聊一聊《射鵰英雄傳》英文版中的幾處表達
在3月9號發表的公眾號文章《英語中的"out-"系列》中，我提到了《射鵰英雄傳》的英文版，從文章的反饋情況來看，大家還比較喜歡，於是今天和大家再聊一聊這本武俠小說英文版中的幾處表達。
這次主要聊一下「散布，遍布，星羅棋布」這一系列的表達。
一、be spotted with...
在《射鵰英雄傳》英文版的開頭有一段有關時代背景的描寫，旨在讓老外能更好的理解故事發生的大環境：
The River Huai has long marked the psychological boundary between north and south China. The south is lush in comparison with the northern steppes and central plains, its landscape criss-crossed with rivers andspotted withlakes.
中文原版則沒有這部分，我的譯文如下：
淮河一直以來是南北方的心理分界線。同北方的乾草原和中部平原相比，南方草木更加茂盛，河流交錯，星湖點綴。
spot作名詞講是「斑點」的意思，關於它有一個習語：The leopard cannot change its spots, nor can the tiger change its stripes. 字面意思是：美洲豹不能改變它的斑點，老虎也不能改變它的條紋。也就是「江山易改本性難移」的意思。
文中作動詞，表示「（像斑點一樣）點綴著」，文中，its landscape is spotted with lakes是指 江南被湖泊點綴著。換一種說法就是：江南星湖點綴。
2015年，印度第四大城市金奈遭遇洪水，《經濟學人》對此進行了分析，裡面有這麼一句話：
Chennai used tobe spotted withlakes, marshlands and traditional South Indian bunds, or tanks. As urban land has grown dearer, illegal 「encroachment」 has covered over all but 27 of 650 such basins.
曾經，湖水、沼澤以及傳統南印度堤岸或水庫遍布金奈。隨著都市土地價格上漲，650處這樣的水域中，只有27處沒有被非法佔據。
二、be dotted with...
在《射鵰英雄傳》第一回「風雪驚變」中，郭嘯天和楊鐵心與丘處機道長相識，丘處機殺宋金聯軍，並贈予郭楊兩兄弟以兩把匕首，隨後，丘道長繼續趕路，楊鐵心把玩短劍：
楊鐵心把玩短劍，自斟自飲， 不覺大醉。 包惜弱將丈夫扶上了床，收拾杯盤，見天色已晚，到後院去收雞入籠，待要去關後門，只見雪地里點點血跡，橫過後門。
YANG WAS SLUMPED AT THE TABLE, PLAYING WITH THE DAGGER, more drunk than he had realised. Charity helped her husband into bed and collected the dishes.The navy blue sky was dotted with stars, but there was still enough light for her to go outside and collect the chicken cages. Just as she was pulling the back door shut, however, she caught sight of some blood on the snow only a few metres from the house.
翻譯的時候，「天色已晚」並沒有翻譯成"it"s getting late"，而是處理成了"the navy blue sky was dotted with stars"，更具有畫面感。
dot本是名詞，表示「點」，寫郵件時，×××××@163.com，"163"和"com"之間的點就讀"dot"。
這裡名詞動用，表示「點綴，星羅棋布，遍布」，the navy blue sky was dotted with stars，深藍色的天空繁星點點。
2012年《經濟學人》有篇關於能源與環境的文章，文章開頭這麼說：
AMERICA』S energy landscapeis dotted withnew landmarks.
這句話比較有意思，一方面，landscape有「地形，景觀」的意思，landmark指「地標，標誌性建築」，字面意思是「到處都是地標的地形地貌」；但另一方面，landscape可以比喻「形勢(situation)；領域，圈子(circle, field)」，landmark用來比喻具有標誌性意義的事件。所以，這句話可以翻譯成：美國能源產業不斷實現新突破。
Btw, landscape的這一比喻用法也很常見，比如在2016年6月4日的《經濟學人》中，有篇文章講到了以沃爾瑪為代表的美國傳統零售業和以亞馬遜為代表的美國電子商務行業之間的鬥爭，文章開頭是這麼寫的：
FOR decades a titan has towered over America』sshopping landscape. Walmart is not just the world』s biggest retailer but the biggest private employer and, by sales, the biggest company
數十年來，美國的購物界一直矗立著一位巨人。沃爾瑪不僅是世界上最大的零售商，也是最大的私人僱主，從銷售額來看更是最大的公司。
三、be strewn with...
包惜弱順著血跡找過去，救了完顏洪烈。沒過多久，段天德帶著宋兵殺回牛家村，殺掉郭嘯天，並擄走其懷有身孕的妻子。丘處機得知，一路追到了法華寺，幾經周折，中了段天德之計，和方丈在法華寺大打出手：
法華寺中眾僧都不會武藝，也不知方丈竟身懷絕藝，突見大殿中打得天翻地覆，早就個個嚇得躲了起來。過了好一陣，聽得殿上沒了聲響，幾個大膽的小沙彌探頭張望，見地下躺滿了人，殿上到處是血，大驚之下，大呼小叫，跌跌撞撞的忙去找段天德。
THE OTHER monks of Fahua Temple were not practised in kung fu and had been ignorant of their Abbot』s skills, choosing to flee rather than take part. But since silence had descended upon the Great Hall, the bravest among them ventured to peek inside, only to see the floorstrewn withbodies and the hall painted in blood. Horrified, they ran to find Justice Duan.
文中，strewn with是過去分詞作floor的後置定語，完整的表達是be strewn with，布滿。《詩經·蒹葭》中有這麼一句話：「溯洄從之，道阻且長。溯游從之，宛在水中央。」 其中，「道阻且長」用英文就可以說：The way ahead is long, and strewn with difficulties.
四、be scattered with...
方丈自知不是邱道長對手，便請了江南七怪相助。江南七兄弟相遇時，金庸插入了一段環境描寫：
這醉仙樓正在南湖之旁，湖面輕煙薄霧，幾艘小舟蕩漾其間，半湖水面都浮著碧油油的菱葉。……其時正當春深，碧水翠葉，宛若一泓碧琉璃上鋪滿了一片片翡翠。
THE GARDEN OF THE EIGHT DRUNKEN IMMORTALS SAT ON THE banks of South Lake.It was late spring and the water was clear like a sheet of blue-green jade.A light mist clung to the water』s surface, which trembled as leisure boats scored ripples across it.The lake too was scattered with the emerald leaves of the water chestnut.
中文喜歡把總結、概括性的語句放在最後，而英文恰恰相反，通常會把總結、概括性的語句放在最前，正是因為中英文語言層面的這一差異，譯者在翻譯的時候，把中文中「其時正當春深，碧水翠葉，宛若一泓碧琉璃上鋪滿了一片片翡翠」這一總結概括性的環境描寫移到了開頭"It was late spring and the water was clear like a sheet of blue-green jade."
scatter一詞比較常見，是「撒」的意思，如圖，我們可以說：The wet floor is scattered with fallen flowers.
文中The lake too was scattered with the emerald leaves of the water chestnut.的意思是，湖面上也飄撒著碧綠的菱葉，金庸的文筆就比較優美了：半湖水面都浮著碧油油的菱葉。「半」對應著"be scattered with".
2015年《經濟學人》上有篇文章分析了薩爾瓦多犯罪團伙對該國GDP的影響，裡面有句話也用到了be scattered with：
Mr Flores, the ex-Sure?os gangster, whose back, chest and armsare scattered withtattoos and scars from bullet wounds, became an evangelical Christian after he left prison in 2010.
弗洛雷斯之前是蘇萊尼奧黑幫的成員，他的後背、胸口和手臂上有多處紋身和槍傷留下的疤痕。但2010年出獄後，成了福音教派基督徒。
同其它表達相比，scatter更側重「零散」之意。《射鵰英雄傳》中，段天德挾持郭靖母親李萍，在戰火中東躲西藏，一路就到了蒙古，後失散，李萍產子郭靖，幾年後被鐵木真收留。後鐵木真遭遇桑坤和札木合的陷害，兩軍交戰，金庸是這麼描寫交戰場景的：
桑昆見眾人衝下，正要指揮人馬攔截，見都史這等模樣，不禁呆了，不知如何是好，轉眼之間，鐵木真等已衝到了眼前。哲別看準桑昆腦門，發箭射去。桑昆突見箭到，急忙閃避，那箭正中右腮，撞下馬去。眾兵將見主帥落馬，登時大亂。
Senggum was about to send men to intercept the attack when he caught sight of his son in the general』s grip. This moment of hesitation allowed Temujin』s best men to descend the hill. Jebe aimed an arrow at Senggum』s head and released. Senggum ducked but the arrow caught him in the cheek and he fell from his horse. With their commander-in-chief injured, Senggum』s menscattered.
「亂」我們能想到的有in a mess, in chaos, 這些雖能傳遞意思，但缺少一種畫面感，而譯者用動詞scatter就把混亂的場景描述的淋漓盡致，讓人腦海中浮現出桑坤收下的士兵四散而逃、潰不成軍的畫面。
五、be peppered with...
在第四期精讀寫作課的第9單元中，我們一起讀了有關亂砍亂伐的文章，《經濟學人》里有這麼一句話：
Family farmers lament that trees obstruct the big machinery needed to keep their land productive. They know that empty fields are worth perhaps five times more thanthose peppered with vegetation.
農民抱怨森林妨礙了大型機械的應用，不利於生產力的提高。他們知道空曠田地的價值是林地的五倍。
pepper本是「胡椒粉」的意思，名詞動用，表示「（像撒胡椒粉一樣）撒滿，（像撒胡椒粉一樣）密密麻麻的散布在...」，如圖：
文中those peppered with vegetation是說，到處都是植被的土地，也就是「林地」的意思。
今天我們通過《射鵰英雄傳》英文版和《經濟學人》，學習了五個有關「散布，遍布，星羅棋布」的表達，如果你有補充，歡迎寫在留言區，我們一起交流、學習。
感謝閱讀！
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