Goodbye to New Year Cards! ——Ke Ling🔥背景知识：柯灵(1909-2000)，浙江绍兴人，是著名散文家、剧作家。他1930 年发表小品散文《巷》、《雨》等，初步显示了文学才能；1931年到上海，深受鲁迅影响，全面开展文学创作。他有丰富的社会阅历和深刻的人生体验，抗战时期，两度被日本宪兵逮捕入狱，备受酷刑，在十年动乱中被囚禁三年。他的散文含蓄深挚，语言优美洗练，简要明快。《別了，贺年片》是他写于1996年12月16日的一篇散文。译者最近偶尔在他1997年出版的散文集《燕居闲话》中看到此文，颇有感触，恰逢岁末，欣然为之英译，以飨读者。🎈「别了，贺年片」译为Goodbye to New Year Cards，其中Goodbye to有「不再需要」和「坚决放弃」的内涵。如译Goodbye, New Year Cards也无不可，只是Goodbye在此仅指「告别」(把New Year Cards加以人格化)。我出生于1909年元月，混迹人间，荏苒八十八年。I was born in January 1909. Time slipped by and I’ve been muddling along in this world for eighty-eight years. 🎈 「混迹人间」本意是「平庸地混杂人间」，这里可按「在世间混日子」「苟且生活」之意译为 muddling along in this world。去秋一病, 病后颓唐，至今没有恢复到原来的健康水平。长寿非福之感，不觉油然而生。My illness in the autumn of last year left me in poor shape and so far I’ve not yet restored my former state of health. I cannot help feeling that longevity doesn’t necessarily mean happiness.🎈「去秋」指「去年秋天」，故译in the autumn of last year。文章写于年底，如指的是同年之秋，即「今秋」，则应译为last autumn。🎈「颓唐」本作「精神委靡」解，现不妨笼统地按「健康状况不佳」译为in poor shape。🎈「原来的健康水平」不宜直译为my former health level，现译my former state of health。退离工作岗位，淡岀社会活动，倏忽十有余年。More than ten years has quickly passed away since I retired and began to stay away from public activities.🎈「倏忽十有余年」和上文提到的“荏苒八十八年”均选用时间作主语。自喜晩景静好，无虑饥寒，还赶上了百年难遇的太平岁月。I congratulate myself, however, on spending my declining years in peace and comfort, free from hunger and cold, and on happening to live in time of peace and tranquility, which is hard to come by even once in a century.🎈「自喜晚景静好」译为 I congratulate myself on spending my declining years in peace and comfort，其中「自喜」如直译为I’m glad就欠确切，congratulate oneself on/for sth.表示「为（自己所做的或所经历的）感到高兴（自豪）」。又，「晚景」除my declining years外，也可用old age或my remaining years等表达。🎈「百年难遇」也可表示为once-in-a-lifetime。例句The stormy once-in-a-lifetime Florida recount battle that polarized the nation in 2000 and left the Supreme Court to decide the presidency2000年，百年难遇的佛罗里达重新计票风波让整个美国都陷入了水火不容之势，最终，不得不由最高法院来决定总统人选，虽然许多现象不免使人牵愁惹恨，总算免了提心吊胆，唯恐什么时候会来一阵防不胜防的人造风暴。Though I still cannot help feeling concerned about many aspects of the status quo, I am, nevertheless, spared from having to live in constant fear of being overtaken unawares by an unpredictable man-made storm.🎈 「牵愁惹恨」的意思是引发缠绕心头的愁绪与遗憾，译作feel concerned about即可。🎈现状the status quo🎈「总算免了提心吊胆，（唯恐）……」即「免受……忧虑」，译为spared from having to live in constant fear of…。又，「唯恐什么时候…（防不胜防）…」译为being overtaken unawares by（突如其来……），颇具文学气息。坐食之余，积习难除，不免干些灾梨祸枣的闲人之业。这本来也是消磨余年的一法，犹如老农冬闲，负暄闲话，乐在其中。但现在也渐感到后难为继。In my retirement, I keep the old habit of wielding my clumsy pen. I regard it as one way of whiling away my remaining years, and also find pleasure in it, similar to an old farmer enjoying a chat while taking the sun during the slack winter season. But now I feel I’m not quite up to even this because of age.🎈「坐食」本作「不劳而食」解，文中「坐食之余」的意思是「退休后」，故译为 In my retirement 或 As a retiree。不应译为 While getting food without working for it。🎈「积习难除」即仍保留旧习惯，故译作keep the old habit of 🎈「灾梨祸枣」是成语。旧时多用梨木、枣木刻版印书，故以「梨枣」为书版代称。「干些灾梨祸枣……之业」意即「拿起笨拙的笔」，是作者自谦，可译为 wielding my clumsy pen。🎈「负喧」作「晒太阳取暖」解，因此把「负暄闲话」译为enjoying a chat while taking the sun，作farmer的后置定语。🎈从事，做be up to 例句What have you been up to recently? 你最近在忙什么？矛盾的焦点，在于来日苦短，精神体力日见不济，世故困人，而又不能抽刀断水，毅然割弃文字因缘，顾此失彼，难以周全。The main problem is that my days are numbered and I’m going from bad to worse both physically and mentally. While busy attending to social relations, I’m meanwhile loath to cut off my devotion to writing. But I find it difficult to take care of both at the same time.🎈「矛盾的焦点」不宜按字面直译为The focal point of the contradiction，应按「主要问题」译为The main problem。🎈寿命不长，时日无多 someone’s/something’s days are numbered🎈每况愈下，越来越坏from bad to worse🎈陆文夫《快乐的死亡》「当一个作家的体力和脑力还能胜任创作的时候……」：「体力和脑力」译为in mind and body，也可译为mentally and physically。🎈「文字因缘」可按「对写作的执著或热爱」的意思译为my devotion to writing。在人际关系中，久已无力做到有信必复，有求必应，一面又不能释然于怀，洒脱得无牵无挂。As to interpersonal correspondence, I’ve long been unable to write letters in reply though it doesn’t mean I’ve clean forgotten the sender or I don’t feel apologetic for my silence.🎈通信来往 interpersonal correspondence🎈「一面又不能释然于怀，洒脱得无牵无挂」可按「但仍然惦记对方，感到歉疚」译为 though it doesn’t mean I’ve clean forgotten the sender or I don’t feel apologetic for my silence。其中，though it doesn’t mean为增译成分，原文虽无其词但有其意。岁尾年头，向亲朋好友发个贺年片，兼代通候，原是一件使人感到温暖和愉快的事，也渐觉力不从心。It certainly gives rise to a feeling of warmth and pleasure to send new year cards to relatives or friends at the end or beginning of a year, which not only offer messages of greetings but also serve as a substitute for correspondence. But much as I want to, it is now beyond my power to keep doing it.🎈引发 gives rise to例句His speech gave rise to a heated discussion.他的演说引发热烈的讨论。🎈「通候」即通讯和问候，现译为greetings，correspondence🎈「力不从心」指心里想做，但力量或能力办不到。故译为much as I want to, it is now beyond my power to。其中，as引导让步状语从句，much as I want to相当于much as I want to keep doing it。因为一来一往，为数可观，操作需时，不免手忙脚乱。暮年行动不便，购卡，投邮，又须求人代劳。The exchange of a considerable number of such cards will take up much of my time and send me bustling around. Having difficulty getting about because of age, I have to ask somebody else to buy the cards or mail them out for me.🎈将「一来一往」「为数可观」合并译为The exchange of a considerable number of such cards🎈使进入(某种状态) send sb. into…send sb. V-ingsend sb. adj.🎈手忙脚乱，奔忙，忙碌bustling around🎈四处走动，出行get about市上行销的时髦贺卡，多是金碧辉煌的豪华版，代价不菲，姑置不论，流行歌曲式的新潮贺词，也很不合老人身份。The trendy cards in the market appear mostly in glittering deluxe editions and are very expensive. What is worse, the stylish new year messages printed therein in popular song fashion are incompatible with the status of an old man like me.🎈更糟糕的是 What is worse🎈「流行歌曲式的新潮贺词」译为the stylish new year messages printed therein in popular song fashion，其中therein为副词，表示「在那里，在其中」， printed therein in popular song fashion作后置定语。🎈an old man like me中like me是增译成分。诸多烦扰，不一而足。曾经几次想自己设计，印制一些素朴大方，既能表情达意，又堪供清赏的贺卡，也难以实现。Due to numerous frustrations, I many times even thought of having cards of my own design printed — cards which would be both simple and unaffected, and both expressive of my true feelings and in good taste, but unfortunately it never materialized.🎈「诸多烦扰，不一而足。曾经几次想自己设计，印制……」包含因果逻辑关系，故增译due to和even（强调被烦扰的程度之深）。🎈（would be） both expressive of my true feelings and （would be） in good taste省略了would be。其中，in good taste对应「堪供清赏」不得已狠一狠心，向贺年片挥手告别，从此不再发寄，也不再裁答。失礼之愆，只好请求多多体谅了。So all I have to do is wave goodbye to new year cards. From now on I no longer send them, either on my own initiative or in reply. Pray forgive me for lack of manners on my part.🎈告别wave goodbye to 🎈「不再发寄，也不再裁答」意即「不再主动向他人寄贺卡，也不回复他人寄来的贺卡」，故译no longer send them, either on my own initiative or in reply。🎈on my part 表示（动作）由我发出。例句Pray forgive me for lack of manners on my part. 原谅我礼数欠周。This was wrong on my part. 错在我。在大公无私的时间前面，谁也不能不低头认输。一年容易，又是腊尽春回时节，Time is impartial and nobody can fail to bow to it and admit defeat. Another year has gone by and spring has returned after winter is over. 🎈「在大公无私的时间前面」既可处理成文中的并列句，也可直译处理成状语。🎈「腊尽春回」译作Another year has gone by and spring has returned after winter is over。其中，译作return比come更贴切。谨布心曲，向海内外旧雨新知，识与不识的读者，表达我的惓惓之意。Let me avail myself of this opportunity to tell what is on my mind and make known my sincere intentions to all my friends at home and abroad, old and new, and to all my readers, acquainted and unacquainted.🎈利用（机会等）avail oneself of （the opportunity…）🎈「谨布心曲」意即「谈谈我的苦衷」「（借此机会）澄清」，故译to tell what is on my mind。🎈「惓惓之意」意即「恳切的意图」（指停止寄发或回复贺年片），故my sincere intentions。🎈海内外（旧雨新知），识与不识（的读者）：old and new和acquainted and unacquainted作后置定语。某些成对的形容词作定语时，可以后置也可以前置，比如old and young，simple and beautiful等等。🔥必背词汇impartial adj.不偏不倚的;公正的;无偏见的英义Someone who is impartial is not directly involved in a particular situation, and is therefore able to give a fair opinion or decision about it.例句Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。materialize v.变为现实;实现;发生;出现英义If a possible or expected event does not materialize, it does not happen. 例句None of the anticipated difficulties materialized.预想中的困难全都没有出现。unaffected adj.不矫揉造作的；自然的；率真的英义If you describe someone as unaffected, you mean that they are natural and genuine in their behaviour, and do not act as though they are more important than other people.例句Many Americans viewed the war in Vietnam with unaffected revulsion.许多美国人对越战有一种出自内心的厌恶。trendy adj.时髦的，时尚的，现代的英义If you say that something or someone is trendy, you mean that they are very fashionable and modern. 例句women who want to look trendy追求外表时尚的女人glittering adj.辉煌的；成功的英义You use glittering to indicate that something is very impressive or successful. 例句Rain chilled the glittering pageant.雨使华丽的庆典大为逊色。correspondence un.往来书信英义Some-one’s correspondence is the letters that they receive or send.例句She virtually never mentions him in her correspondence or notebooks.她在书信和笔记中几乎从不提及他。tranquility n.宁静；平静例句This atmosphere of relative tranquility irated rather eased us.这种相对的宁静让我们感到紧张而不是放松。🔥重点表达混迹人间muddling along in this world健康状况不佳in poor shape原来的健康水平my former state of health淡岀社会活动stay away from public activities太平岁月time of peace and tranquility 百年难遇的is hard to come by even once in a century现状the status quo为（自己所做的或所经历的）感到高兴congratulate oneself on/for sth.从事，做be up to寿命不长，时日无多 someone’s/something’s days are numbered每况愈下，越来越坏from bad to worse岁尾年头at the end or beginning of a year亲朋好友relatives or friends引发 gives rise to使进入(某种状态) send sb. into…/send sb. V-ing/send sb. adj.手忙脚乱，奔忙，忙碌bustling around四处走动，出行get about更糟糕的是 What is worse告别wave goodbye to低头认输bow to it and admit defeat利用（机会等）avail oneself of （the opportunity…）消磨（时光）while away🔥复盘测试混迹人间健康状况不佳原来的健康水平淡岀社会活动太平岁月百年难遇的现状为（自己所做的或所经历的）感到高兴从事，做寿命不长，时日无多每况愈下，越来越坏岁尾年头亲朋好友引发使进入(某种状态)手忙脚乱，奔忙，忙碌四处走动，出行更糟糕的是告别低头认输利用（机会等）消磨（时光）🔥表达对比「告别」有几种译法不得已狠一狠心，向贺年片（挥手告别）。So all I have to do is wave goodbye to new year cards.听着鞭炮劈劈拍拍的响着，水兵们高呼着向岸上的同伴告别。Firecrackers were crackling and spluttering, and sailors shouting goodbye to their buddies on the shore.……（互祝着好话），从两两三三的灯笼光影中，走散了。 …… bidding one another farewell, they dispersed in twos and threes, carrying lighted lanterns in their hands.到了（告别）的时刻，那些我不曾看过，不曾与你分享的国度，现在我可以去寻访。Time to say goodbye to countries I never saw and shared with you, now, I shall experience them.
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爱是一颗心遇到另一颗心（出处+配图） 
