资源描述:
《广外研究生翻译作业附译》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、07级研究生翻译作业(汉译英)尺素寸心(节选)余光中 回信,固然可畏,不回信,也绝非什么乐事。书架上经常叠着百多封未回之信,“债龄”或长或短, 长的甚至一年以上, 那样的压力,也绝非一个普通的罪徒所能负担的。一叠未回的信,就像一群不散的阴魂,在我罪深孽重的心底幢幢作祟。理论上说来,这些信当然是要回的。我可以坦然向天发誓,在我清醒的时刻,我绝未存心不回人信。问题出在技术上。给我一整个夏夜的空闲,我该先回一年半前的那封信呢,还是七个月前的这封信?隔了这么久,恐怕连谢罪自谴的有效期也早过了吧。在朋友的心目中,你早已沦为不值得计
2、较的妄人。“莫名其妙!”是你在江湖上一致的评语。 其实,即使终于鼓起全部的道德勇气,坐在桌前,准备偿付信债于万一,也不是轻易能如愿的。七零八落的新简旧信,漫无规则地充塞在书架上,抽屉里,有的回过,有的未回,“只在此山中,云深不知处”,要找到你决心要回的那一封,耗费的时间和精力,往往数倍于回信本身。再想象朋友接信时的表情,不是喜出望外,而是余怒重炽,你那一点决心就整个崩溃了。你的债,永无清偿之日。不回信,绝不等于忘了朋友,正如世上绝无忘了债主的负债人。在你惶恐的深处,恶魇的尽头, 隐隐约约, 永远潜伏着这位朋友的怒眉和冷眼,不,你永远忘不了
3、他。你真正忘掉的,而且忘得那么心安理得,是那些已经得到你回信的朋友。我的译文: AnExcerptfromUnansweredLettersvsUnboundedFriendship ByYuGuangzhong Answeringlettersdoesmakemeflinch;however,notansweringthemallowsmenoreleaseatall.Dozensofunansweredletterspileuponmybookshelf,likeasumofdebtwaitingtobepaid.Somehav
4、ebeenwaitingthereforoveroneyear,whilesomehavenewlyarrived.Thepressurefrompayingoffthatdebtisfarbeyondwhatajuniordebtorcanendure.Thestackofunansweredlettersare,likeagroupofhauntingghosts,continuallypesteringmyguilt-loadedsoul.Generally,theletterswillcertainlyberepliedto.Icane
5、venswearbyheaventhatneverdoIhavetheintentionnottoreplywhenmymindisclear.Theproblemishowtoreply.EvenifIsparedmyselfawholesummernight,Iwouldbewaveringonwhichlettertoreplytofirst,the18-month-oldoneorthe7-month-old?ThereplyhasbeendelayedforsolongthatI’mafraidevenheartfeltapology
6、andself-accusation5havealreadybecomeoverdue.Infriends’heart,I’vebeenmarginalizedasacockymanunworthyofcare.“Unaccountable”!Thatistheirunanimouscommentonme. Infact,eventhoughIpullmyselftogetherandsettledownatthedesk,readytopayoffthedebt,mydeterminationwilleasilybesplitupbyd
7、oubts.Oldandnewletters,answeredoryet-to-be,cramtheshelfandthedrawerindisorder,whichremindsmeoftwoverses:“He’ssimplyintheverymountain.Inthedepthsofclouds,hiswhereaboutsareunknown.”(fromCallingonaHermitinVainbyJiaDao).PickingouttheletterIdecideto answerfromsuchamesswillcostasm
8、ultipliedtimeandenergyas answeringtheletterdoes.Moreover,onvisualizingthefa