今天下午我的一名学生拿着浙江大学外语学院翻译方向考研真题来找我，问几个问题，上面有段红楼梦翻译（划线部分）。现在列出中英文对照，一起欣赏学习翻译杨宪益和大卫霍克斯先生的精彩译文。

红楼梦第九十回

原来那黛玉虽则病势沉重，心里却还明白。起先侍书、雪雁说话时，她也模糊听见了一半句，却只作不知，也因实无精神答理。及听了雪雁、侍书的话，才明白过前头的事情原是议而未成的，又兼侍书说是凤姐说的，老太太的主意亲上作亲，又是园中住着的，非自己而谁？因此一想，阴极阳生，心神顿觉清爽许多，所以才喝了两口水，又要想问侍书的话。恰好贾母、王夫人、李纨、凤姐听见紫鹃之言，都赶着来看。黛玉心中疑团已破，自然不似先前寻死之意了。虽身体软弱，精神短少，却也勉强答应一两句了。凤姐因叫过紫鹃问道："姑娘也不至这样，这是怎么说，你这样唬人。"紫鹃道："实在头里看着不好，才敢去告诉的，回来见姑娘竟好了许多，也就怪了。"贾母笑道："你也别怪她，她懂得什么。看见不好就言语，这倒是她明白的地方，小孩子家不嘴懒脚懒就好。"说了一回，贾母等料着无妨，也就去了。正是：

　　心病终须心药治，解铃还是击铃人。

　　不言黛玉病渐减退，且说雪雁、紫鹃背地里都念佛。雪雁向紫鹃说道："亏她好了，只是病的奇怪，好的也奇怪。"紫鹃道："病的倒不怪，就只好的奇怪。想来宝玉和姑娘必是姻缘。人家说的''好事多磨''，又说道''是姻缘棒打不回''。这样看起来，人心天意，他们两个竟是天配的了。再者，你想那一年，我说了林姑娘要回南去，把宝玉没急死了，闹得家翻宅乱。如今一句话，又把这一个弄得死去活来。可不说的三生石上百年前结下的么？"说着，两个悄悄的抿着嘴笑了一回。雪雁又道："幸亏好了。咱们明儿再别说了，就是宝玉娶了别的人家儿的姑娘，我亲见他在那里结亲，我也再不露一句话了。"紫鹃笑道："这就是了。

"不但紫鹃和雪雁在私下里讲究，就是众人也都知道黛玉的病也病得奇怪，好也好得奇怪，三三两两，唧唧哝哝议论着。不多几时，连凤姐儿也知道了，邢、王二夫人也有些疑惑，倒是贾母略猜着了八九。（节选自岳麓书社出版《红楼梦》）

杨宪益、戴乃迭译文：

Now Daiyu though so gravely ill had been clear in her mind. She had caught a sentence here and there of the conversation between Daishu and Xueyan, but she lay as if unconscious, owing partly to sheer weak­ness. From what she overheard she realized that the match proposed had not been agreed to. And then Daishu had quoted Xifeng as saying that the old lady had decided on choosing some relative from the girls in the Garden. Who could this mean if not her? At this thought, her despair gave way to joy and her mind became clearer too. That was why she had drunk some water and why she had wanted to question Daishu.

Just then the old lady arrived with Lady Wang, Li Wan and Xifeng who had hurried over after hearing Zijuan’s report. Daiyu, her fears set at rest now, naturally no longer wanted to die. Though still weak and lacking in energy, she managed to answer their inquiries briefly. Seeing this, Xifeng called Zijuan over.

“What do you mean by frightening us like that?” she demanded: “Your young lady’s not in such a bad way after all.”

“She really looked bad,” replied Zijuan. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have presumed to disturb you. Now, coming back, I’m quite amazed to find her so much better.”

“Don’t listen to her. What does she know?” said the old lady with a smile . “When something’s wrong, it shows good sense to report it. I like a girl who’s not too lazy to use her tongue and feet.”

They stayed talking a little longer, then believing Daiyu to be in no danger they left, Truly:

The cure for a broken heart is heartening news;

The knot must be untied by the one who tied it.

So by degrees Daiyu recovered, and her two maids secretly gave thanks to Buddha.

Xueyan remarked to Zijuan, “Thank goodness she’s better now! Her falling ill was odd, and so was her recovery.

“Her falling ill wasn’t odd,” replied Zijuan, “but her recovery is. I suppose she and Baoyu must be destined for each other. As people say, ‘The way to happiness is never smooth’ and ‘Nothing can prevent a match made in Heaven.’ So it seems human wishes are willed by Provi­dence, and they are fated to marry. Another thing: remember that year when I told Baoyu Miss Lin would be going back south? He flew into such a frenzy, he nearly turned the whole household upside down! This time another casual remark nearly cost our young lady her life. What is this if not a case of predestined fate?”

They had a good laugh in secret, after which Xueyan said again, “Well, thank goodness she’s better. We must be careful not to gossip in future. Even if Baoyu marries some other girl and I see the wedding myself, I won’t breathe a word about it.”

“That’s right,” agreed Zijuan, smiling.

These two were not the only ones to be talking this business over. All the domestics knew of Daiyu’s strange illness and strange recovery, and in twos and threes they canvassed the matter together, till very soon this came to Xifeng’s ears. Lady Xing and Lady Wang also found it puzzling. Only the Lady Dowager had a good inkling of the reason.

（节选自外文出版社出版，杨宪益、戴乃迭翻译的《A Dream of Red Mansions》第三卷142页，1980年第一版，1995年第三次印刷）

闵福德译文：

Now although Dai-yu’s condition was extremely grave, her power of reason was unimpaired. She was aware of Scribe’s arrival and vaguely heard the first words she exchanged with Snowgoose. She felt too exhausted to cope with a visitor, and so pretended to be asleep. But as the conversation progressed, it became clear to her that what she had taken to be a fact had never been more than a proposal. And then she heard Scribe repeat Xi-feng’s words, that Grandmother Jia intended to marry Bao-yu to one of his cousins, to one that lived in the Garden; and who could that be but herself? Just as at the winter sol­stice Yin gives birth to Yang, so now in her mind darkness gave way to light. She suddenly felt much clearer within herself, decided to drink some water and even spoke to Scribe.

It was at this moment that Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, Li Wan and Xi-feng arrived on the scene, in re­sponse to Nightingale’s urgent summons. Now that Dai­-yu’s inner doubts had been so dramatically dissipated, she no longer presented the spectacle of the dying maiden that Nightingale had led them to expect. She was still weak and low in spirits, but was able with an effort to say a few words in reply to their inquiries. Xi-feng called Nighting­ale over and questioned her:

‘Miss Lin is not nearly as ill as you made out. Why did you exaggerate so? We were most alarmed.’

‘Honestly, ma’am,’ replied Nightingale, ‘only a while ago she was in a bad way. That’s why I came over. I would never have dared to bother you otherwise. She does seem a lot better now. It’s most strange.

Grandmother Jia said to Xi-feng with a smile:

‘You shouldn’t take what she says so seriously, my dear. She doesn’t understand such things. Mind you she was quite right to speak up if she noticed anything the matter. I’ve no time for young people who never say a word or do anything for fear of appearing foolish.’

The ladies stayed for a few minutes chatting, then, de­ciding that all was well, returned to their apartments.

Truly:

No remedy but love

Can make the lovesick well;

Only the hand that tied the knot

Can loose the tiger’s bell.

After this Dai-yu’s condition continued to improve steadi­ly, and Snowgoose and Nightingale offered many a secret prayer of thanks to the Lord Buddha.

‘Thank goodness she’s better!’ said Snowgoose to

Nightingale. ‘But what an odd illness! And what an odd way to get better!’

‘We know what caused it,’ said Nightingale. ‘It’s this sudden recovery that’s puzzling. I think Bao-yu and Miss Lin must be destined to be married after all. ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’, but ‘Marriages made in heaven can never be broken’ either! You can tell they are destined to be together. That’s what they both want in their hearts, and that must be what Heaven has decreed for them. Remember what happened to Bao-yu last year, when I told him Miss Lin was going home to the South? He nearly died of shock, and made the most terri­ble scene. And now that one remark of ours has nearly been the death of her. Theirs must be a bond from some previous life, made a century ago at the Rock of Rebirth!’

They exchanged a secret smile at this romantic theory, and Snowgoose exclaimed:

‘Thank goodness she’s better anyway! We must never mention it again! Even if Bao-yu were to marry another lady and I witnessed the wedding with my own eyes, I swear I wouldn’t breathe a word of it to anyone.’

Nightingale laughed.

‘Well said!’

Theirs were not the only secret discussions on this sub­ject. Dai-yu’s strange illness and stranger recovery gave rise to a great deal of whispering and speculation in the household, which soon reached the ears of Xi-feng. Lady Wang and Lady Xing vaguely suspected something, and Grandmother Jia herself had a shrewd idea what was at the bottom of it all. The four ladies were gathered one day in Grandmother Jia’s apartment, and in the course of their conversation the subject of Dai-yu’s illness came up. （选自英国企鹅出版公司出版，大卫霍克斯翻译《A Story of The Stone》）