剛才在搜狐英語學習論壇上，看到“莫傾城”網友的一個帖子，介紹他自己翻譯的蘇軾《江城子·乙卯正月二十日夜記夢》。首先我必須指出，中國古代詩歌的英譯，是一件高難度的工作，翻譯者必須具備古代漢語、英語、詩歌、音韻等多方面造詣。坦率地講，我本人遠遠沒有達到這種水平，而且據我觀察，在國內幾個主要英語學習論壇上，能達到這種水平的人，也很少很少，所以我首先向這位網友表達我的欽佩之情。
但是另一方面，我認為“莫傾城”網友的譯文有兩個明顯缺點，這種缺點即使是英語水平不高的人，也可以很容易地看出來，這就是：第一，英語譯文過分拘泥于漢語原文，原文中的每個漢字，幾乎都有對應的英語單詞，因而英語譯文顯得比較冗長；第二，英語譯文中的某些單詞，過于正式，不適合在詩歌中使用，比如ignorant、recognize、presume等，因而文字風格顯得有些不協調。我想在這里推薦美國著名漢學家Burton Watson翻譯的這首古詞，您可以比較一下，他的譯文比較簡練，風格也比較統一。

漢語原文：
十年生死兩茫茫，不思量，自難忘。千里孤墳，無處話凄涼。縱使相逢應不識，塵滿面，鬢如霜。

夜來幽夢忽還鄉，小軒窗，正梳妝。相顧無言，唯有淚千行。料得年年腸斷處，明月夜，短松岡。

莫傾城的譯文：

For ten years the living and the dead are both ignorant of each other.

Even though I refrain from thinking of you,

However I cannot forget you.

Your lonely tomb lies a thousand miles away,

Where can I pour my sorrows anyway?

Even if we meet again, you can hardly recognize me by the way,

For my face is fully covered with dust,

And my temples have as frost turned grey.

Last night I suddenly dreamed of returing to my native land.

I saw you sitting by the tiny window,

Dressing and making up with your white hand.

We looked at each other, unable to speak a word,

Only a thousand lines of tears rolled down our faces.

I presume you will lie in that heartbreaking place year after year,

In that small round covered with pines mere,

Under the moon bright and clear.

美國著名漢學家Burton Watson的譯文：

Ten years, dead and living dim and draw apart.

I don't try to remember,

But forgetting is hard.

Lonely grave a thousand miles off,

Cold thoughts, where can I talk them out?

Even if we met, you wouldn't know me,

Dust on my face,

Hair like frost.

In a dream last night suddenly I was home.

By the window of the little room,

You were combing your hair and making up.

You turned and looked, not speaking,

Only lines of tears coursing down.

Year after year will it break my heart?

The moonlit grave,

The stubby pines.

這個帖子發表之后大約半個小時，“莫傾城”網友給我發來郵件，對我的帖子表示感謝。出乎我預料的是，莫老弟竟然是一個19歲的高中生，真是令人難以置信！不過，也有網友給我留言，認為莫老弟的譯文太幼稚，而且存在語法錯誤。當然，我承認莫老弟的譯文確實有一些缺點，但我覺得一個19歲的高中生，能夠達到這種水平，已經很不容易了，我們應當持一種包容、鼓勵的心態。