比较苏轼哲理诗《题西林壁》及其英译（曾冲明修理稿）
题西林壁
苏轼
横看成岭侧成峰，远近高低各不同；
不识庐山真面目，只缘身在此山中。
这是一首非常著名的哲理诗。语言通俗易懂，哲理深刻正确。作者用一件平常的事情告诉人们看问题的思想方法：看问题。要全面，不要片面（前两句）；要客观，不要主观（后两句）。这里我联想到英语教材选用的那篇《瞎子摸大象》，那个寓言与这首诗有异曲同工之妙。
此诗我见到两种译文，推荐如下：
一、Burton Watson的译文
Written on the Wall at West Forest Temple
                  By Su Shi
From the side, a whole range; from the end,
a single peak;
Far, near, high, low, no two parts alike.
Why can’t I tell the true shape of Lu-shan?
Because I myself am here in the mountain.
二、许渊冲先生的译文
It’s a range viewed in face and peaks from the side,
Assuming different shapes viewed from far and wide.【原文另为：远近看去各不同。但wide要改换成near，可不押韵了！】
Of the mountain Lu we cannot make out the true face,
For we are lost in th heart of the very place.
以上二位各有千秋。我在学习、探讨、借鉴之后，试译如下：
       Written on the wall of West Forest Temple
                  By Su Shi
Lu Shan looks a range from the side，
From one of the ends it looks a peak.
And from near or far, from high or low,
Mountain Lu Shan looks not the same.
You can’t see the true face of Lu Shan,
Because you are lost whthin it yourself.
So things must be observed objectively
From points of view as many as possible.
我的译文最后两句是有意添加的。不仅为了凑齐诗习惯的八行，更是为了突显诗的主题。
抛砖引玉，欢迎批评。