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英译杜甫《登高》兼谈体会 章学清
一 杜甫《登高》原诗和我的英译
杜甫《登高》原诗
风急天高猿啸哀，/ 渚清沙白鸟飞廻。/ 无边落木萧萧下，/ 不尽长江滚滚来。/ 万里悲秋常作客，/ 百年多病独登台。/ 艰难苦恨繁霜鬓，/ 潦倒新停浊酒杯。
我的英译： An Ascent
The wind so wild, the sky so high, / The moody monkeys sorely sigh. / The isle so drear, the sand so pale, / The lingering gulls in circles sail. / All over such a vast expanse, / The rustling leaves off branches dance. / The Yangtse River rises yon, / And passes raging on and on. / Apart from home so far and long, / With autumn, myriad sorrows throng. / With illness all my life to fight, / I now alone ascend this height. / Weighed down in troubled times with care, / I hate the growing hoary hair. / A broken heart, for cups I pine; / Oh, if my health permitted wine!
二 自译体会
《登高》一诗为杜甫于唐代大历二年（767）重阳节在夔州（四川奉节）所写。清代杨伦《杜诗镜铨》的赞语是“高浑一气，古今独步，当为杜集七言律诗第一。”明代胡应麟《诗藪》的赞语是“杜风急天高一章五十六字，如海底珊瑚，瘦劲难名，沉深莫测，而精光万丈，力量万钧。通章章法、句法、字法，前无古人，后无来学……此诗当为古今七言律第一，不必为唐人七言律第一也。”他又说：“若风急天高，则一篇之中句句皆律，一句之中字字皆律，而实一意贯串，一气呵成……真旷代之作也。”这些看法是有代表性的，是为古今学者们普遍接受的。
对这样一首难得的好诗，我在翻译时战战兢兢，费尽了心思；我对原诗从字面到内涵的各个层次，都细心寻绎，从难从严来要求自己。我的这首译诗在所译的十首中还是最满意的一首。
诗题“登高”也就是第六句中的“登台”；我认为应该译得笼统些，因此采用了“An Ascent”的译法。
译诗的格式模仿了Fletcher: 抑扬格，四音步，每两行同用一韵。全诗共用了八个韵部，把原诗每一行分译为两短行，读起来就显得铿锵有力。
第一行中，wind 和wild用头韵，sky和 high用尾韵。第二行中，moody 和monkeys用头韵， sorely 和sigh也用头韵。用了这些句间韵，又连用了四个so字，一开头就给人以气势磅礴之感，烘托出了胡应麟所说的“精光万丈，力量万钧”。这里的sigh意为“grieve, mourn, express grief or sorrow”，以此译“啸”，并不牵强。这两行的押韵也就显得自然了。
“猿”字在古诗词中常见；至于“猿”与“猴”是否有别，非但我们在阅读时习焉不察，甚至有些中文专家也未必深究。至于这个字的译法，那就更值得探讨了。常见的译法有monkey, ape和 gibbon三种，究竟何去何从呢？Fletcher主张译为gibbon，他在李白《早发白帝城》译诗附注中说：“唐诗中常见‘猿’ (gibbon) 字，可能那时的中国比现今更多森林。据我所知，现今长江流域不常见到’猴’(monkey)，可能在西江上游仍能见到。”他这段话不易理解，似乎不能解释为现在不常见到猴而只能见到猿，也许他的原意是说现在连猴都不常见到，更不必说猿了。他这段话也不能说明唐诗中的猿就一定不是猴。旧版《辞海》说：“中国猿与猴，无甚别异。今动物学，猿有广狭二义：狭义单指类人猿而言，猩猩、大猩猩、黑猩猩、长臂猿等属之，余则概称为猴；广义则猿猴无别，统称为猿类或猿猴类。”我有些朋友去峨眉山观光时所见到的是体形较大的圆脸猴，而不是动物园中常见的尖脸猴。但大家还是称之为猴而不称为猿。所以我认为猿即猿猴，是统称。唐诗中的猿主要的还是猴。诸家译为monkey的居多，我认为比较确切。ape 是类人猿，gibbon是长臂猿，恐怕都不是合适的译法。
我的前两行借鉴了Fletcher的译法“The wind so fresh, the sky so high / Awaken the gibbons’ cry.”欣赏之余，进一步揣摩改写为我的两行，但仍未能脱其窠臼。
“渚清沙白”有几种不同的理解。《唐诗鉴赏辞典》解释为“水清沙白”，有些译家也是这样翻译的。渚本是江中小洲，诗人为何用清字来形容呢？沙是渚上的沙，还是沙滩上的沙呢？不同的理解就产生了不同的译法。夏松凉《杜诗鉴赏》说：“深秋九月，林寒涧肃，沙洲小渚，孤零冷落，所以说’清’；风霜高洁，水落石出，所以说’白’。”我认为这个解释融情于景，较为吻合。我就把“清”理解为“凄清”，译为drear (诗歌用语，即dreary)， “白”也应带感情色彩，所以我不译为 white而译为 pale。这个 pale也正好同下行的 sail押韵， drear和 pale这两个形容词也同全诗的气氛相一致。 “The lingering gulls in circles sail”也译出了鸟儿回旋，流连而不忍去的情景。这里的sail应解释为 “glide through the air without apparent exertion”，亦即翱翔之意。
颔联“无边……”两句是脍炙人口的名句，对仗极为工整。可是我考虑到“中诗尚整，英诗尚散”（吕叔湘语）的特点，没有把对仗形式翻译出来。何况全诗四联都用对仗，要全部译为对句，也是极困难的，甚至是不可能的。即使做到了这点，，或许还会因迁就形式而妨碍内容的充分表达，影响译诗的流畅，读起来也不象英文诗了。有些翻译家追求译诗的对仗，忽视了英诗与汉诗的差异，我不敢赞同。我着重把“无边”和“不尽”译透，以体现这两句的“精光万丈，力量万钧”。将“无边”单独译为一行：“All over such a vast expanse”，其中的such也同前面的四个so 相呼应；将“落木萧萧下” 译为另一行：“The rustling leaves off branches dance.”其中将“下”字译为“dance”,使人感受到“萧萧”的音美以外，还看到了落叶纷纷飘舞的生动情景。“不尽”和“滚滚”分别译为“rises yon”和“raging on and on”,来烘托那种来不见源头、去不见尽处的、源远而流长的情景。其源远的一面常为译家所忽略。我最初译为“The Yangtse rises far away / And rages eastward to the bay.”其中的eastward和bay都未免失之太实。
现在谈谈颈联“万里”二句的翻译。“万里”二字的译法有些翻译家拘泥于字面，如a thousand miles, three thousand miles, ten thousand miles, ten thousand li 等。在英美诗歌中，是很难读到这些具体数字的。我采用了意译，把“万里常作客”译为“Apart from home so far and long”作为一行，再把“悲秋”译为“With autumn, myriad sorrows throng”作为另一行。其中加了“myriad”，来体现百感交集，思绪万千。“悲秋”二字应是“诗眼”，杜甫于重阳节独自一人登高，抚今追昔，产生了无穷的悲愁情绪，所以我翻译时突出地加以渲染。
原诗第六句中的“百年”诸注家大多解释为“一生”，只有罗大经解释为“暮齿”（即晚年），后来《唐诗鉴赏辞典》也说“此处专指暮年。”我则采用前说，将“百年多病”译为“With illness all my life to fight”这一个带介词的复合结构作为一行，又将“独登台”译为“I now alone ascend this height”作为另一行。这个“台”也就是杜甫在《九日》五首第一首中所说“抱病起登江上台”的“台”，我认为应该译得笼统些，就根据罗大经所注“高迥处”译为“height”。诸家也有译为terrace, mountain, lofty stage 和tower的，我认为还是height更加概括。有位朋友说《戴南山集》中有此台的考证，可是我在那集子中没有找到。我想即使找到考证，还是以不加注为好。
最后谈谈尾联“艰难二句的译法。原诗第七句中的“恨”大多数注家认为是动词，“苦恨”意为“非常恨”，与末句的“新停”相对。萧涤非却说：“末二句用当句对法，艰难对苦恨，潦倒对新停。”这种解释未免穿凿附会。我将第七句译为“Weighed down in troubled times with care, / I hate the growing hoary hair.”这里的care是广义的，包括国忧、民忧和个人的不幸遭遇各个方面。“Weighed down”衬托出艰苦备尝，被各种心理重压压得透不过气来的难受情景。
原诗末句很多注家认为弱了些。沈确士说：“结句意尽语竭，不必曲为之讳。”胡应麟也说：“此篇结句似微弱者”，但他接着又说：“只如此软冷收之，而无限悲凉之意溢于言外，似未为不称也。”我认为沈评过苛，胡评后半部分尚属允当。其实末句是全篇的最强音，并不微弱。与其说是软冷，毋宁说是高亢。杜甫在此感慨万分的时刻，多么想痛饮几杯，来浇浇胸中的块垒，散散心头的郁积啊！可他就在最近因肺病加剧而不得不戒酒，满腔的悲愤和苦闷无处发泄，该多痛苦啊！按照这样的理解，我将此句译为“A broken heart, for cups I pine; / Oh, if my health permitted wine!”我没有把“潦倒”理解为个人的穷困来翻译，而是把上面的weighed down加以深化，译为“a broken heart”（我的心都碎了）。接着又说：我多么渴望浮几大白啊！唉，要是我的健康情况能够允许我喝酒，该多好啊！末行用虚拟语气，表示这个愿望无法实现。我费尽心思，深挖内涵，终于大胆地摆脱原文，来着重体现“最强音”，而这个“最强音”又含蓄在看似软冷的虚拟语气之中，无限悲愤的强烈感情也就溢于言外了。真是“言有尽而意无穷”，这就是我所追求的神似境界。如果读者能在读后感到余味，我就十分欣慰了。至于“新停”和“浊”等字眼，就不求形似了。
三 学习诸家译作的体会
我收集到的诸家译作共11篇；J. B. Fletcher , 许渊冲（两篇）和吴钧陶都以格律体译出；而 F. Ayscough , R. Alley, W. Bynner,，杨氏夫妇，柳无忌和李维建则以自由体译出。
题目的译法有： The Heights, On the Heights, Climbing the Heights, A Long Climb, Climbing a Terrace, Mounting, Written on an Autumn Holiday等。“高”译为heights 比较概括，这里用复数形式来表示单数内容，符合英语习惯，因此前三种译法我都赞同。“Terrace”的译法似乎失之太实。“Mounting”的译法比较灵活，虽省译了“高”字，却也把“高”字隐含在其中了。“高”字转译为Long,看似走样，其实Long同 Climb的搭配在英语中也是成立的。“Written on an Autumn Holiday”的译法不够确切，重阳节固然是秋季的节日，但秋季还有其它节日，诗题的翻译是不能这样随便的。
就全诗的翻译来说，我最欣赏杨氏夫妇的译作，正确流畅，是自由体译作的上品。柳无忌的译作也非常妥贴，可惜限于篇幅，未能引录。有些译句下面还要论及。
许渊冲将首联译为：“The wind so soft, and sky so wide, apes wail and cry; / Water so clear, and beach so white, birds wheel and fly.”形式极为工整。但我对“wide”有些疑问，因其未能充分表达秋高气爽的意味；可能是为了增加双唇音，追求音美之故。“wail and cry”和“wheel and fly”是否改为“wailing cry”和“wheeling fly”好些？因为 cry和 fly表示主要动作，各用分词作状语来表示动作方式，这样就能主次分明。
有的译家将首联译为：“Swift wind and a high ceiling mournful the monkeys sound, / From island to white beach the birds are wheeling round.”起句就似乎给人以生硬的感觉；“渚清沙白”的译法也似欠妥。
有的将首句译为：“These days of autumn, the clouds / Are high; wind rises in strength; / Far away the cry of monkeys can / Be heard, giving people a sorrowful / Feeling.”读之似觉流畅有余而简练不足，并且失去磅礴气势，与杜甫风格大相径庭。
有的将第二句译为：“The isles clear-cut, the sand so white / Arrests the wheeling seagulls’ flight.”上行中省略了一个so, 便觉不对称，下行中sea-gulls中的 sea似为画蛇添足，夔州去海甚远，故不宜用 sea字。这些都是凑合格律之过。“arrest”用词极工，有“留鸟住”之意。
有的将第二句译为：“Birds are flying homeward over the clear lake and white sand.”其中homeward和 lake是明
显的错误：把回旋误解为回家，把小洲误解为湖泊。古本“廻”多作“回”，这可能是造成误解的原因。还有译
为“Birds coming home”， “backwards birds fly”,也是同样性质的错误。“The birds are cleaving fine ”的译法则把
回旋误解为掠过，其动作的性质与原意完全不同；fine的凑韵也很明显。
关于“无边”二句的翻译，杨氏夫妇译得非常好：“Everywhere the leaves fall rustling from the trees. / While on for
ever rolls the turbulent Yangtse.”读之似觉老练而有神韵。
F. Ayscough 之译杜诗，有逐字死译之嫌。 A .C. Graham曾评之为 “the most advanced sufferer from the
character-splitting fallacy”。但这联的译法却有独到之处：“Without bounds is the forest, leaves fall, swish, swish, they drop; / No ending has Great River, swirl, swirl, it comes.”把“萧萧”和“滚滚”译得有声有色，实在值得欣赏。
柳无忌将此联译为：“Leaves fall from deep woods — rustling and soughing; / The Long River rolls on, forever, wave after wave.”也曲尽其妙。只是觉得把“无边”译为deep,含蓄有余而气势不足。
Fletcher将“无边”句译为：“Through endless space with rustling sound / The falling leaves are whirled around.” 译得既工整，又自然。他把“不尽”句译为： “Beyond my ken a yeasty sea / The Yangtze’s waves are rolling free.”其中的ken 解释为 range of sight， 是古英语的用法，用来译古诗是可以的。但 “yeasty sea”费解。“yeasty”意为 “bubbling, foamy ” ，嫌弱；“sea”可能用来比喻长江，不妥。“free”不仅嫌弱，还有凑韵之嫌。
许渊冲把此联译为：“The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower; / The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour.”他以对仗形式译出，字面非常工整，我很欣赏。只是觉得“hour after hour.”在格律上虽也可以看作为抑扬格的两个音步（hour看作单音节），但在意义上似乎不够确切。若改为：“rolls its water wave after wave”,词意似较妥贴，但不押韵了。“shower by shower”在意义上虽较吻合，但在格律上又破格了，因为不论看作五个音节还是三个音节，都不能满足抑扬格两个音步的要求。这是很难解决的问题。看来唯一的办法还是打破对仗的框框，译得“散”一些，问题才能迎刃而解。
Alley把此联译为：“falling / Leaves rustle as they come through / The air. The Yangtse seems endless / With its waters rolling on incessantly.”下句译得很妥贴，但上句中省译了非常重要的“无边”，未免遗憾；as从句也过于平淡。
有的译家把第三句译为：“Leaves are dropping down like the spray of a waterfall.”比喻失当，“萧萧”之意境全失，“无边”也未体现。有的译为 “Leaves rustling down”，似过于草率和简略，“无边”也无着落。请想一想外国朋友们读了这三个词能够看出这原来是杜甫的警句吗？
有的译家把第四句译为：“The ever-flowing Yangtze on its way rolls and wrestles.”其中“wrestles”意为“摔跤、拼搏”，画蛇添足，不伦不类，盖为与上行rustles押韵所致，且韵也不工。这是“因韵害义”之一例。
杨氏夫妇把“万里”二句译为：“All around in autumnal gloom and I, long from home, /A prey all my life to ill health, climb the terrace alone.”译得极为高妙，显出了老翻译家的非凡功力；特别是“百年多病”的译法恰到好处。柳无忌把“百年”句译为：“My whole life afflicted by sickness, I mount alone the high terrace.”也很妥贴。Alley译为： “with sickness for / A companion; now do I climb high / Above the river by myself.”其中“登台”的译法很巧妙，“台”字虽未直接译出，读者也可体味出来。但把“多病”误解为想念伴侣或朋友，很不应该。有的译为：“With dragging years and illness wage / Lone war upon this lofty stage.”句法不自然，“百年”的译法不确切，“wage lone war”似嫌做作。有的译为：“Life is short, my health failing, here / I stand alone.” 其中把“百年”作“人生短暂”译出，实为理解错误。“台”字未译出，“登”字无着落，从上下文中也看不出杜甫是站在哪里。有的译为：“A hundred years, many illnesses! Alone I climb the tower.” 其中“百年多病”逐字死译，曲解原义。
柳无忌把“艰难”句译为：“Beset by hardships, I resent the heavy frost on my temples.”译得十分确切， 同我的思路不谋而合。Bynner译为： “Ill fortune has laid a bitter frost on my temples.”采用拟人格，也是一种办法，但总觉得不很切合原意。“fortune”局限于个人遭遇，“bitter ”修饰“frost ”也是理解错误。有的译为：“Hating the hardships which have frosted my hair,”则把“艰难”看作“苦恨”的宾语，又把“繁霜鬓”看作“艰难”的定语，似乎不是正解。我认为“艰难”和“潦倒”貌似名词，实为副词，分别用作“恨”和“停”的原因状语；“繁霜鬓”和“浊酒杯”分别作这两个动词的宾语。当然翻译不能死抠语法，但正确的语法分析也是理解原文的钥匙。有的译为：“Hardships and bitterness frosting many a hair” ；有的译为：“Troubles and sorrow have turned my hair grey”；有的译为：“Sorrows, hardships, bitterness, grief, thickly frosted hair on my brows”这三家都把“艰难”和“苦恨”作为名词译出，显然是理解错误。第三家译成四词，尤为累赘； “brow”更是误译。有的译为：“With troubles vexed and trials sore / My locks are daily growing hoar.”其上行似可作“Vexed with troubles and sore with trials”来理解，但究嫌晦涩。“苦恨”的译法也不正确。
关于末句的翻译，我最欣赏的是杨氏夫妇的“Sad that illness has made me give up the solace of wine.”和柳无忌的“Dispirited, I have by now abandoned my cup of unstrained wine.”
有的译家译为：“Till Time, before whose steps I pine, / Set down this failing cup of wine!” 有的译为：“Down and out, can’t even drink now, / can’t even drink now.”则把“潦倒”作落魄贫困解，未能由表及里，深挖内涵。又连说两句“现在连酒都不能喝”，使人误解为买不起酒喝。“Pressed by poverty, I give up my cup of wine”和“Cast down by poverty, I have to give up wine”也存在着同样性质的问题。通过这样的翻译，原来的诗句就真的显得“微弱”了。
总括以上的一些问题来看，我们不难得出一个结论： 正确理解原文，掌握正确思路，抓住原文的精神实质，这是翻译之前必须解决的首要问题。错误的理解必然导致错误的译作。只有正确理解了原文，才能深挖内涵，然后在表达上狠下工夫，从形似升华到神似，而译者的态度严谨与否也是至关重要的。
*《英译杜甫”<登高>兼谈体会》一文原载于《外国语》1990年第二期（总第66期）。曾于1992年2月获化工部永不淡忘老同志功勋展参展证书。
诸家英译《登高》选录
Climbing a Terrace 杨宪益、戴乃迭译
Wind blusters high in the sky and monkeys wail; / Clear the islet with white sand where birds are wheeling; / Everywhere the leaves fall rustling from the trees, / While on for ever rolls the turbulent Yangtse. / All around is autumnal gloom and I, long from home, / A prey all my life to ill health, climb the terrace alone; / Hating the hardships which have frosted my hair, / Sad that illness made me give up the solace of wine.
Climbing the Heights 柳无忌译
When winds rage and the sky is high, gibbons cry mournfully; / Over white sands on a clear riverbank, birds fly and whirl. / Leaves fall from deep woods – rustling and soughing; / The Long River rolls on, forever, wave after wave. / Ten thousand miles away in sad autumn, I often find myself a stranger; / My whole life afflicted by sickness, I mount alone the high terrace. / Beset by hardships, I resent the heavy frost on my temples; / Dispirited, I have by now abandoned my cup of unstrained wine.
The Heights W. J. B. Fletcher 译
The wind so fresh, the sky so high / Awake the gibbons’ wailing cry. / The isles clear-cut, the sand so white, / Arrest the wheeling sea-gulls’ flight. / Through endless space with rustling sound / The falling leaves are whirled around. / Beyond my ken a yeasty sea / The Yangtze’s waves are rolling free. / From far away, in autumn drear, / I find myself a stranger here. / With dragging years and illness wage / Lone war upon this lofty stage. / With troubles vexed and trials sore / My locks are daily growing hoar: / Till Time, before whose steps I pine, / Set down this failing cup of wine!
On the Heights ( I ) 许渊冲译
The wind so swift, the sky so steep, sad gibbons cry; / Water so clear and sand so white, backward birds fly. / The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower; / The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour. / Far from home in autumn, I’m grieved to see my plight; / After my long illness, I climb alone this height. / Living in hard times, at my frosted hair I pine; / Pressed by poverty, I give up my cup of wine.
On the Heights ( II ) 许渊冲译
The wind so swift and sky so wide, apes wail and cry; / Water so clear and beach so white, birds wheel and fly. / The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower; / The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour. / A thousand miles from home in autumn, I’m grieved at autumn’s plight; / Ill now and then for years, ,alone I’m on this height. / Living in times so hard, at frosted hair I pine; / Cast down by poverty, I have to give up wine.
Written on an Autumn Holiday Rewi Alley译
These days of autumn, the clouds / Are high; wind rises in strength; / Far away the cry of monkeys can / Be heard, giving people a sorrowful / Feeling; skimming the white sands / And the water, waterfowl fly; falling / Leaves rustle as they come through / The air; The Yangtse seems endless / With its waters rolling on incessantly; /So many autumns have I now spent / Away from home, with sickness for / A companion; now do I climb high / Above the river by myself, /Troubles and sorrow have turned my hair / Grey; sick and poor, I now / Even stop drinking wine!
I Climb High Florence Ayscough译
Wind is strong, sky is high, gibbons wail sadly; / Shoals are bright, sand gleam white, birds fly in circles. / Without bounds is the forest, leaves fall, swish, swish, they drop; / No ending has Great River, swirl, swirl, it comes. / Ten thousand li sad Autumn! Have been long a wanderer; / A hundred years, many illnesses! Alone I climb the tower. / Sorrows, hardships, bitterness, grief, thickly frosted hair on my brows, / Inert I sink to ground; all fellowship ended; I drink muddy wine in my cup.
A Long Climb Witter Bynner译
In a sharp gale from the wide sky apes are whimpering, / Birds are flying homeward over the clear lake and white sand, / Leaves are dropping down like the spray of a waterfall, / While I watched the long river always rolling on. / I have come three miles away. Sad now with autumn / And with my hundred years of woe, I climb this height alone. / Ill fortune has laid a bitter frost on my temples, / Heart-ache and weariness are a thick dust in my wine.
Climbing the Heights 谢文通译
Swift wind and a high ceiling mournful the monkeys sound, / From island to white beach the birds are wheeling round. / Everywhere falling leaves fall rustling to / The waves of the Long River onrushing without bound. / Who grieves for Autumn a thousand miles from home / Despite lifelong illness I climb the terrace alone. / Hardships and bitterness frosting many a hair, / I abjure the cup of wine that stopped my moan.
On the Heights 李惟建译，翁显良校
High wind blowing, high clouds floating, gibbons wailing, / Sandbars gleaming white, the waters rippling clear, / Birds coming home, leaves rustling down -- / And the great river rolls on, ceaseless. / A stranger here, far, far, from home, / I can’t help feeling sad in autumn. / Life is short, my health failing, here I stand alone. / Life is hard, my temples greying, / I’m filled with regret. / Down and out, can’t even drink now, / Can’t even drink now…
An Ascent 徐忠杰译
A stiff breeze is up; the vault of heaven seems high. / Monkeys on the hills are making their plaintive cry. / The islets become clearer; the sandbanks, clean and white; / Water-birds are hovering over them in their flight. / For miles around, rustling leaves are falling without pause. / The Yang-tze-kiang is tumbling on in its onward course. / Far from home, autumn strikes me as adding to my grief. / An invalid, I mount the heights alone for relief. / Long suffering has left its cruel mark on my hair. / I’ve ceased anew to drink in utter despair.
Mounting 吴钧陶译
From heaven high the winds are whirling down with monkey’s whine, / And over the white sanded hursts the birds are cleaving fine. / The boundless forests shed their yellow leaves with rustles; / The everflowing Yangtze on its way rolls and wrestles. / Autumn is chilling me – always a thousand-miles-roameer, / Alone mounting the mountain, and a life-long sufferer. / I deeply loathe my rime-like temples as in these hard times; / Of late Senility yet forces me to give up wines!
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