第三回林黛玉的外貌描写堪称经典,他并没有实实在在地向我们展示黛玉多美,而是通过一系列意象来启发人们的想象。在前面两篇文章中已经介绍了包腊译本和裘里译本两个英译本,这两个译本都无法传递出黛玉的神韵。那么让我们期待一下霍克思译本会不会有惊喜吧。
霍克思( David Hawkes, 1923—2009),是英国汉学家,他与闵福德( John Minford) 合译了《红楼梦》,这一版本备受海内外红学界和翻译界的褒奖。霍克思版的《红楼梦》所用的底本是人民文学出版社以程乙本为底本整理的《红楼梦》
程乙本原文:两弯似蹙非蹙笼烟眉,一双似喜非喜含情目。态生两靥之愁,娇袭 一身之病。泪光点点,娇喘微微。闲静似娇花照水,行动如弱柳扶风。心较比干多一 窍,病如西子胜三分。
霍译:Her mist-wreathed brows at first seemed to frown,yet were not frowning; Her passionate eyes at first seemed to smile,yet were not merry. Habit had given a melancholy cast to her tender face; Nature had bestowed a sickly constitution on her delicate frame. Often the eyes swam with glistening tears; Often the breath came in gentle gasps. In stillness she made one think of a graceful flower reflected in the water; In motion she called to mind tender willow shoots caressed by the wind. She had more chambers in her heart than the martyred Bi Gan; And suffered a tithe more pain in it than the beautiful Xi Shi.
中文回译:她那如烟雾缭绕的眉毛,初看似乎皱着,但却并未皱眉; 她那多情的眼睛,乍看似乎在笑,但却并不愉悦。习惯给予她温柔的脸庞以忧郁笼罩;天性赋予她纤弱的身躯以病弱体质。 眼中常充满闪闪泪光;呼吸常伴有微微喘息。沉静时她使人想起水中倒映的优雅花儿;行动中她让人想到清风拂过的柔软柳条。她比殉国的比干更多几个心房;比美丽的西施更受几分病痛之苦。
霍克思谈到自己的翻译目的,曾说: “我当时就想我要翻译内容不需要考虑多少学术性,我只要考虑如何再现这部小说就行。”霍克思的目的就是要让英语读者,最大程度感受到中文为母语的读者所感受的“快乐”。因而,他的译文沿用了原文的诗体形式,暗合了原文四六间插行文的赋体韵文风格,这比单纯的描述性文字更添一分韵味。在他的笔下,林黛玉温柔纤弱,带着淡淡的忧郁气质,举止优雅轻盈,这样的内在气质与外在容貌还是比较接近中文读者心中的林黛玉。