《声声慢》英译赏析
李清照（1084-？）号易安居士，济南（今属山东）人。幼有才藻，十八岁适金石家赵 明诚，夫妇感情甚笃。南渡后，赵明诚病故，她颠沛流离于江浙皖赣一带，在 孤寂中度过晚年。她工诗能文，诗尤为宋代大家，前期词多写闺情相思，后期 词融入家国之恨与身世之感，风格顿变。她兼擅令慢，每能创意出奇，以经过 提炼的口语表达其独特真切的感受，形成辛弃疾所称道的“易安体”。
李清照是宋代著名的女词人，婉约派的代表人物，《声声慢》为其后期的一首名作，历来为人所推崇。《历朝名媛诗词》云:“玩其笔力，本自矫拔，词家少有，庶几苏、辛之亚。”《花草新编》曰“超然笔墨蹊径之外。岂独闺韩，士林中不多见也。”
声声慢之英译文虽亦时有所见，其中却以徐忠杰、林语堂、杨宪益夫妇和许渊冲 (以下简称徐、林、杨、许)的译文尤具代表性。本文旨在对四大名家的四种译文进行比较欣赏的同时，能对同好在中诗 (词)英译的创造性工作时有所助益。
寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚。
乍暖还寒时候，最难将息。
三杯两盏淡酒，怎敌他、晚来风急?
雁过也，正伤心、却是旧时相识。
满地黄花堆积，憔悴损、而今有谁堪摘?
守着窗儿，独自怎生得黑?
梧桐更兼细雨，到黄昏、点点滴滴。
这次第，怎一个愁字了得!

徐中杰译本：
I've a sense of something missing I must seek.
Everything about me looks dismal and bleak.
Nothing that gives me pleasure, I can find.
Even the weather has proved most unkind.
It is warm, but abruptly it turns cold again.
An unbroken rest most difficult to. obtain.
Three cups of thin wine would utterly fail.
To cope with the rising evening gale.
Myself, into woe, a flight of wild geese has thrown.
But with them, very familiar I have grown.
About the ground, cluysandiernums are bestrewn.  
Gathering into heaps--bruised---withering soon.
With myself in utter misery and gloom,  
Who cares to save them from their approaching doom?
Standing by the window-watching in anguish stark,
Could I bear alone the sight until it is dark?
Against the tung and plane trees, the wind rises high.
The drizzle becomes trickles, as even draws nigh.
How, in the word "Miserable", can one find-
The total effects of all these on the mind!

林语堂译本：
So dim, so dark, So dense, so dull, So damp, sodank, So dead!
The weather, now warm, now cold, Makes it harder .Than ever to forget!
How can a few cups of thin wine/Bring warmth against .The chilly winds of sunset?
I recognize the geese flying overhead: My old friends, Bring not the old memories back!
Let fallen flowers lie where they fall. To what purpose .And for whom should 1 decorate?
By the window shut, Guarding it alone, To see the sky has turned so black!
And the drizzle on the kola nut. Keeps on droning: Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat!
Is this the kind of mood and moment. To be expressed By one word "sad"?

杨宪益夫妇译本：
Seeking, seeking, Chilly and quiet, Desolate, painful and miserable.
Even when it's warmer there is still a chill It is most difficult to keep well.
Three or two cups of light wine, How can they ward off the strong？
Wild geese fly past, while I'm broken-hearted; ButI recoze they are my old friends.
Fallen chrysanthemums piled up on the ground,So withered，Who would pluck them up now?
Leaning on the window, How can I pass the time till night alone?
The drizzle falls on the wutong trees, Raindrops drip down at dusk.
At a time like this, What immense sorrow I must bear!

许渊冲译本：
I look for what I miss; I know not what it is. I feel so sad, so drear, So lonely, without cheer.
How hard is it To keep me fit In this lingering cold!
By cup on cup Of wine so dry  Oh, how could I  Endure at dusk the drift Of wind so swift?
It breaks my heart, alas, To see the wild geese pass, For they are my acquaintances of old.
The ground is covered with yellow flowers, Fadedand fallen in showers.
Who will pick them up now?
Sitting alone at the window, how Could I but quicken The pace of darkness that won't thicken?
On plane's broad leaves a fine rain drizzles As twilight grizzles.
Oh, what can I do with a grief  Beyond belief!

乍暖还寒时候，最难将息。
次两句说明当时正处于天气突然转暖，却又寒意未消、变化无常的时节，人易受到外感，最难得到将养和休息。诗人身心俱感疲惫，本应得到很好的休养，但生活的颠沛、天气的
恶劣、心境的愁苦，使她根本不能如愿。林氏把“最难将息”译成“最难忘记”，与原文的意思出入较大。许氏运用感叹句式，很好地描绘了作者的国家身世之感，但"lingering cold"
只点明了“还寒”，而未说明“乍暖”。而徐译则存在着明白有余、含蓄不足之弊。与原文意境最为贴近者，当数杨译。

三杯两盏淡酒，怎敌他、晚来风急?
这两句写风急引起了女词人的哀愁。原词运用了反问句式，徐氏以陈述句译出，语气显得较弱。林氏、杨氏和许氏都保留了反问句式，语气和原文庶几相近。“敌”字用得生动传神，以“cope with”和“endure”译出，力度似显不足。杨氏“ward off"一词可谓与原文旗鼓相当。林氏则巧用介词"against"，起到了异曲同工的效果，但他以“chilly winds ofsunset”翻译“晚来风急”，则就不如徐氏的“the rising eveninggale”和许氏的“the drift of wind so swift?"，因为“急”字具有动感，非用以描述静态的“chilly")f能表达的。而杨氏以“strong"与前一句的“light”相对照，也较好地再现了原词的意境。此外，许氏增译感叹词“oh"，使译文更具英诗风格。

雁过也，正伤心、却是旧时相识。
古时交通不便，信息难通，人们希望通过鸿雁传带书信，作者曾对大雁寄予热望。《一剪梅》云:“云中谁寄锦书来，雁字回时，月满西楼”，夫妻之间的相思渴望大雁来传递;《蝶恋花》云:“好把音信凭过雁，东莱不似蓬莱远”，姊妹之间的感情也希望鸿雁来沟通。如今丈夫己安息九泉，姊妹等亲人天各一方，可爱的家乡也沦落在金兵之手，如何指望大雁带来令人高兴的消息?难怪诗人一看到南飞的北雁就倍感伤心，何况这“雁”“却是旧时相识”，这就更添许多伤感。徐译"But with them, very familiar I have grown.”并无“旧时相识”之意，在许译中，也同样看不出从“正伤心”到“更伤心”这一情绪变化过程。应该说杨译最忠实地传达了原词中的情感递变。而林氏却独辟蹊径:诗人不但认出了从故乡飞来的州日时相识”且寄语雁子，别把往日的回忆带给自己，恐怕自己难以承受。可以说，林译比原词更富情趣，更有诗味。