刘象愚在札记中分析了这三段话的特色:
这三个小段戏仿古罗马阿瓦尔兄弟会祈祷繁殖女神赐予丰年的祷词。无论就内容还是文体而言,都是本章的一个总纲。阿瓦尔兄弟会的祷词形成于公元3世纪,是一种颂诗体。这里每小段三句呼喊。
第一段中deshil是古爱尔兰语,意为“向右转”,“向着太阳转”;eamus 是古拉丁语,意为“让我们走吧”;Holles 是英语的街道名称,是产院的所在地。此字在字形与发音上都十分接近Helios,Helios是希腊神话中的太阳神,汉译一般为“赫利俄斯”。此句显示了盎格鲁-撒克逊时期英语诞生之前那种混杂的形态。拙译以汉语上古时期的卜辞体与之对应,以小篆与隶书字体模拟古爱尔兰语与古拉丁语的混杂。
第二小段模拟向太阳神祈祷的呼喊,这里的Horhorn指产院院长安德鲁·赫恩大夫,与太阳神相对应。考虑到这里街道与院长的名字与太阳神的关系,拙译将Holles译作“赫利斯”,将Horhorn译作“赫恩”。第二段文字为一般古英语、中古英语体,拙译以一般古文体对之。
第三小段为现代口语体,写坡伏伊太太的孩子出生后,护士宣布其性别的欢呼声。拙译对之以现代汉语口语体。这三段文字是本章的引子或者说纲领,仿佛下文将要展开的一个英语文体演变的雏形。
短短的三段话,涉及古罗马颂词、古爱尔兰语、古拉丁语、古英语、中古英语、现代英语口语、英语与希腊语的谐音,等等。
光是辨认出这些知识点,已属不易,译者必须对西方文学史、语言演变了如指掌;而为了找到与之对应的中文文体,译者还务必有扎实的古文功底,否则无法选择恰当的中文文体,更无法在翻译时运用自如。
于是,就有了译文里汉语的上古卜辞、古文与现代口语与原文的一一对应,而古爱尔兰语、古拉丁语、古英语则以字体加以区别。
这样的译法,堪称精妙。
而第四段话的原文为:
Universally that person's acumen is esteemed very little perceptive concerning whatsoever matters are being held as most profitably by mortals with sapience endowed to be studied who is ignorant of that which the most in doctrine erudite and certainly by reason of that in them high mind's ornament deserving of veneration constantly maintain when by general consent they affirm that other circumstances being equal by no exterior splendour is the prosperity of a nation more efficaciously asserted than by the measure of how far forward may have progressed the tribute of its solicitude for that proliferent continuance which of evils the original if it be absent when fortunately present constitutes the certain sign of omnipollent nature's incorrupted benefaction. For who is there who anything of some significance has apprehended but is concious that that exterior splendour may be the surface of a downwardtending lutelent reality or on the contrary anyone so is there inilluminated as not to perceive that as no nature's boon can contend against the bounty of increase so it be behoves every most just citizen to become the exhortator and admonisher of his semblables and to tremble lest what had in the past been by the nation excellently commenced might be in the future not with similar excellence accomplished if an inverecund habit shall have gradually traduced the honourable by ancestors transmitted customs to that thither of profoundity that that one was audacious excessively who would have the hardihood to rise affirming that no more odious offence can for anyone be than to oblivious neglect to consign that evangel simultaneously command and promise which on all mortals with prophecy of abundance or with diminution's menace that exalted of reiteratedly procreating function ever irrevocably enjoined?
这一长段原文是没有标点的,句式紊乱、黏着。刘象愚的译文试图贴合乔伊斯原文的风貌,也是这段佶屈聱牙的文言文不加句读的原因:
通则曰凡人之敏锐不为人重者盖因随俗见以物利为大也天赋聪慧者可立判而凡人不识故渊博者为人尊崇且夫众皆曰一国之盛衰假余项皆同则不决于其外在之光华而决于其生殖繁衍之念何如幸能识兹乃天赐之至福罔兹乃诸恶之源。夫识事之表而不知外在之光华实内在腐朽之兆者有是人哉反之昧于事不知天赐不及人孕造物之予不及繁衍之富者岂无是人哉故正人君子皆须训导黎民同胞惟恐国之丕丕基丧于恶习之染前人之德不传于后惟仡仡勇夫起而疾呼弗听神意者罪不赦且神意信诺人之生殖繁衍之功必崇大而不可改悖兹则有衰减之危。
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