翻译练习-《认真严谨季羡林》两个翻译版本---供参考

翻译练习

认真严谨季羡林

说起季羡林先生的认真，那是出了名的，有一回我供职的刊物要介绍季老，我打电话询问他的职务，他竟认真地把年龄、籍贯、职务等介绍逐一相告，连挂名的10多种职务亦不例外。他的意思是既然你问，我就要说清，含含糊糊有悖治学之道。

有一年，我住在北京大学勺园。因为住的时间长，就想起去拜望一下季老。既然同在一个校园，路途就不成问题，为防冒失，我先给季老打过电话，随后租辆自行车，5分钟后就来到未名湖畔，揿响了他家的门铃。

季老家住一楼，对面两套房室均是他的。初闻我甚觉惊讶，北京住房如此紧张，他竟住两套居室。后来一问才知，季老因为藏书多，家里堆放的书把人挤得几无下脚之地，他还带着日本等国的研究生，经常要在家中辅导。北京大学鉴于季老的成就和国际威望，特别再拨一套住房给他，这在北京大学尚属首例。季老将我让进东边一间，进门便是一排排书架，简直像个图书室。他把沙发上的书籍、信札搬到桌上，我才有落座的地方。

他拉家常似的询问我一些情况，谦虚地称自己“老了，写不出什么东西了”。可是他的新著，却是一本连着一本。说了一会儿，电话铃响，他接完电话，又有人敲门，通知说下午有会。季老左右应付，也是忙中有差，他把写给我的题字写在老作家萧乾题字的背面。我接过来，觉得为难：这些字日后都要装裱的，现在两个大名人写在一张纸的正反面，我该装裱谁的呢？季老闻言，直怪自己不小心，说：“萧乾题字在先，我应该再补。这样吧，我随后用毛笔写个条幅寄给你，怎么样？”对这句话我不敢抱十分的信心，然而当我回到郑州不久，果然收到季老的来信，随信有毛笔写的题字，是朱熹的诗句：“少年易老学难成，一寸光阴不可轻。”这使我感动不已。

版本1

Conscientious and Rigorous Ji Xianlin

Ji Xianlin was famous for his earnestness.In one case, the magazine I worked for wanted to recommend him. Surprisingly, when I inquired about his position, he told me detailedly about his age, native place, and information about his job, even including those reputed positions.He thinks that now that you ask, I must make it clear.Being vague isn’t agreeable with the way of academic research.

Years ago, I lived in Shaoyuan,Peking University.Because I would stayed for a long time,I decided to visit Professor Ji.Since we both lived in one campus, it wouldn’t bother me to get there.To avoid offending, I called him at first, and then renting a bike.About 5 minutes later, I arrived at Weiming Lake, and rang the doorbell.

Professor Ji lived on the ground floor, owning the two flats that are opposite in the corridor.At first I was very surprised, for housing supply shortage is

extremely severe in Beijing, but he should occupy two sets of rooms. After asking, I knew that Professor Ji had so many collections of books that there was hardly any room for other visitors. He also mentored some postgraduates, even including one form Japan, and had to tutor them at home. In view of achievements and international reputations, Peking University allocated another house to him exclusively, which was the only case in Peking University so far. Professor Ji ushered me to one of the east rooms. What came to my sight were ranks of bookshelves, making the whole room liked a reading room. Not until he moved the books and letters from sofa to desk did I get somewhere to sit.

He chatted with me, asking some details about me intimately. Modestly, he said, “ Now I am already too old to write things. ” But his new books come out one after another. After a while, the telephone rang. As soon as he hung up the phone, someone knocked the door and informed that there would be a meeting in the afternoon. Professor Ji was busy dealing with all those things with difficulty,and finally make a mistake. He accidentally inscribed on the back of the inscription of Xiao Qian, a seasonedwriter. I take the inscription, wondering what to do. I was supposed to frame it afterwards , but with both sides written by two famous people , which side should I choose? Realizing what I had been worrying about, Professor Ji blamed himself for his carelessness. He said, “ Xiao Qian inscribed beforehand, I should make up mine. Listen, I will write a calligraphy scroll and send it to you. How about that?” I was afraid I can’t believe that with confidence, but right after I returned Zhengzhou, I received a letter from him. Attached to the letter, a inscription presented in front me, that was a verse written by Zhu Xi, ” time flies easily, study improves hard, even the least ti me shall not be wasted.” I was greatly touched.

版本2

认真严谨季羡林

The Conscientious and Rigorous Ji Xianlin / Ji Xianlin, a Conscientious and Rigorous Scholar

说起季羡林先生的认真，那是出了名的，有一回我供职的刊物要介绍季老，我打电话询问他的职务，他竟认真地把年龄、籍贯、职务等介绍逐一相告，连挂名的10多种职务亦不例外。

Professor Ji Xianlin had a reputation for being contentious. Once, for a story/biographical sketch about him to be published in the magazine I was working for, I telephoned him to ask him about his current position. To my surprise, he took the matter so seriously that he told me his age, birthplace/native place, and all the positions he held, including the ten-odd titular ones.

他的意思是既然你问，我就要说清，含含糊糊有悖治学之道。

In his opinion, since I had asked him, he must give me a clear answer, for ambiguity runs counter to the way of academic studies.

Or: his point was that …