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读《瓦尔登湖》翻译(三十五)

(2018-10-09 06:06:06)
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教育

分类: 瓦尔登湖
I have always endeavored to acquire strict business habits; they are indispensable to every man. If your trade is with the Celestial Empire, then some small counting house on the coast, in some Salem harbor, will be fixture enough. You will export such articles as the country affords, purely native products, much ice and pine timber and a little granite, always in native bottoms. These will be good ventures. To oversee all the details yourself in person; to be at on ce pilot and captain, and owner and underwriter; to buy and sell and keep the accounts; to read every letter received, and write or read every letter sent; to superintend the discharge of imp orts night and day; to be upon many parts of the coast almost at the same time -- often the richest freight will be discharged upon a Jersey shore; -- to be your own telegraph, unweariedly sweeping the horizon, speaking all passing vessels bound coastwise; to keep up a steady despatch of commodities, for the supply of such a distant and exorbitant market; to keep yourself informed of the state of the markets, prospects of war and peace everywhere, and anticipate the tendencies of trade and civilization -- taking advantage of the results of all exploring expeditions, using new passages and all improvements in navigation; -- charts to be studied, the position of reefs and new lights and buoys to be ascertained, and ever, and ever, the logarithmic tables to be corrected, for by the error of some calculator the vessel often splits upon a rock that should have reached a friendly pier -- there is the untold fate of La Perouse; -- universal science to be kept pace with, studying the lives of all great discoverers and navigators, great adventurers and merchants, from Hanno and the Phoenicians down to our day; in fine, account of stock to be taken from time to time, to know how you stand. It is a labor to task the faculties of a man -- such problems of profit and loss, of interest, of tare and tret, and gauging of all kinds in it, as demand a universal knowledge.

(徐迟译) 我常常希望获得严格的商业习惯;这是每一个人都不能缺少的。如果你的生意是和天朝帝国往来的,你得在海岸上有个会计室,设在某个撒勒姆的港口, 确定了这个就够了 。你可以把本国出品,纯粹的土产输出,许多的冰、松木和一点儿花岗石,都是本土本乡的 地道产品 。这一定是好生意。亲自照顾一切大小事务;兼任领航员与船长,业主与保险商;买进卖出又记账;收到的信件每封都读过,发出的信件每封都亲自撰写或审阅;日夜监督进口货的卸落;几乎在海岸上的许多地方,你都同时出现了似的;——那装货最多的船总是在泽西岸上卸落的;——自己还兼电报员,不知疲倦地 发通讯到远方去 ,和所有驰向海岸的船只联络; 稳当地售出货物 ,供给远方的一个 无餍足 的市场,既要熟悉行情,你还要明了各处的战争与和平的 情况 ,预测贸易和文明的趋向;——利用所有探险的成果,走最新的航道,利用一切航海技术上的进步;——再要研究海图,确定珊瑚礁和新的灯塔、浮标的位置,而 航海图表 是永远地改而又改,因为若计算上有了一点错误,船只会冲撞在一块岩石上而至于粉碎的,不然它早该到达了一个友好的码头了——,此外,还有拉·贝鲁斯的未知的命运;——还得步步跟上宇宙科学,要研究一切伟大的发现者、航海家、探险家和商人,从迦太探险家 饭能 和腓尼基人直到现在所有这些人的一生,最后,时刻要记录栈房中的货物,你才知道自己 处于什么位置上 。这真是一个辛苦的劳役,考验着一个人的全部官能,——这些赢利或损失的问题,利息的问题,扣除皮重的计算问题,一切都要确实数字,非得有全 宇宙的知识 不可啊。

1 、“ will be fixture enough ”中的“ fixture ”如何译?大概就是说“你得设个 counting house ,这是很肯定的”。这里的“ fixture ”意为“ definite arrangement ”。译为“ 确定了这个就够了 ”或“也就足以开展业务了”,译出了“ enough ”而“ fixture ”似乎没有译出来。

2 、“ always in native bottoms 从形式上看应该是状语说明运的方式,即“以小船( bottoms )运输”。译为“是 …… 地道产品”或“都是十分地道的本国出口产品”,弄不明白“ bottoms ”是如何引申为“产品”的。再说,“ native ”是“本地的,本土的”,而“地道”一词从何处来?还有“是 …… ”何处来?

3、“ sweep the horizon ”应该是“移动调整水平镜以便与其它船只联络( speaking )”徐译“ 发通讯到远方去 ”可能是从“ the horizon (地平线)”引申而来。戴译“ 孜孜不倦地与所有驶向海港的船只联系沟通 ”,其中找不到 sweep the horizon ”。

“Hanno”译成“ 饭能”,不清楚出于什么考虑,反正模样不太像专有名词。若是为了搞笑,效果还算不错。

5 、“ how you stand ”会不会是“沿某一特定方向航行”之意?

6 、“ universal science ”,“ universal knowledge ”中的“ universal ”是要译成“宇宙”吗?

7 、这一段中,破折号的用法非常集中突出。戴译中把很多破折号都去掉了,结果句子之间的关系一片混乱。例如前两个破折号“ -- often the richest freight will be discharged upon a Jersey shore; -- 是一对,作用相当于括号,把插入成分与主句分开,而一旦去掉,次要话题就升格为主要话题了。再如第三个“ anticipate the tendencies of trade and civilization -- taking advantage of the results of all exploring expeditions ”原文中破折号后面的“ taking advantage of … ”是前面“ anticipate … ”的方式状语。译作“ 预测贸易和文明的发展趋向;利用一切探险成果,开辟新的航道” ,“利用……”与“预测……”的关系就割裂了。

8 、乍读这一段,觉得梭罗说得过于啰嗦,其实,这是对梭罗的误解。Ken Kifer是这么说的: In this long passage, including a 282 word sentence, Thoreau shows a clear understanding of all the problems associated with trade with the Celestial Empire (China).

However, what if the trade is not with China but with God's empire? What if on e wants to receive messages and gifts from heaven? Then, there are the same kind of problems. Thus, Thoreau is drawing an extended parallel between his activities and those of a merchant. On e problem the businessman has to cope with is having his cargos shipwrecked on the New Jersey shore; Thoreau has the problem that the richest inspiration and insights sometimes come at unexpected times when he is unable to make the most of them. Both "businesses" require a great deal of knowledge, preparation, attention to detail, and energy. A successful philosopher, poet, mystic, or monk has to work just as hard as a successful businessman.

读了这一段评注,我们就能理解梭罗为什么这么具体详细不厌其烦地描述这些“问题”了。

(戴欢译) 我常常尽力地去养成严谨的商业习惯,这对每个人来说都是不可或缺的。假如你与天朝帝国有贸易往来,你便得在岸边有个小财会室,它可位于像印度的撒勒姆港之类的某个港口, 也就足以开展业务了 。你可以出口这个国家所能提供的物品,比如纯粹的土特产品,大量的冰块、松木和少批量的花岗岩,都是十分地道的 本国出口产品 。出口这些货物,生意一定不错。

凡事全都亲自料理:领航员和船长二职一肩承担;既当业主又做保险商;负责买进卖出,还要兼做会计;亲阅每封收到的信件,发出的每封信也亲笔写就或审阅;日夜不停地监督进口货物的 卸。你好像分身有术,几乎同时出现在海岸的多处地方——载货量最大的船通常都在泽西港停靠装卸的,还要亲自拍发电报, 孜孜不倦地与所有驶向海港的船只联系沟通 ;与远方一个需求量旺盛的市场保持一个牢固平稳的供货关系;不单是对行情了如指掌,还要对各地的战争与和平前景做到心中有数,预测贸易和文明的发展趋向 ;利用一切探险成果,开辟新的航道;利用所有航海技术改善的便利条件, 还要研究航海图,给珊瑚礁、新灯塔和浮标精确定位,航海图表则是不厌其烦地再三修正,假如在计算上有点滴疏漏,都会造成本该顺利抵达一个友好港口的货船,撞在礁石上变得四分五裂的;法国航海家拉·潘洛斯的命运真是 凶险难料 啊!还要紧跟宇宙科学的最新发展,研究一切伟大的发现者、航海家、探险家和商人的人生历程,从迦太基探险家汉诺和腓尼基人开始,一直追溯至今;最后,还要随时掌握货栈的库存数额,以便 明确自己的经营现状 。这确是一个折磨人的苦差事,需要 耗费一个人的全部精力才行 。如此这般的利润和亏损问题、利息的问题、扣除花费和预估损耗而后计算添补的问题,全都需要数字精确无误,不具备 全宇宙的知识 不足以应对。

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