论译诗(上)——《中国古诗汉英比译五十三首》序

On Translating Poetry

有幸拜读了刘文彬同志编辑的《中国古诗汉英比译五十三首》,感到十分高兴。他真不愧是一位有心人,经过日积月累,竟为译诗爱好者和研究者保存了如此丰富的宝贵资料。五十三首古诗280种译文的编辑出版,实为译诗界一大贡献,必将受到广大读者的欢迎。 编者在《引言》中所表达的译诗论点,笔者认为是正确的。他开宗明义说:“译事难,译诗更难,译古诗难上加难。”体会十分深刻。其中甘苦,我也深有同感。怎样译,编者也表达了自己的看法,说:“总觉得神形兼似为好。

Part one in the article discusses the translatability of poetry. The author holds the view that poems can be translated. Part two talks about how to translate them. The author makes an analysis of some translations done by translators of the classic school, the free (verse) school and the creative school. He personally maintains that the translated poems must, on the one hand, be faithful to the original in content and, on the other, look and sound like poetic works in form and rhythm as well.