时间即生命的英文翻译

时间即生命的英文翻译 时间即生命 Time Is Life 梁实秋 Liang Shiqiu 最令人怵目惊心的一件事，是看着钟上的秒针一下一下的移动，每移动一下就是表示我们的寿命已经缩短了一部分。再看看墙上挂着的可以一张张撕下的日历，每天撕下一张就是表示我们寿命又缩短了一天，因为时间即生命，没有人不爱惜他的生命，但很少人珍视他时间。如果想在有生之年做一点什么事，学一点什么学问，充实自己，帮助别人，使生命成为有意义，不虚此生，那 (1)么就不可浪费光阴。这道理人人都懂，可是很少人真能积极不懈的善为利用他的时间。 注释: 梁实秋(1902-1987)是我国著名现代作家、翻译家、教育家，一生致力于英国文学研究。本文选自他的散文集《雅舍小品》。 (1)“这道理人人都懂”译为 All that is foolproof，其中foolproof作 very simple to understand 解，意同“不言而喻”或“简 单明了”。此句也可译为 All that is self-evident。 It is most startling to hear a watch or clock clicking (点击) away the seconds, each click indicating the shortening of one’s life by a little bit. Likewise, with each page torn off the wall calendar, one’s life is shortened by another day. Time, therefore, is life. Nevertheless, few people treasure their time as much as their life. Time must not be wasted if you want to do your bit in your remaining years or acquire some useful knowledge to improve yourself and help others, so that your life may turn out to be significant and fruitful. All that is foolproof (万无一失的/肯定成功的), yet few people really strive to make the best use of their time. 我自己就是浪费了很多时间的一个人 (2) 。我不打麻将，我不经常的听戏看电影， 几年中难得一次，我不长时间看电视，通常 只看半个小时，我也不串门子闲聊天。有人 问我:“那么你大部分时间都做了些什么 呢,”我痛自反省，我发现，除了职务上的 必须及人情上所不能免的活动外，我的时间 大部分都浪费了。我应该集中精力，读我所 未读过的书，我应该利用所有时间，写我所 要写的东西。但是我没能这样做。我的好多 时间都糊里糊涂的混过去了，“少壮不努力， 老大徒伤悲。” (2)“我自己就是浪费了很多时间的一个 人”译为personally, I am also a fritterer(浪 费时间者)，其中fritterer一词在用法上既可 泛指“时间、金钱等等的浪费者”，又可专 指“不爱惜时间的人”(a person who wastes time)。 Personally, I am also a fritterer. I don’t play mahjong. I seldom go to the theatre or cinema—I go there maybe only once every few years. I seldom spend long hours watching TV—usually I watch TV for no more than 30 minutes at a sitting. Nor do I go visiting and gossiping from door to door. Some people asked me, “Then what do you do with most of your time?” Introspecting (内省) with remorse (懊悔), I found that apart from the time earmarked for (指定 为……用途) my job and unavoidable social activities, most of my time had been wasted. I should have concentrated my energies on reading whatever books I have not yet read. I should have utilized all my time in writing anything I want to write. But I’ve failed to do so. Very much of my time has been frittered away aimlessly. As the saying goes, “One who does not work hard in youth will grieve (伤心) in vain in old age/An idle youth, a needy age (an old beggar)/A lazy youth, a lousy age.” 例如我翻译莎士比亚，本来计划于课余 之暇每年翻译两部，二十年即可完成，但是 我用了三十年，主要的原因是懒。翻译之所 以完成，主要的是因为活得相当长久，十分 (3) 惊险。翻译完成之后，虽然仍有工作计划， (4) 但体力渐衰，有力不从心之感。假使年轻 的时候鞭策自己，如今当有较好或较多的表 现。然而悔之晚矣。 (3)“翻译之所以完成，主要的是因为活 得相当长久，十分惊险”的意思是“幸亏自 己命长，否则可能完成不了莎士比亚的翻 译”。其中“十分惊险”的意思是“险些完 成不了”。现全句译为The whole project would probably have fallen through had it not been for my fairly long life。(If it had not been for my fairly long life, the whole project would probably have fallen through) (4)“但体力渐衰，有力不从心之感”译 为because of my approaching senility, somehow I failed to do what I had wished to，其中senility指因年迈而导致身心两个 方面的衰退( Take the translation of Shakespeare for example. I had initially planned to spend 20 years of my spare time in doing the translation, finishing two plays a year. But I spent 30 years instead, due primarily to my slothfulness (懒惰/laziness). The whole project would probably have fallen through had it not been for my fairly long life. After that I had other plans for work, but, because of my approaching senility([s??n?l?ti:] ，衰老), somehow I failed to do what I had wished to. Had I spurred (鞭策) myself on in my youth, I would have done more and better work (If I had spurred myself on in my youth, I would have done more and better work). Alas, it is too late to repent (懊悔). 再例如，作为一个中国人，经书不可不 (5) 读。我年三十才知道读书自修的重要。我 披阅，我圈点。但是恒心不足，时作时辍。 (6) 五十以学易，可以无大过矣，我如今年过 八十，还没有接触过《易经》，说来惭愧。 史书也很重要。我出国留学的时候，我父亲 (7) 买了一套同文石印的前四史，塞满了我的 行箧的一半空间，我在外国混了几年之后又 把前四史原封带回来了。直到四十年后才鼓 (8) 起勇气读了《通鉴》一遍。现在我要读的 书太多，深感时间有限。 (5)“才知道读书自修的重要”中的“读 书”，根据上下文应指“读经书”，故此句译 为came to realize the importance of self-study in the matter of classics，其中 in the matter of作 in relation to或 in regard to(就„„而论)解。 (6)“五十心学易，可以无大过矣”出自 《论语?述而》中的“子曰，加我数年，五 十以学易，可以无大过矣。”其意为“让我 再多活几年，到五十岁时去学习《易经》， 就可以没有多大的过错了。”现按此意用加 字法译为 Confucius says, “I shall be free of great faults if I can live long enough to begin the study of Yi (a classical literary work concerned about Taoism during the Period of Spring and Autumn in ancient China) at the age of 50.” (7)“前四史”指《史记》、《汉书》、《后 汉书》以及《三国志》。 (8) 《通鉴》指的是北宋司马光主编的 编年体史书，共294卷，从公元前430年写 到公元959年，历时19年完成。英译为“Dong Jian”, 注解为:It is a chronicle history book which was mainly written and edited by a famous litterateur in the Northern Song Dynasty from the year 430 BC to the year 959 AD with the 19 years’ efforts. Another example. The reading of Chinese classics is a must for all Chinese. But it was not until I was over 30 that I came to realize the importance of self-study in the matter of classics. I did read carefully though, marking words and phrases for special attention with small circles and dots. But my efforts at self-study were off and on. Confucius says, “I shall be free of great faults if I can live long enough to begin the study of Yi at the age of 50.” I feel ashamed to admit that I haven’t even touched Yi though I’m now over 80. Chinese history book are equally important. When I was leaving China to study abroad, father bought a set of the Tong Wen lithographic ([liθ?'ɡræfik]，平板的) edition of the First Four Books of History, and crammed (塞进) them into my travelling box, taking up half of its space. Several years later, however, after drifting (漂泊) along abroad, I returned home carrying with me the same books all unread. It was not until 40 years later that I plucked up enough courage (鼓 起勇气) to read through Dong Jian. So many books still remain to be read, and I much regret not having enough time to do it. 无论做什么事，健康的身体是基本条 件。我在学校读书的时候，有所谓“强迫运 动”，我踢破过几双球鞋，打断过几只球拍。 因此侥幸维持下来最低限度的体力。老来打 过几年太极拳，目前则以散步活动筋骨而 已。寄语年轻朋友，千万要持之以恒的从事 运动，这不是嬉戏，不是浪费时间。健康的 (8) 身体是作人做事的真正的本钱。 Whatever you do, you need a sound body first of all/Good health is the prerequisite for achieving anything. In my school days, in response to the so-called “compulsory physical exercises”, I went in for (was engaged in) many sports at the expense of many pairs of sneakers (帆布胶 底的运动鞋) and rackets (球拍), thus luckily building up a minimum of good physique (体格). When I was approaching old age, I have done Tai ji quan (shadow boxing) for several years. Now I only do some walking exercises. Dear young friends, my advice to you is: Do physical exercises perseveringly. That has nothing to do with merry-making (嬉戏) or time- wasting. Good health is the wherewithal (['hwe?w?ð,?:l n为做某事而需要的钱) for a successful life and career. (9)“健康的身体是作人做事的真正的 本钱”译为 Good health is the wherewithal for a successful life and career，其中the wherewithal意同the necessary means(必 要的资金、手段等)。又“作人做事”指“生 活”与“事业”两方面，故参照上下文译为 a successful life and career. Good heath is the wherewithal for revolution (身体是革命的本钱，毛主席语 录).