If I Were the Wind 假若我是风

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  The wind that makes music in November corn is in a hurry. The stalks hum, the loose husks whisk skyward in half-playful swirls, and the wind hurries on.
   In the marsh, long windy waves surge across the grassy sloughs, beat against the far willows. A tree tries to argue, bare limbs waving, but there is no detaining the wind.
   On the sandbar there is only wind, and the river sliding seaward. Every wisp of grass is drawing circles on the sand. I wander over the bar to a driftwood log, where I sit and listen to the universal roar, and to the tinkle of wavelets on the shore. The river is lifeless: not a duck, heron, marshhawk, or gull but has sought refuge from wind.
   Out of the clouds I hear a faint bark, as of a far-away dog. It is strange how the world cocks its ears at that sound, wondering. Soon it is louder: the honk of geese, invisible, but coming on.
   The flock emerges from the low clouds, a tattered banner of birds, dipping and rising, blown up and blown down, blown together and blown apart, but advancing, the wind wrestling lovingly with each winnowing wing. When the flock is a blur in the far sky I hear the last honk, sounding taps for summer.
   It is warm behind the driftwood now, for the wind has gone with the geese. So would I—if I were the wind.
  十一月的玉米地里,演奏音乐的风总是匆匆来去。玉米秆会迎风嗡嗡哼唱,松弛的苞衣会顽皮地旋动,朝天起舞,而风依然行色匆匆。
  十一月的沼泽地里,风会拂过长草,掀起草浪,拍打远方的杨柳。有树挥舞其秃枝欲劝风留下,可风依然行色匆匆。
  十一月的沙洲上只有风,还有那条流向大海的河。此时每片草叶都在沙地上打转。我漫步越过沙洲,在一根漂流木上坐下,倾听风响彻寰宇的呼啸,聆听浪轻拍河岸的涛声。此刻河面上了无生气,没有野鸭,没有苍鹭,没有泽鹰,连沙鸥也去了避风的地方。
  我忽闻云中隐隐有声,像是犬吠声从远方传来。真奇妙,怎么整个世界都竖起了耳朵,想听出那是什么声音。声音很快清晰,是雁声嗷嗷,虽不见鸿影,但其鸣已近。
  雁群从低云中穿出,像一面撕破的旌旗,忽垂忽扬,忽高忽低,忽聚忽散,但始终在前进,风怜爱地托起每一片被吹乱的翼羽。雁群在遥远的天际渐渐模糊,这时我听见最后一声嗈鸣,仿佛是在向夏天告别。
  这时漂流木后边有了丝暖意,因为风已随雁群去向远方。假若我是风,我也要随雁群去向远方。
  【背景知识】这篇散文选自美国生态作家利奥波德的自然随笔《沙乡年鉴》。秋风凉,雁南飞,古今中外多少作家诗人曾为此触景生情。《假若我是风》对秋风和雁群的描写别具一格,秋风行色匆匆,是为了追随雁群。利奥波德在《沙乡年鉴》序言中说“有机会看到大雁比观看电视更重要”,但在这篇短文中,他似乎已不满足于看到大雁,而想同秋风一样与大雁亲密接触,结伴同行。
  【第一段】译文挪动了原文第一句定语从句中的状语in November corn的位置,将其置于主句之前,这一是为了让译文全句结构更清爽,节奏更和谐;二是为了与后面两段中前置的状语In the marsh和On the sandbar形成位置上的对应,使这三个段落构成一种排比,从而再现原文结构紧凑、文意贯通、感情细腻的行文风格。第二句中的husks须结合语境译成“苞衣”或“苞叶”,不宜译成“外壳”或“玉米皮”。
  【第二段】有人把第一句中的tries to argue翻译成“欲与风争辩”或“试图进行辩驳”,但这样的译文上下句不连贯。有人将其翻译成“把风阻挡住”,这样文意贯通了,但“阻挡”离argue稍远了一点儿。多查词典,可选用argue的persuade(劝说)之义项。
  【第三段】把On the sandbar译成“十一月的沙洲上”,与上段把In the marsh译成“十一月的沼泽地里”一样,可谓“善敷者辞殊而意显”(《文心雕龙·熔裁》),因为原文虽无其词(November),但确有其意(承接第一段)。
  【第四段】既然作者描写远闻雁鸣似犬吠,译honk这个拟声词就得稍有讲究。中国人拟雁鸣声有“嗷嗷”“嗈嗈”“噭噭”诸音,例如“鸿雁于飞,哀鸣嗷嗷。”(《诗经·小雅·鸿雁》),“雁廱廱而南游兮”(宋玉《九辨》,“廱”与“嗈”同)和“翩翩双鸣雁,噭噭云中飞。”([明]黄佐《学古一首赠胡承之归关中》)等。如此讲究,此处honk of geese宜译“雁声嗷嗷”。
  【第五段】绝不可像某些译者那样把wrestling翻译成“搏斗”“角力”或“角逐”,此处wrestling应取其lifting with great effort and force之义。此例再次印证了英国语言学家弗斯在其《意义的模式》一文中的論断:“每个词用在新的语境中都是一个新词(… each word when used in a new context is a new word)”。
  【第六段】想想自己会不会像某些译者那样把It is warm behind the driftwood now翻译成“现在这块木筏圆木的后面是很暖和的”,或翻译成“现在,躲在浮木的背后还是比较暖和的”,平时是不是一见to be + adj就译作“是什么什么的”。
  【小结】作家的思想情怀通常都用言辞来表达,如范仲淹为抒发其忧国忧民之情,乃振笔于岳阳楼上;欧阳修为袒露其与民同乐之怀,遂挥毫于醉翁亭间。同样,利奥波德的生态美学思想也都编织在他那些空灵而优美、睿智而深刻的言辞之中。所以,翻译这类作品,既要追求在思想内容、文体风格和情感语气等诸方面都尽可能地接近原文,同时也要注重追求译文语言尽可能地文从字顺、明快自然。
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