5．阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。其中往来种作，男女衣着，悉如外人；黄发垂髫，并怡然自乐。

1/ The fisherman saw paths extending among the fields in all directions, and could hear the sounds of chickens and dogs. Men and women working in the fields all wore clothing that looked like that of foreign lands. The elderly and children all seemed to be happy and enjoying themselves.

2/ There were raised pathways round the fields; and he heard the fowls crowing and dogs barking. Going to and fro in all this, and busied in working and planting, were people, both men and women. Their dress was not unlike that of people outside, and all of them, whether old people with white hair or children with their hair tied in a knot, were happy and content with themselves.

英语之句型美之一 -- 其非人称主语句，汉语偏少此种句型，但是，明眼人能领悟，汉语虽然少非人称主语句，但是，这并不影响汉语行文的简明和雅洁，因为，汉语多主语省略句。国人主体性思维方式如此根深蒂固，已经到了“不言自明”的地步。如：

《红楼梦》中的袭人说过这样一句话：

一百年还记得着呢！比不得你，拿着我的话当耳边风，夜里说了，早起就忘了。

袭人的这句话，我们读来一目了然。虽然其中省略了几个“我”字，可是，我们却心领神会。如：

（我活）一百年（我）还记得着呢！（我）比不得你，拿着我的话当耳边风，夜里说了，早起就忘了。

上句“阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。其中往来种作，男女衣着，悉如外人”虽然省略了“主语”，读者同样心领神会：

（渔人见）阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。其中（村民）往来种作，男女衣着，悉如外人；

而值得注意的是，上面的译1和译2，皆将上句译成了人称主语句：

1/ The fisherman saw … and could hear…

2/ and he heard …

“阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻”，是否可以另辟蹊径，译成非人称主语句，译成被动句式呢？如译：

Under his feet country paths crisscrossed, and crowing of roosters and barking of dogs could be heard around.

“黄发垂髫，并怡然自乐”一句，译2将之译成：

… and all of them, whether old people with white hair or children with their hair tied in a knot, were happy and content with themselves.

译笔不可谓不细腻矣。从“黄发”到“垂髫”，一一译出 -- with white hair / hair tied in a knot，其实，如此译文“吃力不讨好”，何谓“黄发”？《高级汉语大词典》认为：黄发指老人。老人发白，白久则黄。何谓“垂髫”？《高级汉语大词典》还指出：古时儿童不束发，头发下垂，因以“垂髫”指儿童。

由此可见，死扣字眼的翻译，并不可取。将“黄发”到“垂髫”，译成white hair / hair tied in a knot，仅仅是一种机械的表层转换。翻译美学告诉我们，译得模糊一点，也许更接近原文，也许更美。译1可资参考。

改译：

Under his feet country paths crisscrossed, and crowing of roosters and barking of dogs could be heard around. Men and women working in the fields were all clad in outfits just like those worn by people outside, while the elderly and the little both seem to enjoy themselves.