偶然從網路發現呂叔湘先生翻譯的《伊坦·弗洛美》(Ethan Frome，普利茲獎得主、美國作家伊迪絲華頓Edith Wharton 在1911年出版的小說)全文(http://211.67.182.138/date/books/009/79349.pdf)，重要的是文後附有王宗炎先生寫的《從老手學新招》，點出呂叔湘先生譯文的高明之處，對有志學譯的人有重大的啟發作用。以下是該文的節錄加上我的整理，部分已是愛讀譯的朋友耳熟能詳的：
......遠在好幾年前，葉聖陶先生就指出過呂譯有文章之美。這美，是有目共睹的。我們試就本書引一段看看：
他到郝爾家把灰色馬牽出，開始走上回家的上坡路。外邊的寒冷已經不及早半天利害，沉重的雲空預示明天又要下雪。這兒，那兒，穿出三五顆疏星，透出背後的深藍色。再過一兩點鐘，月亮就要從自己田莊背後的山頭升起，在雲堆裡燒出一條金邊的裂縫，又慢慢的被雲吞沒。一種荒涼的寧靜掛在田野之上，好像它們也感覺寒威稍減，在它們的漫漫的冬眠之中伸伸腳。
He fetched the grays from Hale's
stable and started on his long climb back to the farm. The cold was less sharp
than earlier in the day and a thick fleecy sky threatened snow for the morrow.
Here and there a star pricked through, showing behind it a deep well of blue.
In an hour or two the moon would push over the ridge behind the farm, burn a
gold-edged rent in the clouds, and then be swallowed by them. A mournful peace
hung on the fields, as though they felt the relaxing grasp of the cold and stretched themselves in their long winter sleep.
這是散文的妙品，大概誰也不會否認的。這裡有的是繁複而深奧的意思，很不容易傳達出來，可是呂譯卻那麼明快爽朗，毫無格格不吐之病。田野要在“漫漫的冬眠之中伸伸腳”（they
［the
fields］……stretched
themselves in their long winter sleep），這是一個新奇而深刻的意象，在別的譯者筆下，恐怕要變成異常晦澀的句子了。（但是“好像它們……”似乎不如“好像這些田野……”）呂譯的另一特點，是富於風趣。讀了它，你往往發笑，而且這笑裡往往還有辣味、酸味。大家知道，幽默是在翻譯裡極難保存的一種風格，———多少原著裡的妙句，在一般譯文裡變成了蠢話！———可是在呂先生的生花妙筆之下，原文的幽默味非但沒有沖淡，反而變得更濃：
……“我是個‘雜症’，”她說。
伊坦知道這是個異常嚴重的字眼兒。鄰近這一帶差不多個個人都有“毛病”，說得出病在何處，怎麼個樣兒；但是只有少數不凡的人才有“雜症”。“雜症”能抬高你的身份，雖然往往也就是閻羅王的請帖。許多人有毛病可以帶病延年一年年混下去，可是一有“雜症”十有九就完了。
Ethan knew the word for one of exceptional
import. Almost everybody in the neighbourhood had "troubles," frankly localized and specified; To have them was in itself a distinction, but only the chosen had
"complications." though it was also, in most cases, a death-warrant.
People struggled on for years with "troubles," but they almost always
succumbed to "complications."
呂先生在這兒用“雜症”來譯complications，真是恰當不易。Only the chosen had “complications”譯成“只有少數不凡的人才有‘雜症’”，把一個沒病而愛裝病的女人的心理活生生地畫了 出來。People struggled on for years with troubles 譯成“許多人有毛病可以帶病延年一年年混下去”，庸人自擾的情態，躍然紙上。 但是呂譯最大的長處還是對話。他的對話確是話，清楚，乾脆，念得上口，聽得入耳，像漂亮的戲劇對白那樣討人歡喜。聽吧：
“唉，他的日子不太好過”，哈蒙說。“一個人坐在家裡二十多年，眼看著許多該做的事情做不了，您說他焦不焦？有勁兒沒勁兒？弗洛美家那
幾畝地自來就是貓兒舐過的牛奶鍋兒似的光溜溜地；那些個老磨坊今日之下還值幾個錢兒您總也知道。早年弗洛美能打天亮到天黑磨古它們的時候，還對付勒!點兒什麼出來；可是就在那個時候，他一家人幾張嘴兒也就把那點兒吃盡喝光，這會兒他怎麼混來著我可想不出。先是他爹在地裡割草的時候摔了一跤，腦子有了毛病，花錢像施善書，好幾年才死了。接著他媽又‘出了怪’，吃喝起倒都得人招呼，像個小孩兒，又拖上好幾年；再就是他的女人，細娜，她自來就是個愛吃藥的。病痛和禍害，這是伊坦的家常便飯，從他能吃飯時候算起。”
"Well, matters ain't gone any too
well with him," Harmon said. "When a man's been setting round like a
hulk for twenty years or more, seeing things that want doing, it eats inter
him, and he loses his grit. That Frome farm was always 'bout
as bare's a milkpan when the cat's been round; and you know what one of
them old water-mills is wuth nowadays. When Ethan could sweat over 'em both
from sunup to dark he kinder choked a living out of 'em; but his folks ate up most everything, even then, and I
don't see how he makes out now. Fust his father got a kick, out haying, and
went soft in the brain, and gave away money like Bible texts afore he died.
Then his mother got queer and dragged along for years as weak as a baby; and
his wife Zeena, she's always been the greatest hand at doctoring in the county.
Sickness and trouble: that's what Ethan's had his plate
full up with, ever since the very first helping."
你聽，這不是鄉下老兒講故事的聲口嗎？多麼寫實，多麼逼 真，多麼夠味兒！但是和原文一對，才知道譯者在這幾句話上花 的工夫可大了。“貓兒舐過的牛乳鍋兒似的光溜溜地”原文是 as bare s a milkpan when the cats been
around，譯者把一個子句縮成了短語，免致太嚕嗦。“他一家人幾張嘴兒也就把那點兒吃盡喝光”原文是 his folks ate up everything，譯者添了幾個字使文氣舒暢，更像口語。可是最值得佩服的還是“病痛和禍害，這是伊坦的家常便飯，從他能吃飯時候算起。”這句話原文是 Sickness and trouble: that’s
what Ethan’s had his plate full with, ever since the very first helping. 我起先看到這話，想了半天想不出一個人人看得懂的譯法，那曉得呂譯竟那麼明暢老練！為什麼呂譯能有這樣高的成就呢？我以為首先是因為，原文的意義，譯者辨認得十分真切。原文每字每句的含義和情調，譯者都看得清清楚楚，有了充分把握，所以翻譯時放膽下筆，有 如齊白石作畫，不斤斤於形似，而神氣自然逼肖。試舉幾個例子：
1. In a sky of iron the
points of the Dipper hung like icicles and Orion flashed his cold fires.
在鐵色的天空，北斗的星點象冰柱，南天的獵戶星射出寒冷的光芒。
2. It was a slow trudge home through the heavy fields.
在積雪很深的田畝間走路快不了。
3. But the bay was as good as Frome’s word, and we pushed on to the Junction through the white wild scene.
但是那老栗馬不辜負弗洛美的話，我們在漫天風之中終於到達車站。
在下面這些句子裡，呂先生 顯出了他的語言學的知識和藝術家的手腕：
1. They turned at the gate and passed under the shaded knoll where, enclosed in a low fence, the
Frome gravestones slanted at crazy angles
through the snow.
他們走進了籬笆門，在一道矮矮的石牆圍住的弗洛美家的墓園旁邊走過。那裡邊多少塊墓碑在雪地裡橫斜倚伏。
2. Despair seized him at the
thought of her setting out alone to renew the weary quest for work.
想起她一個人出去重新登上找工作的艱辛的路途，覺得萬念俱灰。
3. Mattie s hand was underneath, and Ethan kept his clasped on it a moment
longer than was necessary.
瑪提的手在下，伊坦把它握住，沒有立刻就放。
4. These alterations of mood were the despair and joy of Ethan
Frome.
她這種一會兒一個情調，叫伊坦時而灰心，時而高興。
呂譯的句子結構，是極其活潑的。他竭力忠於原文，要和它靠近，但是他深知各種語言自有其特殊的習慣和性能，所以從不 削足適履，強迫中文死守外文的規律。為了譯文的明暢流利，他大膽地省略了一些原文有而中文用不著的介詞、連詞、關係代 詞。在下面這些句子中，我們可以看出大匠運斤，得心應手之妙：
1. The builder [Hale] refused genially, as he did everything else.
郝爾的拒絕是很婉轉的，這人無往而不婉轉。
2. Business is pretty slack, to begin with, and then I’m fixing up a little house for Ned and Ruth, when they’re married.
一來是生意清淡，二來我正預備給納德和路德蓋個小房子，他們快結婚了。
3. She s a pauper that’s hung onto us after her father'd done his
best to ruin us.
她是個小叫花子，她的父親拐了我們大家的錢，這會兒她又賴在我們身上。
4. The blood rushed to his thin skin under the sting of Hale s astonishment.
4. The blood rushed to his thin skin under the sting of Hale s astonishment.
郝爾一臉的詫異之色，伊坦反而面紅耳赤的不好意思起來。
5. For the life of her smile, the warmth of her voice, only cold paper and dead words！
沒有了她的活潑的笑容，沒有了她的溫暖的聲音，只有冷的紙和死的字！
呂先生是中國語法家，中文有而外文沒有的各種特殊詞性 和句法，他都有深刻的認識，因此行文如行雲流水，意到筆隨，極富於自然之趣。他的譯文有中國風味、中國氣派，是活譯而非死譯，讀起來流暢親切，幾乎像讀原文那樣：
1. Come along! Get in quick! It’s as slippery as thunder on this turn.
來罷！快點兒上來！這一截子滑得要命呢！
2. That thrust had frightened him more than any vague insinuations
about Denis Eddy.
這一枝冷箭比鄧尼斯·伊迪呀什麼的更叫他驚惶。
3. She stood perfectly still, looking after him, in an attitude of tranquil expectancy torturing to the hidden
watcher.
她站在那兒一動也不動，望著他的後影，她的安詳地期待的態度可把黑地裡守著的那個急壞了。
4. . . . Mattie was bound to make the best of Starkfield since she
hadn’t any other place to go to.
……瑪提不喜歡斯塔克菲爾也得喜歡，因為她沒有第二個
地方可去。
可是，呂譯最不可及的地方，我覺得還是用詞的考究和恰當。呂先生的中文辭彙是那麼驚人地豐富，無論是古文、白話、 成語、俗諺、行話、切口，他都兼收並蓄，到了下筆翻譯的時候，簡 直是源源而來，左宜右有。原文有許多詞句，別人搜索枯腸總找 不到適當的譯語，呂先生卻是信手拈來，恰到好處：
1. Now and then he turned his eyes from the girls face to that of
the partner, which,
in the exhilaration of the dance, had taken on a look of impudent ownership.
他時而轉移他的目光從女子的臉上到她的舞伴的臉上，那張臉在跳舞的狂熱之中儼然有
“佳人屬我”的精神。
2. He had even noticed two or three gestures which, in his fatuity, he had thought she kept for him.
他甚至注意到兩三個姿勢，他一向癡心以為是保留給他的。
3. Zeena herself, from an oppressive reality, had faded into an unsubstantial shade.
連細娜這人也由咄咄逼人的實體褪成一個虛無縹緲的影子。
4. Now, in the warm, lamplit room, with, all its ancient implications of comformity and order, she seemed infinitely farther away from him and more
unapproachable.
這會兒在溫暖的有燈亮的屋子裡頭，自古以來的倫常和規矩好像都擺在這兒，她變成遼遠而不可接近。
5. At Worcester, though he had the name of keeping to himself, and not being much of a hand at a good time, he had secretly gloried in
being clapped on the back and hailed as Old Ethe or Old Stiff.
在烏司特上學的時候，他是有名的孤獨朋友，對於賞心作樂完全外行，可是偶爾有人拍拍他的背，叫他一聲“老伊”或“老傻”，他嘴裡不說，心裡可高興。
