元宵节诗词英译赏析：《青玉案·元夕》

元宵佳节，怎么不说一说古代诗词！

辛弃疾的《青玉案·元夕》一词脍炙人口。英文

青玉案·元夕

（宋）辛弃疾

东风夜放花千树，更吹落，星如雨。

宝马雕车香满路，凤萧声动，壶光转，一夜鱼龙舞 。

蛾儿雪柳黄金缕，笑语盈盈暗香去。

众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首，那人却在，灯火阑珊处。

“上元”，“元夕”，指的都是“元宵节”。辛弃疾的这首《青玉案》，描绘了在元夕灯火中等寻情人的情景，是稼轩词中为数很少的涉及爱情的作品之一。

辛弃疾的《青玉案·元夕》一词脍炙人口。英文 三篇译文，都比其它译文简洁，流畅，有诗意，而且比较忠实于辛公原作。音韵上，三篇中许译和U译都押韵，念起来很有音乐感。陶译基本上不押韵，念起来比较平淡。

文字上，各有千秋。例如雕车一词，许译直接用雕车（carved cabs），U译用香车（scented chariots），陶译用华车，装饰华丽的车 (ornate carriages ) 。这一词，许译比较忠实于原来文字。宝马的马字，许译和U译用英语诗中常用的马字（steeds），比较好。而陶译则用普通的马字（horses）。

凤箫一词，U译用（ Phoenix-cooing flutes）最好，有凤之形和凤之声。Cooing 是鸟类的鸪鸪声，也可以是人类的喁喁情话。想像一下，凤箫声动，发出如鸟鸣，如情话之声，多么美。许译只简单地用箫（flute）一字，没有译凤字。陶译则用神奇的箫（magic flute）代替,也没有用凤字。

玉壶一词，U译和陶译都是译成玉壶 （jade pot, jade urn）。比较符合原作之意。许译成月亮，虽然有此一说，但是与原作之意不甚贴切。因为据周密《武林旧事。元夕》：“灯之品极多，。。福州所进，则纯用白玉，晃耀夺目，如清水玉壶。。。”。所以玉壶应该就是白玉雕饰的灯。

暗香一词，U译成浮香（fragrance floating），说出香的形态而没有说是微淡的香。陶译成幽香（subtle perfume）, 许译成缕香（trials of scents）都很好。但是，如果根据林和靖咏梅诗：“疏影横斜水清浅，暗香浮动月黄昏。”则暗香的形态可以是浮动的。因此，如果U译加一字，改成暗香浮动（faint fragrance floating），就贴切了。

“暗香去”的去字，U译和陶译用过去（passing, gone）不及许译用融入（melts into）好。

“蓦然回首”一词中的蓦然，陶译比较简单，只用偶然（perchance ）一字， U译用匆匆一瞥（only on a glance），两者都未能表达出蓦然一词中有突然的意思。许译成突然（when all at once）, 最贴切了。

由上可见，诗词的英文

The Lantern Festival Night - to the tune of Green Jade Table

by Xin Qiji

（1）许渊冲、许明译，简称许译

One night's east wind adorns a thousand trees with flowers

And blows down stars in showers.

Fine steeds and carved cabs spread fragrance en route;

Music vibrates from the flute;

The moon sheds its full light

While fish and dragon lanterns dance all night.

In gold-thread dress, with moth or willow ornaments,

Giggling, she melts into the throng with trails of scents

But in the crowd once and again

I look for her in vain.

When all at once I turn my head,

I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed.

（2）译者U君，简称U译

The east wind at night has flowered a thousand trees,

Bringing showers of glowing stars down streets,

Fleeting our scented chariots and stately steeds.

Phoenix-cooing flutes resounding,

Jade-pot-flashing lanterns revolving,

Dolphins and dragons are dancing away--

All night long it’s bright as day.

See the grain moths silvern, the tassels golden?

See the snow-clad willow twigs of the maidens

Passing with laughter gurgling, fragrance floating?

Far and near, among the crowds surging,

Tens of thousands of rounds for one I’ve been searching;

Only on a glance cast backward do I behold:

There she is, where lights are burning so low!

（3）温哥华陶先生译，简称陶译

Night lights a thousand trees in bloom

A shower of stars blown

By the east wind

Ornate carriages drawn by gallant horses

Filled the boulevards with a sweet fragrance

Voice of the magic flute flowing

Luster of the jade white urn turning

All night the fishes and the dragons danced

Butterflies, willows, charms of gold

Gone -- that angelic laughter, that subtle perfume

In the crowds for her I’d searched a thousand times

Perchance I turned

And there she was

Where lights were few and dim