27．蝉

虞世南

垂緌饮清露，流响出疏桐。

居高声自远，非是藉秋风。

中文解读

这是初唐名臣虞世南（凌霄阁十二功臣之一）的一首咏物诗，咏物中尤多寄托，具有浓郁的象征性。

此诗句句写的是蝉的形体、习性和声音，而句句又暗示着诗人高洁清远的品行志趣，物我互释，达到了咏物的深层意义——咏人。诗句的弦外之音所隐喻的深层意义是：做官做人应该立身高处，德行高洁，才能说话响亮，声名远播。这种居高致远完全来自人格美的力量，绝非依凭见风使舵，或者所仗权势、关系和阿谀奉承所能得到的。

白话译文

蝉垂下像帽带一样的触角，喝的是清冽的露水，悦耳的叫声自梧桐树向外远播。因为它站得高，声音自然传得远，并不是因为借了秋风的力量。

英译一

The Cicada

Translated by Xu Yuanchong

Though rising high, you drink but dew，

Yet your voice flows from sparse plane trees.

Far and wide there's none but hears you，

You need no wings of autumn breeze.

英译二

The Cicada

Translated by Anonymous

Drunk with fresh dew, your trill will flow，

From mid the sparse parasol trees.

Rising high, far your voice will go，

Not on the wings of autumn breeze.

（trill n．颤音）

英译欣赏

The cicada is a common insect, but in the poem the cicada has been personified as a person of reputation because of his unsullied（高洁的）moral character without relying on any external influences.

英译一是许渊冲教授的翻译，译文非常工整，abab押韵，英语表达非常地道，采用意译法，但读起来意思清楚明白。整首诗省略了主语，但译文以第二人称you来叙述。

第一句Though rising high，现在分词短语作状语，原句为：Though you rise high, you drink but（=only）dew, “居高”的含义在这里体现出来了。

Yet your voice flows from sparse plane trees, flow from刚好译出“流……出”，翻译对等且准确。

Far and wide there's none but hears you, You need no wings of autumn breeze，这两句诗非常有文学性，语言生动。相当于：Everyone hears you everywhere, you need no wings of autumn breeze，每个人到处都听到你的声音，你并不需要秋风的翅膀。这也是优化译法，从意义上充分表达原诗意境。

英译二来自网上，译者不详，采用abab押韵，译文也比较精彩。

Drunk with fresh dew, your trill will flow，为省略句，原句是You are drunk with fresh dew, your trill will flow from mid the sparse parasol trees。

第三、四句Rising high, far your voice will go, Not on the wings of autumn breeze，为省略句，原句是：As you rise high, your voice will go far not on the wings of autumn breeze，此译文和英译一有异曲同工之美。

思考

“梧桐”究竟译为sparse plane tree 还是sparse parasol tree 更合意？