《赤壁赋》 双语英译不同版本赏析

壬戌之秋，七月既望，苏子与客泛舟游于赤壁之下。清风徐来，水波不兴。举酒属客，诵明月之诗，歌窈窕之章。少焉，月出于东山之上，徘徊于斗牛之间。白露横江，水光接天。纵一苇之所如，凌万顷之茫然。浩浩乎如凭虚御风，而不知其所止;飘飘乎如遗世独立，羽化而登仙。

于是饮酒乐甚，扣舷而歌之。歌曰：“桂棹兮兰桨，击空明兮溯流光。渺渺兮予怀，望美人兮天一方。”客有吹洞箫者，倚歌而和之。其声呜呜然，如怨如慕，如泣如诉;余音袅袅，不绝如缕。舞幽壑之潜蛟，泣孤舟之嫠妇。苏子愀然，正襟危坐而问客曰：“何为其然也?”客曰：“月明星稀，乌鹊南飞，此非曹孟德之诗乎?西望夏口，东望武昌，山川相缪，郁乎苍苍，此非孟德之困于周郎者乎?方其破荆州，下江陵，顺流而东也，舳舻千里，旌旗蔽空，酾酒临江，横槊赋诗，固一世之雄也;而今安在哉!况吾与子渔樵于江渚之上，侣鱼虾而友麋鹿，驾一叶之扁舟，举匏樽以相属。寄蜉蝣于天地，渺沧海之一粟。哀吾生之须臾，羡长江之无穷。挟飞仙以遨游，抱明月而长终。知不可乎骤得，托遗响于悲风。”

苏子曰：“客亦知夫水与月乎?逝者如斯，而未尝往也;盈虚者如彼，而卒莫消长也。盖将自其变者而观之，则天地曾不能以一瞬;自其不变者而观之，则物与我皆无尽也，而又何羡乎?且夫天地之间，物各有主，苟非吾之所有，虽一毫而莫取。惟江之清风，与山间之明月，耳得之而为声，目遇之而成色，取之无禁，用之不竭。是造物者之无尽藏也，而吾与子之所共适。”

客喜而笑，洗盏更酌。肴核既尽，杯盘狼藉。相与枕藉乎舟中，不知东方之既白。

译文一：

First Visit to the Red Cliff

Su Shi

In the autumn of the year Renxu, at the time of the full moon in the seventh month, I went by boat with some friends to the Red Cliff. There was a fresh, gentle breeze, but the water was unruffled. I raised my winecup to drink to my friends, and we chanted the poem on the bright moon, singing the stanza about the fair maid. Soon the moon rose above the eastern mountain, hovering between the Dipper and the Cowherd. The river stretched white, sparkling as if with dew, its glimmering water merging with the sky. We let our craft drift over the boundless expanse of water, feeling as free as if we were riding the wind bound for some unknown destination, as light as if we had left the human world and become winged immortals. Drinking, we became very merry; and we sang a song, beating time on the side of the boat. This was the song:

Our rudder and oars, redolent of cassia and orchids;

Strike the moon‟s reflection, cleaving the glimmering water; But my heart is far away,

Longing for my dear one under a different sky.

One friend, who was a good flutist, played an accompaniment to this song. The notes rang out nostalgic, mournful and plaintive, trailing on and on like a thread of gossamer, arousing the serpents lurking in dark caverns, drawing tears from a widow in her lonely boat. Sad at heart, I sat up straight to ask my friend why the music was so mournful.

He replied, “Didn’t Cao Cao describe a scent like this in his poem: „The moon is bright, the stars are scattered, the crows fly south…?‟ And isn’t this the place where he was defeated by Zhou Yu?‟ See how the mountains and streams intertwine, and how darkly imposing they are with Xiaokou to the west and Wuchang to the east. When Cao Cao took Jingzhou by storm and conquered Jiangling, then advanced eastward along the river, his battleships stretched for a thousand li, his armies‟ pennons and banners filled the sky. When he offered a libation of wine on the river and lance in hand chanted his poem, he was the hero of his times. But where is he now? We are mere fishermen and woodcutters, keeping company with fish and prawns and befriending deer. We sail our skiff, frail as a leaf, and toast each other by drinking wine from a gourd. We are nothing but insects who live in this world but one day, mere specks of grain in the vastness of the ocean. I am grieved because our life is so transient, and envy the mighty river which flows on forever. I long to clasp winged fairies and roam freely, or to embrace the bright moon for all eternity. But knowing that this cannot be attained at once, I give vent to my feelings in these notes which pass with the sad breeze. ”

Then I asked him, “Have you considered the water and the moon? Water flows away but is never lost; the moon waxes and wanes, but neither increases nor diminishes. If you look at its changing aspect, the universe passes in the twinkling of an eye; but if you look at its changeless aspect, all creatures including ourselves are imperishable. What reason have you to envy other things? Besides, everything in this universe has its owner; and if it does not belong to me not a tiny speck can I take. The sole exceptions are the cool breeze on the river, the bright moon over the hills. These serve as music to our ears, as colour to our eyes; these we can take freely and enjoy forever; these are inexhaustible treasures supplied by the Creator, and things in which we can delight together.”

My friend was pleased and laughed. Then we rinsed our cups and filled them with wine again. When we had finished the dishes, and cups and plates lay about us in disorder, we stretched out in the boat and did not notice the coming of dawn in the east.

译文二：

Boating at the Red Cliff

Su Shi

In the seventh month of the year Renxu, when an autumnal full moon was just a little on the wane, I, Su Shi, went boating with my guests in the river near the Red Cliff. Afresh breeze was blowing our way and the waves were utterly calm. I raised my wine cup and toasted my guests, joining them in chanting the Ode to the Bright Moon and the Song of Sylphs. A little later, the moon rose above the eastern hills, loitering between the mansions of the Dipper and the Ox. A broad stretch of dewy white lay across the river. The sheen of the waters merged with the hues of the sky. The boat, once set adrift, traversed an immense expanse of thousands of hectares. What an ecstasy! It was as if we were harnessing the wind, riding through thee thereal vacant space, not knowing when to come to hahalt, while the divine joy was as if we were forsaking the world and becoming winged deities, ascending to the land of immortals.

Then we drank wine, and feeling exhilarated, tapped the gunwale and sang the song: "O yeoarsof laurel and orchid, strike and pierce ye the lambent and limpid waters, and brave ye the moon-lit swift currents. Unbounded is my mind, longing for the main my heart who is beyond the horizon." A Xiao player among the guests accompanied the song, which produced awful tune, now like someone murmuring and languishing for love, now like someone sobbing and complaining. The lingering sound was as unbroken as silk, capable of stirring a drag on hidden in an abyss to dance and moving a widow in a solitary boat to weep.

Saddened by the melancholy song, I sat tight and asked the guests, "Why was your music so disconsolate?"

The guest said, "The moon is bright, the stars are far between, and the crows are southward ound.' Is this not the poem of Cao Mengde? You see Xiakou in the west and Wuchang in the east. The hills and rivers are interlinked and enshrouded in as omber green. Is it not where Cao was besieged by Zhou Yu? At that time, Caotook Jingzhou, seized Jiangling,then sailed eastward down the Yangtze River, with ships in battle array, extending a thousand li, their flags and pennant seclipsing the sunlight. He filled his wine cup before the rolling river, and holding his spear in both hands, composed and declaimed his poems. He was indeed the hero of his time. But where is he now? As for you and me, we merely do fishing and firewood-cutting in the river and on its islets, associating with fish and shrimps, and making friends with reindeer. We row a boat, to as teach other, depositing our ephemeral life in the universe, our being as infinitely small as a grain in the ocean. Lamenting our fleeting existence and envying the everlasting Yangtze River, I wish I could travel with fairies in heaven and hold the bright moon in my arms through eternity. Yet I know this cannot so soon come true, I can but charge the sad autumn wind to be the vehicle of my plaintive music."

I said, "Haveyou ever speculated upon the river and the moon? Though the former runs with out cease, it remains there forever. Though the latter waxes and wanes, it never increases or diminishes. If it is viewed from the angle of change, the universe can hardly be the same for a moment. However, when seen from the angle of constancy, then everything and we ourselves are blessed with immortality. What could so much deserve our envy? Besides, all things under heaven have their separate owners. If a thing does not belong to me, not even a mite of its hould be taken as mine. Only the refreshing breeze on the river and the bright moon over the hills, which generate in our ears a pleasant sound and in our eyes adreamy color, are inexhaustible and can be freely enjoyed. They are anim measurable treasure granted to us by our Creator as a grace, for our common happiness."

My guests were gladdened and smiled. Having cleaned the wine cups, we renewed our drinking. The dishes, fruits and tidbits were all consumed. The trays, plates and drinking vessels were scattered in confusion. We slept close to each other in the boat, unaware that it was dawning in the east.