近日,中国一位“大神级”网友将英国歌手阿黛尔的单曲《似曾相识》(Someone Like You)用文言文进行翻译,那优美的韵律和含蓄的用词一下子打动了亿万国人。
戳中泪点的文言风
“中文真是世界上最美丽的语言啊!”看完这篇文言文的翻译后网友集体惊呼。一边放着这首歌,一边在微博上看着文言文翻译的大学生王康蕊评论说:“果断被戳中泪点,膜拜这位大神级作者!”
朋友和我一起在网上看到这篇翻译时,他更是突然狠狠地拍了我一下说:“你看这四句!连续四句全部押韵,并且毫无生硬的感觉!这得有多么深厚的文言文功底啊!”看着朋友疯狂的样子,我想,打动他的也许不仅是这些优美的辞藻和语句,还有那辞藻背后所包含的中国传统情怀和意境吧。本篇译文中还有一个亮点: “Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead, yeah. 情堪隽永,也善心潮掀狂澜,然。”
一个单词“yeah”,一个汉字“然”;一首英文歌曲,一篇文言文的翻译;一个用声音的表现力震撼听众的心灵,一个用博大精深的中国文言文引发众人共鸣。
“二度创作”的文言文翻译
翻译是一件不简单的事情,尤其用文言文翻译英语作品。早在上世纪,以苏曼殊、毕谹和郭沫若为代表的一些翻译家就曾有意识地将外语诗歌翻译成了文言律诗。“其实从本质上讲,翻译时语言之间并不是字字对应的,需要在文化系统之间进行复杂的转换。将当代流行歌曲翻译成文言文,更需要跨越时代的鸿沟。”华东师范大学李明洁副教授说。比如,该译文中用到“巫山云雨”之类的典故,就涉及到中国文化传统和古典文学意象,而这些在英语原文中是找不到对应之处的。
就译作本身而言,与其说是翻译,不如说是呼应原作的二度创作。之所以用文言文再度创作的这篇歌词在网民中广泛流传,与文言文典雅精致的叙事风格有关,也得益于文言文长于比兴、善于用典的特质。当然,中国经济发展所带来的文化觉醒也是不可或缺的社会语境。
开启中华文化大门的钥匙
文言文作为中华文化传承之“根”,是中文学习的重点及难点。它既文雅优美,韵律感强,易被广为吟诵,又寓意深远,凝练简洁,经得住反复揣摩。
曾任中国人民对外友好协会常务理事的著名外交官章含之女士说过:“文化的新生,需要向传统致意”。文言文作为中国传统文化的代表,每一字,皆有形有音;每一词,皆有故事。千百年来,祖先给我们留下的气势宏远、跌宕起伏的文言文名篇佳句数不胜数。
另一方面,也正是由于文言文意简寓深,字字珠玑,使得不少人对于学习它有畏难情绪。北京市171中学的语文教师史晨飞介绍说:“今年北京地区的高考语文试卷,新增了4分的‘古文理解’试题。总体来说,考生在这个部分的成绩非常不理想,平均得分只有0.6分。”这从一个侧面反映出现代年轻人的文言文功力在不断减弱。
文言文是进入中华古代文化大门的钥匙。作为一个中国人,不能领略文言文之美,无论如何都是一个巨大的遗憾。在浮躁、快节奏的现代社会,不妨停下匆忙的脚步,尝试着读点文言文,努力去欣赏它的优美典雅,这对于走近中华传统文化,提升自身文化修养都大有裨益。年轻人借着欣赏英文歌曲的文言风式翻译,重拾对文言文的兴趣,获得感知,有所领悟,乐于追随,也显得弥足珍贵。
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushDiscussesEconomy
THE PRESIDENT: Earlier today I spoke with members of my economic team. They updated me on the state of our economy. This morning we learned ...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentsRadioAddress
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Its not every day that Americans look forward to hearing from the Internal Revenue Service, bu...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushDiscussesFISA
THE PRESIDENT: Last month House leaders declared that they needed 21 additional days to pass legislation giving our intelligence professionals ...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushAttendsNorthAtlanticCouncilSummitMeeting
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Secretary General, President Basescu, thank you all very much. For nearly six decades the NATO Alli...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushDepartsforNATOSummit
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Laura and I are on our way to a very important NATO summit, and members of the United States Congress are o...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushVisitstheEconomicClubofNewYork
THE PRESIDENT: Glenn, thanks for the kind introduction. Thanks for giving me a chance to speak to the Economic Club of New Yor...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
<P class=0 style="LAYOUT-GRID-MODE: char"><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: rgb(0,51,153); FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial'; mso-spacerun: 'yes...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
President'sRadioAddress
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. On Friday, I traveled to New York City to talk about the state of our economy. This is a top...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
PresidentBushParticipatesinJointPressAvailabilitywithPresidentViktorYushchenkoofUkraine
PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO: (As translated.) Dear Mr. President, excellencies, ladies and ...
Notice: Use of undefined constant ‘the_content’ - assumed '‘the_content’' in D:\wwwroot\cnuniwords\wwwroot\wp-content\themes\uniwords\single-translation-news.php on line 47
President'sRadioAddress
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I'm speaking to you from Europe, where I attended the NATO summit and witnessed the hopeful pr...