「舉世同此累，吾安能去之」——白居易詩《弄龜羅》英譯賞析

文史 05-15

有侄始六歲，字之為阿龜。

有女生三年，其名曰羅兒。

一始學笑語，一能誦歌詩。

朝戲抱我足，夜眠枕我衣。

汝生何其晚，我年行已衰。

物情小可念，人意老多慈。

酒美竟須壞，月圓終有虧。

亦如恩愛緣，乃是憂惱資。

舉世同此累，吾安能去之。

以下英文譯文來自Arthur Waley阿瑟韋利的A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems

CHILDREN（Written circa 820）

My niece, who is six years old, is called 「Miss Tortoise」;

有侄始六歲，字之為阿龜。這句譯者理解有誤，阿龜是男孩子，白龜：生於元和八年（公元813），是白居易胞弟白行簡之小兒子，從小就一直跟著白居易。從《白氏世傳家譜》中可知：行簡有三個兒子。長味道，次晦之，三龜郎。應該是：My nephew, who is six years old, is called 「Little Tortoise」(Trans. by Yan Weiji)

My daughter of three,—little 「Summer Dress.」

有女生三年，其名曰羅兒。

One is beginning to learn to joke and talk;

The other can already recite poems and songs.

一始學笑語，一能誦歌詩。

At morning they play clinging about my feet;

At night they sleep pillowed against my dress.

朝戲抱我足，夜眠枕我衣。

Why, children, did you reach the world so late,

Coming to me just when my years are spent?

汝生何其晚，我年行已衰。

Young things draw our feelings to them;