《论语·第十五章》卫灵公篇 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

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卫灵公问陈于孔子，孔子对曰：“俎豆之事，则尝闻之矣；军旅之事，未之学也。”明日遂行。

Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about battle array, Confucius replied, “I know only something about ritual, but nothing about military affairs.” He left Wei the next day.

🎈俎豆之事，则尝闻之矣。这里的代词“之”很明显指的就是“俎豆之事”，因此可以直接代入调整语序为：尝闻俎豆之事。然后再进行翻译。

在陈绝粮，从者病莫能兴。子路愠见曰：“君子亦有穷乎？”子曰：“君子固穷，小人穷斯滥矣。”

Confucius was not supplied with food in the state of Chen, his followers became too weak to rise to their feet. Dissatified, Zi Lu came and said, “How can an intelligentleman fall in want?” The Master said, “An intelligentleman will do nothing wrong even if he is in want, while an uncultured man in want will break loose from all restraints.”

🎈在陈绝粮。无主语，翻译时需要补出主语Confucius

🎈子路愠见曰。翻译时先将「愠」（dissatisified）提取出来作状语。

🎈君子固穷，小人穷斯滥矣。两个分句间含转折对比意，因此翻译时增加逻辑衔接词while

子曰：“赐也，女以予为多学而识之者与？”对曰：“然，非与？”曰：“非也，予一以贯之。”

The Master said to Zi Gong,“Do you think I am a man who knows many things and keeps them in memory?” Zi Gong said, “Yes, is it not so?” The Master said, “No, I know only one in many and many in one.”

🎈多学而识之者，在《论语》中经常出现“……者”这样的表达，通常译为a man+who引导的定语从句

🎈非与？注意反问句的译法，is it not…?

子曰：“由，知德者鲜矣。”

The Master said to Zi Lu,“Few know what virtue is.”

🎈知德者鲜矣。这句话在翻译时调整了语序，即调整为：鲜有人知德。

子曰：“无为而治者其舜也与！夫何为哉？恭己正南面而已矣。”

Emperor Shun ruled by non-interference, said the Master. Was it not so? What did he do but occupy the imperial throne reverently?

🎈译文中，What did he do but occupy the imperial throne reverently?这里的but是表示“除了”，例如：I had no choice but to accept the challenge.

🎈恭己正南面而已矣。这句话在翻译时需要了解一定的文化背景知识。古代以面朝南为尊位，君主临朝南面而坐，因此把登上帝位称为“南面为王”。在翻译时需要译出“南面”的真正含义，即occupy the imperial throne

子张问行，子曰：“言忠信，行笃敬，虽蛮貊之邦，行矣。言不忠信，行不笃敬，虽州里，行乎哉？立则见其参于前也，在舆则见其倚于衡也，夫然后行。”子张书诸绅。

When Zi Zhang asked about good behavior, the Master said,“Sincere in what you say and trustworthy in what you do, you would behave well even among uncivilized tribes. Insincere in word and untrustworthy in deed, could you behave well in your native village? Standing, you should see these words before your eyes. Sitting in the carriage, you should see them inscribed on the yoke. Then you can behave well.” Zi Zhang wrote these words on his sash.

🎈言忠信（sincere in what you say），行笃敬（trustworthy in what you do），这里注意一下be+品质形容词+in…的用法，注意回顾一下我们之前积累到的这个结构的表达。同时，这里注意学习善用what引导的名词性从句。

🎈立则见其参于前也。无主语句，翻译时需补出主语。同时，这句话里有两个动词（立、见），许译将“立”处理为非谓语作伴随状语（standing），将“见”处理为谓语，通过运用非谓语，可以使句子层次更加分明。

子曰：“直哉史鱼！邦有道如矢，邦无道如矢。君子哉蘧伯玉！邦有道则仕，邦无道则可卷而怀之。”

How straightforward was the historian Yu, said the Master, who served as a straight arrow the state in good order or in disorder! What an intelligentleman was Qu Bo Yu who served as an official when the state was in good order, and who concealed himself and hid away when the state was in disorder!

🎈直哉史鱼！邦有道如矢，邦无道如矢。在翻译时，将“邦有道如矢，邦无道如矢”处理为who引导的定语从句修饰“史鱼”

子曰：“可与言而不与之言，失人；不可与言而与之言，失言。知者不失人亦不失言。”

Not to talk to a worthy man, said the Master, is to lose the man, and to talk to an unworthy man is to waste words. The wise will neither lose a man nor waste words.

🎈可与言而不与之言，这里的「之」指的是「可与言者」，因此原句可调整语序为：不与可与言者言。许译为not to talk to a worthy man，用worthy一词译出「可与言」

🎈不……不…… neither…nor…

子曰：“志士仁人无求生以害仁，有杀身以成仁。”

A wise good man, said the Master, will do no wrong to preserve his own life but sacrifice his life to do what is right.

🎈仁，what is right，学会善用what引导的名词性从句，可以帮助我们有效译出一些抽象概念。

子贡问为仁，子曰：“工欲善其事，必先利其器。居是邦也，事其大夫之贤者，友其士之仁者。”

Zi Gong asked how to render good service. The Master said,“A craftsman who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. You who serve in a state must act in agreement with its good officers and befriend its good intellectuals.”

🎈工[欲善其事]，[必先利其器]。这句话有两个分句，在翻译时将第一个分句处理为who引导的英语从句，将第二个分句处理为主句，这样处理主次分明，使译文更有层次感和可读性。

🎈居是邦也，事其大夫之贤者，友其士之仁者。无主语句，翻译时需补出主语。同时，这句话在翻译时将“居是邦也”处理为定语从句，将其他两个分句处理为主句，主次分明。

颜渊问为邦，子曰：“行夏之时，乘殷之辂，服周之冕，乐则《韶》、《舞》；放郑声，远佞人。郑声淫，佞人殆。”

Yan Yuan asked how to serve in a state. The Master said,“Use the calendar of Xia, ride the carriage of Yin, wear the ceremonial dress of Zhou, play the music of Emperor Shun and dance to the tune of the Martial King. Reject the songs of Zheng which are licentious and keep away from flatterers who are dangerous.”

🎈放郑声，远佞人。郑声淫，佞人殆。这两句话在翻译时进行重新整合，即：放郑声，郑声淫；远佞人，佞人殆。其中，“郑声淫”、“佞人殆”通过定语从句译出。

子曰：“人无远虑，必有近忧。”

If you have no long sight, said the Master, trouble will be near at hand.

🎈必有近忧。翻译时将「忧」提出来做主语，英文喜欢以物为主语（无灵主语），中文喜欢以人为主语（有灵主语）。如：看到那棵树，我就想起了我的童年。我们可能译为：When I saw that tree, I thought of my childhood. 但更地道的译法是以“看到那棵树”为主语，即The sight of that tree reminds me of my childhood.

子曰：“已矣乎！吾未见好德如好色者也。”

In vain, said the Master, have I looked for one who loves his duty more than beauty.

🎈in vain位于句首，句子要部分倒装。否定词或含有否定意义的副词或词组置于句首时，句子要部分倒装，如by no means, in no way, little, rarely等

🎈好德如好色者。「…..者」在翻译时通常处理为one/a man+who引导的定语从句

子曰：“臧文仲其窃位者与！知柳下惠之贤而不与立也。”

Was not Zang Wen Zhong, said the Master, a stealer of ranks? He knew Liu Xia Hui gifted but did not give the rank due to him.

🎈注意译文中的due to him不是指因为他，而是指应该给予他的，如：Thanks are due to all those who took part.

子曰：“躬自厚而薄责于人，则远怨矣。”

Severe with oneself and lenient with others, said the Master, one will be far from their complaint.

🎈原文为无主语句，翻译时补出泛指主语one

🎈「躬自厚而薄责于人」在翻译时处理为形容词短语做状语。这种表达方式在描述一个人的性格品质时比较常见，如：Introverted and timid, he didn’t dare to address a speech in public.

子曰：“不曰‘如之何、如之何’者，吾末如之何也已矣。”

I do not know what to do, said the Master, with a man who never says, “What to do? What to do?”

🎈吾末如之何也已矣，这句话的“之”指的是“不曰‘如之何、如之何’者”，翻译时处理为a man who never says, “What to do? What to do?”

子曰：“群居终日，言不及义，好行小慧，难矣哉！”

It is difficult, said the Master, to deal with those who gather together all day long without saying what is right but try to show their tact in trifling matters.

🎈这句话在翻译时调整了语序，遵循中文先事实后评价，英文先评价后事实。

子曰：“君子义以为质，礼以行之，孙以出之，信以成之。君子哉！”

An intelligentleman, said the Master, thinks it his duty to do what is right, carries it out according to the rules of propriety, speaks with modesty and accomplishes it faithfully. Such is an intelligentleman.

🎈义，what is right。翻译时要学会善用what引导的名词性从句表达一些抽象概念。如我们之前接触过的“仁”，许译也是处理为what is right

子曰：“君子病无能焉，不病人之不己知也。”

An intelligentleman, said the Master, regrets that he is incapable, and not that he is unknown.

🎈病……不病…… regret that… not that…

子曰：“君子求诸己，小人求诸人。”

An intelligentleman, said the Master, relies on himself while an uncultured man relies on others.

🎈两个分句间含转折对比意，翻译时通过while（used to emphasize the difference between two situations, activities etc）进行衔接。

子曰：“君子不以言举人，不以人废言。”

An intelligentleman, said the Master, will not recommend anyone simply because of his good words, nor reject the good words of anyone.

🎈不以言举人，这里翻译为simply because of…，增译了simply，加强语气

子贡问曰：“有一言而可以终身行之者乎？”子曰：“其恕乎！己所不欲，勿施于人。”

Zi Gong asked whether there was a word practicable all the life long. The Master said, “Perhaps‘forbearance’ is the word. Do not do to others what you would not have others do to you.”

🎈己所不欲，勿施于人。译文中将「己所不欲」译为what you would not have others do to you，做do的宾语，注意学会善用what引导的名词性从句。

子曰：“吾之于人也，谁毁谁誉？如有所誉者，其有所试矣。斯民也，三代之所以直道而行也。”

Of those people I have dealt with, said the Master, whom have I praised or blamed? If I have praised someone, I must have tested him. Such is the straightforward way how people were dealt with during the three ancient dynasties.

🎈三代，即夏、商、周三代，因此处理为the three ancient dynasties

子曰：“吾犹及史之阙文也，有马者借人乘之，今亡矣夫！”

In my early days, said the Master, I had seen historian leave a blank in his text, and a horseman leave his horse for another to ride. But now there is none like them.

🎈因为原文这句话阐述的是以往的情形，因此许在句首增译了In my early days

子曰：“巧言乱德，小不忍，则乱大谋。”

Sweet words, said the Master, may sour the deeds. Impatience in minor matter may cause failure in main matter.

🎈小不忍，则乱大谋。这句话里“乱”是动词，翻译为英文时将其转换为名词形式failure，翻译时词性是比较自由的，可以根据结构需要进行转换。

子曰：“众恶之，必察焉；众好之，必察焉。”

If a man is disliked by all, said the Master, inquiry must be made. If a man is liked by all, inquiry must also be made.

🎈众恶之，必察焉。「众恶之」是「必察焉」的前提条件，因此用if引出。

🎈必察焉，将“察”（动词）转换为inquiry（名词形式），并提取出来作谓语，即inquiry must be made

子曰：“人能弘道，非道弘人。”

It is man, said the Master, that can amplify laws, but laws cannot amplify man.

🎈It is…that… 强调句句型

子曰：“过而不改，是谓过矣。”

Not to mend a fault, said the Master, is to make a fault.

🎈to mend a fault和to make a fault前后对称，读来朗朗上口，体现结构美和音韵美

子曰：“吾尝终日不食、终夜不寝以思，无益，不如学也。”

Once, said the Master, I spent a whole day and a whole night in thinking, without eating and sleeping. I got no result and found it better to learn.

🎈不食、不寝，合并翻译为without eating and sleeping，这里学习一下without doing的用法。

🎈无益，不如学也。翻译时增加了主语I，确定了主语后，则需要找好谓语动词。这里学习一下万金油谓语动词find。“不如学也”可以理解为：我觉得这样还不如去学习，这样就可以用上I find it better to learn

子曰：“君子谋道不谋食。耕也馁在其中矣，学也禄在其中矣。君子忧道不忧贫。”

An intelligentleman, said the Master, seeks after truth instead of food. Ploughing, he will not worry about hunger; learning, he may win rank. An intelligentleman is more eager for truth than worried about poverty.

🎈耕也馁在其中矣，学也禄在其中矣。这句话许译将“耕”（ploughing）、“学”（learning）处理为非谓语作伴随状语，表示两种处境或状态。

子曰：“知及之，仁不能守之，虽得之，必失之。知及之，仁能守之，不庄以涖之，则民不敬。知及之，仁能守之，庄以涖之，动之不以礼，未善也。”

Wise enough to attain, said the Master, but not good enough to maintain, he will lose what is gained. Wise enough to attain and good enough to maintain, he will not be respected by people if he rules without dignity. Wise enough to attain and good enough to maintain, and ruling with dignity, he is still not a perfect ruler if he does not act in accordance with the ritual system.

🎈原文均为无主语句，翻译时注意补主语。

🎈知及之，仁能守之，不庄以涖之，则民不敬。注意这句话在翻译时结构的安排，“知及之，仁能守之”处理为形容词+不定式作状语，“不庄以涖之”通过if引导的条件从句译出。

子曰：“民之于仁也，甚于水火。水火，吾见蹈而死者矣，未见蹈仁而死者也。”

The people need virtue, said the Master, more than water and fire. I have seen people drowned in water or burned to death in fire, but none die in virtue.

🎈水火，吾见蹈而死者矣。翻译时调整语序为：吾见蹈水火而死者矣。其中，蹈水火，中文为1个动词+2个名词，英文则处理为 drowned in water，burned to death in fire，即具体选用两个不同的动词。

子曰：“当仁不让于师。”

A good man, said the Master, should not withdraw from being a better man than his teacher.

🎈无主语句，翻译时补出主语

子曰：“君子贞而不谅。”

An intelligentleman, said the Master, is consistent, but not obstinate.

🎈「谅」字假借为「勍」，犹固执也。因此译为obstinate

子曰：“事君，敬其事而后其食。”

In serving the prince, said the Master, a man should do his duty before he gets his reward.

🎈事君，原文语境是指「在事君时」，表示一种情况/情境，因此可以用in/when doing译出。

🎈敬其事而后其食，这句话译文里before的用法，为什么原文是“后”，译文却是before呢？实际上，A before B，指在B之前做A，也就是先A后B，因此敬其事（A）而后其食（B），即译为do his duty（A） before he gets his reward（B）

子曰：“有教无类。”

In education, said the Master, there should be no distinction of classes.

🎈译文先译in education，in+名词，表示在某个方面。在翻译时我们常常将某个方面提取出来翻译，如：中国经济发展良好。China performs well in its economic performance.

子曰：“道不同，不相为谋。”

You cannot take counsel, said the Master, with those who follow a different way.

🎈无主语句，翻译时需补出主语。

师冕见，及阶，子曰：“阶也。”及席，子曰：“席也。”皆坐，子告之曰：“某在斯，某在斯。”师冕出。子张问曰：“与师言之道与？”子曰：“然，固相师之道也。”

The blind music master Mian called on Confucius. When he came to the steps, the Master said, “Here are the steps.” When he came to the mat for the guests to sit on, the Master said, “Here is the mat.” When all the guests were seated, the Master told him, “So and so is here, so and so is there.” When the music master was out, Zi Zhang asked whether it was the way to deal with a music master. The Master said, “Yes, this is the way to lead a blind man.”

🎈师冕，许译处理为the blind music master Mian，这里增译了blind，也为后文做出了铺垫。

🎈「及席，子曰：……」这里是指「当他及席时」，因此翻译时通过when引出

🎈重点表达

滥，胡作非为break loose from all restraints

识之keep something in memory

一以贯之know one in many and many in one

南面occupy the imperial throne

言忠信sincere in what you say

行笃敬trustworthy in what you do

蛮貊之邦uncivilized/barbarian tribe

为仁render good services

工欲善其事，必先利其器A man who wishes to work well must first sharpen his tool

躬自厚而薄责于人severe with oneself and lenient with others

矜而不争dignified but not quarrelsome

群而不党sociable but not partisan

己所不欲，勿施于人do not do to others what you do not have others do to you

三代the three ancient dynasties

巧言乱德sweet words sour deeds

改过mend a fault

犯错make a fault

未经允许不得转载：帕布莉卡 » 《论语·第十五章》卫灵公篇 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析