中国文化典籍英译.docx

中国文化典籍英译.docx

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中国文化典籍英译

中国文化典籍英译

AnAnthologyofChineseMasterpiecesinEnglishTranslationI

1.神话传说（Myth）

女娲补天·淮南子

女娲补天

[汉刘安]

往古之时，四极废，九州裂，天不兼覆，地不周载。

火爁焱而不灭，水浩洋而不息。

猛兽食颛民，鸷鸟攫老弱。

于是女娲炼五色石以补苍天，断鳌足以立四极，杀黑龙以济冀州，积芦灰以止淫水。

苍天补，四极正，淫水涸，冀州平；狡虫死，颛民生，背方州，抱圆天。

当此之时，禽兽虫蛇，无不匿其爪牙，藏其蛰毒，无有攫噬之心。

考其功烈，上际九天，下契黄垆，名声被后世，光辉熏万物。

NuwaMendstheSky

ByLiuAn

Inancienttimes,thefourcornersoftheskycollapsedandtheworldwithitsnineregionssplitopen.Theskycouldnotcoverallthethingsunderit,norcouldtheearthcarryallthethingsonit.Agreatfireragedandwouldnotdieout;afiercefloodracedaboutandcouldnotbechecked.Savagebeastsdevouredinnocentpeople;viciousbirdspreyedontheweakandold.

ThenNuwameltedrocksoffivecolorsandusedthemtomendthecracksinthesky.Shesupportedthefourcornersoftheskywiththelegsshehadcutofffromagiantturtle.ShekilledtheblackdragontosavethepeopleofJizhou,andblockedthefloodwiththeashesofreeds.

Thustheskywasmended,itsfourcornerslifted,thefloodtamed,Jizhoupacified,andharmfulbirdsandbeastskilled,andtheinnocentpeoplewereabletoliveonthesquareearthunderthedomeofthesky.Itwasatimewhenbirds,beasts,insectsandsnakesnolongerusedtheirclawsorteethorpoisonousstings,fortheydidnotwanttocatchoreatweakerthings.

Nuwa’sdeedsbenefitedtheheavensaboveandtheearthbelow.Hernamewasrememberedbylatergenerationsandherlightshoneoneverycreation.

Trans.byDingWangdao

2.寓言（fable）

画蛇添足·战国策

画蛇添足

[西汉刘向]

楚有祠者，赐其舍人卮酒。

舍人相谓曰：

“数人饮之不足，一人饮之有余。

请画地为蛇，先成者饮酒。

”

一人蛇先成，引酒且饮之，乃左手执卮，右手画蛇，曰：

“吾能为之足！

”未成，一人之蛇成，夺其卮，曰：

“蛇固无足，子安能为之足？

”遂饮其酒。

为蛇足者，终亡其酒。

TheManWhoDrawsaSnakeandAddsFeettoIt

ByLiuXiang

AnativeofChuafterworshippinghisancestorsgavehisretainersapotofwine.Oneoftheretainerssaid,“It’sinsufficientforallofus,buttoomuchforoneofus.Isuggest,therefore,thatwedrawsnakesontheground,andtheonewhofirstfinisheddrawingthesnakewillwinthepotofwine.”

Whenoneretainerhadcompletedhisdrawing,hetookthepottodrink.Ashehelditinhislefthand,hecontinuedtodrawthesnakewithhisrighthand,saying:

“Icanaddfeettoit.”Whilehewasaddingfeettohissnake,anothermanwhohadthendrawnhissnakesnatchedthepotfromhishand,protesting:

“Nosnakehasfeet.Howcanyouaddfeettoit?

”thenhedrankthewine.

Themanwhoaddedfeettothesnakelosthisprizeatlast.

Trans.byQianGechuan

3.诗经（BookofSongs或BookofOdes）

中国的诗歌传统“诗六艺”：

风、雅、颂、赋、比、兴，始成于《诗经》。

风、雅、颂是诗歌分类，赋、比、兴是创作方法。

“风土之音曰风，朝廷之音曰雅，宗庙之音曰颂”。

诗经·国风

周南·关雎

关关雎鸠，在河之洲；

窈窕淑女，君子好逑。

参差荇菜，左右流之；

窈窕淑女，寤寐求之；

求之不得，寤寐思服；

悠哉游哉，辗转反侧。

参差荇菜，左右采之；

窈窕淑女，琴瑟友之。

参差荇菜，左右芼之；

窈窕淑女，钟鼓乐之。

Ospreys

Hark!

Theospreysmerrilycall

Ontheisletofftherivershore.

Thegirlislovelyandslenderlytall,

Whomthegentlemanwouldadore.

Thewaterplantsarelongandshort,

Hereandtheretheycanbesought;

Thelovelygirlisslenderlytall,

Dayandnighthewouldherrecall.

Thefirstcourtshipcomestobay,

Helongsforherwildlynightandday.

Thelingeringlonginggripshimtight,

Hetosses,unabletosleepatnight.

Thewaterplantsarelongandshort,

Hereandtheretheycanbecaught;

Thelovelygirlwithfrailappeal,

He’llbefriendwithzitherandzeal.

Thewaterplantsarelongandshort,

Hereandtheretheycanbestored.

Thelovelygirlisslenderlytall,

Withbellsanddrumshewinsherafterall.

Trans.byGuZhengkun

4.楚辞（ElegiesofChu,SongsofChu,TheVerseofChu,ChuCi）

离骚:

GriefofParting

楚辞

[战国屈原]

离骚（节选）

曾歔欷余郁悒兮，

哀朕时之不当。

揽茹蕙以掩涕兮，

沾余襟之浪浪。

跪敷衽以陈辞兮，

耿吾既得此中正。

驷玉虬以乘鹥兮，

溘埃风余上征。

朝发轫于苍梧兮，

夕余至乎县圃。

欲少留此灵锁兮，

日忽忽其将暮。

吾令羲和弭节兮，

望崦嵫而勿迫。

路曼曼其修远兮，

吾将上下而求索。

Ch’uTzǔ:

TheSongoftheSouth,AnAncientChineseAnthology

ByChüYuan

LiSao（OnEncounteringSorrow）（excerpted）

ManyaheavysighIheavedindespair,

GrievingthatIwasborninsuchanunluckytime.

Ipluckedsoftlotuspetalstowipemywellingtears,

Thatfelldowninriversandwetmycoatfront.

Ikneltonmyoutspreadskirtsandpouredmyplaintout,

Andtherighteousnesswithinmewasclearlymanifest.

Iyokedateamofjadedragonstoaphoenix-figuredcar

Andwaitedforthewindtocome,tosoaruponmyjourney.

InthemorningIstartedonmywayfromTs’ang-wu;

IntheeveningIcametotheGardenofParadise.

Iwantedtostayawhileinthosefairyprecincts,

Buttheswift-movingsunwasdippingtothewest.

IorderHis-hotostaythesun-steeds’gallop,

TostandoverYen-tzǔmountainandnotgoin.

Long,longhadbeenmyroadandfar,farwasthejourney:

Iwouldgoupanddowntoseekmyheart’sdesire.

Trans.byDavidHawkes

Ts’ang-wu:

NameoftheregionwhereCh’ungHua（Shun）wasburied.

HsüanPu,the“hanginggarden”;intheMagicMountainofK’un-lun,whichisGod’sseatonearthandthedoorwayintoheaven.

His-ho:

Charioteerofthesun,generallyrepresentedasfemale.

Yen-tzǔ:

Mountainofthefarwestwherethesungoesbeneaththeearth.

5.老子《道德经》（LaoZi，TheWayandItsPower）---道家（Taoism）

道德经

[春秋老子]

有物混成，先天地生。

寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，周行而不殆，可以为天下母。

吾不知其名，字之曰道，强为之名曰大。

（第二十五章）

道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。

万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。

（第四十二章）

TheWayandItsPower

ByLaoTzu

Thereisathing,formlessyetcomplete.BeforeHeavenandEarthitexisted.（ThatwhichexistedbeforeHavenandEarthwasimmaterializedandunmanifest.）Withoutsound,withoutsubstance,itstandsalonewithoutchanging.Itisallpervadingandunfailing.OnemaythinkofitasthemotherofallbeneathHeaven（…theperpetualsourceofeverythingelse）.Wedonotknowitsname,butwetermitTao.Forcedtogiveanappellationofit,IshouldsayitwasGreat.（Forwantofabettername,Icallit“Nature”.IfImustdescribeit,IshouldsayitisGreat.）

TaoproducesOneness.Onenessproducedduality.Dualityevolvedintotrinity,andtrinityevolvedintothetenthousand（i.e.infinitenumberof）things.ThetenthousandthingssupporttheYinandembracetheYang.Itisontheblendingofthebreaths（oftheYinandYang）thattheirharmonydepends.

Naturefirstbegetsonething.Thenonethingbegetsanother.Thetwoproduceathird.Inhisway,allthingsarebegotten.EverythingisimpregnatedwithYinandYang,which,intheirconstantinterplay,mergesintoharmony.

6.庄子（ZhuangTzu）

庄子

秋水篇·鱼之乐

庄子与惠子由于濠梁之上。

庄子曰：

“鲦鱼出游从容，是鱼之乐也。

”惠子曰：

“子非鱼，安知鱼之乐？

”庄子曰：

“子非我，安知我不知鱼之乐？

”惠子曰：

“我非子，固不知子矣；子固非鱼也，子之不知鱼之乐，全矣！

”庄子曰：

“请循其本。

子曰‘汝安知鱼乐’云者，既已知吾知之而问我，我知之濠上也。

”

ZhuangZi

AutumnFloods:

TheHappinessofFish

ChuangTzuandHuiTzuwerestrollingalongthedamoftheHaoRiverwhenChuangTzusaid,"Seehowtheminnowscomeoutanddartaroundwheretheyplease!

That'swhatfishreallyenjoy!

"

HuiTzusaid,"You'renotafish---howdoyouknowwhatfishenjoy?

"

ChuangTzusaid,"You'renotI,sohowdoyouknowIdon'tknowwhatfishenjoy?

"

HuiTzusaid,"I'mnotyou,soIcertainlydon'tknowwhatyouknow.Ontheotherhand,you'recertainlynotafish--sothatstillprovesyoudon'tknowwhatfishenjoy!

"

ChuangTzusaid,"Let'sgobacktoyouroriginalquestion,please.YouaskedmehowIknowwhatfishenjoy--soyoualreadyknewIknewitwhenyouaskedthequestion.IknowitbystandingherebesidetheHao."

Trans.byBurtonWatson

论语[春秋]孔子

TheAnalects/LunYubyConfucius

子曰：

“学而时习之，不亦悦乎？

有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？

人不知，而不愠，不亦君子乎？

”

子曰：

“吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。

”

TheMastersaid,“Isitnotapleasure,havinglearnedsomething,totryitoutatdueintervals?

Isitnotajoytohavefriendscomingfromafar?

Isitnotgentlemanlynottotakeoffencewhenothersfailtoappreciateyourabilities?

”

TheMastersaid,“AtfifteenIsetmyheartonlearning;atthirtyItookmystand;atfortyIcametobefreefromdoubts;atfiftyIunderstoodtheDecreeofHeaven;atsixtymyearwasattuned;atseventyIfollowedmyheart’sdesirewithoutover-steppingtheline.”

Trans.byD.C.Lau（刘殿爵）

理解的困惑

ArthurWaley亚瑟·威利AnalectsofConfucius

ThomasCleary托马斯·柯立瑞EssentialConfucius

曾子曰：

“吾日三省吾身：

为人谋而不忠乎？

与朋友交而不信乎？

传不习乎？

”

不义而富且贵，于我如浮云。

MasterZeng,oneofthepupilsofConfucius,said,“Iexaminemyselfthreetimesaday:

HaveIbeenunfaithfulinplanningforothers?

HaveIbeenunreliableinconversationwithfriends?

AmIpreachingwhatIhaven’tpreachedmyself?

”

MasterZengsaid,“EverydayIexaminemyselfonthreepoints:

Inactingonbehalfofothers,haveIalwaysbeenloyaltotheirinterests?

Inintercoursewithmyfriends,haveIalwaysbeentruetomyword?

HaveIfailedtorepeatthepreceptsthathavebeenlandeddowntome?

”

Richesandstatusunjustlyobtainedaretomelikefloatingclouds.

AnythoughtofacceptingwealthandrankbymeansIknowtobewrongisremotefrommeasthecloudsthatfloatabove.

唐诗

月下独酌

李白

花间一壶酒，独酌无相亲。

举杯邀明月，对影成三人。

月既不解饮，影徒随我身。

暂伴月将影，行乐须及春。

我歌月徘徊，我舞影零乱。

醒时同交欢，醉后各分散。

永结无情游，相期邈云汉。

LastWords

ByLiBai

Anarborofflowers

andakettleofwine:

Alas!

Inthebowers,

nocompanionismine.

Thenthemoonshedsherrays

onmygobletandme.

Andmyshadowbetrays

we’reapartyofthree!

Thou’themooncannotswallow

hershareofthegrog,

Andmyshadowmustfollow

whereIjoy,

YettheirfriendshipI’llborrow

andgailycarouse,

Andlaughawaysorrow

whilespring-timeallows.

Seethemoonhowsheglances

responsetomysong;

Seemyshadow---itdances

solightlyalong!

WhilesoberIfeel,

youarebothmygoodfriends;

whileIdrunkIreel,

ourcompanionshipends.

Butwe’llsoonhaveagreeting

withoutagoodbye,

Atournextmerrymeeting

awayinthesky.

Trans.byHerbett.A.Giles

翟里斯

望庐山瀑布

日照香炉生紫烟，

遥看瀑布挂前川。