财新传媒 财新传媒

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(辑自9-10月的微博 http://www.weibo.com/2138515221

 

A three-year-old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. - Bill Vaughan

 

The Vice Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the plate. Everybody insists he won't take it, but somebody always does. - Bill Vaughan

 

Don't give me that. 少来这一套。

 

时常见到有人把美国著名出版商Little,Brown and Company译为“小布朗公司”,实际上应是“利特尔 & 布朗公司”,因为Little是创办人之一的姓,不宜译为“小”。延伸阅读:关于Little, Brown and Company http://www.dajianet.com/world/2011/0425/154000.shtml

 

When Everybody wants to fight / there’s nothing to fight for./ Everybody wants to fight his own little war,/ everybody is a guerrilla. - James Ahmed

 

Stories, like houses – or cars, for that matter – should be built to last. - Raymond Carver

 

But he (Sherwood Anderson) knew firsthand the underbelly of small town life in mid-America; and he wrote about it better, and with more fidelity and sympathy, than any American writer before him – and most of them since his time. - Raymond Carver

 

The subway swallowed them, rattled and banged them along in a rocking, mindless trance for half an hour, and disgorged them at last into the cool early evening of Queens. – Richard Yates

 

彼尔姆人有个风俗:夜里要在窗口放块面包,放些克瓦斯或牛奶,万一有不幸的人,也就是流放犯,从西伯利亚逃走路过这儿,又不敢敲门要吃的,便可悄悄地取食。类似的情形,我在瑞士山上也见到过,只是那儿附近没有西伯利亚,因此这完全是为过路人准备的。— 赫尔岑,《往事与随想》

 

不知你喜欢秋天和冬天不?这是我最爱的两个季节,它们体现着收获、衰亡,沉静之感,适于在此时给春夏和蓬勃生命做总结。— 穆旦

 

If you want a place in the sun, you have to put up with a few blisters. - Abigail Van Buren

 

翻译时,monk这个词经常不宜译为“和尚”,因为“和尚”这个词http://baike.baidu.com/view/6292.htm与佛教有关。除非你确定原文指的是跟佛教有关,否则还是译为“修士”、“僧侣”更稳妥。

 

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. - Samuel Ullman

 

Always tell the truth; then you don't have to remember anything. - Mark Twain

 

The whole point of education is to teach by example. - Jacques Turgot

 

"Just don't smile at me, please," Zooey said, evenly, and walked out of the vicinity. "Seymour was always doing that to me. This goddam house is lousy with smilers." – J.D. Salinger, Franny & Zooey

 

 

说到底,我们拥有的只是字词,最好是用得正确的字词,标点得当,好让它们最好地表达想要表达的意思。如果字词中渗透了作者自己泛滥的情感,要么如果出于别的原因,这些字词用得不准确,有偏差——如果字词不管怎样用得模糊——读者的眼睛会对它们一滑而过,完全唤不起他们的艺术感觉。— 雷蒙德·卡佛,《关于写作》

 

在写诗或者短篇小说中,有可能使用平常然而准确的语言来描写平常的事物,赋予那些事物——一张椅子,一面窗帘,一把叉子,一块石头……——以很强甚至惊人的感染力。也有可能用一段似乎平淡无奇的对话,却让读者读得脊背发凉——这是艺术享受之源。—雷蒙德·卡佛,《关于写作》

 

avocado, 鳄梨,又称牛油果,多做色拉。在西非吃到多次,软软的,没什么味道。

 

Her heart felt extraordinarily light. - James Salter

 

moat,护城河上。05年买过一本书,《Over the Moat》(护城河上),James Sullivan 著,Picador2004版。作者讲了自己1992年在越南骑自行车旅游并收获一段爱情的故事。可是到现在还没看呢。

 

mole 其中一个含义,“痣”。

 

我想象有很多花亭鸟在追逐雌鸟追了两三个钟头后,会说去他妈的,然后回家睡觉。当然,第二天,他打电话给另外一只雌鸟,再次演练一遍同样艰苦的仪式。一只雄性花亭鸟疲惫得像是一位三十岁不到的夜总会常客。— 詹姆斯·瑟伯,《求偶古今谈》http://www.douban.com/note/179527865/

 

我一定要小心别喝到微醉的状态,那种状态下,所有又傻又可笑的事情都会变得好像是我所做的精彩预言,是合理而独创的主意和理论。我一定要记着这种事情是多愁善感、招人厌烦,是因为工作得不够多和喝了太多白兰地。— 詹姆斯·瑟伯,《一个人游游荡荡》

 

我进场时那场破演出正在演,“小火箭”舞蹈队踢腿正踢得起劲儿,就是站成一排,胳膊搂着旁边人的腰踢腿。观众疯了似的鼓掌,我后面有个家伙老是跟他老婆说:“你知道那叫什么?精确。”逗死我了。— J.D.塞林格,《麦田里的守望者》

 

读自己的译作时读到这一句:“他开始唱起那首歌的最后一段。”觉得“唱起”即有“开始”的意思,于是果断地删掉“开始”。

 

显然,是安德丽亚本人的在场,才使得这些忙碌的权势人物不绝地谈话,因为安德丽亚是个像水蜜桃一样的女人。的确,你觉得要是你挤一挤她,你就可以喝到满满一杯令人清脾爽胃的健康的安德丽亚汁当早饭。— 菲利普·罗斯,《鬼作家》

 

说真的,我在介绍她的一切高贵品质的时候,几乎到了悲痛欲绝的程度,仿佛这个不幸的舞蹈演员并不是伤心地哭泣着,叫我走开,不要再来见她,而是在我们结婚的那天死在我的怀抱里。— 菲利普·罗斯,《鬼作家》

 

 

I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.

- Booker T. Washington

 

Yet my deepest bond has not been to any country.

The homeland of the mind has no boundaries.

Books stand open like houses.

Nobody is foreign.

- Ionna-Veronika Warwick

 

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.

- William Arthur Ward

 

在那些哗众取宠的青葱岁月里,你无所畏惧,你永远正确。任何事物都是你要攻克的目标;你随时准备战斗;你,只有你,才是这个世界上唯一正确的人。未经历过风雨的孩子自以为已经长大成人,热血沸腾地一心想要干下惊天动地的大事。——菲利普·罗斯,《退场的鬼魂》

 

译文社出的菲利普·罗斯的书《退场的鬼魂》封底印着封面设计为米尔顿·格拉泽,乍一看还以为译文社封面设计来了“外援”。实际上格先生是外版的封面设计者,引进出版时合同外方有一条很古怪的要求,就是要采用外版设计,于是只好把所需的中文字嵌进去,而设计者仍标为格先生。

 

不可能以超过光速的速度旅行,而且肯定无人想如此,因为帽子老是会被吹掉。— 伍迪·艾伦,《不明飞行物之威胁》http://www.douban.com/note/231780036/

 

Flatter me, and I may not believe you.

Criticize me, and I may not like you.

Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.

Encourage me, and I may not forget you.

- William Arthur Ward

 

To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee. - William Walton

 

All of the top achievers I know are life-long learners.... Looking for new skills, insights, and ideas. If they're not learning, they're not growing... not moving toward excellence.

- Denis Waitley

 

The great questions are those an intelligent child asks and, getting no answers, stops asking.

- George Wald

 

Being on the tightrope is living; everything else is waiting. - Karl Wallenda卡尔?瓦伦达(Karl Wallenda, 1905—1978),出生于德国马格德堡的著名高空杂技家,擅长高空走钢索,1978年在波多黎各的一次表演中坠地身亡。 卡佛为他写了一首诗:《写给顶级高空杂技家卡尔?瓦伦达》http://www.douban.com/note/136555556/

 

在方所翻看一本台版书《翻滚吧,台湾电影》,看到一张照片上的人有点眼熟,原来是年轻时的吴老师@吴念真老先生 哦,就用手机翻拍下来。听说译林出版社要出这本书。

 

如果我们做不到尽自己所能把东西写好,那干吗还要写呢?说到底,我们已经尽力了的满足感和那番辛苦的证据,是我们可以带进坟墓的。—雷蒙德·卡佛,《关于写作》http://www.douban.com/note/139118615/

 

为了彻底消灭距离感,就不可避免地导致了戏剧效果。结果会如何呢?你知道,你可以随时联系上别人,如果联系不上,你就会失去耐心——又烦燥又光火,像个愚蠢的小鬼。—菲利普·罗斯,《退场的鬼魂》

 

对于一个常常连着几天不和任何人交谈的人来说,我不得不奇怪先前阻挠人们如此行事的那股力量为什么会突然间崩溃了,使得人们情愿对着电话不停地嘀咕,也不愿意自由地走在大街上,享受在活力的都市所引发的万千思绪中。— 菲利普·罗斯,《退场的鬼魂》

 

chinaberry指楝树,原产亚洲。不喜欢这个词,因为一般berry都是可吃的,而楝树子又怎能吃?老家楝树很多,春天时楝(树)子长出来后,可以玩楝子枪,可以说老家的孩子谁都玩过。就是用一段竹筒,每端挤进半个楝子,一头用筷子一捅,另一头的楝子啪的一声就出来了。@孙旭阳 你一定记得。

 

For no reason, he had thought of his dead grandmother. She had been a comfortable soul. Once more, Bow­man wished he could fall into the big feather bed that had been in her room. –Eudora Welty, The Death of a Traveling Salesman

 

才知道,龙舌兰酒第一品牌Jose Cuervo被译为“豪帅快活”。像图中这种叫“豪帅金快活”,白色应该叫“豪帅银快活”了。

 

看书看到这句:“He used his index fingers to pull down on his lower eyelids and made an Emmett Kelly frown.”去查这位Emmett Kelly是何许人也,一查挺有意思,原来他创造出了令人难忘的苦瓜脸流浪汉小丑“Weary Willie”形象。参考阅读:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_kelley

 

诗人、小说家Charles Bukowski在国内名气还不算大,目前他的姓有了几种译法:“布科夫斯夫”,“布可夫斯基”,“布考斯基”,但是最后一种是不对的,尽管港台地区有这种译法。因为这位诗人是波兰后裔,更接近发音的是“布科夫斯基”,《世界人名翻译大辞典》上是这样译的,再如波兰城市Krakow也应译为“克拉科夫”。

 

“I never had a black eye, but I always kinda wished I did.” Carly looked surprised and said, “Well, I licked one all over once.” And everybody looked at her. “You licked a black eye?” I finally asked. And Carly went, “Oh, I thought she said ‘black guy.’”- Jim S hepard, Minotaur

 

azalea, 杜鹃花。我印象中最好看的是桐庐白云源景区中的杜鹃花,好几种颜色。

 

surface to air missile 地对空导弹

 

 

There were two kinds of people, he said, wakers and dreamers. Wakers had once had the ability to dream but had lost it, and so they hated dreamers and persecuted them in every way. - Steven Millhauser, The Room in the Attic

 

hedge, 树篱,有点喜欢这个词,不要修剪得很整齐的那种,最好原生态,似乎有很多可能性,这点印象是从奥威尔的《上来透口气》http://lukesun.blogcn.com/articles/%e5%a5%a5%e5%a8%81%e5%b0%94%e3%80%8a%e4%b8%8a%e6%9d%a5%e9%80%8f%e5%8f%a3%e6%b0%94%e3%80%8b%e9%80%89%e4%b8%89.html 中得来的。我们老家没多少树篱,有人种枳为篱,因为其有刺。下面的图即为枳。

 

a little reserved.有点矜持。话说我觉得金池这个名字并不是太好,也不知道是不是艺名。我记得我有位同学就说她不喜欢“矜持”这个词,特别是别人说她这样。

 

Love conquers all things except poverty and toothache.

- Mae West

 

Mae West(1893—1980)为美国影星,智慧而风趣,留下不少名言。如这张配图上的:“Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of home, I’m tired.”

 

His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork. - Mae West

 

Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - John Watson

 

It is better to be alone than in bad company. - George Washington

 

其实让歌手出来解释自己的歌有时候挺煞风景。比如Sting 以前解释过Every Breath You Take 是写一位stalker(即跟踪别人的人)http://www.xiami.com/song/1769023545 然后前两天又看到他说 Mad About You http://www.xiami.com/song/2112821 写的是《圣经》中的大卫王。唉。

 

wallow in nostalgia 怀旧得不可自拔

 

hourglass, 沙漏

 

It was a fine October afternoon, warm and golden, trees ablaze, air dense with the must of fallen leaves. - Tobias Wolf, The Deposition

 

There was effort even in the way he was looking, as if he could throw his sight out like a rope.- Eudora Welty, The Death of a Traveling Salesman

 

不枉我骑车一路寻找,终于在天河棠下上社找到了河南面馆,而且是三家,一家烩面馆,两家砂锅面。当年的郑大金水河边,一溜都是砂锅面。这一碗五元,还是那个味道。开店的是驻马店人。真想多喝点酒,醉倒在这里。

 

还是在天河棠下上社最北头那一带,找了这间河南饺子馆,老板周口人。我看中的就是羊杂汤,再加上两块锅盔馍泡着吃,多么河南的吃法啊。什么叫幸福和满足?这就是。汤10元,锅盔2元。

 

《火》的原书《Fires》由Vintage公司1989年出版,之前的1988年卡佛去世。这本是精选集,收入了卡佛有代表性的4篇散文、50首诗和7个短篇,反映了卡佛在各种文体上的成就。我个人觉得编选得很不错。我读完原版书写过一篇笔记:http://book.douban.com/review/4577268/

 

见到有读者提到卡佛出版中的重复现象。我就来说一下《火》的情况:有两篇小说是《当我们谈论爱情时,我们在谈论什么》中两篇的“丰满”版本,跟同时出版的《需要时,就给我电话》有4篇散文重复。考虑到出版社是一本一本引进的版权,不可能选各本然后出本不重复的精选集对吧?

 

A rose is a rose is a rose- Gertrude Stein

 

晚上骑车出去乱逛,发现近在咫尺的天河棠下有家名为“河南老乡”的餐馆。告诉你,广州开的士的有三分之一都是河南人,其中大部分都是周口人,大部分又都住在棠下。另外,广州最有名的河南餐馆是“河南老家”,黄花岗有一家,赛马场有一家。我在赛马场那家请过同事一次客,他们那是赞不绝口啊。

 

有时候翻译还一定得归化,例如这一句:“We left together after school, I walking beside my bike as my books jumped in the dented wire basket.”中间那个分句要是真译成“我走在我的自行车旁边”还不被读者骂死啊,只能译为“我推着自行车”。

 

今天在某译作中看到一句:“臭老头,你马上就要翘辫子了。”不觉莞尔。但是窃以为“翘辫子”还是不宜出现在译文中。下为引用——“翘辫子”:清代男人也梳辫子,刽子手杀人时要把辫子提起,翘辫子也就成为杀头的同义词,后来借指死亡。

 

活在这个世界上是痛苦的,但你也必须坚强。— 菲利普·罗斯

 

I thought of myself, in those days, as someone in disguise – beneath the obediant son, beneath the straight-A student, the agreeable well-brought-up boy with his friends and his ping-pong and his semiofficial girl-friend, there was another being, restless, elusive, mocking, disruptive, imperious, and this shadowy underself had nothing to with the other one who laughed with his friends and went to school dances and spent summer afternoons at the beach. - Steven Millhauser, The Room in the Attic

 

That afternoon he told me that the difference between human beings and animals was that human beings were able to dream while awake. He said that the purpose of the books was to permit us to exercise that faculty. Art, he said, was a controlled madness. - Steven Millhauser, The Room in the Attic

 

今天,累!拖了两家的地板,一是我家,为了迎接少爷从香港露营回来,二是给父母家(他们不在家)也拖一遍。我深刻体会到女作家Erma Bombeck所说的一句话:“家务活要是干到位,是能累死个人的。”(Housework, if you do it right, can kill you.)

 

A man in the house is worth two in the street.- Mae West 当然,这句是从 A bird in hand is worth two in the bush化用而来。 某兄译为“一个居家男人胜过两个成功人士”,我觉得有点过度发挥了。

 

争论也要有风度,我特别不喜欢那种戾气十足的人,好像发现别人一个破绽(有时还不定真是破绽),就非要把人打翻在地,再踏上一只脚似的。每当看到这样的人,我就想起杜甫的两句诗:“江湖秋水多……魑魅喜人过。”

 

再说加译注的问题。《火》中有一篇《传回马其顿的消息》http://www.douban.com/note/73436730/ 写的是亚历山大东征至印度河的故事,当时我很犹豫要不要加,但是又很怕有读者批评我多次一举,低估读者知识面。于是最终没有加。《火》中另外一篇是《公元前480年春》写的是波斯王薛西斯一世征雅典(后失败而归)的事,我就在这儿“译注”一下吧。

 

在广州,河南的小餐馆不容易找,因为都在很偏僻的地方,而湖南、四川的饭馆到处都是,这跟广州的外来人口以湖南、四川人最多有关。但是在棠下上社最北头这里,我一下子找到这四家河南小饭馆,两家砂锅面,一家饺子馆,一家烩面馆,估计以后要常来。

 

今上午来办公室有点事,刚好同事带3岁半的小男孩来办公室值班,我跟他玩得挺好。后来他突然说:“叔叔,你牙齿上有棵菜。”我取镜子一看果然有,因为早餐吃了在小区里买的一个韭菜盒子。

 

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孙仲旭

孙仲旭

366篇文章 9年前更新

孙仲旭(Luke),1973年生,毕业于郑州大学外文系,现供职于广州某航运公司,业余从事文学翻译,已出版译作《一九八四·动物农场》、《门萨的娼妓》、《有人喜欢冷冰冰》、《麦田里的守望者》、《梦想家彼得》等27种(包括6种再版书)。 译作目录:http://book.douban.com/doulist/14076/ 译文小集:http://www.douban.com/note/34107135/

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