今日读美国汉学家李又安翻译的《人家词话》，发现李又安的中国古诗词翻译，相当精到，却又自然流畅，浅白可读。

比如著名的一句，“枯藤老树昏鸦，古道西风瘦马，夕阳西下，断肠人在天涯。”李又安也是寥寥数语，

“Dry reeds, aged trees,dusky crows

  A little bridge spanning a flowing stream, a level atretch of sand.

  On the old path the west wind chilled the bony horse.

  Sun setting in the west

  A man full of heartache there on the horizon.”

我见过不下五种英译，李又安的最好。我所推崇的许渊冲，字斟句酌，拘泥于韵脚，反倒失了自然。

李又安翻的另一首古诗，更为清通:

昔为倡家女，   今为荡子妇。
荡子行不归，   空床难独守。

Once she was a dangcing-house girl,

Now she is a wandering man's wife.

The wondering man went, but did not return.

It is hard alone to keep an empty bed.

浅显流畅，琅琅上口，这才是真正的高手。