翻譯:The Happiness I Aim At 2004年02月13日14:45:20 英語沙龍
A proverb allegedly from ancient China was widely spread in the West but I had never heard it when I was in China1:" If you want to be happy for a few hours, go to get drunk; if you want the happiness to last three years, get married; if you want a lifetime happiness, take up gardening."2 The reason for the last option is this3: Gardening is not only useful, it helps you to identify yourself with nature, and thus brings you new joy each day besides improving your health4.
A research of a US university that I've read gives a definition of happiness as what makes a person feel comfortably pleased.5 To put it specifically, happiness is an active state of mind where one thinks one's life is meaningful, satisfactory and comfortable. This should be something lasting rather than transitory.6
Lots of people regard it the happiest to be at leisure. But according to a study7, it is not a person with plenty of leisure but one at work that feels happy, especially those busy with work having little time for leisure8. Happiness does not spell gains one is after but a desire to harvest what one is seeking for.9 People often do not cherish what they already have but yearn for what they can not get. That is somewhat like a man indulging in fond dreams of numerous lovers10 while reluctant to settle down with the woman beside him.
Happiness is a game balancing between two ends -- what one has and what one wishes for, i.e. one's dream and the possibility to realize it. The study comes to this conclusion11: A happy man is one who aims high but never forgets his actual situation12; one who meets challenges that tap his ability and potentiality; one who is proud of his achievements and the recognition given to him. He has self-respect and self-confidence; treasures his own identity and loves freedom13. He is sociable and enjoys wide-range communication with others; he is helpful and ready to accept assistance. He knows he is able to endure sufferings and frustrations; he is sensible enough to get fun from daily chores. He is a man capable of love and passion14.
Reading about these I really think that I am quite near to being such a person.
在西方流傳著一句據說是來自古老中國的諺語,只是我在中國從未聽說過:"如果你想要幾小時的幸福,就去喝醉酒;如果你想要三年的幸福,就去結婚;如果你想要一輩子的幸福,就去做個園丁。"他們對園丁能一輩子幸福的解釋是:"做有用的事,與自然融合,對身體的鍛鍊和每天都會有新的喜悅。"
我看到過一份美國某大學對"幸福"的研究課題報告,對幸福下的定義是:"主觀地感到適意的程度",具體地說是"對自己的生活感到有意義、滿意和舒適的一種積極的狀態"。這種感覺應當是持續性的。
許多人以為休閒是很大的幸福,但調查顯示:大部分感到幸福的人是在工作中,是那些因工作而特別忙碌的人,而不是有太多休閒時間的人。幸福不意味著"得到我想要的東西",而是"想要我們得到的東西"。人有時不珍惜自己已經有的,卻總去想那些得不到的東西。就像有些男人寧願想像出50個夢中情人而不和他身邊那一個女人實實在在地生活。
幸福是一種使兩者平衡的遊戲:我們已有的和我們想要的,即願望和可能性之間的。最後他們得出的結論:"幸福的人是一個有遠大目標同時不忘記自己是生活在現在的人;一個選擇對自己的才能和潛能有挑戰性的人;一個對自己的成績和社會承認感到驕傲的人;一個自尊、自愛、自由和自信的人;一個有社會交往也能享受人際關係的人;一個樂於助人並接受幫助的人;一個知道自己能承受痛苦和挫折的人;一個能從日常生活小事上感到樂趣的人;一個有愛的能力的人。"
看到這些,我真覺得我很接近於一個幸福的人了。
Notes注釋:1.因作者是德籍華人,所以有這樣的話。
2."做個園丁"譯成這樣是為了與前兩項對應,都是動作概念。
3.原文按漢語規律重複前句意思,譯文按英語規律改用替代語。
4.原文是直接引語,譯文改為間接;不僅如此,譯文對詞語排列和其間的因果關係作了適當調整,這樣做是為了使原意更明朗。
5.原文從"我"出發,符合漢語敘述方式,譯文改以research作主語,則是考慮英語表達習慣。"主觀地感到適意的程度"譯成這樣也是基於同樣的考慮,譯文必須轉換視角,從英語讀者的角度看問題。
6.rather than transitory是把原文內涵意改為明示,並非隨便加詞。
7.現代英語往往用study表示"調查"。
8."因工作而特別忙碌的人"改譯成這樣是由於英語結構的需要,不宜太拘泥字面。
9.原文用兩個引語,譯文均把引號去掉了;原文兩個引語中的代詞不一致,譯文把它們統一改為one;原文"意味著"的兩個賓語都是"東西",譯文則改成gains和desire,這些改變都說明翻譯重在意思而不在詞語,尤其不宜孤立地看待詞語。
10."50個夢中情人"是實數虛指,譯成dreams of numerous lovers是合適的,按字面譯反而不好。
11.原文"他們"雖然指上文所提到的"調查",譯文改譯" The study"很有必要,如譯They反而使文意不明。
12."生活在現在"的含義就是his actual situation或the situation he is actually in。
13."自尊、自愛、自由和自信"可以如此並列,英文卻不行,必須分別處理。其中較難的是"自愛",如譯self-love則極可能被理解為"自戀",甚至於"自私"、"自負",這都不是原意,原意更接近於"潔身自好",故如此譯。
14."有愛的能力"中的"愛"譯成love and passion是考慮這個"愛"應包括"激情",故加passion。
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