从李白《静夜思》多个英译本说翻译的多样性

2017-08-08

李白的一首《静夜思》尽人皆知。多年来，围绕《静夜思》试笔翻译者多之又多，可谓前赴后继，自然，翻译结果也是因人而异各有千秋。且不说译作美否，更不说译者资历，仅从翻译结果之多，参与者之众，足以说明语言创作的多样性。
以下摘取十数位译者之作，看他们是怎样理解和翻译的。看他们如何从自己对英语的把握和表达，来解读原作的。

本文内容根据爱思英语所发文章整理。

静夜思床前明月光，疑是地上霜。举头望明月，低头思故乡。

Quiet Night ThoughtsMoonlight before my bed,
Could it be frost instead?
Head up, I watch the moon;
Head down, I think of home.（赵甄陶 译）

Thoughts in the Still of the NightA pool of moonlight before the bed,
Took it to be frost on the ground.
Raised my head to gaze at the moon,
And lowered it to think of home.（任治稷、余正 译）

Thoughts in a Quiet NightMoonlight there is afore my bed,
I doubt if it’s frost on the ground.
To gaze at the moon, I lift my head,
When bending low, thoughts of home abound.（顾绶昌 译）

Reflections on a Quiet Night
Before my bed shine bright the silver beams,
It seems the autumn frost on the ground so gleams.
I gaze upwards toward the moon in the skies,
And downwards look when a nostalgia does arise.（万昌盛、王间中 译）

Thoughts in the Silent Night
Beside my bed a pool of light—
Is it hoarfrost on the ground?
I lift my eyes and see the moon,
I bend my head and think of home.（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

In the still of the nightI descry bright moonlight in front of bed.
I suspect it to be hoary frost on the floor.
I watch the bright moon, as I tilt back my head.
I yearn, while stooping, for my homeland more.（徐忠杰 译）


A Tranquil NightAbed, I see a silver light,
I wonder if It’s frost around.
Looking up, I find the moon bright;
Bowing, in homesickness I’m drowned.（许渊冲 译 1984）

A Tranquil NightBefore my bed a pool of light.
Can it be hoarfrost on the ground?
Looking up, I find the moon bright;
Bowing, in homesickness I’m drowned.（许渊冲 译 2004）

Thoughts on a Tranquil NightBefore my bed a pool of light—
Can it be hoar-frost on the ground?
Looking up, I find the moon bright;
Bowing, in homesickness I’m drowned.（许渊冲 译 2005）

Thoughts on a Tranquil NightBefore my bed a pool of light—
O can it be hoar-frost on the ground?
Looking up, I find the moon bright;
Bowing, in homesickness I’m drowned.Notes: Seeing a pool of moonlight, the poet is drowned in the pond of homesickness.（许渊冲 译 2006）

Homesickness in a Silent NightBefore my bed the silver moonbeams spread—
I wonder if it is the frost upon the ground.
I see the moon so bright when raising my head,
Withdrawing my eyes my nostalgia comes around.（屠笛、屠岸 译）

Thoughts at NightThe watery moonbeams bathe the ground before my bed,
I doubt if there is frost.
Holding my head to look at the moon bright,
Unwittingly makes me miss my home.（王力伟 译）

Still Night ThoughtsMoonlight in front of my bed —
I took it for frost on the ground!
I lift my eyes to watch the mountain moon,
lower them and dream of home.（Burton Watson 译）
In the Quiet NightSo bright a gleam on the foot of my bed—
Could there have been a frost already?
Lifting myself to look, I found that it was moonlight.
Sinking back again, I thought suddenly of home.（Witter Bynner 译）

Night ThoughtsAs by my bed
the moon did beam,
It seemed as if with frost the earth were spread.
But soft I raise
My head, to gaze
At the fair moon. And now,
With head bent low,
Of home I dream.（John Turner 译）

Night ThoughtsI wake, and moonbeams play around my bed,
Glittering like hoar-frost to my wandering eyes;
Up towards the glorious moon I raise my head,
Then lay me down—and thoughts of home arise.（Herbert A. Giles 译）


On a Quiet Night
I saw the moonlight before my couch,
And wondered if it were not the frost on the ground.
I raised my head and looked out on the mountain moon,
I bowed my head and thought of my far-off home.（S. Obata 译）

The Moon Shines EverywhereSeeing the Moon before my couch so bright
I thought hoar frost had fallen from the night.
On her clear face I gaze with lifted eyes:
Then hide them full of Youths sweet memories.（W. J. B. Fletcher 译）

Night ThoughtsOn bed bright moon shone,
Thought frost on ground foamed,
Raised head faced bright moon,
Lowered head dreamt of home.（Wong Man 译）

Night ThoughtsThe bright moon shone
before my bed,
I wondered—
was it frost upon the ground?
I raised my head
to gaze at the clear moon,
Bowed my head
remembering my old home.（Innes Herdan 译）

Thoughts in a Tranquil NightAthwart the bed
I watch the moonbeams cast a trail
So bright, so cold, so frail,
That for a space it gleams
Like hoar-frost on the margin of my dreams.
I raise my head,—
The splendid moon I see:
Then droop my head,
And sink to dreams of thee—
My fatherland, of thee!（L. Cranmer-Byng 译）

Night ThoughtsIn front of my bed the moonlight is very bright.
I wonder if that can be frost on the floor?
I lift up my head and look at the full moon, the dazzling moon.
I drop my head, and think of the home of old days.（Amy Lowell 译）

Calm Night ThoughtThe moon light is on the floor luminous
I thought it was frost, it was so white
Holding up head I look at mountain moon
that makes me lower head
lowering head think of old home
alternate lines:
mountain
looking up I find it to be the moon（Ezra Pound 译）