Epiphany

Quote:

以毛泽东诗词“不爱红装爱武装”为例，许渊冲把“红装”译为“powder the face”（涂脂抹粉），把“武装”译为“face the powder”（面对硝烟）。对仗工整，也保留了韵文形式，打通了东西方的美学意境，中国文化的味道和精髓跃然纸上。

End of the quote.

What a joke! 至少在一百年前就有这种英文说法, 例如:

"The Men in War Must Face the Powder; the Women Can Only Powder the Face"
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19140815&id=khsbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MUkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5949,3495659

难怪许渊冲大教授和钱钟书副博士会互相吹捧!

More amazing stories about 许大教授 can be found at:

继续关于英文的讨论
http://www.yantan.cc/bbs/thread-111114-1-4.html

Epiphany

李商隐的一首好诗《锦瑟》:

锦瑟无端五十弦，一弦一柱思华年。
庄生晓梦迷蝴蝶，望帝春心托杜鹃。
沧海月明珠有泪，蓝田日暖玉生烟。
此情可待成追忆，只是当时已惘然。

被许渊冲大教授翻成一首烂诗:

The Sad Zither

Why should the zither sad have fifty strings?
Each string, each strain evokes but vanished springs:
Dim morning dream to be a butterfly;
Amorous heart poured out in cuckoo’s cry.
In moonlit pearls see tears in mermaid’s eyes;
From sunburnt emerald let vapor rise!
Such feeling cannot be recalled again;
It seemed long-lost e’en when it was felt then.

许大教授糟蹋中国古典文学的不懈努力有目共睹, 难怪钱钟书副博士会肉麻地吹捧他!

Epiphany

再看看许渊冲大教授怎样糟蹋诗人李白。

李白《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》:

故人西辞黄鹤楼，烟花三月下扬州。
孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流。

许大教授译文如下:

My friend has left the west where the Yellow Crane towers
For River Town green with willows and red with flowers.
His lessening sail is lost in the boundless blue sky,
Where I see but the endless River rolling by.

"烟花三月下扬州"变成了形象陈腐不堪的"For River Town green with willows and red with flowers"! "孤帆"成为"lessening sail", "远影"被丢掉不译。

更为滑稽的是, 由于许大教授的生花妙笔, 李白竟然在蓝天里看见不尽长江滚滚流过(blue sky, / Where I see but the endless River rolling by)!