欧阳修《泷冈阡表》 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

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泷冈阡表

AN EPITAPH INSCRIBED ON THE MEMORIAL TABLET AT THE PATH LEADING TO THE TOMB IN SHUANGGANG

欧阳修

OUYANG XIU

🎈《泷冈阡表》是宋代文学家欧阳修的代表作，被誉为中国古代三大祭文之一。这篇文章是欧阳修在他父亲死后六十年所作的墓表。在表文中，作者盛赞父亲的孝顺与仁厚，母亲的俭约与安于贫贱。欧阳修手书的《泷冈阡表》碑刻保存完好，2006年列入第三批中国重点文物保护单位。难度略大，建议赏析。

呜呼！惟我皇考崇公卜吉于泷冈之六十年，其子修始克表于其阡。非敢缓也，盖有待也。

Alas! Not until sixty years after the burial of my father chongguogong in Shuanggang did I have the memorial tablet erected and have this epitaph engraved on his tombstone. It was not because of my procrastination, but because I had been waiting.

🎈「泷（shuāng）冈」：地名。在江西省永丰县沙溪南凤凰山上。阡（qiān）表：即墓碑。阡：墓道。

🎈「皇考」：指亡父。崇公：欧阳修的父亲，名观，字仲宾，追封崇国公。

🎈「卜吉」：指风水先生找到一块好坟地。

🎈「克」：能够。

🎈「表」：墓表，是记述死者公德的文体。

🎈译文采用倒装句型。

🎈have sth. done是一个常见用法。

修不幸，生四岁而孤。

I am ill-fated. My father died when I was four years old.

🎈「孤」：古时年幼就死了父亲称孤。

太夫人守节自誓，居穷，自力于衣食，以长以教，俾至于成人。

My mother took her solemn vow to remain in widowhood. She was stricken with poverty and had to earn a living all by herself. She nurtured me and educated me until I grew up.

🎈「太夫人」：指欧阳修的母亲郑氏。古时列侯之妻称夫人，列侯死，子称其母为太夫人。守节自誓：意思是，郑氏决心守寡，不再嫁人。

🎈「居穷」：家境贫寒。

🎈「以长以教」：一边抚养（欧阳修）一边教育他。以……以：一边，一边。表示两个并列。

🎈「俾（bǐ）」：使达到某种程度。

太夫人告之曰：“汝父为吏廉，而好施与，喜宾客。

My mother used to say to me, “Your father was an honest and incorruptible official. He liked to give alms to the poor and was hospitable to his friends.

🎈「为吏廉」：为官清廉。翻译是将动词+副词的形式转化为形容词+名词。

其俸禄虽薄，常不使有余，曰：‘毋以是为我累！’

Though he earned an official’s meager salary, he used to spend all of it. He said, ‘Don’t let money be a burden to me.’

🎈「俸禄虽薄」：中文主语为“俸禄”，英文译文则转换角度，以“他”为主语。

故其亡也，无一瓦之覆，一垄之植，以庇而为生。

Therefore, after his death, he did not leave me a single tile of roof to shelter me, or an inch of earth for me to live on.

🍒为生to live on

吾何恃而能自守邪？

Being a widow, what could I count on for livelihood?

🎈「Being a widow」：原文没有，但译文写出来作为补充说明，增加连贯性。

吾于汝父，知其一二，以有待于汝也。

I know little about your father and that is the reason that I pin my hope on you.

🎈「以有待于汝也」:因而把希望寄托在你身上。

自吾为汝家妇，不及事吾姑，然知汝父之能养也。

I came into this family not early enough to wait on my mother-in-law. I knew well that your father was a filial son.

🎈「姑」：丈夫的母亲，这里指欧阳修的祖母。

🎈「养」：奉养，指孝顺父母。

🎈「能养」意思为能够侍奉，孝敬父母。英文则是用形容词+名词译出。

汝孤而幼，吾不能知汝之必有立，然知汝父之必将有后也。

You were still very young when you lost your father. Although I was not sure whether you would grow to distinguish yourself, I was certain that your father would have a male offspring.

🎈「有立」：能够出人头地。

🎈「有后」：有男性后代。

吾之始归也，汝父免于母丧方逾年。

When I was mrried, it was just over a year after he had completed the period of mourning for his mother.

🎈「汝父免于母丧方逾年」：你父亲为他母亲守孝刚一年。

免于母丧：母亲死后，守丧期满。旧时父母或祖父死，儿子与长房长孙须谢绝人事，做官的解除职务，在家守孝二十七上月（概称三年），也称守制。免，指期满。

岁时祭祀，则必涕泣曰：‘祭而丰，不如养之薄也。’

In offering sacrifices to his parents in the annual memorial services, he would say with tears in his eyes, ‘Rather provide for them with a simple living while they were alive than offer them rich sacrifices when they were dead.

🎈翻译时应该分析逻辑关系，中文很短的一句话也可能需要使用复合句。

间御酒食，则又涕泣曰：“昔常不足，而今有余，其何及也！

When he occasionally treated himself to some wine and food, he again could not control his emotions and would cry and say, I didn’t have enough in the past; now I have surplus, but it is too late.’

🎈「间御酒食」：偶尔吃些好酒好菜。

‘吾始一二见之，以为新免于丧适然耳。

The first few times, I saw him crying like this, I thought that it was because the period of mourning for his mother was over for barely a year.

🎈 The first few times最初的几次

既而其后常然，至其终身未尝不然。

But he continued to do so afterwards and did not change till the end of his life.

🎈“未尝不然”就是没有改变的意思，译作了“did not change”。

吾虽不及事姑，而以此知汝父之能养也。

Though I did not have the opportunity to wait on my mother-in-law,I knew how deep his filial piety towards his parents was.

🎈采用感叹句，让人眼前一亮。

汝父为吏，尝夜烛治官书，屡废而叹。

Being a government official, once he studied the file of a criminal case by candle light at night. He repeatedly put down the file and sighed.

🎈通过阅读上下文，可以知道官书指的是邢狱案件。

吾问之，则曰：“此死狱也，我求其生不得耳。’

I asked him why. He answered, ‘This is a case of death sentence. I am sorry that I cannot suspend the punishment.’

🎈「此死狱也，我求其生不得耳」：这是一个判了死罪的案子，我想为他求得一条生路却办不到。译作“cannot suspend the punishment”非常简洁明了，不需要逐一翻译。

吾曰：‘生可求乎？’曰：‘求其生而不得，则死者与我皆无恨也；矧求而有得邪！以其有得，则知不求而死者有恨也。夫常求其生，犹失之死；而世常求其死也！’

‘Can the death sentence be suspended?” asked I. He continued, ‘If I had done my utmost to find a way to save the criminal’s life but failed, both he and I would have no regrets. But there are cases in which the life of the condemned is saved. Therefore, the condemned would die with great resentment if nothing had been done to save him.I had tried to save them, but often failed. There are many officials who are eager to send the criminals to death!’

🎈「矧（shěn）」：况且。

回顾乳者抱汝而立于旁，因指而叹曰：“术者谓我岁行在戌将死，使其言然，吾不及见儿之立也，后当以我语告之。’

He turned about and saw your wet nurse standing by with you in her arms. He pointed his finger at you and said with a sigh,‘A fortune teller said that I would die when Jupiter passes the year of Xu. If his words are true, I won’t be able to see my son grow up to be a man. Please tell him what I said to you.’

🎈「术者」：算命先生。

🎈「戌」：地支的第十一位，可与天干的甲、丙、戊、庚、壬相配来记年。

🎈中文的“抱”，英文译作“with you in her arms”，注意with的用法，以及介词短语的用法。

其平居教他子弟，常用此语，吾耳熟焉，故能详也。

He used to educate other youngsters of the family with these words. I have heard him say this many times so that I can remember every single word.

🎈「子弟」：晚辈。

🎈「详」：记得很清楚，即记得每一个字。“every single sth.”中，“single”起强调作用。

其施于外事，吾不能知；其居于家，无所矜饰，而所为如此，是真发于中者邪！呜呼！其心厚于仁者邪！

But I did not know what he did outside the family. At home he was never conceited and made no pretensions. And he did all this from his inner self. His heart was more humane than any benevolent person.

🎈「矜饰」：装腔作势。

🎈「发于中者」：发自内心。

此吾知汝父之必将有后也。汝其勉之！

Therefore, I knew that he would surely have a male successor. You must do your best to draw instructions from his words.

🎈「勉」：勉励。译文对此进行解释，即“你一定要好好从父亲的话中吸取经验”。

夫养不必丰，要于孝；利虽不得博于物，要其心之厚于仁。

It’s not necessary to provide for your parents sumptuously. What is important is filial love. Though what you do can not benefit all the people, you must have a heart of benevolence.

🎈「博」：遍施。

🎈「要」：重要的是。

吾不能教汝，此汝父之志也。”修泣而志之，不敢忘。

I have no ability to educate you, but this is what your father expected of you.”I promise to bear her words in mind, with tears running down my cheeks. I never dared to forget them.

🎈「志」：愿望。

🎈「泣」：在中文为动词，但在英文中译作伴随成分亦是独立主格。

先公少孤力学，咸平三年，进士及第，为道州判官，泗、绵二州推官，又为泰州判官，享年五十有九，葬沙溪之泷冈。

My father was an orphan in his early childhood. He studied diligently and passed the highest imperial civil service examination in the third year of Xianping. He was first appointed as panguan in Daozhou, then as tuiguan in Sizhou and Mianzhou, and then as panguan in Taizhou. He died at the age of fifty-nine, and was buried in Shuanggang of Shaxi.

🎈注意断句，分析句子间的层次。

🎈「咸平」：宋真宗年号。

🎈「道州」：地名，辖境为今天的湖南道县、宁远以南的潇河流域。

🎈「判官」：官名，州郡长官的属官，掌管文书工作。

🎈「推官」：州郡长官的属官，专管刑事。

太夫人姓郑氏，考讳德仪，世为江南名族。

My mother’s original family name was Zheng and her father’s given name was Deyi. For many generations my mother’s family was a large renowned one in the south of the Yangtze River.

🎈「考讳」：亡父名讳。

🎈「江南」：宋时地区划分为路，宋真宗时中国划分为十八路，江南为一路，辖区相当于今天的江西、江苏的长江以南，镇江、大茅山、长荡湖一线以西和安徽长江以南以及湖北阳新、通山等县。

太夫人恭俭仁爱而有礼，初封福昌县太君，进封乐安、安康、彭城三郡太君。

My mother was respectful and prudent as well as kind and courteous. On her was first bestowed the posthumous title of taijun of Fuchang County, then the posthumous title of the taijun of the three prefectures of Le’an, Ankang, and Pengcheng.

🎈「初封福昌县太君」：意思是首先封为福昌县太君，因为是死后的荣誉称号，同时译文运用倒装句以起强调作用，故译文为“On her was first bestowed the posthumous title of taijun of Fuchang County”。

自其家少微时，治其家以俭约，其后常不使过之，曰：“吾儿不能苟合于世，俭薄所以居患难也。”

Since the time  when the family was in straitened circumstances, she had been careful with the spending of the household and continued to do so even after I became an official. She used to say to me, ‘You should not drift along with evil trends. To live with frugality means to take precautions against rainy days.”

🎈「少微」：家道中落。

🎈「过」：花费过多。

🎈「苟合」：苟且迎合。

🎈To do sth. means to do sth.可以用来表示一种因果关系。

其后修贬夷陵，太夫人言笑自若，曰：“汝家故贫贱也，吾处之有素矣，汝能安之，吾亦安矣。”

Later, when I was demoted to be the magistrate of Yiling County, my mother faced the adverse circumstances with great composure and said to me with a smile, “Since our family has always been poor, I am accustomed to a poor life. As long as you can stand it, so can I.”

🎈「so can I」：这是省略句，英文常出现省略，而中文也喜欢将其补充完整。

🎈夷陵：县名，今湖北宜昌市东南。1036年（宋仁宗景祐三年），范仲淹与宰相吕夷简不和，罢知饶州，朝臣多论救，独谏官高若讷以为当贬。欧阳修写信骂高“不复知人间有羞耻事”，并叫他“直携此书于朝，使正予罪而诛之。”高上其书于仁宗，欧阳修因此被贬为夷陵令。事见《宋史》范仲淹、欧阳修两传。

自先公之亡二十年，修始得禄而养。

Twenty years after my father’s death, I earned an official’s salary with which I could provide for my family.

🎈「先公」：去世的父亲。

🎈中文为说清楚的话，英文应该补充完整，如供养（家庭）。

又十有二年，列官于朝，始得赠封其亲。

Another twelve years passed and I was an official at court and was able to get the Emperor’s favor to confer titles on my parents.

🎈「十有二年」：即十二年。

又十年，修为龙图阁直学士，尚书吏部郎中，留守南京。

Another ten years later I was appointed as zhixueshi of Longtuge, langzhong of Shangshulibu, and liushounanjing.

🎈「龙图阁」：宋真宗建。在会庆殿西偏，北连禁中，阁东曰资政殿、西曰述古殿。阁上供奉太宗御书、御制文集及典籍、图画、宝瑞之物，及宗正寺所进属籍、世谱。有学士、直学士、待制、直阁等官。包拯曾为龙图阁直学士，人称包拯为包龙图即源于此。

🎈「南京」：宋时南京为应天府，治所在今河南商邱市。

太夫人以疾终于官舍，享年七十有二。

My mother died at my official residence at the age of seventy-two.

🎈官舍，官邸official residence

又八年，修以非才，入副枢密，遂参政事，又七年而罢。

Another eight years passed and I, despite my incompetence, entered Shumiyuan and was appointed as shumifushi and was canzhizhengshi’. I left my post seven years later.

🎈「枢密」：枢密使，官名，中国最高军事长官。

自登二府，天子推恩，褒其三世，盖自嘉祐以来，逢国大庆，必加宠锡。

Since I entered zhongshusheng and shumiyuan, the Emperor had favored three generations of my family with posthumous titles.Ever since the year of Jiayou, whenever there were national ceremonies, the Emperor would grant posthumous titles to my ancestor.

🎈「二府」：中书省和枢密院。

🎈「推恩」：施恩惠于他人。

🎈「嘉祐」：仁宗年号。

🎈这里的恩惠指的都是授予死后尊称。

皇曾祖府君累赠金紫光禄大夫、太师、中书令。

曾祖妣累封楚国太夫人。

皇祖府君累赠金紫光禄大夫、太师、中书令兼尚书令。

祖妣累封吴国太夫人。

皇考崇公累赠金紫光禄大夫、太师、中书令兼尚书令。

皇妣累封越国太夫人。

今上初郊，皇考赐爵为崇国公，太夫人进号魏国。

Posthumous titles were confered on my great grandfather successively, such as jinziguangludaifu, taishi, zhongshuling.

Posthumous titles were conferred on my great grandmother successively, such as Senior Madame of the Kingdom of Chu.

Posthumous titles were conferred on my grandfather successively,such as jinziguangludaifu, taishi, zhongshuling and concurrently shangshuling.

Posthumous titles were conferred on my grandmother successively, such as Senior Madame of the Kingdom of Wu.

Posthumous titles were conferred on my father Chonggong, such as jinziguangdaifu, taishi, zhongshuling and concurrently shangshuling.

Posthumous titles were conferred on my mother, such as Senior Madame of the Kingdom of Yue.

The present Emperor, on his first ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven, conferred the posthumous title of chongguogong on my father, and promoted my mother to the rank of Senior Madame of the Kingdom of Wei.

🎈以上内容无论中英文句式皆相差不大。

🎈注意使用被动语态。

🎈一般而言，具有中国特色的词语可以直接音译。

🎈「今上」：当今的皇上，指神宗赵顼xū。

🎈「郊」：祭天。

于是小子修泣而言曰：“呜呼！为善无不报，而迟速有时，此理之常也。

Alas! I said in tears, “Anyone who does good deeds will be rewarded and it is only a matter of time.This is a common truth.

🎈注意断句。

🎈分析哪个动词才是谓语。

惟我祖考，积善成德，宜享其隆，虽不克有于其躬，而赐爵受封，显荣褒大，实有三朝之锡命，是足以表见于后世，而庇赖其子孙矣。”

My ancestors did good deeds and were of lofty characters. They deserved rich rewards. Though they did not enjoy these in their lifetime, posthumous titles and honor have been conferred on them. They are highly commended and gloriously honored, as evidenced by the imperial mandates issued by the three emperors. These mandates are examples for posterity to abide by and they will give them blessings.”

🎈「三朝」：仁宗、英宗、神宗。

🎈「虽不克有于其躬，而赐爵受封，显荣褒大，实有三朝之锡命，是足以表见于后世，而庇赖其子孙矣」：虽然他们在有生之年不能享受到，但是赐爵位、受封官，经表彰而光荣，因褒奖而崇大，具有三朝恩赏诰封，这就足够使其德行显扬于后世，庇荫支持子孙。

🎈「显荣褒大」：意思重复，可以只取前两字翻译。

🎈句子很长，要适当断句。

乃列其世谱，具刻于碑。既又载我皇考崇公之遗训，太夫人之所以教而有待于修者，并揭于阡。

Now I have the family tree, the instructions of my deceased father, and the words of my deceased mother with which she taught me inscribed on the tombstone.

🎈两个句子合并为一句话，因为他们有重复的地方，可以合并。「具刻于碑」「并揭于阡意思相近。」

🎈have sth. done 让某物被做某事，常用表达。

俾知夫小子修之德薄能鲜，遭时窃位，而幸全大节，不辱其先者，其来有自。

People will know that though I am lacking in virtue and abilities, it is owing to my good fortune that I hold high positions, and it stands to reason that I have developed the virtues of my ancestors so that I can keep my moral integrity without bringing disgrace on them.

🎈「俾」：大家。

🎈「德薄能鲜」：德行浅薄，能力微小。

🎈「遭时窃位」：适逢其时才能得到高位。

🎈「小子」：自称。

🎈「幸全大节」：有幸保全大的原则。

🎈「而幸全大节，不辱其先者，其来有自」：语序颠倒，因为中文的总结评论在后，英文在前。

熙宁三年岁次庚戌四月辛酉朔十有五日乙亥，男推诚保德崇仁翊戴功臣，观文殿学士、特进、行兵部尚书、知青州军州事、兼管内劝农使、充京东路安抚使、上柱国、乐安郡开国公，食邑四千三百户，食实封一千二百户，修表。

This tombstone was erected on the fifteenth of the fourth month of the lunar calendar in the third year of Xining by Xiu, who is tuichengbaodechongrenyidaigongchen, guanwendianxueshi, tejin, concurrently bingbushangshu, zhiqingzhoujunzhoushi, concurrently neiquannongshi, jingdongluanfushi, shangzhuguo and Le ‘an kaiguogong, with a fief of four thousand and three hundred households, and one thousand and two hundred households in actuality.

🎈「熙宁」：宋神宗年号。

🎈「庚戌」：庚戌年，前文有“术者谓我岁行在戌年将死”。

🎈「辛酉」：天干地支所记月份。

🎈「朔」：初一。

🎈语序适当调整，以适应英文思维。

🔥重点词汇

nurture    v. 培养

英义

If you nurture something such as a young child or a young plant, you care for it while it is growing and developing.

例句

Parents want to know the best way to nurture and raise their child to adulthood.

父母希望知道养育孩子长大成人的最佳方法。

posterity     n.后裔；子孙；后代

英义

You can refer to everyone who will be alive in the future as posterity.

例句

A photographer recorded the scene on video for posterity.

摄影师用摄像机为后代记录下了这个场景。

sumptuously      adv. 奢侈地

英义

Something that is sumptuous is grand and obviously or very expensive.

例句

A white cane sofa is sumptuously upholstered in gold taffeta and purple velvet.

白藤沙发上配有金色塔夫绸和紫色天鹅绒制成的沙发垫，显得豪华而精致。

alms      n.救济金；救济品

英义

Alms are gifts of money, clothes, or food to poor people.

例句

Alms were distributed to those in need.

救济品被分发给困难人群。

vow      v.发誓;起誓;立誓

英义

If you vow to do something, you make a serious promise or decision that you will do it.

例句

While many models vow to go back to college, few do.

很多模特发誓要重回大学校园，但很少有人做到。

🔥重点表达

算命先生fortune teller

奶妈wet nurse

服侍wait on

祭祀offer sacrifices

出人头地distinguish yourself

寄希望pin my hope on you

微薄收入meager salary

乐善好施give alms to the poor

立志守节took her solemn vow to remain in widowhood

不幸ill-fated

同流合污drift along with evil trend

时运不济in straitened circumstances

江南名族a large renowned family

进士及第 pass the highest imperial civil service examination

🔥表达对比

形容人品行好的表达有几种？

惟我祖考，（积善成德）。

My ancestors did good deeds and were of lofty characters.

自其家少微时，治其家以（俭约），其后常不使过之，曰：“吾儿（不能苟合于世，俭薄）所以居患难也。”

Since the time  when the family was in straitened circumstances, she had been careful with the spending of the household and continued to do so even after I became an official. She used to say to me, ‘You should not drift along with evil trends. To live with frugality means to take precautions against rainy days.”

太夫人（恭俭仁爱而有礼）。

My mother was respectful and prudent as well as kind and courteous.

夫养不必丰，要于（孝）；利虽不得博于物，要其心之（厚于仁）。

It’s not necessary to provide for your parents sumptuously.What is important is filial love. Though what you do can not benefit all the people, you must have a heart of benevolence.

其施于外事，吾不能知；其居于家，（无所矜饰），而所为如此，是真发于中者邪！呜呼！其心（厚于仁者）邪！

But I did not know what he did outside the family. At home he was never conceited and made no pretensions. And he did all this from his inner self. His heart was more humane than any benevolent person.

太夫人告之曰：“汝父为吏廉，而（好施与，喜宾客）。

My mother used to say to me,’ Your father was an honest and incorruptible officia l. He liked to give alms to the poor and was hospitable to his friends.

未经允许不得转载：帕布莉卡 » 欧阳修《泷冈阡表》 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析