讀錢鐘書的三封英文信(一)
錢鐘書是我國博通古今中外的大學問家、作家。學術巨著《管錐篇》博大精深；長篇小說《圍城》膾炙人口。他還是《毛澤東選集》英譯本定稿人。為了使讀者進一步欣賞錢鐘書的英語文采，現把錢鐘書給林書武的三封英語信刊登出來，邊加漢譯，同時，做些必要的注解，以饗讀者。
第一封信
My Dear Shu-Wu,
Your letter gives me a joyful surprise. Your English is astonishingly good. This is not "flannel" or "butter" but my sincere opinion (my hand upon my heart!). The idea found from your version of Chairman's statement is, to say the least, quite unjust. Perhaps your hand is recovering some of its old cunning momentarily lost through long lack of practice. At any rate, it would be a pity-nay, a sin, a crime-to let your English get rusty & become finally unserviceable.
Yours in haste
By a slip of pen, you wrote "allocation" instead of "Collocation". This is a mere peccadillo. Don't let meticulousness about such trifles cramp your style.
書武：
看了來信，又驚又喜。你的英語之好，出人意外。這不是兜圈子的奉承話，而是真誠的意見(我手按在胸前發誓!)。你以前翻譯主席文章的段落，我看了以后有些想法。現在看來，那些想法至少是很不公正的。你長期以來缺乏實踐，一時失去的原有的靈巧手法，也許逐漸得到恢復。不管怎么樣，讓你的英語生銹，最終變得無法利用，那是件憾事――不，是罪過，是犯罪。
錢鐘書匆匆
散文 英語本文地址：http://www.hengchuai.cn/writing/essay/43119.html
