《红楼梦》翻译（一百零九）

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twin05 2010-10-22 09:15 | 只看楼主 树型| 收藏| 小中大 1 ^#

《红楼梦》翻译（一百零九）

原著
　　这里贾母笑道：“我正想着虽然这些人取乐，竟没一对双全的，就忘了蓉儿．这可全了，蓉儿就合你媳妇坐在一处，倒也团圆了。”因有媳妇回说开戏，贾母笑道：“我们娘儿们正说的兴头，又要吵起来．况且那孩子们熬夜怪冷的，也罢，叫他们且歇歇，把咱们的女孩子们叫了来，就在这台上唱两出给他们瞧瞧。”媳妇听了，答应了出来，忙的一面着人往大观园去传人，一面二门口去传小厮们伺候．小厮们忙至戏房将班中所有的大人一概带出，只留下小孩子们．

　　一时，梨香院的教习带了文官等十二个人，从游廊角门出来．婆子们抱着几个软包，因不及抬箱，估料着贾母爱听的三五出戏的彩衣包了来．婆子们带了文官等进去见过，只垂手站着．贾母笑道：“大正月里，你**也不放你们出来逛逛．你等唱什么？刚才八出
　　当下贾蓉夫妻二人捧酒一巡，凤姐儿因见贾母十分高兴，便笑道：“趁着女先儿们在这里，不如叫他们击鼓，咱们传梅，行一个'春喜上眉梢'的令如何？"贾母笑道：“这是个好令，正对时对景。”忙命人取了一面黑漆铜钉花腔令鼓来，与女先儿们击着，席上取了一枝红梅．贾母笑道：“若到谁手里住了，吃一杯，也要说个什么才好。”凤姐儿笑道：“依我说，谁象老祖宗要什么有什么呢．我们这不会的，岂不没意思．依我说也要雅俗共赏，不如谁输了谁说个笑话罢。”众人听了，都知道他素日善说笑话，最是他肚内有无限的新鲜趣谈．今儿如此说，不但在席的诸人喜欢，连地下伏侍的老小人等无不喜欢．那小丫头子们都忙出去，找姐唤妹的告诉他们：“快来听，二奶奶又说笑话儿了． "众丫头子们便挤了一屋子．于是戏完乐罢．贾母命将些汤点果菜与文官等吃去，便命响鼓．那女先儿们皆是惯的，或紧或慢，或如残漏之滴，或如迸豆之疾，或如惊马之乱驰，或如疾电之光而忽暗．其鼓声慢，传梅亦慢，鼓声疾，传梅亦疾．恰恰至贾母手中，鼓声忽住．大家呵呵一笑，贾蓉忙上来斟了一杯．众人都笑道：“自然老太太先喜了，我们才托赖些喜。”贾母笑道：“这酒也罢了，只是这笑话倒有些个难说。”众人都说：“老太太的比凤姐儿的还好还多，赏一个我们也笑一笑儿。”贾母笑道：“并没什么新鲜发笑的，少不得老脸皮子厚的说一个罢了。”因说道：“一家子养了十个儿子，娶了十房媳妇．惟有第十个媳妇伶俐，心巧嘴乖，公婆最疼，成日家说那九个不孝顺．这九个媳妇委屈，便商议说：`咱们九个心里孝顺，只是不象那小蹄子嘴巧，所以公公婆婆老了，只说他好，这委屈向谁诉去？'大媳妇有主意，便说道：'咱们明儿到阎王庙去烧香，和阎王爷说去，问他一问，叫我们托生人，为什么单单的给那小蹄子一张乖嘴，我们都是笨的． '众人听了都喜欢，说这主意不错．第二日便都到阎王庙里来烧了香，九个人都在供桌底下睡着了．九个魂专等阎王驾到，左等不来，右等也不到．正着急，只见孙行者驾着筋斗云来了，看见九个魂便要拿金箍棒打，唬得九个魂忙跪下央求．孙行者问原故，九个人忙细细的告诉了他．孙行者听了，把脚一跺，叹了一口气道：'这原故幸亏遇见我，等着阎王来了，他也不得知道的．'九个人听了，就求说：'大圣发个慈悲，我们就好了．'孙行者笑道：'这却不难．那日你们妯娌十个托生时，可巧我到阎王那里去的，因为撒了泡尿在地下，你那小婶子便吃了．你们如今要伶俐嘴乖，有的是尿，再撒泡你们吃了就是了。”说毕，大家都笑起来．凤姐儿笑道：“好的，幸而我们都笨嘴笨腮的，不然也就吃了猴儿尿了． "尤氏娄氏都笑向李纨道：“咱们这里谁是吃过猴儿尿的，别装没事人儿。”薛姨妈笑道：“笑话儿不在好歹，只要对景就发笑。”说着又击起鼓来．小丫头子们只要听凤姐儿的笑话，便悄悄的和女先儿说明，以咳嗽为记．须臾传至两遍，刚到了凤姐儿手里，小丫头子们故意咳嗽，女先儿便住了．众人齐笑道：“这可拿住他了．快吃了酒说一个好的，别太逗的人笑的肠子疼。”凤姐儿想了一想，笑道：“一家子也是过正月半，合家赏灯吃酒，真真的热闹非常，祖婆婆，太婆婆，婆婆，媳妇，孙子媳妇，重孙子媳妇，亲孙子，侄孙子，重孙子，灰孙子，滴滴搭搭的孙子，孙女儿，外孙女儿，姨表孙女儿，姑表孙女儿，……嗳哟哟，真好热闹！"众人听他说着，已经笑了，都说：“听数贫嘴，又不知编派那一个呢。”尤氏笑道：“你要招我，我可撕你的嘴。”凤姐儿起身拍手笑道：“人家费力说，你们混，我就不说了。”贾母笑道：“你说你说，底下怎么样？"凤姐儿想了一想，笑道：“底下就团团的坐了一屋子，吃了一夜酒就散了。”众人见他正言厉色的说了，别无他话，都怔怔的还等下话，只觉冰冷无味．史湘云看了他半日．凤姐儿笑道：“再说一个过正月半的．几个人抬着个房子大的炮仗往城外放去，引了上万的人跟着瞧去．有一个性急的人等不得，便偷着拿香点着了．只听'噗哧'一声，众人哄然一笑都散了．这抬炮仗的人抱怨卖炮仗的П的不结实，没等放就散了。”湘云道：“难道他本人没听见响？"凤姐儿道：“这本人原是聋子。”众人听说，一回想，不觉一齐失声都大笑起来．又想着先前那一个没完的，问他：“先一个怎么样？也该说完。”凤姐儿将桌子一拍，说道：“好罗唆，到了第二日是十六日，年也完了，节也完了，我看着人忙着收东西还闹不清，那里还知道底下的事了。”众人听说，复又笑将起来．凤姐儿笑道：“外头已经四更，依我说，老祖宗也乏了，咱们也该'聋子放炮仗____散了'罢。”尤氏等用手帕子握着嘴，笑的前仰后合，指他说道：“这个东西真会数贫嘴。”贾母笑道：“真真这凤丫头越发贫嘴了。”一面说，一面吩咐道：“他提炮仗来，咱们也把烟火放了解解酒。”
霍克斯译文
‘I was just thinking,’ said Grandmother Jia when they had gone, ‘ all these people enjoying themselves here tonight: all we lacked was a young married couple to make it seem like a proper reunion. I was forgetting about Rong. Sit next to your wife, Rong. Let’s see you both together.’
Just then some of the women came in bringing a playbill with them. The players were preparing to resume.
‘Oh, just as we were beginning to enjoy a little conversation,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Now we shan’t be able to hear ourselves speak. And those poor children must be getting dreadfully cold after so many hours in the open. Why don’t we give them a rest? Call our own troupe over and let them do something on this stage. The other ones can stay here and watch them.’
With answering cries the women went out to make the necessary arrangements. Messengers were sent, some into Prospect Garden to summon the young actresses, others to the inner gate to requisition some pages. When the pages presented themselves at the green-room door they were told to take away all the grown-up members of the visiting troupe and entertain them elsewhere so that only the boy-actors should be present when the little actresses arrived. These last were to be observed shortly afterwards, issuing from the gallery at the corner entrance to the courtyard, preceded by their chief singing instructor and accompanied by a number of women carrying bundles. There had not been time to bring the wardrobe-boxes, so they had had to make a guess at the three or four plays that Grandmother Jia was likeliest to want to hear and hurriedly bundle together the costumes that would be needed for their performance.
Led by the women who had summoned them, Elegante and the rest entered the heated back room of the hall, made their curtsies to Grandmother Jia and the rest of the company, and then stood, arms held stiffly at their sides, awaiting instructions.
Grandmother Jia smiled at them benevolently:
‘Doesn’t your teacher give you a holiday even for First Moon? Dear, dear, dear! - Well now, what are you going to sing for us? We’ve just been listening to The Orphan’s Revenge which was so noisy that it’s given us all headaches. We’d like to hear something a bit quieter now. I ought to tell you that we have a very discriminating audience here tonight. There’s Mrs Xue and Mrs Li here who both come from families which used to keep their own troupes of players and who have heard heaven knows how many good performances between them; there are some young ladies here who know much more than our own girls about plays and music; and the troupe you saw just now outside, though they are only children, belong to a famous conn9isseur and are better than many commercial companies of grown-up players. So if we don’t want to disgrace ourselves, we shall have to be on our best. Now let’s see. Let’s try to think of something a bit different to show them. Suppose we get Parfumee to sing “The Dream Recalled” from The Return of the Soul with just a fiddle to accompany her - leaving out all the woodwind. How would that be for a start?’
‘Just the thing, Your Old Ladyship,’ said Elegante drily. We’re certainly not good enough for Mrs Xue and Mrs Li to want to see us in full performance. They just want an idea of what our diction and voice-production are like.’
‘Quite so,’ said Grandmother Jia.
The two ladies referred to were much diverted by Elegante’s reply.
‘I believe you and Her Old Ladyship are pulling our legs,’ they told her.
‘Not at all,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘These girls are trained only for our own private amusement, not as an investment. We don’t hire them out, like some people. So they really aren’t up to commercial standards.’
She turned to Althee, the performer of ‘painted face’ parts:
‘You can do “Hui-ming Takes the Letter” from The Western Chamber. Don’t bother to make up for it, though. I think those two scenes should be enough to give our guests some idea of what you can do. Put all you’ve got into it, now, or I shall have something to say to you!’
The little actresses went out. Those who were to play had soon got into their costumes and the performance began:
first ‘The Dream Recalled’ and then ‘Taking the Letter’. The audience listened throughout with rapt attention. When the performance had ended, Aunt Xue observed that, though she had seen hundreds of different companies in her time, she had never before heard a performance in which the woodwind in the orchestra was silent.
‘Oh yes,’ said Grandmother Jia. ‘Take that “Chu River” aria the ***e sings in The House in Ping-kang Lane that we were listening to earlier in the evening. Quite often you can see productions which leave out the woodwind parts in the orchestral accomp**nt. Instead they have the male lead playing a flute accomp**nt on the stage. I agree, a whole sequence with only string accomp**nt is unusual, but there’s nothing very special about it. It depends entirely on the individual preference of the person who owns the troupe.’
She pointed to Xiang-yun:
‘When I was this child’s age her grandfather had a troupe of young actresses one of whom was a very good qin-player. She took a number of qin-playing scenes like the famous one from The Western Chamber and the scene in which Miao-chang plays the qin in The Jade Hairpin and the “Eighteen Stanzas for the Barbarian Pipe” from the modern sequel to The Story of the Lute, and arranged them in a single sequence with qin accomp**nt. That was rather impressive. More what-shall-I-say than the things we have just been listening to.
‘Yes,’ the others agreed, ‘that does sound most unusual.’
杨宪益译文
Meanwhile the Lady Dowager remarked with a smile, ‘I was just thinking that to make our pleasure complete we ought to have a married couple here. I’d forgotten Rong. Now with him here we’ve nothing missing. Sit next to your wife, Rong, and we shall have a married pair.’
Some matrons announced that another opera was starting.
‘We women folk are just having a pleasant chat,’ said the old lady. ‘We don’t want any more noise. It’s so late, those child-actresses must be freezing. Let them rest a while. Go and fetch our girl-actresses here to put on a couple of items on this stage. The troupe from outside can watch.’
The women hurried off to send a messenger to Grand View Garden with instructions for the pages at the inner gate. These boys went straight to the changing room to escort all the grown people in the company out, leaving only the young performers. Then the instructor from Pear Fra grance Court brought Wenguan and the eleven other girl actresses out through the side gate of the corridor, accompanied by some women car rying bundles. Since there was no time to bring all their stage properties, they had chosen only the costumes for a few operas which they judged the old lady might like. The women led the actresses inside, and when they had paid their respects they stood there at respectful attention.
‘It’s the first month of the year, why didn’t your instructor let you out to enjoy yourselves?’ asked the old lady. ‘What have you been rehears ing lately? The eight scenes from The Eight Gallants were so noisy that they’ve made my head ache. Let’s have something quieter. Look, Madam Xue and Madam Li here both have opera troupes at home; they’ve seen countless good performances, and their young ladies have watched better operas and heard better singing than ours. These young actresses we’ve hired today are from troupes trained by well-known families of opera connoisseurs, better than many older companies, for all that they’re only children. We mustn’t make a poor showing today, so let’s try something new. Fangguan shall sing us ‘Seeking the Dream’7 with no accomp**nt but a two-string fiddle and a flute.’
‘Very good,’ replied Wenguan with a smile. ‘Our performance can’t possibly measure up to the standard to which these ladies are accus tomed. They can only judge of our delivery and voices.’
‘That’s it,’ said the old lady.
‘What a clever child!’ exclaimed Aunt Li and Aunt Xue. ‘You’re helping the old lady to make fun of us.’
‘We just put on shows for fun here, we’re not professionals; that’s why you won’t find us following the usual fashion,’ said the Lady Dowa ger. She then told Kuiguan, ‘Sing that aria ‘Huiming Delivers a Letter’8 and don’t trouble to make up. Just sing a couple of scenes to amuse these ladies with our amateur style. But mind you do your best.’
Wenguan and the others assented and withdrew to change their clothes. First they staged ‘Seeking the Dream,’ then ‘The Letter Is Delivered.’ All listened in absolute silence.
‘It isn’t easy for her. I’ve seen truly hundreds of companies per form, but never heard an accomp**nt of only flutes,’ observed Aunt Xue presently.
‘There have been cases,’ the Lady Dowager told her. ‘For instance that melody in The Western Tower ‘Longing by the Chu River’ is often sung to a flute accomp**nt by the young male actor. It is rare, though, to have a whole scene like this. It just depends on one’s taste. This is nothing unusual.’ Pointing at Xiangyun she added, ‘When I was her age, her grandfather had an opera troupe in which someone performed real lyre music when they played ‘Listening to the Lyre’ from The Western Chamber
‘Seduction by the Lyre’ in The Romance of the Jade Hair-pin and ‘Eighteen Songs to the Hunnish Pipe’ in The Lute Player’s Return.’0 What do you think of that?’
All admitted that such a thing was even rarer. Then the old lady told servants to order Wenguan and her troupe to play with lute and flute Full Moon at the Lantern Festival, and they went off to carry out her in structions.
At this point ha Rong and his wife offered toasts all round. The Lady Dowager was now in such high spirits that Xifeng suggested, ‘While the story-tellers are here, why don’t we get them to drum for us while we pass round a spray of plum-blossom and play ‘Spring Lights Up the Eye-brows’.’
‘That’s a fine drinking-game, and this is just the time for it,’ ap proved the old lady.
She sent for a black lacquered drum with copper tuds which was kept for drinking-games, asked the story-tellers to beat it, and took a spray of red plum-blossom from the table.
‘Whoever has the blossom when the drum stops must drink a cup and say something,’ she decreed.
‘The rest of us aren’t so smart as our Old Ancestress,’ objected Xifeng. ‘If we get stuck, it won’t be any fun. Let’s find something that highbrows and lowbrows alike can enjoy. Suppose the one caught with the blossom tells a joke?’
As Xifeng was noted for her jokes and endless fund of original quips, this met with the approval of all the feasters as well as the maid-servants there, both old and young. The young maids hurried out to urge their friends:
‘Come quick! The Second Mistress it going to tell a joke.’
In no time at all the room was crowded with maids.
As soon as the performance ended, the old lady had refreshments sent to Wenguan and the other actresses. Then she ordered the drum ming to start. The story-tellers, being old hands at this, varied the tempo and the plum was passed from hand to hand to its rhythm. First slow as the dripping of water from a clepsydra, the drumming soon gathered speed like the patter of peas being poured into a bowl. Then, after a rapid tattoo like a horse stampeding or sudden flashes of lightning, the sound abruptly broke off just as the plum-blossom reached the old lady’s hand. A roar of laughter went up, and Jia Rong at once stepped forward to fill her cup.
‘Naturally the old lady’s face should light up first,’ cried the others. ‘‘Then we shall be able to share in her happiness.’
‘I don’t mind drinking a cup,’ she rejoined. ‘But I can’t think of a joke.’
‘Why, your Ladyship knows even more and better jokes than Xifeng,’ they expostulated. ‘Do tell us a good one, madam.’
‘I’ve no new jokes, but I’ll just have to brazen it out. So here goes,’ said the old lady. ‘Well, a family had ten sons and ten daughters-in-law.
The tenth daughter-in-law was the cleverest, so smart and so well-spo ken that she was the favourite of her father and mother-in-law, who kept finding fault with the nine others. This seemed so unfair that the others put their heads together.
‘‘We’ve been dutiful daughters-in-law,’ they said. ‘We’re just not as smooth-spoken as that **, which is why the old couple keep on singing her praises. Who can we complain to about this injustice?’
‘The eldest one suggested, ‘Let’s go tomorrow to the Temple of the King of Hell to offer incense and complain to him. We’ll ask why, since we’ve all been born human, that ** alone was given the gift of the gab while the rest of us are so dumb?’

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《红楼梦》翻译 （一百零九）

《红楼梦》翻译 （一百零九）

《红楼梦》翻译（一百零九）

《红楼梦》翻译（一百零九）