《论语·第九章》子罕篇 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

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达巷党人曰：“大哉孔子！博学而无所成名。”子闻之，谓门弟子曰：“吾何执？执御乎，执射乎？吾执御矣。”

A villager from Daxiang said,“Great is Confucius! He possesses wide general knowledge but no special knowledge to make a name.” Hearing of this, the Master said to his disciples, “What shall I specialize in? In chariot-driving or in archery? I should like to drive a chariot.”

🎈博学而无所成名。无主语句，翻译时补出主语he

子曰：“麻冕，礼也；今也纯，俭，吾从众。拜下，礼也；今拜乎上，泰也；虽违众，吾从下。”

The linen cap, said the Master, is prescribed by the rules of ceremony, but now a silk one is worn. It is economical, and I follow the common practice. Bowing below the hall is prescribed by the rules, but now the common practice is bowing after ascending the hall. It is presumptuous, so I still bow below the hall against the general practice.

🎈虽违众，against the general practice，违背译为against，即中文里的动词译为英文中的介词，这种现象在翻译中比较常见。例如，听了这消息他们感到十分惊奇。译为At the news they were quite surprised. 这里“听了”译为介词at。

子畏于匡，曰：“文王既没，文不在兹乎？天之将丧斯文也，后死者不得与于斯文也；天之未丧斯文也，匡人其如予何？”

When detained at Kuang, the Master said,“After the death of King Wen. I am entrusted with keeping culture from perishing. If Heaven would destroy culture, how could those who die after King Wen know what culture is. If Heaven would not destroy it, what harm could the people of Kuang do to me?”

🎈When (he was) detained at Kuang, the Master said, … 译文中when后面省略了he was，我们前面已经多次介绍过这个知识点，大家可以一起回顾。

🎈文不在兹。即：文明礼乐不是保存在我这里吗？换个说法，我得保存文明礼乐。因此译文处理为：I am entrusted with keeping culture from perishing. 这里在翻译时运用了我们前面提到的C-C-E技巧，即先对中文原文进行说法转换，然后再译为英文。

太宰问于子贡曰：“夫子圣者与，何其多能也？”子贡曰：“固天纵之将圣，又多能也。”子闻之，曰：“太宰知我乎？吾少也贱，故多能鄙事。君子多乎哉？不多也。”

A high officer asked Zi Gong whether his Master was a sage and how he could be so versatile. Zi Gong said that his Master was born a sage, so he was versatile in many arts. Hearing of this, the Master said, “Does the high officer know me? While young, I was poor and humble, so I had to be versatile to earn a living. Does an intelligentleman need to be versatile in arts? No, there is no need.”

🎈吾少也贱。While (I was) young, I was poor and humble. 「少」实际上表达的是时间，翻译时可以抽出来单独翻译。同时这里译文也运用了省略。

牢曰：“子云：‘吾不试，故艺。’”

It was said by Lao that the Master said,“Not employed as an officer, I had to be versatile in arts.”

🎈吾不试，故艺。这句话里有两个动词，即「不试」「艺」。在翻译时，将「不试」处理为非谓语作原因状语（Not employed as an officer），将「艺」处理为谓语（be versatile in arts）。我们前面也提到过，当一个中文句子中存在多个动词时，我们在翻译时需要甄别这些动词的主次关系，将重要的动词作为谓语，将次重要的动词作为非谓语。

子曰：“凤鸟不至，河不出图，吾已矣夫！”

No prodigious phoenix would appear, said the Master, nor would the picturesque portant emerge on the River. What could I do?

🎈凤鸟不至。我们可能会直接译为Prodigious phoenix would not appear. 而许译则将否定前移，处理为No prodigious phoenix would appear。我们可以借鉴一下这种翻译思路。

🎈译文中，nor would the picturesque portant emerge on the River 为部分倒装。否定词或含有否定意义的副词或词组位于句首时，句子要部分倒装。如never, scarcely, no sooner…than…等

子见齐衰者、冕衣裳者与瞽者，见之，虽少，必作，过之必趋。

Seeing a man in mourning or in ceremonial dress, or meeting with a blind man, though they were young, the Master would rise. Passing by them, he would quicken his steps.

🎈「子见齐衰者、冕衣裳者与瞽者，见之，虽少，必作」这句话中文原文中有两个动词（见、作） ，许译将「见」处理为非谓语作伴随状语（seeing），将「作」处理为谓语（rise）。同理，「过之必趋」有两个动词（过、趋），将「过」处理为非谓语作伴随状语（passing by），将「趋」处理为谓语（quicken his steps）

颜渊喟然叹曰：“仰之弥高，钻之弥坚。瞻之在前，忽焉在后。夫子循循然善诱人，博我以文，约我以礼，欲罢不能。既竭吾才，如有所立卓尔，虽欲从之，末由也已。”

Yan Yuan said with a deep sigh,“Looking up, I find our Master high above. Digging into his word, I find it firm down below. His image appears before me, but suddenly it emerges behind. Our Master leads us forward step by step, broadens our mind with culture and regulates our conduct with the rules of propriety. How could I stop learning from him? When I have made the most of my ability, it seems that I could stand, but when I try to follow him, I find myself at a loss far behind.”

🎈欲罢不能。How could I stop learning from him? 译文处理为疑问句，更加凸显语气。

🎈译文中多次出现I find…这个句型，大家注意学习积累。

子疾病，子路使门人为臣。病间，曰：“久矣哉，由之行诈也！无臣而为有臣，吾谁欺？欺天乎？且予与其死于臣之手也，无宁死于二三子之手乎！且予纵不得大葬，予死于道路乎？”

When the Master was very ill, Zi Lu asked some disciples to act as official mourners. Convalescent, the Master said, “Zi Lu has deceived me for long. Pretending to have official mourners when I am not qualified to, whom could I deceive? Could I deceive Heaven? Would it be better to die in the hands of official mourners than in those of my disciples? Even if I cannot get an official burial, could I be abandoned by the roadside?”

🎈与其do A无宁do B。It would be better to do B than to do A。

子贡曰：“有美玉于斯，韫椟而藏诸？求善贾而沽诸？”子曰：“沽之哉，沽之哉！我待贾者也。”

Zi Gong said,“If there is a beautiful gem here, should I hide it in a box or sell it to a connoisseur?”The Master said, “Sell it, sell it! I am one waiting for a connoisseur.”

🎈我待贾者也。我们可能会译为I am waiting for a connoisseur. 许译则处理为 I am one waiting for a connoisseur. 可以学习一下one+非谓语动词这样的表达。

子欲居九夷。或曰：“陋，如之何？”子曰：“君子居之，何陋之有！”

The Master wanted to settle among the nine barbarian tribes. When asked how he could settle among such backward people, the Master said, “How could a place be backward where settled an intelligentleman?”

🎈夷，贬义词，因此译文选词barbarian。在前面几章讲解中我们也曾提到，翻译时需要甄别原文的感情色彩，这样才能合理选出褒义词或贬义词。例如，He had lied to me and made me the tool of his wicked deeds. 他欺骗了我，使我成了他罪恶勾当的工具。（贬义）

子曰：“吾自卫反鲁，然后乐正，《雅》、《颂》各得其所。”

Since my return from Wei to Lu, said the Master, I have revised the Book of Music and put Odes and Hymns in their proper place.

🎈「吾自卫反鲁」在句子中实际上是起到交代时间的作用，因此译文处理为时间状语。同时，「反」（动词）译为return（名词），翻译时词性转换。注意在翻译时词性是可以自由转换的，重要的是看句子结构的需要。

子曰：“出则事公卿，入则事父兄，丧事不敢不勉，不为酒困，何有于我哉？”

At court, said the Master, I have served the duke and his ministers; at home, my father and elders. I dare not neglect the mourning service, nor am I indulged in wine. What else should I care?

🎈At court, said the Master, I have served the duke and his ministers; at home, (I have served) my father and elders. 注意译文后半句省略了I have served，避免与前文重复。

🎈不敢……不敢…… I dare not…, nor… 注意nor后面需要部分倒装。

子在川上曰：“逝者如斯夫！不舍昼夜。”

Standing by a stream, the Master said,“Time passes away night and day like running water.”

🎈「在川上」处理为非谓语作伴随状语（standing by a stream），注意在《论语》许译中，非谓语作伴随状语的情况十分常见，大家可以借鉴学习。

🎈逝者如斯夫！不舍昼夜。这句话在翻译时重新组合，调整为一句，即：逝者不舍昼夜，如斯夫。因此译文处理为：Time passes away night and day like running water.

子曰：“吾未见好德如好色者也。”

I have never seen a man, said the Master, who loves his duty more than beauty.

🎈德，duty；色，beauty。押韵，体现音韵美。

🎈吾未见……者。I have never seen a man who… 大家在分析译文或者做精读时，可以尝试提取出一些句型，进行积累。

子曰：“譬如为山，未成一篑，止，吾止也；譬如平地，虽覆一篑，进，吾往也。”

If ordered, said the Master, to stop bringing the last basketful of earth to raise a mound, I would stop. If ordered to proceed after bringing the first basketful of earth to level a ground, I would proceed.

🎈「譬如为山，未成一篑，止」这里许译用了倒译法，即译文语序与原文语序颠倒，If ordered to stop bringing the last basketful of earth to raise a mound。「譬如平地，虽覆一篑，进」也是同理，在翻译时用了倒译法。

子曰：“语之而不惰者，其回也与！”

It was only YanHui, said the Master, who would listen to me without getting tired.

🎈「语之而不惰」我们可能会译为listen to me but not get tired。而许译为listen to me without getting tired。可以学习一下将「不……」译为without doing something

子谓颜渊，曰：“惜乎！吾见其进也，未见其止也。”

The Master said of the death of Yan Yuan,“Alas! I saw him ever advance, and never stop in his progress.”

🎈译文中ever和never形成鲜明对比，并且使译文读起来更加朗朗上口。

子曰：“苗而不秀者有矣夫，秀而不实者有矣夫。”

There are shoots, said the Master, which spring up but do not flower, and others which flower but do not bear fruit.

🎈……有矣夫，即：有…… 翻译时处理为There be句型。「苗而不秀者有矣夫」处理为There be+n.+which引导的定语从句。其中，增译名词shoots，将「苗而不秀」处理为which引导的定语从句修饰shoots。

子曰：“后生可畏，焉知来者之不如今也？四十、五十而无闻焉，斯亦不足畏也已。”

孔子说：“年轻人是可敬畏的，怎么知道他们将来赶不上现在的人呢？一个人如果到了四五十岁的时候还没有什么名望，这样的人也就不值得敬畏了。”

Respect the young, said the Master. How can you foretell they will not do better than you? If they have no achievement at forty or fifty, then you need not be afraid of them.

🎈四十、五十而无闻焉，斯亦不足畏也已。无主语句，翻译时需要注意两个分句的主语是不同的，注意甄别，「四十、五十而无闻焉」的主语是「后生」，因此译文补出主语they。而「斯亦不足畏也已」的主语是「你」，因此译文补出主语you。

子曰：“法语之言，能无从乎？改之为贵。巽与之言，能无说乎？绎之为贵。说而不绎，从而不改，吾末如之何也已矣。”

孔子说：“合乎礼法原则的话，能够不听从吗？但只有按它来改正错误才是可贵的。恭顺赞许的话，听了能够不高兴吗？但只有分析鉴别以后才是可贵的。只顾高兴而不加以分析，表面听从而不加以改正，我也没有什么办法来对付这种人了。”

Can we not follow, said the Master, the rules of propriety? It is important to change our ways when they are against the rules. Can we not be pleased with good advice? But it is important to analyse it. What can I do with a man pleased without analysis, or following without reform?

🎈改之为贵 It is important to change our ways… 这里符合中文先事实后评价，英文先评价后事实的语序。

子曰：“主忠信。毋友不如己者，过，则勿惮改。”

孔子说：“君子应该亲近忠诚和讲信义的人，不要和不如自己的人交朋友，有了过错不要害怕改正。”

It is essential, said the Master, to be truthful and faithful, to befriend one’s equals and be not afraid to admit and amend one’s faults.

🎈「毋友不如己者」双重否定句表肯定，译文直接处理befriend one’s equals，采用了反译法。反译是指译文以与原文相反的表达方式传递原文的意义，如不卑不亢（with dignity）；不偏不倚（keep…within bounds）

子曰：“三军可夺帅也，匹夫不可夺志也。”

孔子说：“一国的军队，可以强行使它丧失主帅；一个男子汉，却不可以强行夺去他的志向。”

The three armies, said the Master, may be deprived of their commander-in-chief, but the common people cannot be deprived of his opinion.

子曰：“衣敝缊袍，与衣狐貉者立而不耻者，其由也与！‘不忮不求，何用不臧？’”子路终身诵之，子曰：“是道也，何足以臧？”

孔子说：“穿着破旧的袍子，与穿着狐貉裘皮衣服的人站在一起，而不觉得羞耻的，大概只有仲由吧！《诗》上说：‘不嫉妒，不贪求，为什么不好呢？’”子路听了，从此常常念着这句话。孔子又说：“仅仅做到这个样子，又怎么算得上好呢？”

The Master said,“It is Zi Lu who is not ashamed to stand in rags beside one in furs.” Zi Lu recited the following verse all his life long: “For nothing would he long. Will he do what is wrong ?” The Master said, “The truth contained in this verse is not worth treasuring so much.”

子曰：“岁寒，然后知松柏之后凋也。”

孔子说：“寒冷的季节到了，才知道松柏的叶子是最后凋零的。”

Only in the coldest weather, said the Master, can we realize that the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves.

🎈only+介词短语，谓语句首做状语，主句部分需要部分倒装。例如，Only with joint efforts can we fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

子曰：“知者不惑，仁者不忧，勇者不惧。”

孔子说：“智慧的人不疑惑，仁德的人不忧愁，勇敢的人不畏惧。”

The wise, said the Master, are free from doubt; the good, from worry; and the brave, from fear.

🎈The wise, said the Master, are free from doubt; the good, (are free) from worry; and the brave,(are free) from fear. 译文中后两个分句都省略了are free，避免与前文重复，在翻译时大家可以借鉴这种省略方法，使译文更加精简地道。

子曰：“可与共学，未可与适道；可与适道，未可与立；可与立，未可与权。”

孔子说：“可以和他一同学习的人，未必可以和他走共同的道路；可以和他走共同的道路，未必可以和他事事依礼而行；可以和他事事依礼而行，未必可以和他一起变通灵活处事。”

One who studies together with you, said the Master, may not put what he studies into practice; another who puts it into practice may not get established; and a third who gets established may not share weal and woe with you.

🎈译文中用了one… another… a third…

“唐棣之华，偏其反而。岂不尔思？室是远尔。”子曰：“未之思也，夫何远之有。”

“唐棣树的花，翩翩地摇摆，难道不思念你吗？是因为家住得太远了。”（关于这四句古诗）孔子说：“那是没有真正思念啊，如果真的思念，又怎么会觉得遥远呢？”

“Cherry flowers in view so swift back and forth sway. Do I not think of you? Your house is far away. ”The Master said, “He did not think of his friend, or how can it be so far away?”

🎈岂不尔思？Do I not think of you? 注意反问句的译法，Do I not…?

🎈sway和away押韵，读来朗朗上口，体现音韵美。

重点表达

礼the rules of ceremony

从众follow the common practice

违众against the general practice

绝四be free from four things

文不在兹乎？I am entrusted with keeping culture from perishing

多才多艺be versitile in many arts

贫贱poor and humble

有知识be endowed with knowledge

齐衰者、冕衣裳者in mourning or ceremonial dress

博我以文broaden my mind with culture

约我以礼regulate my conduct with the rules of propriety

使……各得其所put…in their proper place

为酒困be indulged in wine

苗而不秀spring up but not flower

秀而不实flower but not bear fruit

忠信truthful and faithful

毋友不如己者befriend one’s equals

改错amend one’s faults

匹夫不可夺志the common people cannot be deprived of his opinion

不惑、不忧、不惧be free from doubt, worry and fear

未经允许不得转载：帕布莉卡 » 《论语·第九章》子罕篇 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析