语言之美：盘点翻译史上的经典佳句

【中翻英】

关关雎鸠，在河之洲。窈窕淑女，君子好逑。

By riverside a pair

Of turtledoves are cooing；

There's a good maiden fair

Whom a young man is wooing.

——许渊冲 译

中华人民多奇志，不爱红装爱武装。

Chinese people prefer to face the powder rather than powder the face.

——许渊冲 译

浮云游子意，落日故人情。

With floating cloud you'll float away; Like parting day I'll part from you.

——许渊冲 译

吃一堑，长一智。

A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.

——钱锺书 译

寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚。

So dim, so dark,

So dense, so dull,

So damp, so dank,

So dead!

——林语堂 译

无边落木萧萧下，不尽长江滚滚来。

The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower;

The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour.

——卞之琳+许渊冲 译

【英翻中】

Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves.

生如夏花之绚烂，死如秋叶之静美。

——郑振铎 译

"Every little helps," as the old lady said，when she pissed in the sea.

老妪小遗于大海中，自语曰：“不无小补。”

——钱锺书 译

Able was I ere I saw Elba.

落败孤岛孤败落。

——马红军 译

A government of the people, by the people, for the people.

民有，民享，民治之政府。

——孙中山 译

In me the tiger sniffs the rose.

心有猛虎，细嗅蔷薇。

——余光中 译

And a fish

In the deep,

And a man

In the mind.

水中有鱼，

心中有君；

鱼难离水，

君是我心。

——郭沫若 译

I strove with none,

for none was worth my strife,

Nature I loved, and next to Nature, Art

I warm'd both hands before the fire of Life;

It sinks, and I am ready to depart.

我和谁都不争，

和谁争我都不屑；

我爱大自然，

其次是艺术；

我双手烤着，

生命之火取暖；

火萎了，

我也准备走了。

——杨绛 译

But every once in a while you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare.

斯人若彩虹，遇上方知有。

——韩寒 译