《荷塘月色》五種英譯

1、荷塘月色五種英譯荷塘月色朱自清這幾天心里頗不寧靜。今晚在院子里坐著乘涼，忽然想起日日走過的荷塘，在這滿月 的光里，總該另有一番樣子吧。月亮漸漸地升高了，崎外馬路上孩子們的歡笑，已經(jīng)聽不 見了；妻在屋里拍著閏兒，迷迷糊糊地哼著眠歌。我情悄地披了大衫，帶上門出去。沿著荷塘，是一條曲折的小煤屑路。這是一條幽僻的路；白天也少人走，夜晚更加寂 寞。荷塘四面，長著許多樹，蓊蓊郁郁的。路的一旁，是些楊柳，和一些不知道名字的樹。 沒有月光的晚上，這路上陰森森的，有些怕人。今晚卻很好，雖然月光也還是淡淡的。路上只我一個(gè)人，背著手踱著。這一片天地好像是我的；我也像超出了平常的自己， 到了另一世界里。我愛熱鬧，也愛

2、冷靜：愛群居，也愛獨(dú)處。像今晚上，一個(gè)人在這蒼茫 的月下，什么都可以想，什么都可以不想，便覺是個(gè)自由的人。白天里一定要做的事，一 定要說的話，現(xiàn)在都可不理。這是獨(dú)處的妙處；我且受用這無邊的荷香月色好了。曲曲折折的荷塘上面，彌望的是mm的葉子。葉子出水很高，像亭亭的舞女的裙。層 層的葉子中間，零星地點(diǎn)綴著些白花，有裊娜地開著的，有羞澀地打著朵兒的：正如一粒 粒的明珠，乂如碧天里的星星，乂如剛出浴的美人。微風(fēng)過處，送來縷縷清香，仿佛遠(yuǎn)處 高樓上渺茫的歌聲似的。這時(shí)候葉子與花也有一絲的顫動(dòng)，像閃電般，霎時(shí)傳過荷塘的那 邊去了。葉子本是肩并肩密密地挨著，這便宛然有了一道凝碧的波痕。葉子底下是脈脈的 流

3、水，遮住了，不能見一些顏色：而葉子卻更見風(fēng)致了。月光如流水一般，靜靜地瀉在這一片葉子和花上。薄薄的青霧浮起在荷塘里。葉子和 花仿佛在牛乳中洗過一樣；乂像籠著輕紗的夢(mèng)。雖然是滿月，天上卻有一層淡淡的云，所 以不能朗照：但我以為這恰是到了好處一一酣眠固不可少，小睡也別有風(fēng)味的。月光是隔 了樹照過來的，高處叢生的灌木，落下參差的斑駁的黑影，靖愣愣如鬼一般；彎彎的楊柳 的稀疏的倩影，卻乂像是畫在荷葉上。塘中的月色并不均勻；但光與影有著和諧的旋律， 如梵婀玲上奏著的名曲。荷塘的四面，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)近近，高高低低都是樹，而楊柳最多。這些樹將一片荷塘重重圍住; 只在小路一旁，漏著幾段空隙，像是特為月光留下的。樹色一例

4、是陰陰的，乍看像一團(tuán)煙 霧：但楊柳的豐姿，便在煙霧里也辨得出。樹梢上隱隱約約的是一帶遠(yuǎn)山，只有些大意罷 了。樹縫里也漏著一兩點(diǎn)路燈光，沒精打采的，是瞌睡人的眼。這時(shí)候最熱鬧的，要數(shù)樹 上的蟬聲與水里的蛙聲：但熱鬧是它們的，我什么也沒有。忽然想起采蓮的事情來了。采蓮是江南的舊俗，似乎很早就有，而六朝時(shí)為盛；從詩 歌里可以約略知道。采蓮的是少年的女子，她們是蕩著小船，唱著艷歌去的。采蓮人不用說很多，還有看采蓮的人。那是一個(gè)熱鬧的季節(jié)，也是一個(gè)風(fēng)流的季節(jié)。梁元帝采蓮賦 里說得好：于是妖童媛女，蕩舟心許：。.首徐回，兼?zhèn)饔鸨?；。嬌移而藻掛，船欲?dòng)而萍開。 爾其纖腰束素，遷延顧步：夏始春余，葉嫩花初，恐

5、沾裳而淺笑，畏傾船而斂裾?？梢姰?dāng)時(shí)嬉游的光景了。這真是有趣的事，可惜我們現(xiàn)在早已無福消受了。于是乂 記起西州曲里的句子：采蓮南塘秋，蓮花過人頭：低頭弄蓮子，蓮子清如水。今晚若有采蓮人，這兒的蓮花也算得“過人頭” 了；只不見一些流水的影子，是不行 的。這令我到底慵著江南了。一一這樣想著，猛一抬頭，不覺已是自己的門前；輕輕地推 門進(jìn)去，什么聲息也沒有，妻己睡熟好久了。一九二七年七月，北京清華園譯文一：Moonlight Over the Lotus PondTr. Zhu Chunshen （朱純深）I have felt quite upset recently. Tonight, when I

6、 was sitting in the yard enjoying the cool, it occurred to me that the Lotus Pond, which I pass by everyday, must assume quite a different look in such moonlit night. A full moon was rising high in the sky; the laughter of children playing outside had died away; in the room, my wife was patting the

7、son, Runner, sleepily humming a cradle song. Shrugging on an overcoat, quietly, I made my way out, closing the door behind me.Alongside the Lotus Pond runs a small cinder footpath. It is peaceful and secluded here, a place not frequented by pedestrians even in the daytime; now at night, it looks mor

8、e solitary, in a lush, shady ambience of trees all around the pond. On the side where the path is, there are willows, interlaced with some others whose names I do not know. The foliage, which, in a moonless night, would loom somewhat frighteningly dark, looks very nice tonight, although the moonligh

9、t is not more than a thin, greyish veil.I am on my own, strolling, hands behind my back. This bit of the universe seems in my possession now; and I myself seem to have been uplifted from my ordinary self into another world. I like a serene and peaceful life, as much as a busy and active one; I like

10、being in solitude, as much as in company. As it is tonight, basking in a misty moonshine all by myself. I feel I am a free man, free to think of anything, or of nothing. All that one is obliged to do, or to say, in the daytime, can be very well cast aside now. That is the beauty of being alone. For

11、the moment, just let me indulge in this profusion of moonlight and lotus fragrance.All over this winding stretch of water, what meets the eye is a silken field of leaves, reaching rather high above the surface, like the skirts of dancing girls in all their grace. Here and there, layers of leaves are

12、 dotted with white lotus blossoms, some in demure bloom, others in shy bud, like scattering pearls, or twinkling stars, or beauties just out of the bath. A breeze stirs, sending over breaths of fragrance, like faint singing drifting from a distant building. At this moment, a tiny thrill shoots throu

13、gh the leaves and flowers, like a streak of lightning, straight across the forest of lotuses. The leaves, which have been standing shoulder to shoulder, are caught trembling in an emerald heave of the pond. Underneath, the exquisite water is covered from view, and none can tell its colour; yet the l

14、eaves on top project themselves all the more attractively.The moon sheds her liquid light silently over the leaves and flowers, which, in the floating transparency of a bluish haze from the pond, look as if they had just been bathed in milk, or like a dream wrapped in a gauzy hood. Although it is a

15、full moon, shining through a film of clouds, the light is not at its brightest; it is, however, just right for me - a profound sleep is indispensable, yet a snatched doze also has a savour of its own. The moonlight is streaming down through the foliage, casting bushy shadows on the ground from high

16、above, dark and checkered, like an army of ghosts; whereas the benign figures of the drooping willows, here and there, look like paintings on the lotus leaves. The moonlight is not spread evenly over the pond, but rather in a harmonious rhythm of light and shade, like a famous melody played on a vio

17、lin.Around the pond, far and near, high and low, are trees. Most of them are willows. Only on the path side can two or three gaps be seen through the heavy fringe, as if specially reserved for the moon. The shadowy shapes of the leafage at first sight seem diffused into a mass of mist, against which

18、,however, the charm of those willow trees is still discernible. Over the trees appear some distant mountains, but merely in sketchy silhouette. Through the branches are also a couple oflamps, as listless as sleepy eyes. The most lively creatures here, for the moment, must be the cicadas in the trees

19、 and the frogs in the pond. But the liveliness is theirs, I have nothing.Suddenly, something like lotus-gathering crosses my mind. It used to be celebrated as a folk festival in the South, probably dating very far back in history, most popular in the period of Six Dynasties. We can pick up some outl

20、ines of this activity in the poetry. It was young girls who went gathering lotuses, in sampans and singing love songs. Needless to say, there were a great number of them doing the gathering, apart from those who were watching. It was a lively season, brimming with vitality, and romance. A brilliant

21、description can be found in Lotus Gathering written by the Yuan Emperor of the Liang Dynasty：So those charming youngsters row their sampans, heart buoyant with tacit love, pass on to each other cups of wine while their bird-shaped prows drift around. From time to time their oars are caught in dangli

22、ng algae, and duckweed float apart the moment their boats are about to move on. Their slender figures, girdled with plain silk, tread watchfully on board. This is the time when spring is growing into summer, the leaves a tender green and the flowers blooming, among which the girls are giggling when

23、evading an outreaching stem, their shirts tucked in for fear that the sampan might tilt.That is a glimpse of those merrymaking scenes. It must have been fascinating; but unfortunately we have long been denied such a delight.Then I recall those lines in Ballad of Xizhou Island：Gathering the lotus, I

24、am in the South Pond, / The lilies in autumn reach over my head; / Lowering my head I toy with the lotus seed, / Look, they are as fresh as the water underneath. If there were somebody gathering lotuses tonight, she could tell that the lilies here are high enough to reach over her head; but, one wou

25、ld certainly miss the sight of the water. So my memories drift back to the South after all.Deep in my thoughts, I looked up, just to find myself at the door of my own house. Gently I pushed the door open and walked in. Not a sound inside, my wife had been asleep for quite a while.Qinghua Campus, Bei

26、iingJuly, 1927譯文二：The Lotus Pond by MoonlightTr. David E. PollardThe last few days I have been quite troubled in my mind. Tonight as I sat in the yard enjoying the cool of evening I suddenly thought of the lotus pond I passed every day： it must surely look different now in the light of the full moon

27、. The moon was mounting high in the sky, and the sounds of the children at play in the road outside had died away. Indoors my wife was putting our little Runer to sleep, drowsily humming a lullaby. I quietly slipped on my gown and went out, pulling the gate to behind me.At the edge of the pond is a

28、winding narrow cinder path. This path, being out of the way, is little used even in the daytime, and at night is all the more deserted. All around the pond grow many trees, lush and dense, while on one side of the path there are some willows, and other trees whose names are unknown to me. On moonles

29、s nights the path is overcast and gloomy, somewhat eerie. But tonight all was well, even though the moonlight was only dim.3I was the only person on the path, pacing along with my hands clasped behind my back. It was as if this domain belonged to me; and also as if I had transcended my normal self,

30、had crossed into another dimension. I like excitement, and also like calm; I love to be in crowds, and also love to be on my own. On a night like this, alone in the all-pervading moonlight, one could think about everything, or about nothing, and so believe oneself to be a free man. One* s daytime ob

31、ligations, in terms of what one had to do and say, could be entirely ignored. This was the beauty of solitude. I resolved to make the best of this abundance of lotus and moonlight.On the surface of the serpentine lotus pond all one could see was fields of leaves. The leaves stood high above the wate

32、r, splayed out like the skirts of a tall slim ballerina. Here and there among the layers of leaves were sown shining white flowers, some blooming glamorously, some in shy bud, just like unstrung pearls, or stars against a blue sky. Their fresh fragrance wafted on the faint breeze, like snatches of s

33、ong from some distant tower. At each breath of wind the leaves and flowers also gave a shiver, which passed over the entire breadth of the pond in a flash, like lightning. The leaves being so densely massed together, this gave the impression of an emerald wave. Beneath the leaves were channels of fl

34、owing water, but they were hidden from view, not even a hint being visible; but that only served to give the leaves more presence.The moonbeams spilled placidly onto this expanse of leaves and flowers like living water. A thin mist floated up from the lotus pond. The leaves and flowers seemed to be

35、washed in milk, and at the same time trapped in a dream of flimsy gauze. Although the moon was full, there was a veil of light cloud, which prevented it from shining brightly; but to me this was just right - we cannot do without deep sleep, admitted, but a quiet doze also has its pleasures. The moon

36、light was filtered through the trees, while the clumps of bushes on the high ground cast heavy irregular mottled shadows. The spare silhouettes of the arching willows appeared to be painted on the lotus leaves. The moonlight on the pond was not all smooth and even, but the rhythm of light and shade

37、was harmonious, like a musical masterpiece played on a violin.On all sides of the pond, near and far, high and low, were trees, the majority being willows. These trees ringed the pond like a fortress. Only on the side where the path was were a few gaps left, as if on purpose for the moonlight. The t

38、rees were all of sombre hue, and at first sight looked like a bank of fog; but the grace of the willows could still be perceived. Above the crests of the trees a range of far hills could be dimly seen, but only in outline. A few gleams from street lights also leaked through the interstices of the tr

39、ees, but they were wan and lifeless, eyes heavy with sleep. At this time the most animated of things were the thrumming of the cicadas in the trees and the croaking of the frogs in the water. But animation was their affair： it had nothing to do with me.I suddenly bethought myself of the business of

40、gathering lotuses. This was an old custom in the lower Yangtze region, apparently of very early origin, and most popular during the Six Dynasties. A rough idea of it can be got from poetry. I went on to recall these lines from Song of the Western Eyot”：We gather lotus from the South Pond in autumn T

41、he lotus flowers are higher than a man* s head We bend to get the lotus seeds up The lotus seeds are as green as water.If those lotus gatherers had been here tonight, they would have been satisfied that the lotuses were uhigher than a man* s head” , but disappointed that there was not even a glimpse

42、 of flowing water. This led me to feel thoroughly nostalgic for the country south of the Yangtze. Absorbed in4such thoughts, I suddenly raised my head, and found myself back at my own gate. I opened the door quietly and went in. Not a sound was to be heard. My wife had long since fallen asleep.譯文三：T

43、he Lotus Pool by MoonlightTr. Chinese Literature Press （中國文學(xué)出版社）The last few days have found me very restless. This evening as I sat in the yard to enjoy the cool, it struck me how different the lotus pool I pass every day must look under a full moon. Themoon was sailing higher and higher up the hea

44、vens, the sound of childish laughter had died away from the lane beyond our wall, and my wife was in the house patting Run er and humming a lullaby to him. I quietly slipped on a long gown, and walked out leaving the door on the latch.A cinder-path winds along by the side of the pool. It is off the

45、beaten track and few pass this way even by day, so at night it is still more quiet. Trees grow thick and bosky all around the pool, with willows and other trees I cannot name by the path. On nights when there is no moon the track is almost terrifyingly dark, but tonight it was quite clear, though th

46、e moonlight was pale.Strolling alone down the path, hands behind my back, I felt as if the whole earth and sky were mine and I had stepped outside my usual self into another world. I like both excitement and stillness, enjoy both a crowd andsolitude. Take tonight, for of whatever I pleased or of fre

47、edom. All daytime duties solitude: I could savour toinstance. Alone under the full moon, I could think nothing at all, and that gave me a sense of could be disregarded. That was the advantage of the full that expanse of fragrant lotus and the moonlight.solitude. Take tonight, for of whatever I pleas

48、ed or of freedom. All daytime duties solitude: I could savour tomargin was covered with flared skirts of white lotus flowers,As far as eye could see, the pool with its winding trim leaves, which rose high out of the water like the dancing girls. And starring these tiers of leaves were alluringly ope

49、n or bashfully in bud, like glimmering pearls, stars in an azure sky, or beauties fresh from the bath. The breeze carried past gusts of fragrance, like the strains of a song faintly heard from a far-off tower. And leaves and blossoms trembled slightly, while in a flash the scent was carried away. As the closely serried leaves bent, a tide of opaque emerald could be glimpsed. That was the softly runnin