​​《论语·第十四章》宪问篇 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

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宪问耻，子曰：“邦有道，谷；邦无道，谷，耻也。”“克、伐、怨、欲不行焉，可以为仁矣？”子曰：“可以为难矣，仁则吾不知也。”

Yuan Xian asked about shame. The Master said,“It would be a shame to get the same pay when the state goes on the wrong way as when it goes on the right way.” When asked whether it is benevolent to control oneself and not to boast of oneself, and to be free from resentment and greediness, the Master said, “It would be difficult to do so, but I do not know whether it could be called benevolence.”

🎈邦有道，谷；邦无道，谷，耻也。在翻译时，遵循中文先事实（邦有道，谷；邦无道，谷）后评价（耻也），英文先评价（It would be a shame）后事实（get the same pay when the state goes on the wrong way as when it goes on the right way）。同时，两个“谷”简化翻译为get the same pay

子曰：“士而怀居，不足以为士矣。”

An intellectual, said the Master, indulged in a comfortable life could not be called an intellectual.

🎈士而怀居，不足以为士矣。注意许译句子结构的处理，将“怀居”处理为非谓语作后置定语（indulged in a comfortable life）修饰“士”（an intellectual），将“不足以为士矣”处理为主干成分。这里注意非谓语的使用。

子曰：“邦有道，危言危行；邦无道，危行言孙。”

When the state goes on the right way, said the Master, one should be honest in word and in deed. When it goes on the wrong way, one should be honest in deed but cautious in word.

🎈邦有道，危言危行。无主语句，翻译时增加泛指主语one。

🎈危言危行，合并翻译，be honest in word and in deed。

南宫适问于孔子曰：“羿善射，奡荡舟，俱不得其死然；禹、稷躬稼而有天下。”夫子不答。南宫适出，子曰：“君子哉若人！尚德哉若人！”

Nangong Kuo asked Confucius why the best archer and the hero who overturned a boat both died a tragical death, while the two cultivaters of the land became the rulers of the state. The Master made no reply. When Nangong Kuo was out, the Master said, “This is indeed a cultured man. He loves virtue above strength.”

🎈羿善射，奡荡舟，俱不得其死然。「俱不得其死然」的主语是羿、奡，译文根据「羿善射，奡荡舟」分别将这两个人物翻译为the best archer、the hero who overturned a boat作“俱不得其死然”的主语。

子曰：“君子而不仁者有矣夫，未有小人而仁者也。”

A cultured man, said the Master, may fall short of virtue, but none of the uncultured men will love virtue.

🎈前半句「有矣夫」和后半句「未有」形成转折，翻译时需增译逻辑衔接词but。大家注意中文的逻辑衔接通常隐藏在句意中，英文则习惯直接通过逻辑衔接词（如but, therefore, so等）来进行连接，在进行中英转换的过程中需要注意这一点。

子曰：“为命，裨谌草创之，世叔讨论之，行人子羽修饰之，东里子产润色之。”

Before an order is issued, said the Master, Bi Chen made the draft, Shi Shu checked it, Zi Yu the diplomat amended it, and Zi Chan of the East Village elaborated it.

🎈为命，无主语，翻译时可以转换为被动语态。

🎈行人子羽，处理为Zi Yu the diplomat，即名字+表身份的同位语。

🎈checked it, amended it, elaborated it，这里三个it都是指the draft，我们在前面几章的讲解中也提到过，为了避免重复，英文经常用代词来指代已经提到过的内容。

或问子产，子曰：“惠人也。”问子西，曰：“彼哉，彼哉！”问管仲，曰：“人也。夺伯氏骈邑三百，饭疏食，没齿无怨言。”

When asked about Zi Chan, the Master said,“He is a kind man.” When asked about Zi Xi, he merely said, “That man, that man!” When asked about Guan Zhong, he said, “He is a personage. For he has deprived the Bo family of three hundred villages and the head of the Bo family lived on coarse food without a word of complaint till he grew old and toothless.”

🎈When asked… 这个表达我们在前面讲解中已经多次提到，大家在翻译时可以借鉴使用

🎈「人也。夺伯氏骈邑三百，饭疏食，没齿无怨言」，「夺伯氏骈邑三百，饭疏食，没齿无怨言」是解释称管仲为「人也」的原因，因此翻译时需增加逻辑衔接词for

子曰：“贫而无怨难，富而无骄易。”

Poverty without complaint, said the Master, is more difficult than wealth without pride.

🎈这句话在翻译时要注意理解原文语义，「富而无骄」真的很容易吗？其实不然，而是指比起「贫而无怨」，相对较易。因此译文处理为比较级结构，通过more difficult than来连接前后两个部分。

子曰：“孟公绰为赵、魏老则优，不可以为滕、薛大夫。”

Meng Gong Chao would be a better official in such big families as Zhao and Wei than a minister in such small states as Teng or Xue.

🎈「赵、魏」，译文处理为such big families as Zhao and Wei ，增译了big families；「滕、薛」，译文处理为such small states as Teng or Xue，增译了small states，这样更易使读者理解句意。

子路问成人，子曰：“若臧武仲之知、公绰之不欲、卞庄子之勇、冉求之艺，文之以礼乐，亦可以为成人矣。”曰：“今之成人者何必然？见利思义，见危授命，久要不忘平生之言，亦可以为成人矣。”

When Zi Lu asked what an accomplished man should be like, the Master said, “A man wise as Zang Wu Zhong, desire-free as Meng Gong Chuo, brave as Bian Zhuang Zi, and artful as Ran Qiu may be considered as an accomplished man if he is cultivated in ritual and music.” He then added, “What is the need for an accomplished man of today to have all these things? If he should prefer the proper to the profit, risk his life in face of danger, and never forget a promise made long ago, I think he is good enough to be called an accomplished man.”

🎈A man (wise as Zang Wu Zhong, desire-free as Meng Gong Chuo, brave as Bian Zhuang Zi, and artful as Ran Qiu)… 括号部分做a man的后置定语。当形容词后带有不定式、介词词组等补足成分时，通常置于被修饰的名词中心词之后。例如：Students (brave enough to take the course) deserve to succeed.

子问公叔文子于公明贾曰：“信乎，夫子不言，不笑，不取乎？”公明贾对曰：“以告者过也。夫子时然后言，人不厌其言；乐然后笑，人不厌其笑；义然后取，人不厌其取。”子曰：“其然？岂其然乎？”

The Master asked Gongming Jia about his master Gong Shu Wen Zi, “Is it true that your master neither spoke nor laughed nor took?” Gong-ming Jia said, “The man who told you that was exaggerating. My master spoke when people were not tired of what he said; he laughed when he was happy and people were not tired of his laughter; he took what was right to take when people were not displeased with what he took.” The Master said. “Was it so? Can it have been so?”

🎈以告者过也。这里「过」许译没有根据字面意思处理为wrong，而是根据语境选词exaggerating，放在这个语境下更加精准。

子曰：“臧武仲以防求为后于鲁，虽曰不要君，吾不信也。”

Zang Wu Zhong, said the Master, occupied the fief of Fang and demanded the Duke of Lu to allow his brother Wei to take over the fief. Though he said no pressure was used, yet I do not believe it.

🎈「不要君」，不是要挟国君，即没有给国君施加压力，因此许处理为no pressure was used

子曰：“晋文公谲而不正，齐桓公正而不谲。”

Duke Wen of Jin, said the Master, was tactful and not upright, while Duke Huan of Qi was upright and tactless.

🎈前后两个分句句间含转折对比意，因此翻译时需补出逻辑衔接词while(used to emphasize the difference between two situations, activities etc)

子路曰：“桓公杀公子纠，召忽死之，管仲不死，曰未仁乎？”子曰：“桓公九合诸侯不以兵车，管仲之力也。如其仁，如其仁！”

Zi Lu said,“Duke Huan of Qi asked the State of Lu to put to death his elder brother Jiu, Jiu’s master Zhao Hu followed Jiu in death, but Guan Zhong did not. Was Guan Zhong not short of virtue?” The Master said, “Duke Huan assembled nine times the rulers of all the states without resorting to his war chariots, and it was on the strength of Guan Zhong. What is virtue if this is not?”

🎈桓公Duke Huan of Qi；召，Jiu’s master Zhao Hu。这里许在译人名时都增译了人物对应的身份，照顾到了外国读者的知识背景。

🎈不以兵车，without resorting to his war chariots，学习一下without doing这一用法，在翻译「不……」时可以根据语境选用。

子贡曰：“管仲非仁者与？桓公杀公子纠，不能死，又相之。”子曰：“管仲相桓公霸诸侯，一匡天下，民到于今受其赐。微管仲，吾其被发左衽矣。岂若匹夫匹妇之为谅也，自经于沟渎而莫之知也。”

Zi Gong said,“Was Guan Zhong not short of virtue? When Duke Huan put Prince Jiu to death, he did not die with him, but became prime minister to Duke Huan?” The Master said, “When Guan Zhong was prime minister, he helped Duke Huan to rule over all the princes of the state, unify the kingdom and benefit the people up to the present day. Without Guan Zhong, we might have been conquered by uncivilized tribes with disheveled hair and in barbarian dress. Would you expect from him as ordinary people to die in a ditch without leaving a name behind?”

🎈「桓公杀公子纠」，即当桓公杀公子纠时，中文常常省略「当……时」，而是将其隐含在句意之中，在翻译时我们则要理解有无这层含义，有的话可以用When引出。

🎈吾其被发左衽矣。左衽，指古代部分少数民族的服装，前襟向左掩。衽，指衣襟。借指沦陷为异族统治。因此许译处理为be conquered by uncivilized tribes with disheveled hair and in barbarian dress，这里需要有文化背景知识才能翻译出来，这也是为什么翻译硕士考试有百科这一门专业课。

公叔文子之臣大夫僎与文子同升诸公，子闻之,曰：“可以为‘文’矣。”

Gong Shu Wen Zi had an officer called Xun promoted to the rank of minister as high as himself and through his own recommendation. Hearing of this, the Master said, “Gong Shu Wen Zi is worthy of his name of a cultured man (‘wen’).”

🎈文，这里指「文」的谥号，译文处理为a cultured man (‘wen’)，通过a cultured man进行释义，否则若直接译为wen，读者恐怕会难以理解。

子言卫灵公之无道也，康子曰：“夫如是，奚而不丧？”孔子曰：“仲叔圉治宾客，祝鮀治宗庙，王孙贾治军旅，夫如是，奚其丧？”

The Master was speaking about the corruption of Duke Ling of Wei, when Ji Kang asked how the duke did not lose his state since he was so corrupt. The Master said, “He had three good ministers: Zhong Shu Yu in charge of foreign affairs, Shi Tuo in charge of civil service and Gong Sun Jia in command of his armies. How could he lose his state?”

🎈仲叔圉治宾客，祝鮀治宗庙，王孙贾治军旅。这里许在翻译时先总后分，增译了总领句，即He had three good ministers: …

子曰：“其言之不怍，则为之也难。”

One who exaggerates, said the Master, will find it difficult for his deeds to agree with his words.

🎈无主语句，翻译时补出泛指主语one，「其言之不怍」处理为定语从句修饰one，「则为之也难」则处理为主干成分，这样主从句的处理能够使结构更有层次。

陈成子弑简公，孔子沐浴而朝，告于哀公曰：“陈恒弑其君，请讨之。”公曰：“告夫三子。”,孔子曰：“以吾从大夫之后，不敢不告也，君曰‘告夫三子’者！”之三子告，不可。孔子曰：“以吾从大夫之后，不敢不告也。”

When Chen Heng Zi murdered Duke Jian of Qi, Confucius took a bath and went to court to inform Duke Ai of Lu that Chen Heng Zi had slain his prince and begged that forces be sent to punish him. The duke said,“Inform the chiefs of the three families.” Confucius said, “As I am in the retinue of His Highness, I consider it my duty to inform him of the murder. But I was told to inform the chiefs of the three families.” Then he went to the three chiefs and informed them of the matter, but they refused the petition. Confucius said, “As I am in the retinue of the duke, I consider it my duty to inform them.”

🎈…begged that forces be sent to punish him. 这里是虚拟语气，表命令、建议或要求等动词后的宾语从句要用虚拟语气，谓语形式为“（should）+动词原形”。这类动词有ask, advise, suggest, request, commend, order, decide等。

🎈不敢不告，许没有直译，而是译出孔子所表的真正含义，即：告知是我的职责。许处理为I consider it my duty to inform them

子路问事君，子曰：“勿欺也，而犯之。”

Zi Lu asked how to serve the prince. The Master said,“Do not say what is contrary to your thoughts, but you may openly express your disagreement.”

🎈what is contrary to your thoughts，在汉译英时学会善用what引导的名词性从句

子曰：“君子上达，小人下达。”

A cultured man, said the Master, goes up while an uncultured man goes down.

🎈君子上达，小人下达。前后两个分句间有转折对比意，因此翻译时要通过while来进行衔接。

子曰：“古之学者为己，今之学者为人。”

In old days, said the Master, men learned to improve themselves; nowadays, they learn to impress others.

🎈古之学者，in old days, men…；今之学者，nowadays, they… 这里注意「古」「今」表时间，翻译时都先提取出来作时间状语。

蘧伯玉使人于孔子，孔子与之坐而问焉，曰：“夫子何为？”对曰：“夫子欲寡其过而未能也。”使者出，子曰：“使乎！使乎！”

Qu Bo Yu sent a messenger to inquire after Confucius. Confucius bade him to be seated and asked what his master was doing. The messenger said, “My master is trying to lessen his failings and not yet quite successful.” When the messenger was out, Confucius said, “What a messenger! What a messenger!”

🎈「使者出，子曰：……」即当使者出时，通过when引出。

子曰：“不在其位，不谋其政。”曾子曰：“君子思不出其位。”

The Master said,“Do not interfere into the matter you are not in a position to!” Master Zeng said, “Even in his thoughts, an intelligentleman should not interfere into the matter he is not in a position to.”

🎈君子思不出其位。结合上文（不在其位，不谋其政），这里指：就算在思这一方面，君子也应不出其位。因此在翻译时先把「思」提取出来，即even in his thoughts。这种将「某个方面」提取出来译的方法在汉译英时也比较常见，如：中国经济发展良好。可以处理为China performs well in its economic development.

子曰：“君子道者三，我无能焉：仁者不忧，知者不惑，勇者不惧。”子贡曰：“夫子自道也。”

The Master said,“An intelligentleman is three in one, but I am none. A good man should be carefree, a wise man should be doubt-free and a brave man should be fearless.” Master Zeng said, “Our Master has told us what he is.”

🎈three in one，三合一，即三种品质合于一身

🎈不忧，carefree；不惑，doubt-free；不惧，fearless。这里学习一下-free和-less这两个词根，表“不……”。如无糖（sugar-free）；免税（duty-free）；无力（powerless）；粗心（careless）

子贡方人，子曰：“赐也贤乎哉？夫我则不暇。”

Zi Gong was always criticizing others. The Master said,“Zi Gong, are you good enough? As for me, I have no leisure to criticize others.”

🎈夫我则不暇。结合上文的「子贡方人」，可以看出这里是指：我则不暇（方人），因此许在句末增译了to criticize others

子曰：“不患人之不己知，患其不能也。”

Be not afraid, said the Master, that you are unknown, but that you are unable.

🎈不患……患…… Be not afraid that… but that…

微生亩谓孔子曰：“丘何为是栖栖者与？无乃为佞乎？”孔子曰：“非敢为佞也，疾固也。”

Weisheng Mu said to Confucius,“What are you busy about here and there? Are you a glib talker?”Confucius said, “Not that I am glib, but that I do not like to be stiff.”

🎈无乃为佞乎？Are you a glib talker? 这里“为佞”译为a glib talker。和我们之前提到过的 他唱歌很好（He is a good singer）是同样的道理。中文是动态语言，英文是静态语言。

曰：“骥不称其力，称其德也。”

A steed is good, said the Master, not for its strength, but for its quality.

🎈不是…而是… not…but…

或曰：“以德报怨，何如？”子曰：“何以报德？以直报怨，以德报德。”

When asked whether good should be returned for evil, the Master said, “What then should be returned for good? Justice should be returned for evil and good for good.”

🎈Justice should be returned for evil and good (should be returned) for good. 后半句省略了should be returned，避免与前文重复。

子曰：“莫我知也夫！”子贡曰：“何为其莫知子也？”子曰：“不怨天，不尤人，下学而上达。知我者其天乎！”

The Master said,“It is a pity that none understands me.” Master Zeng asked “Why?” The Master said, “I do not complain against Heaven and lay no blame on man. I only learn laws human and divine. But only Heaven understands me.”

🎈下学而上达，即下学人事而上达天命，换个说法，就是学习人间和上天的规律。因此译文处理为learn laws human and divine。注意这里翻译时采用了C-C-E的翻译技巧，即先转换中文原文说法，再翻译为英文。

公伯寮愬子路于季孙。子服景伯以告，曰：“夫子固有惑志于公伯寮，吾力犹能肆诸市朝。”子曰：“道之将行也与，命也；道之将废也与，命也。公伯寮其如命何？”

Gong Bo Liao spoke against Zi Lu to the chief of the Ji family. Zi Fu Ying Bo told the Master that the chief was deluded by Gong Bo Liao, and that he still had power to put Gong Bo Liao to death. The Master said,“It is Heaven’s will whether my way will be followed or not. What could Gong Bo Liao do against Heaven’s will?”

🎈道之将行也与，命也；道之将废也与，命也。这句话在翻译时进行合并简化翻译，即：道之将行与否取决于命。因此许译处理为：It is Heaven’s will whether my way will be followed or not.

子路宿于石门，晨门曰：“奚自？”子路曰：“自孔氏。”曰：“是知其不可而为之者与？”

Zi Lu passed one night at the Stone Gate. Next morning the gate keeper asked him where he came from. He said, “From Confucius.” The gatekeeper said, “Is it the man who would try the impossible?”

🎈知其不可而为之，即做不可能的事，许译为try the impossible

子击磬于卫，有荷蒉而过孔氏之门者，曰：“有心哉，击磬乎！”既而曰：“鄙哉，硁硁乎！莫己知也，斯己而已矣。深则厉，浅则揭。”子曰：“果哉！末之难矣。”

The Master was playing on a musical stone in the State of Wei when a man bearing a basket passed by his door. The man said, “His heart must be full to beat the musical stone in such a way.” Then he said. “Is it worthwhile to show oneself off? What matters if one is unknown or unrecognized? ‘If water’s shallow, leap; And strip if it is deep! ’” The Master said, “If so, it would not be difficult to find a way out.”

🎈有荷蒉而过孔氏之门者，这句话中有两个动词（荷、过），翻译时将“荷蒉”处理为非谓语作a man的后置定语，将“过孔氏之门”处理为主干成分，即a man bearing a basket passed by his door。当中文原文句子中有多个动词时，通过使用非谓语动词，可以使句子更加主次分明，有层次感。

子曰：“上好礼，则民易使也。”

So long as the ruler observes the ritual, said the Master, the people will be obedient.

🎈则民易使也。易使，容易役使，即服从安排，选词obedient

子路问君子，子曰：“修己以敬。”曰：“如斯而已乎？”曰：“修己以安人。”曰：“如斯而已乎？”曰：“修己以安百姓。修己以安百姓，尧、舜其犹病诸！”

When Zi Lu asked about an intelligentleman, the Master said,“He should cultivate himself and do his duty with respect.” When asked whether it was all, the Master said, “He should cultivate himself so as to make others live in comfort.” When asked again whether it was all, the Master said, “He should cultivate himself so as to make people live in comfort. Such is the end the sagacious emperors would have attained.”

🎈修己以敬，无主语句，翻译时需补出主语，根据上文可知这里的主语是「君子」

🎈尧、舜，没有直译，而是译为 the sagacious emperors，照顾到外国读者的知识背景

原壤夷俟，子曰：“幼而不孙弟，长而无述焉，老而不死，是为贼！”以杖叩其胫。

Yuan Rang waited for Confucius, squatting on the heels. The Master said, “Immodest in youth, unaccomplished in manhood and useless in old age, such a man would be a pest.” He struck him on the slank with his staff.

🎈夷，箕踞，即两腿撑开，膝盖弯曲。“原壤夷俟”，这里译文将“夷”处理为非谓语作伴随状语（squatting on the heels），将“俟”处理为主干成分。在翻译时学会善用非谓语动词，可以使句子结构更有层次感。

阙党童子将命，或问之曰：“益者与？”子曰：“吾见其居于位也，见其与先生并行也。非求益者也，欲速成者也。”

A young man carried a message for Confucius from his native village. When asked whether the messenger was good at learning, the Master said, “I have seen him occupy the place of an adult and walk side by side with his elders. He is not good at learning but would become a grownup before his time.”

🎈原文有两个直接引语，译文没有保留第一个直接引语（或问之曰：“益者与？”），而是将其转换为转述句，保留第二个直接引语。这样处理的好处是既能将非重要的直接引语精简化，也可以突出较为重要的直接引语。

🎈重点表达

怀居，留恋安逸的生活be indulged in a comfortable life

危言危行be honest in word and deed

危行言孙be honest in deed and cautious in word

有德者a virtuous man

仁者a benevolent man

俱不得其死然，都没有得到善终die a tragical death

饭疏食live on coarse food

不欲desire-free

谲而不正tactful and upright

被发左衽be conquered by uncivilized tribes with dishevelled hair and in barbarian dress

莫之知without leaving a name behind

不在其位，不谋其政do not interfere into the matter you are not in a position to

不患……患…… be not afraid that… but that…

为佞a glib talker

以直报怨，以德报德justice should be returned for evil and good for good

下学而上达learn laws human and divine

未经允许不得转载：帕布莉卡 » ​​《论语·第十四章》宪问篇 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析