到成熟，才容人把它挖出来。你们偶然看见一棵花生瑟缩(8)地长在地上，不能立刻辨出它有没有果实，非得等到你接触它才能知道。”
我们都说：“是的。”母亲也点点头。爹爹接下去说：“所以你们要像花生(9)，因为它是有用的，不是伟大、好看的东西。”我说：“那么，人要做有用的，不要做伟大、体面的人了。”爹爹说：“这是我对于你们的希望。”
我们谈到夜阑才散，所有花生食品虽然没有了，然而父亲底话现在还印在我心版上。
Peanuts
Xu Dishan
Behind our house there lay half a mou of vacant land. Mother said, “it’s a pity to let it
lie waste. Since you all like to eat peanuts so very much, why not plant some here?” that
exhilarated us children and our servant girls as well, and soon we started buying seeds,
ploughing the land and watering the plants. We gathered in a good harvest just after a
couple of months!
Mother said, “How about giving a party this evening to celebrate the harvest and
inviting your Daddy to have a taste of our newly-harvested peanuts?” We all agreed.
Mother made quite a few varieties of goodies out of the peanuts, and told us that the party
would be held in the thatched pavilion on the peanut plot.
It looked like rain that evening, yet, to our great joy, father came nevertheless. “Do
you like peanuts?” asked father.
“Yes, we do!” we vied in giving the answer.
“Which of you could name the good things in peanuts?”
“Peanuts taste good,” said my elder sister.
“Peanuts produce edible oil,” said my elder brother.
“Peanuts are so cheap,” said I, “that anyone can afford to eat them. Peanuts are
everyone’s favourite. That’s why we call peanuts good.”
“It’s true that peanuts have many uses,” said father, “but they’re most beloved in one
respect. Unlike nice-looking apples, peaches and pomegranates, which hang their fruit on
branches and win people’s admiration with their brilliant colours, tiny little peanuts bury
themselves underground and remain unearthed until they’re ripe. When you come upon a
peanut plant lying curled up on the ground, you can never immediately tell whether or not
it bear any nuts until you touch them.”
“That’s true,” we said in unison. Mother also nodded. “So you must take after
peanuts,” father continued, “because they’re useful though not great and nice- looking.”
“Then you mean one should be useful rather than great and nice-looking,” I said.
“That’s what I except of you,” father concluded.
We kept chatting until the party broke up late at night. Today, though nothing is left
of the goodies made of peanuts, father’s words remain engraved in my mind.
注释:
本文是许地山（1892-1941）的名篇。作者回忆自己童年时代一个小小片断，以朴实无华、
清新自然的笔调，从花生的平凡而有用，谈到做人的道理，富于哲理，反映他身处旧社会的污泥
浊流而洁身自好、不慕虚名的思想境界。
(1)原句也可译为why not have them planted here或why not make a peanut plot of it，但现译更
直截了当，且避免在同一句中重复peanuts一词。
(2)“几姊弟”在下文将涉及，为防累赘，译为children。
(3)“做一个收获节”不宜直译为hold a harvest festival，现取意译。
(4)“食品”也可译为food，但不如goodies 贴切；goodies指“好吃的东西”，常用于口语。
(5)“那晚上底天色不大好”译为It looked like rain that evening, 符合原意和英语习惯。
(6)“这小小的豆”译为tiny little peanuts。英语中常把tiny和little用在一起，有“小得可怜
（爱）”等含意。
(7)“鲜红嫩绿”不宜直译，译brilliant colours即可。
(8)“瑟缩”意即“蜷曲而不舒展”，故有现译。
(9)“你们要像花生”译为you must take after peanuts，其中take after 是成语，意即take……as an example（学习……的榜样）。
差不多先生传
胡适
你知道中国最有名的人是谁？
提起此人，人人皆晓，处处闻名。他姓差，名不多(1)，是各省各县各村人氏。你
一定见过他，一定听说过别人谈起他。差不多先生的名字天天挂在大家的口头，因为
他是中国全国人的代表。
差不多先生的相貌和你和我都差不多。他有一双眼睛，但看的不很清楚；他有
两只耳朵，但听的不很分明；有鼻子和嘴，但他对于气味和口味都不很讲究。他的脑
子也不小，但他的记性却不很精明，他的思想也不很细密(2)。
他常常说：“凡事只要差不多，就好了。何必太精明呢？”
他小的时候，他妈叫他去买红糖，他买了白糖回来。他妈骂他，他摇摇头说：
“红糖白糖不是差不多吗？”
他在学堂的时候，先生问他：“直隶省(3)的西边是哪一省？”他说是陕西。先生
说：“错了。是山西，不是陕西。”他说：“陕西同山西，不是差不多吗？”
后来他在一个钱铺(4)里做伙计，他也会写，也会算，只是总不会精细。十字常常
写成千字，千字常常写成十字。掌柜的生气了，常常骂他。他只是笑嘻嘻地赔小心道：
“千字比十字只多一小撇，不是差不多吗？”
有一天他为了一件要紧的事，要搭火车到上海去。他从从容容地走到火车站，
迟了两分钟，火车已经开走了。他白瞪着眼，望着远远的火车上煤烟，摇摇头道：“只
好明天再走了，今天走同明天走，也差不多。可是火车公司未免太认真了。8点30
分开，同8点32分开，不是差不多吗？“他一面说，一面慢慢地走回家，心里总不
明白为什么火车不肯等他两分钟。
有一天，他忽然得了急病，赶快叫家人去请东街的汪医生。那家人急急忙忙地
跑去，一时寻不着东街的汪大夫，却把西街牛医王大夫请来了。差不多先生病在床上，
知道寻错了人；但病急了，身上痛苦，心里焦急，等不得了，心里想道：“好在王大
夫同汪大夫也差不多，让他试试看罢。”于是这位牛医王大夫走近床前，用医牛的法
子给差不多先生治病。不上一点钟，差不多先生就一命呜呼了。
差不多先生差不多要死的时候，一口气断断续续地说道：“活人同死人也……
差……差不多，……凡事只要……差……差……不多……就……好了，……何……
何……必……太……太认真呢？”他说完了这句格言(5)，方才绝气了。
他死后，大家都很称赞差不多先生样样事情看得破，想得通(6)；大家都说他一生
不肯认真，不肯算账，不肯计较，真是一位有德行的人。于是大家给他取个死后的法
号，叫他做圆通大师。
他的名誉越传越远，越久越大。无数无数的人都学他的榜样。于是人人都成了
一个差不多先生。——然而中国从此就成为一个懒人国了。
Mr. About-the Same
Hu Shih
Do you know who is the most well-known person in China?
The name of this person is a household word all over the country. His name is Cha
and his given name, Buduo, which altogether mean “About the Same”. He is a native of
every province, every country and every village in this country. You must have seen or
heard about this person. His name is always on the lips of everybody because he is
representative of the whole Chinese nation.
Mr. Cha Buduo has the same physiognomy as you and I. He has a pair of eyes, but
doesn’t see clearly. He has a pair of ears, but doesn’t hear well. He has a nose and a mouth,
but lacks a keen sense of smell and taste. His brain is none too small, but he is weak in
memory and sloppy in thinking.
He often says: “whatever we do, it’s OK to be just about right. What’s the use of
being precise and accurate:”
One day, when he was a child, his mother sent him out to buy her some brown sugar,
but he returned with some white sugar instead. As his mother scolded him about it, he
shook his head and said, “Brown sugar or white sugar, aren’t they about the same?”
One day in school, the teacher asked him, “Which province borders Hebei on the
west?” He answered, “Shaanxi,” The teacher corrected him, “You are wrong. It’s Shanxi,
Not Shaanxi.” He retorted, “Shaanxi or Shanxi, aren’t they about the same?”
Later Mr. Cha Buduo served as an assistant at a money shop. He could write and
calculate all right, but his mathematics were/was often faulty. He would mistake the
Chinese character十（meaning 10）for 千（meaning 1000）or vice versa. The shop owner
was infuriated and often took him to task. But he would only explain apologetically with a
grin, “The character千differs from 十in merely having one additional short stroke. Aren’t
they about the same?”
One day, he wanted to go to Shanghai by train on urgent business. But he arrived at
the railway station unhurriedly only to find the train already gone, because he was two
minutes late. He stood staring helplessly at the smoke belching from the diminishing train,
and shook his head, “Well, all I can do is leave tomorrow. After all, today and tomorrow
are about the same. But isn’t the railway taking it too seriously? What’s the difference
between departing at 8:30 and 8:32?” He walked home slowly while talking to himself
and kept puzzling over why the train hadn’t waited for him for two minutes more.
One day he suddenly fell ill and immediately told one of his family to fetch Dr. Wang
of East Street. The latter went in hurry, but couldn’t find the physician on East Street. So
he fetched instead Veterinarian Wang of West Street. Mr. Cha Buduo, lying on his sickbed,
knew that a wrong person had been brought home. But, what with pain and worry, he
could ill afford to wait any longer. So he said to himself, “Luckily, Vet Wang is about the
same as Dr. Wang. Why not let Vet Wang have a try?” there- upon, the veterinarian
walked up to his bed to work on him as if he were a cow. Consequently, Mr. Cha Buduo
kicked the bucket before an hour was out.
When Mr. Cha Buduo was about to breathe his last, he uttered intermittently in one
breath, “Live or die, it’s about…about…the same…Whatever we do…it’s OK…to
be …just…just about right... Why…why…take it…so seriously?” as soon as he finished
this pet phrase of his, he stopped breathing.
After Mr. Cha Buduo death, people all praised him for his way of seeing things and
his philosophical approach to life. They say that he refused to take things seriously all his
life and that he was never calculating or particular about personal gains or losses. So they
called him a virtuous man and honored him with the posthumous reverent title Master of
Easy-Going.
His name has spread far and wide and become more and more celebrated with the
passing of time. Innumerable people have come to follow his example, so that everybody
has become a Mr. Cha Buduo. But lo, China will hence be a nation of lazybones!
注释：
胡适（1891-1962）的《差不多先生传》是一篇针砭社会陋习的讽刺小品，1924年6月28
日发表在《申报·平民周刊》的创刊号上，曾不胫而走，传诵一时。此文至今读来，犹感有极深刻的现实意义。
(1)“他姓差，名不多”如仅仅译为His name is Cha and his given name, Buduo，外国读者只
知其音，不知其意，故在后面加补充说明which altogether mean “About the Same”。
(2)“他的思想也不很细密”译为He is…sloppy in thinking, 其中sloppy作“无条理”、“凌
乱”解。
(3)“直隶”为旧省名，即今之“河北”，故译为Ｈebei。
(4)“钱铺”又称“钱庄”，大多仅从事兑换业务，后为银行所代替。“钱铺”可译为private
bank或banking house，但均不如money (exchange) shop确切。
(5)“格言”在这里意同“口头语”，现参照上下文译为pet phrase。
(6)“想得通”意即“达观”或“随遇而安”，故译为philosophical approach to life。
不要抛弃学问(1)
胡适
诸位毕业同学，你们现在要离开母校了，我没有什么礼物送给你们，只好送你
们一句话罢。
这一句话是：“不要抛弃学问。”以前的功课也许有一大部分是为这张文凭，
不得已而做的，从今而后，你们可以依自己的心愿去自由研究了(2)。趁现在年富力强
的时候，努力做一种学问。少年是一去不复返的，等到精力衰时，努力做学问(3)也