桃花源记英文译本对比与赏析.docx

1、桃花源记英文译本对比与赏析桃花源记英文译本对比与赏析原 文译文林语堂戴维斯Giles译文比较晋太元中，武陵人捕鱼为业；缘溪行，忘路之远近。During the reign of Taiyuan of Chin, there was a fisherman of Wuling. One day he was walking along a bank.During the Tailyuan period(376-396BC) of Jin, a man of Wuling, who made his living as a fisherman, ascended a stream, forgetf

2、ul of the distance he travelled.During the reign of Tai Yuan of Tsin Dynasty, a certain fisherman of Wuling, who had followed up one of the river branches without taking note whither he was going, came suddenly upon a grove of peach-trees in full bloom, extending some distance on each bank, with not

3、 a tree of any other kind in sight.林译简单易懂，翻译得意忘形；戴译表达地道，更易被目标读者所接受; Gelies的译文摆脱原文结构的束缚，表达地道，生动形象，但部分过于脱离原文。赏析译文多为短句，简单通畅，“以捕鱼为业”译为“fisherman”简练地道。“忘路之远近”并入下一句翻译，打破原文结构，得意忘形。译文将“晋太元中”译为“During the Tailyuan period(376-396BC) of Jin,”较为地道，且注明时间，使读者更易理解。译文为一个较长的复合句，更符合目标读者的习惯。译文亦为较长的复合句，并将“忽逢桃花林。夹岸数百步，中

4、无杂树”合并于此句，一气呵成，表明了译者的英语功底之深厚。但“数百步”译为“some distance”意思不明确。“桃花林”译为“a grove of peach-trees in full bloom”生动形象。忽逢桃花林。After having gone a certain distance, he suddenly came upon a peach grove which extended along the bank for about a hundred yards.Suddenly he came upon a grove of peach trees in blossom.

5、林译根据原文意思，使用增译技巧，且将原文句子合并，译文连贯通畅，但部分翻译与原文意思不符；戴译使用短句，且表达简练，译文生动形象，较符合语境。赏析译者根据原文意思，增译“After having gone a certain distance,”且将此句与下文“夹岸数百步”相合并，将“数百步”译为“about a hundred yards”不符合原文意思。译文按照原文，将此句单独翻译。用“in blossom”来作后置定语修饰“a grove of peach trees”，形象生动。且较符合当时场景。夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷，渔人甚异之。He noticed with su

6、rprise that the grove had a magic effect, so singularly free from the usual mingling of brushwood,while the beautifully grassy ground was covered with its rose petals.They lined the banks for several hundred paces: among them were no other kinds of tree. The fragrant herbage was fresh and beautiful;

7、 fallen blossom lay in profusion.The beauty of the scene and the exquisite perfume of the flowers filled the heart of the fisherman with surprise, as he proceeded onwards, anxious to reach the limit of this lovely grove. 林译根据原文意思，部分增添句子，表达恰当，但部分误译；林译表达较为准确；Giles译文，上下文关系理解错误。赏析译文颠倒句子结构，增译“the grove h

8、ad a magic effect”形象具体。但此处“落英”应指桃花瓣，译为“rose petals”实为不妥。译文符合原文意思，且表达简练、准确、地道。此处意思应该是渔人看到此番美景后很诧异，遂“复前行，欲穷其林”，其中隐含递进或因果关系，而译文用as连接两句，表示并列，并没有准确表达其中的关系。复前行，欲穷其林。He went further to explore, and when he came to the end of the grove, he saw a spring which came from a cave in the hill.The freshman, in ext

9、reme wonder, again went forward, wishing to go to the end of the grove.林译“explore”一词用的较好，行文简练，意思表达准确；戴译译文准确流畅。赏析此处“explore”用的恰到好处，表现了当时渔人看到美景后，想要继续向前探索桃花林的奥秘。且将后句合并，较为流畅，表达简练，且“a spring which came from a cave in the hill”表达较为详细准确。译文将“渔人甚异之”与下文句子合并，句子流畅，意思清晰准确。林尽水源，便得一山。The grove ended at the streams

10、 source, and there he found a hill.He found that the peach trees ended where the water began, at the foot of a hill; 译文均准确地道赏析译文地道，准确。译文准确。山有小口， 仿佛若有光，便舍船从口入。Having noticed that there seemed to be a weak light in the cave, he tied up his boat and decided to go in and explore.In the hill was a small

11、opening from which a light seemed to come. So he left his boat and went in through the opening.and there he espied what seemed to be a cave with light issuing from it. 林译意思表达较为具体准确；戴译句子地道，行文流畅；Giles译文简练准确。赏析将“舍船”译为“he tied up his boat”较为准确。又用了“explore”一词，意思表达的淋漓尽致。译文较为地道，连词“so”较好地表达了其中的因果关系。译文准确简练。总

12、结总体来说，林译对原文理解透彻，用词精确，句子通俗易懂，体现了其中英文功底深厚，但部分词译不准确；戴译句子更为地道，行文连贯，用词得当，长短句结合，读起来朗朗上口；Giles译文不拘泥于原文，表达地道，但部分词及上下文关系不够精确。第二段原 文译文林语堂戴维斯Giles译文比较初极狭，才通人。复行数十步，豁然开朗。At first the opening was very narrow, barely wide enough for one person to go in. After a dozen steps, it opened into a flood of light. At fir

13、st it was very narrow, barely allowing a man to pass, but as he went on for some tens of paces, it came out into the open air, upon lands level and wide with houses of a stately appearance.So he made fast his boat, and crept in through a narrow entrance, which shortly ushered him into a new world of

14、 level country, of fine pools, and of luxuriance of mulberry and bamboo. 林译生动形象；戴译准确具体，用词精确，表达形象地道；Giles此处译文与原文不符，且句子读起来繁琐拖拉。赏析“豁然开朗”译为“it opened into a flood of light”形象生动。将下句“土地平旷，屋舍俨然”与上句合并，在句子中作状语，形容静态景物，表达地道。译文“made fast his boat”与原文的“弃船”不符，且后面的“a new world of level country, of fine pools, and

15、of luxuriance of mulberry and bamboo”出现多个of，表达冗赘，且描写的不够形象。土地平旷，屋舍俨然，有良田、美池、桑竹之属，阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。其中往来种，男女衣着，悉如外人；黄发垂髫，并怡然自乐。He saw before his eyes a wide, level valley, with houses and fields and farms. There were bamboos and mulberries; farmers were working and dogs and chickens were running about. The dr

16、esses of the men and women were like those of the outside world, and the old men and children appeared very happy and contented. There fine fields and beautiful pools, clumps of mulberries and bamboos. The field dykes intersected; cocks crowed and dogs barked to each other. The clothes of the men an

17、d women who came and went, planted and worked among them were entirely like those of people outside. The white-haired and the children with their hair in tufts happily enjoyed themselves.Highways of traffic ran north and south; sounds of crowing cocks and barking dogs were heard around; the dress of

18、 the people who passed along or were at work in the fields was of a strange cut; while young and old alike appeared to be contented and happy. 此处译文戴译最为精确、生动、形象，且译文表达地道，而戴译和Giles译文相比较则显得生硬平淡无味。赏析译文过于直白，缺少形象具体的描绘词汇，如“阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻”直接译为“farmers were working and dogs and chickens were running about”显得平淡无味。将

19、“其中往来种，男女衣着，悉如外人”以定语从句方式表达，意思明确，简练地道。另外“怡然自得”译为happily enjoyed themselves.”也较为贴切。此处译文多为被动，与另外两个译文相比，则不能更好地显示出原文所述场景的形象生动。见渔人，乃大惊，问所从来，具答之。便要还家，设酒杀鸡作食。村中闻有此人，咸来问讯。They were greatly astonished to see the fisherman and asked him where he had come from. The fisherman told them and was invited to their h

20、omes, where wine was served and chicken was killed for dinner to entertain him. The villagers hearing of his coming all came to see him and to talk. When they saw the fisherman, they were greatly surprised and asked from what place he came. When he had answered all their questions, they invited him

21、to come back to their home, where they set out wine, killed a chicken and made a meal. When the villagers heard of this man, they all came to pay their respects.One of the inhabitants, catching sight of the fisherman, was greatly astonished; but, after learning where he came, insisted on carrying hi

22、m home, and killed a chicken and placed some wine before him. 此处译文整体来看，戴译相比较更胜一筹。赏析译文中“where wine was served and chicken was killed for dinner to entertain him”改为主动形式则更好。“问讯”指打听消息，此处翻译为“come to talk”过于牵强。译文中多使用主动，形象具体。“问讯”译为“came to pay their respects”过于发挥译者的主动性。根据原文，此处主语应为“村中的人（复数）”，而此处译文主语用单数则略微不妥

23、。此处“问讯”译为“turned out to see the visitor”也未明确表明。“placed some wine before him”未表明款待热情之意，过于平淡。自云先世避秦时乱，率妻子邑人来此绝境，不复出焉，遂与外人间隔。问今是何世，乃不知有汉，无论魏晋。They said that their ancestors had come here as refugees to escape from the tyranny of Tsin Shih-huang (builder of Great Wall) some six hundred years ago, and th

24、ey had never left it. They were thus completely cut off from the world, and asked what was the ruling dynasty now. They had not even heard of the Han Dynasty (two centuries before to two centuries after Christ), not to speak of the Wei (third century A.D.) and the Chin (third and fourth centuries).T

25、hey told him that their ancestors, fleeing from the troubles during the Qin period (221BC-208BC), had brought their wives and children and neighbours to this inaccessible spot and had not gone out again. Thus they became cut off from people outside. They asked what dynasty it was now: they did not k

26、now that there had been Han (206 BC-220AD), nor of courts Wei (220-265AD) or Jin.Before long, all the people of the place had turned out to see the visitor, and they informed him that their ancestors had sought refuge here, with their wives and families, from the troublous times of the house of Chin

27、, adding that they had thus become finally cut off from the rest of human race. They then enquired about the politics of the day, ignorant of the establishment of Han dynasty, and of course of the later dynasties which had succeeded it. 相比较，戴译则最为地道。且朝代加注时间，避免因文化差异而造成的理解困惑。赏析此处“秦”的译文应该注明时间，便于目标读者理解清晰

28、。“the Han Dynasty (two centuries before to two centuries after Christ), not to speak of the Wei (third century A.D.) and the Chin (third and fourth centuries)”解释较为详细，但注明时间则会更好。译文“Qin period (221BC-208BC，Han (206 BC-220AD), nor of courts Wei (220-265AD)”均加注时间，使读者理解更为清晰，值得提倡。译文简练地道，但缺乏朝代时间的标注，可能会导致目标读

29、者对原文理解不透彻。此人一一为具言所闻，皆叹惋。余人各复延至其家，皆出酒食。The fisherman told them, which they heard with great amazement. Many of the other villagers then began to invite him to their homes by turn and feed him dinner and wine.The fisherman told them all he knew, item by item, and at everything they sighed with grief.

30、The others in turn also invited him to their homes, and all set out wine and food.And when the fisherman told them the story, they grieved over the vicissitudes of human affairs. Each in turn invited the fisherman to his home and entertained him hospitably, until at length the latter prepared to take his leave.戴译相比更加完整准确，且句子简单易懂，最具可读性。林译和Giles的译文均有部分漏译或表达不够贴合原文意思，且逻辑性不强。赏析“一一”未翻译出来，“叹惋”是指惋惜，此处译为“ with great amazement”则不太完整。译文较为准确、地道。“余人”未翻译。且在“each”前加上表示时间顺序的连词则会读起来更加流畅且更贴近于原文意思。总结总体来说，戴维斯的译文版本最好，表达地道，意思完整，用词精确，生动形象；林译语言功底也较为深厚，但部分用词不够精确，Giles的译文简练，但缺乏生动性，部分逻辑性不强。