Neighbour Rosicky (Excerpt VI)《邻居罗西基》（节选六）

After he had gone eight miles， he came to the graveyard， which lay just at the edge of his own hay-land. There he stopped his horses and sat still on his wagon seat， looking about at the snowfall. Over yonder on the hill he could see his own house， crouching low， with the clump of orchard behind and the windmill before， and all down the gentle hill-slope the rows of pale gold cornstalks stood out against the white field. The snow was falling over the cornfield and the pasture and the hay-land， steadily， with very little wind—a nice dry snow1. The graveyard had only a light wire fence about it and was all overgrown with long red grass. The fine snow， settling into this red grass and upon the few little evergreens and the headstones， looked very pretty.

赶车走了八英里路，罗西基到了紧挨着他家秣草地的那块墓地。他在那儿停住车，坐在车上朝四下里张望。透过飞扬的雪花，他能看见远处那道山坡，山坡上匍匐着他家的房子，房子后面是片果园，房前竖着架风车，而顺着那道平缓的山坡，衬着白茫茫的田野，一排排淡金色的玉米秆格外醒目。那是场及时的干雪，天上几乎没风，雪花慢悠悠地在玉米地、秣草地和牧场上空飘洒。那块墓地只用一道简陋的铁丝栅栏围着，里面长满了深深的红草。细细的雪花落进红草丛中，洒在几株低矮的常绿树和那些墓碑上，煞是好看。

It was a nice graveyard， Rosicky reflected， sort of snug and homelike， not cramped or mournful， —a big sweep all round it. A man could lie down in the long grass and see the complete arch of the sky over him， hear the wagons go by; in summer the mowing-machine rattled right up to the wire fence. And it was so near home. Over there across the cornstalks his own roof and windmill looked so good to him that he promised himself to mind the Doctor and take care of himself. He was awful fond of his place， he admitted. He wasn’t anxious to leave it. And it was a comfort to think that he would never have to go farther than the edge of his own hayfield. The snow， falling over his barnyard and the graveyard， seemed to draw things together like. And they were all old neighbours in the graveyard， most of them friends; there was nothing to feel awkward or embarrassed about. Embarrassment was the most disagreeable feeling Rosicky knew. He didn’t often have it， —only with certain people whom he didn’t understand at all.

罗西基心想，这真是块不错的墓地，有几分家的味道，小而整洁，不觉褊狭，不觉阴沉，周围视野也开阔。躺在这深深的草丛中，可以看见整个天穹，可以听见路过的马车，夏天还能听到割草机开到铁丝栅栏旁的声音。而且这里离家很近，就在玉米地那边，他家的房顶和风车看上去都那么亲切。他不禁暗暗保证，一定要听医生的话，好好当心身子。他承认，自己非常喜欢这个家，还不急于撒手而去。想到撒手人寰也不过是去到自家秣草地的地边，他心中感到一丝安慰。洒在谷仓前院的雪和洒在墓地里的雪，似乎把两个世界连在了一起。墓地里躺的全都是老邻居，其中多半还是老朋友，所以他不会觉得尴尬或者说局促。罗西基认为，最令人不快的感觉莫过于局促。他很少感到局促，只在某些他完全没法理解的人跟前有过那种感觉。

Well， it was a nice snowstorm; a fine sight to see the snow falling so quietly and graciously over so much open country. On his cap and shoulders， on the horses’ backs and manes， light， delicate， mysterious it fell; and with it a dry cool fragrance was released into the air. It meant rest for vegetation and men and beasts， for the ground itself; a season of long nights for sleep， leisurely breakfasts， peace by the fire. This and much more went through Rosicky’s mind， but he merely told himself that winter was coming， clucked to his horses， and drove on.

啊，是场好雪！雪花那么轻柔，那么优雅，又飘落在那么空旷的原野，这真是一幅美景。他帽子上，肩膀上，马背上，马鬃上，都不可思议地铺上了一层精细的雪花，雪花向空气中散发出一种清凉的香味。这意味着草木鸟兽、人和土地都该歇息了，一个夜长梦美、炉暖饭香的季节来了。罗西基还想到了很多很多，但只是喃喃自语道：冬天来了。他朝马吆喝了一声，赶车朝家驶去。

When he reached home， John， the youngest boy， ran out to put away his team for him， and he met Mary coming up from the outside cellar with her apron full of carrots. They went into the house together. On the table， covered with oilcloth figured with clusters of blue grapes， a place was set， and he smelled hot coffee-cake of some kind. Anton never lunched in town; he thought that extravagant， and anyhow he didn’t like the food. So Mary always had something ready for him when he got home.

一到家门口，小儿子约翰便跑出来替他把马牵往牲口棚，搂着满满一围裙胡萝卜的玛丽也刚从屋外的地窖里出来。老两口一起进了屋。桌上已铺好印有蓝色葡萄串的油布，桌前已为他摆好椅子，他闻到了咖啡蛋糕热乎乎的香味。罗西基从不在镇上吃饭，他认为那是浪费，再说他也不喜欢那里的食物。所以他每次回家，玛丽都会为他准备好吃的。

【背景知识】《邻居罗西基》是美国女作家薇拉·凯瑟（1873—1947）于1930年发表的一篇重要短篇小说。小说通过回忆和追述的手法，讲述了波希米亚移民罗西基朴素而充实的一生，展现了拓荒者及其后代善良、朴素、勤劳、热爱生活、眷念土地的可贵品质。小说主题深刻，结构匀称，笔触细腻，文字优美，人物性格刻画清晰，翻译时应注意描摹。

【第1段】请通过朗读体味这段景物描写的翻译。翻译景物描写好比临摹风景画，要力求描摹出原作的韵味，或者说要力求译出画面感。而要译出画面感，译者斟词酌句时就要注意字词的联想意义和字句的音韵节奏。朱光潜在《谈翻译》一文中说：“联想的意义（associative meaning）带有特殊的情感雾围，甚深广而微妙，在字典中无从找出，对文学却极要紧。……对于文学作品无论是阅读或是翻译，如果没有抓住它的声音节奏，就不免把它的精华完全失去。”（参阅《翻译论集》，商务印书馆，1984，第450—451页）

【第2段】这段原文描写的是罗西基的心理活动，所以译文遣词造句应朴实一些，要尽量接近罗西基说话的口气。有人把hear the wagons go by译成“聆听过往的马车”，把he promised himself to mind the Doctor and take care of himself译成“他对自己发誓，要遵从医嘱，注意身体”，意思虽然正确，但“聆听”和“遵从医嘱”这种表述似乎不如参考译文的“听见”和“听医生的话”来得实在，后者或许更接近罗西基说话的口气。

【第3段】同样请通过朗读体味这段译文的韵味。有人把原文第三句译成了“这是世间万物和大地本身在憩息，是在漫漫长夜进入梦乡，是怡然就餐和享受炉边安宁的时刻”。这种译文或许就是朱光潜先生所批评的“义存而情不存”的译文，因原文的“意义虽大致还在，它的情致就不知去向了”。朱先生说的情致，应该就是我说的韵味。

【第4段】注意此段译文中的“热乎乎”，回看第一段中的“白茫茫”和“慢悠悠”。若将原文中的white、steadily和hot按词典释义翻译成“白色的”“稳稳地”和“热的”，那么用朱光潜先生的话说，就“只是呆板的物理”，用傅雷先生的话说，就“只是H2O”，而“我们在译文中要用的是水，而非H2O”。（参阅《翻译论集》，商务印书馆，1984，第548页）

【小结】本次译析谈到了译出原文的韵味，强调了译者斟词酌句时要注意字词的联想意义。我曾提醒学生，“词典里的词是死的，而文句中的字是活的”。（参阅《英汉翻译二十讲》增订版，商务印书馆，2019，第43页）我说的“死词”，可谓傅雷说的“H2O”；而我说的“活字”则可谓傅雷说的“水”。