从《雨霖铃》的译文谈汉诗英译的意境传达

从《雨霖铃》的译文谈汉诗英译的意境传达

[Abstract] Chinese poem translation is a difficult task. The success of translation of Chinese poems depends on whether it can approximately transmit artistic conception of Chinese poems and lead the readers into a space of imagination. It is difficult to translate the original meaning, the atmosphere and the charm completely. The English versions of many outstanding Chinese classical poems which are gently beautiful, vigorous and deep usually cannot present the original taste and flavor of the poetry. This thesis first points out that artistic conception is a kind of ideal artistic state, which can lead readers into the situation and emotion of a poem. It is impossible to express completely the primary taste and artistic conception of Chinese poetry to every reader. The reason is that the different historical culture connotations and different habits and customs as well as different thinking methods are formed in words and expressions. This thesis then takes the version of Bells Ringing in the Rain for example to analyze the difficulty of the conveyance of the poem briefly. In the point of the author’ view, artistic conception can be effectively transmitted to readers by the following three means: first, to express amorous feelings and ideas; second, to unearth images; finally, to stimulate imagination. The author narrates three ways through the comparison of the two versions of “bells ringing in the rain” and other examples for further explanation. At the end, the author points out that they are only three effective ways but not the absolute means.

[Key Words] Chinese poetry; artistic conception; Bells Ringing in the Rain; solution

【摘要】汉诗英译是否成功就在于能否成功的传达意境。要成功的传达意境是不容易的，许多好的汉语诗歌翻译成英语后总是会失去原作的艺术魅力、本文首先指出：意境是通过形象化的情景交融的艺术描写，能够把读者引入到一个想象的空间的艺术境界，意境传达的困难在于中西方存在着诸多差异，不同的历史文化，风俗习惯和思维定势都使汉语诗歌的意境传达成为一个难题，本文以《雨霖铃》的译文为例，分析了这首诗歌意境传达的困难，接着通过《雨霖铃》的两种译文对比提出了意境传达的三种有效方式：传情达意，挖掘意象，激发联想。最后作者提出，这只是三种有效的方式，而不是绝对的方式。

【关键词】汉诗英译；意境；《雨霖铃》；方式

1. Introduction

"Poetry is a super art of language.”[1] A well-known statement is made by Robert Frost “Poetry is what gets lost in translation”.[2] Poetry translation is a difficult task and it is especially tru e in the Chinese poetry translation. “Indeed, poetry translation is a creative task.”[3] Burton Raffel says, “The translated poem should first be a new poem, a good one, and should be the favor of life, instead of lifeless academic accuracy.”[4] The Englis h versions of many outstanding Chinese classical poems which are gently beautiful, vigorous and deep usually cannot present the original taste and flavor of the poetry. Many famous sayings and beautiful lines, which enjoy great popularity during hundreds of years, make the Chinese readers have a deep sympathetic chord. But foreign readers cannot understand them actually, or they may even feel bewildered and the