第二单元 咏物诗
21.相思
红豆生南国,春来发几枝。
愿君多采撷,此物最相思。
中文解读
《相思》是王维的一首借咏物而寄相思的五言诗。此诗写相思之情,却全篇不离红豆,正用其相思子之名以关合相思之情。首句写红豆产地;次句以“发几枝”发问,语言朴实,而又极富形象性,设问自然,而暗含情怀;三句寄意友人“多采撷”,言在此而意在彼;末句点明其相思属性,且用一“最”字推达极致,则“多采撷”的理由自见,而自身所寄之意亦深含其中。全诗情调高雅,怀思饱满奔放,语言朴素无华,韵律和谐柔美。
全诗洋溢着少年的热情,青春的气息,满腹情思却未曾直接表白。句句诗不离红豆,而又“超以象外,得其圜中”,把相思之情表达得入木三分。它“一气呵成,亦须一气读下”,极为明快,却又委婉含蓄。
在生活中,最情深的话往往朴素无华,自然入妙。王维很善于用这种素朴而典型的语言来表达深厚的思想感情。所以此诗语浅情深,当时就广为传唱也是不足为奇的。
白话译文
红豆生长在南方,春天它将生出多少新枝呢?
希望你多多采摘,它最能够引起思念之情。
英译一
Fond Memories
Translated by Wu Juntao
Red beans come from the Southern land,
In Spring the trees grow some new wands.
Please pluck more of the seed with your hands,
To show your love to friends it's grand.
(wand n.嫩枝 pluck v.摘)
英译二
Love Seeds
Translated by Xu Yuanchong
Love seeds grow in southern land,
In Spring they overload the trees.
Gather them till full is your hand,
They would revive fond of memories.
(revive v.回想起)
英译三
Fond Memories
Translated by Xu Zhongjie
Love peas are grown in a Southern climate,
A few branches burgeon in Spring time.
On your lip, try to gather as many as you can,
The best reminder of love between woman and man.
(burgeon v.发芽)
英译欣赏
Red beans have always stood for hope and love since the ancient time in China.Through this poem, red beans became well-known to Chinese people, and people refer to this poem whenever they talk about red beans.
这首《相思》的英译文众多,此处选用了上海吴钧陶、北京大学许渊冲和徐忠杰(曾于河北大学外文系任教)的译文,均是流传甚广的翻译,在这些译文中,译者根据自己对原诗的理解并在翻译过程中进行创新。
原诗第一、二句是描写情景的物质过程,第三句是心理过程,第四句表示关系过程。
红豆,产于两广一带,又名相思子,形如豌豆,颜色为朱红色。古人常用其来象征爱情或相思。无论译为“red beans”还是“love peas”“love seeds”,均无不可。
“红豆生南国”三个译文分别是:Red beans come from the Southern land; Love seeds grow in southern land; Love peas are grown in a Southern climate。
“南国”,英译一、二都译成southern land,但英译三译为a Southern climate,用climate 指地点,别具一格,有创意。
英译一完全采用aaaa押韵,英译二采用abab 押韵,追求音韵美。英译三则不求押韵。英译一和英译二采用的句式很相似,时间地点表达很清楚,且通俗易懂。
唯一表现不同的是第二句“春来发几枝”,英译一用some,英译三用a few branches表示“几枝”,英译二则用In spring they overload the trees。“overload”表示挂满枝头,此乃许教授倡导的优化译法。仔细品读,“春来发几枝”,王维似乎不是指发几枝新芽吧?
“此物最相思”,英译一倒装,应为it's grand to show your love to friends。
英译二They would revive fond of memories,简洁,用revive 表示引起相思。
英译三The best reminder of love between woman and man,前面省略了they are。
究竟红豆是最能代表还是最能引起人们的思念之情呢?不同的理解产生不同的英译。
思考
“南国”可分别译为:the southern land、the south land、the southern climate,哪种翻译更贴切?