張培基英譯中國現代散文選(一)之《黎明前的北京》

黎明前的北京

        ——季羨林 

  前后加起來，我在北京已經住了四十多年，算是一個老北京了(2)。北京的名勝古跡，北京的妙處(3)，我應該說是了解的；其他老北京當然也了解。但是有一點，我相信絕大多數老北京并不了解(4)，這就是黎明時分以前的北京。 

  多少年來，我養成了一個習慣：每天早晨四點在黎明以前起床工作。我不出去跑步或散步，而是一下床就干活兒。因此我對黎明前的北京的了解是在屋子里感覺到的。我從前在什么報上讀過一篇文章(5)，講黎明時分天安門廣場上的清潔工人。那情景必然是非常動人的，可惜我從未能見到，只是心向往之而已。 

  四十年前，我住在城里在明朝曾經是特務機關的東廠里面。幾座深深的大院子，在最里面三個院子里只住著人一個人。朋友們都說這地方陰森可怕，晚上很少有人敢來找我，我則怡然自得(6)。每當夏夜，我起床以后，立刻就聞到院子里那些高大的馬纓花樹散發出來的陣陣幽香，這些香氣破窗而入，我于此時神清氣爽，樂不可支，連手中那一枝笨拙的筆也仿佛生了花。 

  幾年以后，我搬到西郊來住，照例四點起床，坐在窗前工作。白天透過窗子能夠看到北京展覽館那金光閃閃的高塔的尖頂，此時當然看不到了(7)。但是，我知道，即使我看不見它，它仍然在那里挺然聳入天空，仿佛想帶給人以希望，以上進的勁頭。我仍然是樂不可支，心也仿佛飛上了高空。 

  過了十年，我又搬了家。這新居既沒有馬纓花，也看不到金色的塔頂。但是門前卻有一片清碧的荷塘。剛搬來的幾年，池塘里還有荷花。夏天早晨四點已經算是黎明時分。在薄暗中透過窗子可以看到接天蓮葉，而荷花的香氣也幽然襲來(8)，我顧而樂之，大有超出馬纓花和金色塔頂之上的意味了。 

  難道我欣賞黎明前的北京僅僅由于上述的原因嗎？不是的。三十幾年以來，我成了一個“開會迷” (9)。說老實話，積三十年之經驗，我真有點怕開會了。在白天，一整天說不定什么時候就會接到開會的通知。說一句過火的話，我簡直是提心吊膽，心里不得安寧。即使不開會，這種惴惴不安的心情總擺脫不掉。只有在黎明以前，根據我的經驗，沒有哪里會來找你開會的(10)。因此，我起床往桌子旁邊一坐，仿佛有什么近似條件反射的東西立刻就起了作用，我心里安安靜靜，一下子進入角色，拿起筆來，“文思” (11)（如果也算是文思的話）如泉水噴涌，記憶力也像剛磨過的刀子，銳不可當。當時，我真樂不可支，如果給我機會的話，我簡直想手舞足蹈了。 

  因此，我愛北京，特別愛黎明前的北京。

 

注釋 

季羨林（1911- ），教育家、梵文翻譯家，散文家。本文是季羨林于1985年2月11日寫的一篇小品文。 

(1)“黎明前的北京”除譯為predawn Beijing外，也可譯為Beijing Before Dawn或Beijing Before Daybreak。 

(2)“算是一個老北京了”除譯為I can well call myself a long-timer of Beijing外，也可譯為I’m eligible for being called a long-timer of Beijing。又long-timer也可用old-timer代替。 

(3)“北京的妙處”是上句“北京的名勝古跡“的補充，故譯為nay, its superb attractions，其中nay是副詞，作“不僅如此”解，是譯文中添加的成分。 

(4)“有一點……老北京并不了解”譯為there is one thing lying unknown to… long-time residents，其中lying和remaining同義。 

(5)“在什么報上讀過一篇文章”譯為I hit upon a newspaper article，其中to hit upon是成語，作“偶然發現”解，和to come across、to find by chance等同義。 

(6)“我則怡然自得”意即“我卻覺得很愜意”，故譯為whereas I myself find it quite agreeable。 

(7)“此時當然看不到了”譯為would no longer be visible now in the morning haze， 

(8)“香氣幽然襲來”意即“香氣悄悄地撲鼻而來”，故譯為the quiet fragrance…assailed my nose (或nostrils)。 

(9)“開會迷”在文中并不指“對開會著迷”或“特別愛好開會”。它的真正意思卻是“陷入繁多的的會議之中”或者“疲于應付各種會議”，因此可譯為I’ve been bogged down in the more of meetings或I’ve been bogged down in meetings。 

(10)“只有在黎明以前……沒有哪里會找你開會的”譯為it is only during the predawn hours that I can be havened from any involvement in meetings，靈活處理，其中havened是由名詞haven（避難所）轉化為動詞的。因此be havened from的意思是“免受……之憂”。 

(11)“‘文思’如泉水噴涌”中的“文思”實際上指“靈感”，現將全句譯為Then inspiration comes gushing to my mind。

 

Predawn Beijing 

             ——Ji Xianlin 

    I’ve been in Beijing altogether for over 40 years. So I can well call myself a long-timer of Beijing. Like all other long-timers of the city, I’m supposed to be very familiar with its scenic spots and historical sites, nay, its superb attractions. But I believe there is one thing lying unknown to most of the long-time residents –the predawn hours of Beijing. 

    For many years, I have been in the habit of getting up before daybreak to start work at four. Instead of going out for a jog or walk, I’ll set about my work as soon as I’m out of bed. As a result, it is from inside my study that I’ve got the feel of predawn Beijing. Years ago, I hit upon a newspaper article about street cleaner in Tian’anmen Square at daybreak. It must have been a very moving scene, but what a pity I haven’t seen it with my own eyes. I can only picture it in my mind longingly. 

    Forty years ago, I lived downtown in Dongchang, a compound which had housed the secret service of the Ming dynasty. There were inside it several deep spacious courtyard one leading into another. I was the sole dweller of the three innermost courtyards. My friends, calling this place too ghastly, seldom dared to come to see me in the evening whereas I myself found it quite agreeable. In summer, the moment I got out of bed before daybreak, I would smell the delicate fragrance of the giant silk trees coming from outside my window. Thereupon, I would feel refreshed and joyful, and the clumsy pen in my hand would seem to have become as agile as it could. 

    Several years later when I moved to the western suburbs, I kept my habit of rising at four to begin work at the window. The glittering spire atop the tower of the daytime through my window, would no longer be visible now in the early morning haze. Nevertheless I knew that, tough invisible, it remained there intact, towering to the skies to inspire people with hope and the urge for moving ahead. At this, I would be beside myself with joy and feel as if my heart were also flying high up into the skies. 

    Ten years after, I moved again. In the new home of mine, I had no silk trees, nor could I get sight of the glittering spire from afar. There was, however, a lotus pond of limpid blue in front of my door. In the first few years after I moved there, lotus flowers continued to blossom on the surface of the pond. In the summertime, when day broke early at four, a vast stretch of lotus leaves looking skywards outside my window came dimly into sight while the quiet fragrance of the lotus flowers assailed my nose. All that delighted me even more than the silk trees and the glittering spire. 

    Is it exclusively due to the above-mentioned that I’ve developed a liking for predawn Beijing? No. for 30 years, I’ve been bogged down in the mire of meetings. To tell you the truth, with the experience accumulated over the 30 years, I’m now scared of meetings. In the daytime, there is no telling when I may be served a notice for attending a meeting. To exaggerate it a bit, that keeps me in constant suspense and makes me fidgety. Even when no meeting is to take place, I feel restless all the same. However, my experience tells that it is only during the predawn hours that I can be truly havened from any involvement in meetings. As soon as I sit at my desk before dawn, something similar to the conditioned reflex will begin to function within me: Instantly I’ll pick up my pen to play my proper part with perfect peace of mind. Then inspiration comes gushing to my mind and my memory becomes as quick as a newly-sharpened knife. I’ll feel overjoyed, almost to the point of waving my arms and stamping my feet. 

    In short, I love Beijing, especially predawn Beijing.