《在德国——自己的花是让别人看的》 季羡林
Growing Flowers for the Benefit of All Ji Xianlin
| 译文摘自张培基《英译中国散文选二》
爱美大概也算是人的天性吧。宇宙间美的东西很多，花在其中占重要的地位。爱花的民族也很多，德国在其中占重要的地位。
It is perhaps human nature to love things beautiful.The universe abounds in things of beauty, flowers being the most prominent among them. Many peoples, especially the Germans, love flowers.
要点：
1，“爱花的民族也很多”译为Many peoples… love flowers.此处的peoples 意为“民族”。
2，the Germans 作“德国人”解。
四五十年以前我在德国留学的时候，我曾多次对德国人爱花之真切感到吃惊。家家户户都在养花。他们的花不像在中国那样，养在屋子里，他们是把花都栽种在临街窗户的外面。花朵都朝外开，在屋子里只能看到花的脊梁。我曾问过我的女房东：你这样养花是给别人看的吧?她莞尔一笑说道：“正是这样!”
Upwards of 40 years ago, when I was a student studying in Germany, I was often deeply impressed by the genuine love shown by Germans for flowers. All German families raised flowers. Unlike people in China who kept pot flowers indoors, Germans had their flowers planted outside their windows fronting the street. With the opening flowerers exposing their front to the street, residents could only see their back. Once I said to my landlady, "You must be growing your flowers for all to enjoy!"“Exactly!”she replied with a sweet smile.
要点：
1，“四五十年以前我在德国留学的时候”又是两个时间状语叠加，其中一个用when引导。
2，“对…感到吃惊”很多时候都会译为“…给我留下深刻印象”，如本段的“多次对德国人爱花之真切感到吃惊”就译为了I was often deeply impressed by the genuine love shown by Germans for flowers。
3，“他们的花不像在中国那样…”即“他们养花不像中国人一样…”译为Unlike people in China who kept pot flowers indoors, Germans…
4,“临街窗户”即“面对着大街的窗户”译为windows fronting the street。
5，“朝外开”翻译时不容易找到对应词汇，此时我们可以想象一下花朵那种姿态，“朝外开”即“把正面展现给外面（此处是大街）”，因此译为exposing their front to the street。
综述：
注意“临街窗户”“朝外开”这类没有确切的英文对应的词的译法。
正是这样，也确实不错。走过任何一条街，抬头向上看，家家的窗子前都是花团锦簇，姹紫嫣红。许多窗子连接在一起，汇成了一个花的海洋，让我们看的人如入山阴道上，应接不暇。每一家都是这样，在屋子里的时候，自己的花是让别人看的。走在街上的时候，自己又看别人的花。人人为我，我为人人。我觉得这一种境界是颇 耐人寻味的。
Yes, exactly. Wherever I went in town, I would raise my head only to see all residents' windows ablaze with flowers. And all windows joined together one after another to form a sea of flowers. So visitors seemed to find themselves in a land of so many lovely scenes that they were kept busy feasting their eyes all the time. As was the case with every family in the country, Germans, while at home, were happy to find their flowers pleasing the public eyes, but when they were out in the street, they enjoyed the sight of other people's flowers. All for one and one for all. Their noble qualities, I think, provide much food for thought.
要点：
1，“家家的窗子前都是花团锦簇，姹紫嫣红”译为all residents' windows ablaze with flowers，其中ablaze with 意为bright and full of colour,常表示“闪耀，绚烂”，如： In spring, the valleys are ablaze with colour. （春天，山谷里春色绚烂。）
2,“让我们看的人如入山阴道上，应接不暇”中的“山阴道”意指“江南美景”，译为a land of so many lovely scenes，“应接不暇”即“眼睛忙于看美景”译为kept busy feasting their eyes all the time。
3，“每一家都是这样”译为As was the case with every family in the country。
4，“我觉得这一种境界是颇 耐人寻味的”译为Their noble qualities, I think, provide much food for thought.此处的“境界”做“气质，品质”解，译为quality, noble是增益的词，更明确地体现了作者的观点。
综述：虽然是小小的一段，其中有用的表达还是不少，每一条都可以作为普遍译法来应用。
今天我又到了德国，刚一下火车，迎接我们的主人问我：“你离开德国这样久，有什么变化没有?”我说：“变化是有的，但是美丽并没有改变。”我说“美丽”指的东西很多，其中也包含着美丽的花。我走在街上，抬头一看，又是家家户户的窗口上都堵满了鲜花。多么奇丽的景色!多么奇特的民 族!我仿佛又回到了四五十年前去，我做了一个花的梦，做了一个思乡的梦。
Now, I am in Germany again. The German host welcoming me at the railway station asked, "It's a long time since you were here last. Do you see any changes?" "Yes, I do," said I. "But beauty remains unchanged." I explained that beauty, as I had mentioned, referred to many things, including beautiful flowers. Out on the street, I would look up and see the windows of all homes blocked up with flowers. What a scene of enchanting beauty! What an unusual nation! I seemed to have returned to the days of more than 40 years before. I had dreamed a dream of flowers, a nostalgic dream!
要点：
1，“你离开德国这样久”即“自从你上次来这里已经很久了”译为It's a long time since you were here last。
2，be blocked up with意为“塞住，封住（孔、洞）”，如：The street was blocked up with crowds.
街道为群众所堵塞.
综述：本篇文章是季老在德国写的一篇小品文，虽然短小，但有些句子还是很考验双语转换功底的，也是考试常考的。
声明:本双语文章的中文评析系沪江英语原创内容,转载请注明出处。中文评析仅代表作者个人观点，如有不妥之处，欢迎指正。
