張培基英譯中國現代散文選(一)之《戀愛不是游戲》

戀愛不是游戲 

——廬隱 

    沒有在浮沉的人海中(1)，翻過筋斗的和尚，不能算善知識(2)； 

    沒有受過戀愛洗禮的人生，不能算真人生。 

    和尚最大的努力，是否認現世而求未來的涅槃(3)，但他若不曾了解現世，他又怎能勘破現世(4)，而跳出三界(5)外呢？ 

    而戀愛是人類生活的中心，孟子說：“食色性也。”所謂戀愛正是天賦之本能；如一生不了解戀愛的人，他又何能了解整個人生？ 

    所以凡事都從學習而知而能，只有戀愛用不著學習，只要到了相當的年齡，碰到合式（適）的機會，他和她便會莫名其妙地戀愛起來。 

    戀愛人人都會(6)，可是不見得人人都懂(7)，世俗大半以性欲偽充戀愛，以游戲的態度處置戀愛，于是我們時刻可看到因戀愛而不幸的記載。 

    實在的戀愛絕不是游戲，也絕不是墮落的人生所能體驗出其價值的，它具有引人向上的鞭策力，它也具有偉大無私的至上情操，它更是美麗的象征。 

    在一雙男女正純潔熱愛著的時候，他和她內心充實著驚人的力量；他們的靈魂是從萬有的束縛中，得到了自由，不怕威脅，不為利誘，他們是超越了現實，而創造他們理想的樂園。 

    不幸物欲充塞的現世界，這種戀愛的光輝，有如螢火之微弱，而且“戀愛”有時適成為無知男女墮落之階，使維納斯不禁深深地嘆息：“自從世界人群趨向滅亡之途，戀愛變成了游戲，哀哉！”

 

注釋: 

女作家廬隱（1898-1934），福建閩侯人，早期與冰心齊名。她的雜文短小精悍，直爽坦率，筆鋒銳利。 

(1)“浮沉的人海中”譯為ups and downs in the sea of mortals，其中ups and downs意同vicissitudes（興敗、盛衰）；the sea of mortals意同the sea of the living。 

(2)“不能算善知識”意即“沒有過資格稱為智者”，現譯為will have no claim to true wisdom，其中have no claim to本作“對……沒有提出要求的權利”解，現作“沒有資格稱為……”解。此句也可譯為will have no true wisdom to speak of，但與原意稍有出入。 

(3)“涅槃”指信佛教者經過長期“修道”所達到的最高境界。后世也稱僧人逝世為“涅槃”（又稱“入滅”或“圓寂”）。英語稱之為virvana，源于梵文。 

(4)“勘破現世”意同“看破紅塵”現譯為see through the vanity of human society。 

(5)“跳出三界”中的“三界”也是佛教用語，指“眾生所住的世界”?，F按“與現世一刀兩斷”的意思把“跳出三界”譯為make a clean break with this mortal world。 

(6)“戀愛人人都會”意即“戀愛出于本能”，故譯為People love by instinct。 

(7)“可是不見的人人都懂”譯為yet all cannot understand it correctly，等于yet not all can understand I correctly。

 

Love is Not a Game 

                 ——Lu Yin 

    A Buddhist monk without having experienced ups and downs in the sea of mortals will have no claim to true wisdom. 

    Likewise, one who has never gone through the baptism of romantic love will have little genuine knowledge of life. 

    Buddhist monks exert every effort to renounce this life in favour of future nirvana. But, without a full knowledge of this life, how could they see through the vanity of human society and make a clean break with this mortal world? 

Romantic love is the core of human life. Mencius says, “The desire for food and sex is nature.” In other words, love is innate. If one remains a lifelong stranger to love, how can he thoroughly understand life? 

    Man becomes capable through learning. But love is an exception. Boy and girl, when they are of age and meet at an opportune moment, will become mysteriously attached to each other. 

Though people love by instinct, yet all cannot understand it correctly. More often than not, love is but carnal desire in disguise and is treated as a mere game. That is why we so often hear tragic stories of love. 

    True love is not a game. Nor can its true value be appreciated by the morally degenerate. True love spurs one on to higher attainment. It embodies the supreme quality of selflessness, and is, above all, symbolic of beauty. 

    When a man and woman are deeply immersed in true love, they are full of amazing inner strength. Their souls are freed from all bondage. They are unyielding before threats and incorruptible before any promise of material gain. They transcend the reality to create an ideal paradise of their own. 

Unfortunately, in this present world overflowing with material desires, this kind of true love is as rare as the feeble light of fireflies. What is more, “love” sometimes even leads to moral degeneration on the part of ignorant men and women. Over this, Venus cannot help lamenting with a deep sigh, “Love has become a mere game ever since humanity set out on its way to extinction. O what a sad story!”