萧红《鲁迅先生记》 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

朗读这篇文章

鲁迅先生记

In Memory of Mr. Lu Xun

萧红

Xiao Hong

🎈in memory of sb或to the memory of sb表示“作为对某人的纪念”。

例句

Here’s to the memory of your father.

敬对令尊的追思。

鲁迅先生家里的花瓶，好像画上所见的西洋女子用以取水的瓶子，灰蓝色，有点从瓷釉而自然堆起的纹痕，瓶口的两边，还有两个瓶耳，瓶里种的是几棵万年青。

Mr. Lu Xun had a plant pot in his sitting-room. It looked like the jar European women fetched water with, as shown in paintings. It was of a bluish gray with a couple of ripples naturally embossed with its own glaze. It had a handle on each side near the top. Planted in it were a few evergreens.

🎈一段的原文是一个长句，译成英文时将其分成几个短句效果好。

🎈此处“花瓶”并非如今常见的桌面上的小摆件，根据“瓶里种的是几棵万年青”可以判断出是大型盆栽，译作a plant pot（花瓶、花盆）；a potted plant则表示盆栽植物、盆景。

🎈It looked like the jar European women fetched water with, as shown in paintings中，前半句的the jar European women fetched water with结构同《丑石》中的“…也不像大青石那样的光滑，可以供来浣纱捶布…nor like a smooth big bluish stone people used to wash their clothes on.”类似，补充完整为the jar European (that/which) women fetched water with，关系代词在定从中作with的宾语，可以省略。后半部分as shown in paintings（as+过去分词）是一种省略表达，相当于which is/was+过去分词。

例句

English as spoken in Australia is different from British English.

= (The) English which is spoken in Australia is different from British English.

🎈was of a bluish gray：复习“of+抽象名词”的用法。

🎈Planted in it were a few evergreens：英语中，有些倒装是出于语法上的需要，非用倒装语序不可，具有强制性；有些则是为了达到某种修辞效果，如强调、平衡、衔接等。

我第一次看到这花的时候，我就问过：“这叫什么名字?屋中既不生火炉，也不冻死?”

The first time I visited Mr. Lu Xun I asked: “What is the name of this plant? There is no fire in the room, but it is not frozen.”

🎈The first time I visited…：the first time后的定从可用when或that引导，也可以省略。

🎈“也不冻死?”以反问的语气描述“花居然没被冻死”的事实。

第一次，走进鲁迅家里去，那是快近黄昏的时节，而且是个冬天，所以那楼下室稍微有一点暗，

It was toward evening one winter day. The sitting-room downstairs was dim.

🎈此句和上句发生的场合一致，故“第一次”不再译出。

🎈The sitting-room downstairs：副词作后置定语，是比较常见的现象。表示时间或地点的副词（here，there, over there, outside, in，out，up，down，below，above，upstairs，downstairs，indoors，outdoors，now，then, today 等）可作定语，但一般要后置。如：The building there looks very grand. 那边的那座楼看起来很壮观。

同时鲁迅先生的纸烟，当它离开嘴边而停在桌角的地方，那烟纹的卷痕一直升腾到他有一些白丝的发梢那么高。而且再升腾就看不见了。

Mr. Lu Xun was smoking a cigarette. When he took it away from his lips, holding it between his fingers at the corner of his desk, small puffs rose as high as the top of his grayish hair and, further up, they were no longer visible.

🎈“那烟纹的卷痕”译作small puffs。对燃烧的香烟等进行观察，能发现烟燃到哪里，最外层的纸就卷到哪里（被烧没了），同时升腾起几缕二手烟，也就是此处的puffs。

“这花，叫‘万年青’，永久这样!”他在花瓶旁边的烟灰盒中，抖掉了纸烟上的灰烬，那红的烟火，就越红了，好像一朵小花似的，和他的袖口相距离着。

“It’s called ‘evergreen’. It is always like this. “He flicked the cigarette ash to the ashtray next to the pot and the cigarette glowed redder still like a small flower glimmering two or three inches from the cuff of his sleeve.

🎈He flicked the cigarette ash /to the ashtray (next to the pot) //and the cigarette glowed redder /still like a small flower (glimmering two or three inches from the cuff of his sleeve)：next to the pot作ash的后置定语；still like a small flower作状语；glimmering two… his sleeve可理解为flower的后置定语，也可理解为伴随状语。

“这花不怕冻?”以后，我又问过，记不得是在什么时候了。

“It is not affected by the cold, is it?” I asked another time, not remembering exactly when.

🎈“这花不怕冻?”这里没有用afraid of而用affected by…（不受低温影响）

许先生说:“不怕的，最耐久！”而且她还拿着瓶口给我摇着。

“No, it is not,” said Mrs. Lu Xun. “It’s a tough plant.” She held the pot by the top, shaking it for me to see.

🎈 “最耐久”就是“不怕冻”，译成It’ s a tough plant较为合适。描述植物坚韧、生命力强时可用tough一词。如夏衍的《野草》中：“生命开始的一瞬间就带了斗争来的草the grass that begins its very life with a tough struggle”。

我还看到了那花瓶的底边是一些圆石子，

I noticed there were some pebbles around the bottom.

🎈“看到”按“注意到”理解，译作notice，强调新发现的点。

以后，因为熟识了的缘故，我就自己动手看过一两次，又加上这花瓶是常常摆在客厅的黑色长桌上；

Later, as I got to know them better, I went once or twice up to the pot, which was placed on a long black table, to examine it more closely.

🎈as I got to know them better：as引导时间状语从句。

🎈走向、走近、靠近go/walk up to sth/sb

柔石《为奴隶的母亲》

有时他向天上望一望被云笼罩着的太阳，于是又<走向>门口问……

The next, he would look at the cloudy sky, and walk up to the kitchenmaid at the door…

又加上自己是来自寒带的北方，对于这在四季里都不凋零的植物，总带着一点惊奇。

Coming from the cold north I always wondered why this plant did not wither even in winter.

🎈Coming from the cold north：现在分词短语作原因状语。

🎈“四季里都不凋零”译作did not wither even in winter。大部分植物春夏秋均在生长，只是速度有所不同。在冬天除去常绿植物，剩下的凄凄飘零，为来年蓄力。此处按“甚至在冬天也不枯萎”之意处理是可以的。

而现在这“万年青”依旧活着,每次到许先生家去,看到那花,有时仍站在那黑色的长桌上，有时站在鲁迅先生照相的前面。

The plant was now still alive. Sometimes it stood on the black table, other times in front of Mr. Lu Xun’s photograph.

🎈“每次到许先生家去”省译，此处着重描写“万年青”虽在屋中位置有变化，但生气依旧。若实在想译，译出大地点“许先生家”即可（但“鲁迅先生相”已经表明了这一点）。又，许先生是许广平，是鲁迅先生的第二任妻子。他们没结婚，但许广平却为鲁迅先生生下了独子——周海婴。

花瓶是换了，用一个玻璃瓶装着,看得到淡黄色的须根，站在瓶底。

But it had been transplanted into a glass pot through which their yellowish roots could be seen at the bottom.

🎈“花瓶是换了,用一个玻璃瓶装着”以had been transplanted into a glass pot，transplant一词足以表示“换”，该处理方式衔接性更好。

有时候许先生一面和我们谈论着，一面检查着房中所有的花草。看一看叶子是不是黄了；该剪掉的剪掉，该洒水的洒水，因为不停地动作是她的习惯。

Mrs. Lu Xun would chat with us while moving from one plant to another, checking if any of them had turned yellow and which one needed clipping or watering. She always kept herself busy in her room.

🎈按英语语言中对妻子的称呼，“许先生”译作Mrs. Lu Xun。

🎈 would chat：would+动词原形表示过去常发生的情况。

有时候就检查着这“万年青”，有时候就谈着鲁迅先生，就在他的照相前面谈着，但那感觉，却像谈着古人那么悠远了。

Sometimes she examined the evergreens, sometimes she talked of Mr. Lu Xun, in front of his photograph, as if of someone of the remote past.

🎈第二个 sometimes前建议加上and。又，as if of someone of the remote past是as if的省略句，此处补充完整为as if (she talked) of someone of the remote past。as if省略句中，as if后只剩名词、不定式、形容词（短语）、介词短语或分词。例如Tome raised his hands as if (he was going) to say something.汤姆举起手，好像有话要说。

至于那花瓶呢，站在墓地的青草上面去了，而且瓶底已经丢失，虽然丢失了也就让它空空地站在墓边。我所看到的是从春天一直站到秋天；它一直站到邻旁墓头的石榴树开了花而后结成了石榴。

But where is the pot now? It is standing in the graveyard, in the grass, its bottom missing. The pot, empty, has been there spring through autumn when the pomegranate at the head of the neighboring tomb has blossomed and borne fruit.

🎈its bottom missing是独立主格结构。

🎈empty按(being) empty理解，省去being，主为简洁，也是英语语言习惯。

🎈结果bear fruit

从开炮以后,只有许先生绕道去过一次，别人就没有去过。

Since the Japanese bombardment of Shanghai, only Mrs. Lu Xun has visited the tomb, but none of the others.

🎈“从开炮以后……”是指1938年日本侵略军攻占上海，所以译文用了Since Japanese bombardment of Shanghai。

当然那墓草是长得很高了，而且荒了，还说什么花瓶，恐怕鲁迅先生的瓷半身像也要被荒了的草埋没到他的胸口。

The tomb must have been overgrown with wild grass and the porcelain bust of Mr. Lu Xun buried up to the chest, not to mention the pot.

🎈积累词汇overgrow。be overgrown with指”“某区域…杂生/丛生”。

例句

We hurried on until we reached a courtyard overgrown with weeds…

我们匆匆往前走，来到一个野草丛生的院子。

🎈and the porcelain bust of Mr. Lu Xun (must have been) buried up to the chest省略了前半部分中一模一样的成分。

🎈“更不用说”的表达：

①由于他们一声不响，默默无闻，就很少为人所知，（更不）受重视。

As to those engrossed in “laying eggs”, because they are reserved and content to live in obscurity they gain little public attention, let alone recognition.

②它的宽大的叶子也是片片向上，几乎没有斜生的，（更不用说）倒垂了；

Their leaves are broad and point upwards with very few slanting sideways, much less upside down.

③他会说德语和法语，（更不用说）英语了。

He can speak German and French, not to speak of English.

④老人、小孩都不赞成这个建议，更不用说年轻人了。

Old folks and children are all against the proposal, not to mention the youth.

⑤他会说德语和法语，（更不用说）英语了。

He can speak German and French, not to speak of English.

⑥卖文的，更不必说了。

Needless to say, the same is true of those who make a living with their pen.

我们在这边，只能写纪念鲁迅先生的文章，而谁去努力剪齐墓上的荒草？

As for us over here, there is not much we can do but write memorial articles. However, who will go and trim the grass on his tomb?

🎈在那儿over there/here

例句

Who is the man in tweeds over there?

那儿穿花呢衣服的男子是谁?

🎈 there is not much we can do but write memorial articles不用…but to write…。记住前有do后省to的口诀即可。

我们是越去越远了，但无论多么远,那荒草是总要记在心上的。

We are getting further and further away from him, but no matter how far away we are, we must always remember the grass.

🎈“no matter+疑问词（who, what, where, when, how）”引导让步状语从句，表示“无论，不管”，相当于“疑问词+ever”。注意：“疑问词+ever”引导名词性从句时，不可用“no matter+疑问词”互换。如：I’ll eat whatever (≠no matter what) you give me.

🔥必背词汇

pot        cn.花，花钵，同 flowerpot

英义

A pot is the same as a flowerpot .

例句

The water drained out of the flowerpot through the hole in the bottom.

水从花盆底部的洞漏出去。

glaze        cn.釉，釉料

英义

A glaze is a thin layer of liquid which is put on a piece of pottery and becomes hard and shiny when the pottery is heated in a very hot oven.

例句

hand-painted French tiles with decorative glazes

上了装饰釉的法国手绘瓷砖

evergreens        cn.常青树，常绿树

英义

a tree or bush that has green leaves all through the year

例句

Dense forests of evergreen trees cover these lands.

茂密的常青树林覆盖着这些土地。

puff        cn.吹出的一缕，一股

英义

A puff of something such as air or smoke is a small amount of it that is blown out from somewhere.

例句

Wind caught the sudden puff of dust and blew it inland.

风猛地刮起一阵灰尘，将它吹往内陆。

🔥重点表达

作为对某人的纪念in memory of sb或to the memory of sb

花瓶a plant pot

取水fetched water

灰蓝色of a bluish gray

瓷釉glaze

瓶耳handle

万年青evergreens

那是快近黄昏的时节，而且是个冬天。It was toward evening one winter day.

升腾到他有一些白丝的发梢那么高rose as high as the top of his grayish hair and

永久这样is always like this

抖掉了纸烟上的灰烬flicked the cigarette ash

袖口the cuff of (his) sleeve

拿着瓶口held the pot by the top

走向、走近、靠近go/walk up to sth/sb

凋零wither

花瓶是换了,用一个玻璃瓶装着. had been transplanted into a glass pot

古人someone of the remote past

墓地graveyard

从春天一直(站)到秋天spring through autumn

石榴树pomegranate

墓头/坟头at the head of the neighboring tomb

结果bear fruit

瓷半身像the porcelain bust

更不用说not to mention

🔥复盘测试

作为对某人的纪念

花瓶

取水

灰蓝色

瓷釉

瓶耳

万年青

那是快近黄昏的时节，而且是个冬天。

升腾到他有一些白丝的发梢那么高

永久这样

抖掉了纸烟上的灰烬

袖口

拿着瓶口

走向、走近、靠近

凋零

花瓶是换了,用一个玻璃瓶装着

古人

墓地

从春天一直(站)到秋天

石榴树

墓头/坟头

结果

瓷半身像

更不用说

🔥表达对比

「看不见、消失在视野中」有几种表达？

visible to the (naked) eyes

同时鲁迅先生的纸烟，当它离开嘴边而停在桌角的地方，那烟纹的卷痕一直升腾到他有一些白丝的发梢那么高。而且再升腾就（看不见）了。

Mr. Lu Xun was smoking a cigarette. When he took it away from his lips, holding it between his fingers at the corner of his desk, small puffs rose as high as the top of his grayish hair and, further up, they were no longer visible.

They can’t see us.

他们（看不见）我们。

The actress made her exit secretly from an unseen exit.

女演员从一个（看不见的）出口秘密离开了。

未经允许不得转载：帕布莉卡 » 萧红《鲁迅先生记》 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析