【中英互譯】古典和現代詩與歌詞選集: Selected Translations of Classic and Modern Chinese and English Lyrics
By Charles Yung Huang and 黃用
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美國詩人羅勃·福洛斯特(Robert Frost)說過:「詩就是在翻譯中失去的東西。」詩之所以為詩,主要是用來表達它的語言的魅力;但詩還是必需翻成另一種語言,好讓不同文字的人們有機會接觸和欣賞。此譯作詩集分為三輯,共收集七十多首中文詩與歌詞的英譯以及十餘首英文名作的中譯。第一輯是可唱英譯中文歌詞,第二輯是英譯中文詩詞,第三輯是中譯英文名作。希望舊雨新知也可透過中英、英中翻譯詩歌,找到自己文學心畝裡的一片良田。
※自序※
這一小冊分為三輯,共收集七十多首中文詩與歌詞的英譯以及十餘首英文名作的中譯。這些譯文是譯者多年來,尤其是退休後,點點滴滴將翻譯當做休閒活動累積的成果。一九八○年間,我曾短暫參加一合唱團。我注意到每次公演的節目單都有歌詞的英
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【中英互譯】古典和現代詩與歌詞選集 - Charles Yung Huang
自序
這一小冊分為三輯,共收集七十多首中文詩與歌詞的英譯以及十餘首英文名作的中譯。這些譯文是譯者多年來,尤其是退休後,點點滴滴將翻譯當做休閒活動累積的成果。一九八○年間,我曾短暫參加一合唱團。我注意到每次公演的節目單都有歌詞的英譯,用意當是幫助不懂中文的聽眾了解唱詞的內容。因此我有了一個構想:何不讓這些歌曲可以用英文演唱呢?本書的第一輯就是這樣成形的。
將中文歌譯成可唱的英文版所面對的限制頗多。首先是每一句的涵意要配合音符的數目來決定可使用音節的多寡,其次是在適當的部位押韻並改善拗口的字句。如只需略加變更,我還會將古典詩詞譯成有音步的英詩。因此,詞意難免會有簡省之處。入選的全是我學過的藝術或流行歌曲。所有英文歌詞我都親自試過可以哼唱,但歌譜恕不便提供,只能註明出處。第一輯的二十餘首歌,採用者如有不順暢又不易與旋律協調之感,請原宥譯者的不夠專業。
第二輯收納的古典與現代的詩作都是隨意選取的。有些是受朋友之請或是家裡字畫屏風上的題詩;有些是譯者和幾位詩友在「藝文小聚」談論到的作品。大多數是已發表而令我不盡滿意(換言之,與本譯者的解釋相左,哈哈)的譯作,或是為了「格律」過分削足就履扭曲文法的成品。這些譯文使我覺得至少須將算是讀得通,較不洋涇浜的版本呈諸於世。關於我個人翻譯的法則,有興趣的朋友們可以參閱附錄的「翻譯方法簡述」一文。
第三輯的中譯,值得一提的是,大多數的譯文,每一行的字數都與原文的音節相等,押韻的方式也相同。好玩而已,是譯者自訂的遊戲規則。歌詞的中譯,顯然可以配合英文原曲歌唱。
翻譯是件吃力不討好的事,譯詩尤難。美國詩人羅勃•福洛斯特(Robert Frost) 說過: 「詩就是在翻譯中失去的東西。」沒錯。詩之所以為詩,主要是用來表達它的語言的魅力。但詩還是必需翻成另一種語言,好讓不同文字的人們有機會接觸和欣賞。譯者只能盡心盡力而已。我不同意翻譯是「再創造」,更不喜歡有人藉此文飾自己翻譯的錯失。而我自己憑什麼來從事這樣的工作呢?除了粗通中英文之外 我曾創作過詩,自覺比一般譯者多一些對「詩」的敏感。我肯費心利用各種工具書和參考資料。最重要的是我有追求完善的心和持久不衰的興趣。
那麼,翻給誰看,誰唱?翻得好嗎?出書除了分送親友沽點名釣些譽之外,當然是希望有人會喜歡和認可。好壞本是件見仁見智的事。譯得通順而不淪於「白話註解」是基本的要求。要譯出神韻、氣勢就得靠天份、努力和機緣了。由於文字的不同,往往是可望不可即。關於押韻,記得詩人艾畧特(T.S. Eliot)說過,韻之於詩一如假髮之於禿頭,可以為平庸的詩句作掩飾。我採用韻腳的主因則是便於歌唱和盡量保持原文的格式。
讓我在此向所有對我的翻譯有幫助或是「受過害」的朋友們致謝。這些年來,收到過我徵求意見的「肉包子」(常是有去無回)的朋友很多,反應也大不相同。他們大多數並無中詩英譯的經驗,只是交友(在下)不慎又有電郵地址而已。有的會給我熱心的建議,有的只批評不建議,有的會送回他自譯的更佳的版本(每個人都認為他譯得最好,我也不算例外),有的表示「可以」,有的直言「沒有味道」,有的則美言幾句或是讚譽有加。時至今日,這些兼通中英文和詩詞的朋友,有的仍是好友,有的疏遠了,有的「不願」、或是「不敢」和我來往了。真是無奇不「友」。
上世紀八○年代初譯〈紅豆詞〉時,電腦尚未盛行,承楊牧代為影印不同英文版〈紅樓夢〉中的譯詞,後來又寄䁬其恩師陳世驤所譯早年陳夫人喜愛的中文歌(有賽珍珠序),盛情可感。党英台曾為拙譯英文版紅豆詞演唱及製作音圖並茂的磁碟,她的才華必須表揚。余光中譯過我的詩, 六十年前也就是在余府我首次讀到魏理(Arthur Waley)翻譯的中文詩; 夏菁一度常和我斟酌他作品的英譯,這些詩友都曾送我他們譯的詩書,使我獲益良多。傅建中曾提供許多資料,尤其是香港中文大學出版的〈譯叢〉以及已故高克毅先生的譯作,對我視界的開展很有幫助。孫智燊年來對我鼓勵有加並多次餽贈書籍,討論翻譯,既熱情又熱心。張純瑛(甚為勤快,因她不願做被肉包子打的狗)大概是「受害」最深重的一位,逃不了我電話電郵的追索,是我倚重的參謀。莊信正是位嚴謹的諍友,還有韓之慶,陳漢嬰,都是不幸被我打攪過的文友,謹在此向他們致謝。沈鴻輝,侯倪倩都曾慨然為我的講演助陣朗讀或演唱,盛情可感。但是,任何翻譯的得失,我個人完全負責。
內人信平是我最忠實的讀者、「不呼則來,揮之不去」的贊助人和啦啦隊,本書付梓全靠她的催促,「功高蓋主」,功不可沒!
黃用
二○一六年六月
於維州墨客林
Preface
This anthology, sorted into three parts, collects some seventy English translations of Chinese poems and song lyrics as well as a dozen English classics into Chinese. These translations are the cumulative, on-and-off efforts of this translator who, in the past few decades, especially after his retirement, took on such translations as a pastime. In the 1980’s, I briefly joined a Chinese chorus. I noticed that the programs for the chorus’ public performances always included English translations of the Chinese lyrics, presumably to help non-Chinese-speaking audiences understand what was being sung. An idea dawned on me: why not make these songs singable in English? This is how Part I of this anthology came into being.
To convert Chinese songs into singable English versions, one confronts a spectrum of limitations. First, the meaning of each line has to be expressed within the number of syllables allowed as dictated by the number of musical notes for that line. Then, rhymes are to be appropriately assigned and awkward spots smoothed out. When feasible, I may even render classic Chinese poems into traditional metered English verse. Therefore, certain omissions and abridgements are unavoidable. All of the selected songs, be they artistic or popular, are those that I have learned to sing. For all the translated lyrics I have tried them out myself to ensure that they are amenable to singing. I am unable to provide the music scores; I do, however, supply references to the original sources. Any user who finds the twenty-some translations in Part I rough and hard to adapt to the melodies, please excuse the translator’s lack of professionalism in music.
The selection of classic or modern Chinese poems in Part II is rather random. Some of them are done at the request of friends or are poems on scrolls and screens in our house. Some are materials that have been discussed in our Literary Saloon gatherings. Most are published translations found by me to be not entirely satisfactory (i.e., those which fail to meet some of this translator’s biases, ha, ha) or grammatically twisted for the sake of versification (as the Chinese proverb has it: chopping the foot to fit the shoe
) that they need to have more readable alternatives. As to my personal criteria for Chinese-English translation, interested readers are referred to the Introduction to My Approach to Translation included in this book. It is, however, written in Chinese only since a substantial knowledge of the Chinese language is needed to understand the subtle points involved.
In Part III, a salient feature is worth mentioning. In most cases, each line in the Chinese translation contains the same number of characters equivalent to the syllables in the English original. The rhyming schemes, likewise, are matched with the original in all locations. These game rules
are set by this translator solely for kicks. Obviously the English songs so translated can be sung to the original tunes.
Translation is at once a demanding and unrewarding task. Translating poetry is even more daunting. Robert Frost once said, Poetry is what gets lost in translation.
So true! What makes poetry poetic is the charm unique to the very language used for its expression. But poetry has to be conveyed into other languages so that it can be appreciated by people who speak a different