How I Started My Career as a Novelist张恨水Zhang Henshui🔥背景知识：张恨水（1895年5月18日－1967年2月15日），原名张心远，安徽安庆潜山县人。他是中国章回小说家，鸳鸯蝴蝶派代表作家，被尊称为现代文学史上的「章回小说大家」。本文是其用简约的文字回忆自己生平和创作经历的散文。他的小说虽离不开章回体小说范畴，并大多以言情为主题，但走的确实现实主义道路，同情弱小，反抗强暴，具有正义感和丰富热情，通俗易懂，因此深受广大读者欢迎。他认为小说家必须研究社会，了解周围的人物环境，正如他在文章中所说：日常生活体会得越多，就会使鲜花开得越灿烂。我在十一二岁，看小说已经成迷了，I became engrossed in reading fiction when I was 12. 🎈「成迷」译作became engrossed, engross是「全神贯注，非常专注于某事」，一个很积极正面的词，为下文展开讲述作者职业成长之路作铺垫。需要注意的是，obsess虽也有「痴迷于…」的意思，但也有「因某事致使心绪不宁」，常常用于描述负面的状态，与原文基调不符。而a great fan of之类的表达则着重于纯粹作为欣赏某人或事物，没有自己投身的参与感。十四五岁我就拿起笔来，仿照七侠五义的套子，构成一个十三岁的孩子，会玩大铁锤。At 15, I wrote a story patterned after Seven Swordsmen and Five Gallants. I did it like I was a small kid having the audacity to wield a heavy iron hammer.🎈模仿，仿效pattern sth A on/after sth例句a new approach patterned on Japanese ideas模仿日本概念而设计的新方法🎈注意「七侠五义」的译法：Seven Swordsmen and Five Gallants，这类经典小说名称或人物，中文独有的特色词汇是很多翻译考核的重点，平时应注意积累。「Swordsmen（剑客或侠客）」也是谈论到中国武侠小说出现频率非常高的一个词。🎈「构成一个十三岁的孩子，会玩大铁锤」按「我这样做，就像一个小孩胆敢耍玩大铁锤一般」理解。又Having the audacity（胆敢）是根据上下文的增译，意为「一个才十三岁的孩子竟然不知天高地厚地耍起了武器」🎈「玩」大铁锤→挥舞（武器、工具等）wield这小说叫什么名字，现在记不得了，可是这里面我还画成了画，画一个小侠客，拿着两柄大锤，舞成了旋风舞。I have forgotten the title of the story, but, I remember, it was illustrated with my drawing of a hero dancing around like mad wielding a pair of giant maces.🎈本段中的「小侠客」译作hero，这种用词多样性值得参考。🎈我们很熟悉illustration一词表示「书中的插画」，illustrate是其动词形式。🎈「大锤」译作maces（一种古代兵器，名为钉头锤）🎈「舞成了旋风舞」现译作（a hero） dancing around like mad wielding a pair of giant maces，现在分词短语dancing around作hero的后置定语，译出「舞」之意，而like mad wielding a pair of giant maces（旋风舞→疯狂挥舞兵器）是伴随状语，修饰dancing around，其中，like mad是成语，意为「拼命地、疯狂地」我为什么这样爱作小说，还要画侠客图呢？因为我的弟妹以及小舅父，喜欢听我说小侠客故事，I enjoyed writing stories illustrated with my drawings of gallants because my younger brothers and sisters plus my young uncle all liked to listen to my storytelling. 🎈此处再次出现「侠客」，这里译作gallants，和前文形成呼应。 🎈「以及」这里译作plus，在表达「加之，而且或还有」时可替换and、as well as等。🎈「我说小侠客故事」运用了词性转换及略译，重新整合后译为my storytelling简洁且准确达意。有时我把图摊开来，他们也哈哈大笑。And they would be greatly amused when I sometimes showed them the illustrations.🎈「哈哈大笑」这里并没有简单译为laugh，而是选择了含义更广的be greatly amused（由于某消遣娱乐方式而感到快乐或笑出声），体现了翻译中词汇表达的多样性。至今我想起来，何以弄小说连图都画上了。说我求名吗？除了家里三四个听客，于外没有人知道，当然不是。Did I seek fame? Of course not, for I had no other listeners except a handful of my own folks. 🎈「至今我想起来，何以弄小说连图都画上了」省译，自己译出也是完全可以的。此句可理解为一个衔接句：「至今我想起来的」其实就是上文提到的回忆（illustrations图都画上了），故此处不再进行重复含义的翻译。🎈求名seek fame说我求利吗？大人真个知道了，那真会笑掉了大牙。当然也不是。Did I seek personal gain? No, not either, for that would have made a laughing stock of myself in the family.🎈求利seek personal gain🎈「笑掉了大牙」译为a laughing stock（笑柄，别人的笑料）我就是喜欢这样玩意，喜欢，我就高兴乱涂。什么我也不求。I did it for love. That’s all there is to it.🎈「喜欢，我就高兴乱涂。什么我也不求」译为That’s all there is to it.，相当于That’s it.表示：就是这么回事儿或仅此而已。无论语气还是意思都已经译得很充分，所以翻译实践中不应拘泥于字面对应，而重在达「意」我到十五六岁，小说读得更多了。也读过自西洋翻译来的理论，但是那学问只有点把点，读过了也就完了。At 16, I read more novels and meanwhile acquired a smattering of knowledge by reading the Chinese version of some Western books on literature. 🎈「西洋理论」通过译者对上下文的理解译为Western books on literature，我们在翻译实践中也应是自身充分理解原文后作出，「译」本身就担负着让读者充分理解领会的义务，所以有必要的地方要译得具体。不过这样一来，我对小说，更抱着浓厚的兴趣。Thus I became even more interested in fiction. 🎈原文虽有「不过」，却并非强调转折含义，而是重在thus（因果逻辑关系）。🎈对……感兴趣be interested in商务印书馆出版的“小说月报”，那时为国内首屈一指的文艺杂志，我就每月得买一本。I would buy every issue of Fiction Monthly, the only literary magazine then published in China.🎈「国内首屈一指的文艺杂志」根据历史背景译为the only literary magazine then published in China.，了解所译作品的时代背景及历史真实情况是一名合格翻译的必要准备。🎈「文艺」杂志这里并不是art，而应该是literary。因此，我对小说，有了更进一步的认识，认识到作小说的，可以作为一种职业。I came to realize that story-writing could be one’s profession. 🎈「作小说」词性转换为名词短语story-writing🎈从一种喜爱换成另一种这里使用shifted。所以我爱读的小说，也自剑侠一变为爱情。I shifted my favorite reading from kung fu stories to love stories.🎈剑侠→与武术功夫有关的小说故事 kung fu stories🎈爱情→与爱情有关的小说故事 love stories事实上，这个日子的小说，也以爱情为最多。In fact, love was then a favorite theme with most novelists.🎈「事实上，这个日子的小说，也以爱情为最多」即「爱情为主题的小说在那个年代才是最流行的」→「爱情是大部分写小说的人最喜欢的题材」。译文重新整合了句子，以love(爱情)作主语，译作In fact, love was then a favorite theme with most novelists.可是为什么作小说，我依旧模糊着。But I still had only a vague idea as to why one should engage in story writing.🎈「作小说为职业」→写小说的人，译作（小说家）novelist一词，简洁明了。🎈从事、参与 be engaged in/engage in至于作小说为职业，我根本未曾想到。And I never thought of myself becoming a novelist.🎈thought of myself becoming a novelist中myself becoming a novelist，我们称之为「动名词的复合结构」，或「含有逻辑主语的动名词短语」，作of的宾语。🎈think of doing sth.意思就是「想到干某事，想起做某事」，在实际语言中，有时候为了说明动名词动作的发出者，需要在动名词之前加上一个逻辑主语。此处myself也可理解为对「未曾想到」进行了语气上的强调。到了十九岁，我在苏州“蒙藏垦殖专门学校”读书，有工夫，还是看小说。At 19, while studying at Mongolia-Tibet Reclamation School for Vocational Training, in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, I continued to read stories in spare time.🎈这句的翻译重点是「蒙藏垦殖专门学校」这个专有名词，「专门学校」应理解为「专科学校」或「职业技术学校」，对应的英文是vocational school或vocational training。reclamation是专门研究如何开拓土地，改良土地环境进行种植养殖等。所以，「蒙藏垦殖专门学校」译为Mongolia-Tibet Reclamation School for Vocational Training。🎈有工夫→有时间或闲暇的时候 in spare time我觉着光是看，还有些不够，所以也作了两篇，往“小说月报”社投稿。But I thought mere reading was not enough, so I submitted two stories I had written to the magazine Fiction Monthly for publication.🎈给报社「投稿」用的是submitted，请注意这一用法。当然，我那时还很年轻，读书不但不多，而且很多应当读的书，我只看到或者听到它的名字而已，Of course, I was then very young and far from being well-read. And many books I should have read were known to me by name only. 🎈「读书不多」译作far from being well-read，其中well-read指博览群书、知识渊博；far from意为「远远不够」，表示强调。所以两篇小说，投过了邮也就算了，并没有想到还有什么下文。Therefore, I didn’t expect too much of the two stories I had sent out and just forgot about them.🎈「并没有想到还有什么下文」→投过稿子之后就把它们忘了/就不再去想这件事了 I had sent out and just forgot about them.。这里请注意把主语I补充出来。可是过了几日，“小说月报”居然回信来了，说我的小说还算不错，望我努力。Several days later, however, I received a reply from the said magazine saying that I had done quite well and they hoped I would do still better.🎈本段主要描述「小说月刊」对我的影响，请注意中英主语的变化。原文以「小说月刊」为主要描述对象展开，而译文则补充了I和They作为主语，请注意这样的中英表达习惯并在实践中逐渐掌握。🎈「居然」译作however，作为副词成分插入，把作者「完全没想到」的情绪表达得很饱满。那小说虽然没有发表，但给我的鼓励真是不小。Though they didn’t use my contributions, the encouragement they gave me was tremendous.🎈「（小说）没有发表」译作didn’t use my contributions，contribution这里指「稿件或投稿」，例如：A contribution to a magazine给杂志的投稿，a contribution to a newspaper给报社的投稿等。🎈此处「不小」即「巨大」，译作tremendous。于是我就对小说更为细心研究，尤其是写景一方面，小动作一方面，中国小说虽然也有，却是并不多，我就在西洋小说中，加倍注意。Thereupon, I went in for an even more careful study of fiction, especially as regards the depiction of scenery and petty moves, which also appeared in Chinese fiction, but with much lower frequency than in Western fiction. So I focused more on them in Western fiction.🎈积累「于是、所以、因此」等的表达，本文中出现了thereupon、therefore、thus等。🎈「对小说更为细心研究」是想表达作者得到所投稿报社激励后对小说的研究更加热衷了，现译作I went in for an even more careful study of fiction。其中，爱好某活动go in for…可是学校被袁世凯封门了，我的家境，又十分不好，我就失了学。Later, I was obliged to discontinue my studies when the school was closed down by order of Yuan Shikai and my parents could not send me to another school due to financial difficulties.🎈Be obliged to do sth.→由于环境形势、法律规定等而不得不做某事或做出某种改变。通过这个短语表达出了笔者辍学的无奈。🎈外国读者对于袁世凯不一定熟悉，除了译作Yuan Shikai最好增加适当的备注说明。🎈被袁世凯封门了→袁世凯下令关闭了学校，by order of是在准确理解后增译的成分。自此以后，我漂流在扬子江一带，寻找职业。Then I began to wander about hunting for a job in places along the Yangtse River. 🎈Wander about→指没有很明确方向感地游荡、迷失方向。符合当时作者独处异乡寻找工作「漂流」的迷茫感。直到二十四岁，才找到了我的饭碗，就是芜湖《皖江报》。And it was not until I was 24 that I finally found employment at The Wanjiang News in Wuhu, Anhui Province.🎈it was not until I was 24 that I finally found employment 是not until结构的强调句型。🎈找到了我的饭碗→找到了工作、受雇于某处 found employment🎈「芜湖」作为地名很多外国读者不会熟悉，所以增译为in Wuhu, Anhui Province.（安徽省芜湖）不过那漂流的几年中，有些日子在乡下家里，我还极力看中国旧书，也看看小说。这好像说我的读书，有些进步了吧？所以在《皖江报》就业以后，我在自己报上写小说，也有工夫为别家写小说。上海《民国日报》，这就是别家的一家。若是说我写小说何日开始，这就是第一课吧。Thanks to the improvement I seemed to have made in knowledge through burying myself in Chinese classics as well as fiction during the several years when I was in my country home and later when I was wandering about, I was able to write novels for my newspaper and also, in spare time, for other newspapers as well, including The Republic Daily. That’s the beginning of my career as a novelist.🎈这个句子很长，我们先用几个斜杠把句子结构划分一下：Thanks to//the improvement (I seemed to have made in knowledge) //through burying myself in Chinese classics as well as fiction /during the several years (when I was in my country home /and later when I was wandering about)，// I was able to write novels…。句子前半部分，看了一长串，发现并没有主语，只有作原因状语的语法成分，主语是很久之后才出来的I。I seemed to have made in knowledge可看作一个省略that的定从，先行词是improvement；through……作方式状语；during the several years是时间状语，又，when引导时间定从，先行词是years。🎈Bury的原意是「把…埋在下面，掩埋覆盖」，bury oneself in…→埋头专心于（做某事），充分表达出了那段时间笔者埋头读书的场景。🎈若是说我写小说何日开始，这就是第一课吧。→这就是我小说写作职业生涯的开始。That’s the beginning of my career as a novelist.第一课不必拘泥原文直译。这年下半年，我到了北京，以后有十几年没有离开。同时，我一面当新闻记者，一面写小说。In the second half of the year, I went to Beijing, where I was to stay for more than ten years, both as a newspaperman and as a novelist. 🎈下半年→the second half of the year🎈新闻记者→newspaperman但是我虽依旧写小说，却慢慢地摸上一点路子。觉得写小说，专门写爱情，那似乎也太狭窄。While I continued to write, I gradually realized that, as a novelist, I shouldn’t narrow my works to the sole theme of love.🎈摸上一点路子→realized that后接具体内容，这样就把中文以句号断开的两个句子连接在了一起。我自己以为自这以后，我的小说，又有一点小变动，以社会各种变化情形为经，以爱情为纬。So from then on, there was a small change in my writings. I wrote about social problems as well as love.🎈此句就是在描述「我写小说的变化」，故按原句顺序译出即可，先交代「有小变动」，再单独起句具体描述「小变动（以x为经/纬）」🎈「以…为经，以…纬」应理解为「…与…并重，…也…」即…as well as…，所以「以社会各种变化情形为经，以爱情为纬」译为I wrote about social problems as well as love. 我的小说自然也应该有些变化，可是我仍旧不能完全抛弃爱情。Nevertheless, I have never been able to totally break away from the topic of love. 🎈文中Nevertheless属增译，使得译文更加流畅。🎈放弃、脱离break away from例句You need to take breaks away from the computer.你需要休息并且远离电脑。大概有几十年工夫，不，可以说一辈子吧，总是不能离开这经纬线。如《太平花》、《夜深沉》、《水浒新传》、《八十一梦》等等。It has been my favorite theme for decades or throughout my life, as witness my Taiping Flowers, Deep Night, New Shui Hu Zhuan, 81 Dreams, etc.🎈「抛弃」译作break away from…，「爱情」实则指「爱情这一类题材」所以增译the topic of🎈以……为证 as witness…例句My father prospered perceptibly, as witness the garage, the Ford, the trips by train and steamship.我的父亲明显地发达了，有了车库和福特车，坐火车和轮船出差。我是作章回小说的，对于普及，那是没有问题的。As a writer of novels in Zhanghui style, I of course advocate popularization.🎈「章回」作为一种中文小说写作形式，外国读者不一定了解。除了译作Zhanghui style，还应在注释中进行适当说明，以释义法给出英文解释。🎈「普及」译作advocate popularization但是我们要谈普及，是在哪里下手呢？这是我们必须要研究的。But we have to know how to achieve it.🎈「但是我们要谈普及，是在哪里下手呢？」仍和上文提到的「连接句」一样，算作语义的重复，选择省译，只译出新出现的核心信息：…是我们必须要研究的（we have to know how to achieve it）。要把人民日常生活，一种自然形态，在烂熟之下摘取。The way is to observe people’s daily life in its natural form until the time is ripe for us to pick it like an opening flower.🎈「在烂熟之下摘取」译作until the time is ripe for us to pick it like an opening flower. ，其中ripen和an opening flower都能让读者将此句与「植物生长状态」联想在一起，十分生动地体现了「烂熟」的状态，非常有画面感。这里说着人民日常生活，好像很容易摘取似的。事实上不尽然，也许是很难的。It is not easy though. It may be very difficult.🎈代词it指上句提到的「于自然形态下摘取人民日常生活」，这里it运用的非常有灵性。英文写作时要注意代词的运用，这是英文的表达习惯性之一。🎈本文中，有很多处中文说来说去都是重复的意思，例如此处的「事实上不尽然」，可选择适当省译。我们要细心慢慢去找日常生活最普遍的一处，然后把它在适当的时候，使鲜花开出来。We have to look for the most common aspect of people’s life and then let it blossom forth like fresh flowers in our works at an opportune time. 🎈「日常生活最普遍的一处」应理解为「普通老百姓生活中最平常的方面」，译作the most common aspect of people’s life。这不能性急，日常生活体会得越多，就会使鲜花开得越灿烂。We need to work with patience. The more we know about people’s life, the more beautiful the flowers will be.🎈不能性急→work with patience（有耐心），这里采用正反译法——反说正译的翻译技巧。（确保译文的语言语义明晰且文从字顺，符合译入语的表达习惯）🎈The more we know about people’s life, the more beautiful the flowers will be.是the more…the more…结构。🔥必背词汇engross v.使全神贯注，占去（某人的）全部注意力和时间英义sb if sth engrosses you, it is so interesting that you give it all your attention and time 例句A more important subject than that of getting indoors now engrossed her.现在，一个比回家更为重要的问题占据了她的心头。fiction un.小说英义Fiction refers to books and stories about imaginary people and events, rather than books about real people or events.例句Immigrant tales have always been popular themes in fiction.移民故事一直是小说中常见的主题。audacity un.大胆，放肆英义Audacity is audacious behaviour.例句I was shocked at the audacity and brazenness of the gangsters.这伙歹徒如此胆大妄为、厚颜无耻，让我很是震惊。wield v.使用，挥，操武器、工具等英义If you wield a weapon, tool, or piece of equipment, you carry and use it.例句a lone assailant wielding a kitchen knife孤身一人、手持菜刀的袭击者swordsman cn.剑客，剑手英义A swordsman is a man who is skilled at fighting with a sword.例句a fine swordsman剑术高超的剑客illustrate v.给书加插图(或图表)英义If you illustrate a book, you put pictures, photographs or diagrams into it.例句She went on to art school and is now illustrating a book.她后来读了艺术学校,现在正在为一本书画插图。mace cn.狼牙棒（古代兵器）英义a large heavy stick that has a head with metal points on it, used in the past as a weapon vague adj.记忆或想法模糊的，不清晰的英义If you have a vague memory or idea of something, the memory or idea is not clear.例句They have only a vague idea of the amount of water available.他们只是大概知道可用水的总量。amuse v.逗乐，逗笑英义If something amuses you, it makes you want to laugh or smile.例句The thought seemed to amuse him.这种想法好像把他逗乐了。🔥重点表达成迷became engrossed in…七侠五义Seven Swordsmen and Five Gallants…的套子patterned after…侠客hero旋风舞like mad wielding…侠客 gallants以及plus哈哈大笑be greatly amused 求名seek fame求利seek personal gain笑掉了大牙a laughing stock西洋… western…文艺杂志literary magazine作小说 story-writing剑侠（小说）kung fu stories爱情（小说）love stories（对）…模糊着had only a vague idea as to…蒙藏垦殖专门学校Mongolia-Tibet Reclamation School for Vocational Training有工夫in spare time向…投稿submitted to …for publication 读书不多far from being well-read（小说）没有发表didn’t use my contributions细心研究careful study 小动作petty moves失了学be obliged to discontinue my studies家境不好financial difficulties 漂流wander about找到饭碗found employment极力看 burying myself in…中国旧书Chinese classics下半年 the second half of the year新闻记者newspaperman摸上一点路子realized that以…为经，以…纬 …as well as…抛弃break away from…如… as witness…章回（小说）Zhanghui style自然形态natural form烂熟the time is ripe for…不能性急work with patience🔥复盘测试成迷 七侠五义…的套子 侠客旋风舞侠客 以及 哈哈大笑求名 求利笑掉了大牙西洋… 文艺杂志作小说 剑侠（小说）爱情（小说）（对）…模糊着 蒙藏垦殖专门学校 有工夫向…投稿 读书不多（小说）没有发表 细心研究 小动作 失了学家境不好漂流 找到饭碗极力看中国旧书下半年新闻记者摸上一点路子以…为经，以…纬 抛弃如… 章回（小说）自然形态 烂熟 不能性急🔥表达对比「于是」有几种表达？（于是）我就对小说更为细心研究。Thereupon, I went in for an even more careful study of fiction.不过（这样一来），我对小说，更抱着浓厚的兴趣。Thus I became even more interested in fiction. （所以）两篇小说，投过了邮也就算了，并没有想到还有什么下文。Therefore, I didn’t expect too much of the two stories I had sent out and just forgot about them.（于是）政府推出多项措施来平息股市。The government then put in place a number of measures to calm the stock markets.
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爱是一颗心遇到另一颗心（出处+配图） 
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