《红楼梦》翻译（三百零四）

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twin05 2010-08-13 09:08 | 只看楼主 树型| 收藏| 小中大 1 ^#

《红楼梦》翻译（三百零四）

原著
第二十二回　　听曲文宝玉悟禅机　制灯迷贾政悲谶语
　　话说贾琏听凤姐儿说有话商量，因止步问是何话．凤姐道：“二十一是薛妹妹的生日，你到底怎么样呢？"贾琏道：“我知道怎么样！你连多少大生日都料理过了，这会子倒没了主意？ "凤姐道：“大生日料理，不过是有一定的则例在那里．如今他这生日，大又不是，小又不是，所以和你商量。”贾琏听了，低头想了半日道：“你今儿糊涂了．现有比例，那林妹妹就是例．往年怎么给林妹妹过的，如今也照依给薛妹妹过就是了。”凤姐听了，冷笑道：“我难道连这个也不知道？我原也这么想定了．但昨儿听见老太太说，问起大家的年纪生日来，听见薛大妹妹今年十五岁，虽不是整生日，也算得将笄之年．老太太说要替他作生日．想来若果真替他作，自然比往年与林妹妹的不同了。”贾琏道：“既如此，比林妹妹的多增些。”凤姐道：“我也这们想着，所以讨你的口气．我若私自添了东西，你又怪我不告诉明白你了。”贾琏笑道：“罢，罢，这空头情我不领．你不盘察我就够了，我还怪你！"说着，一径去了，不在话下．

　　且说史湘云住了两日，因要回去．贾母因说：“等过了你宝姐姐的生日，看了戏再回去。”史湘云听了，只得住下．又一面遣人回去，将自己旧日作的两色针线活计取来，为宝钗生辰之仪．

　　谁想贾母自见宝钗来了，喜他稳重和平，正值他才过第一个生辰，便自己蠲资二十两，唤了凤姐来，交与他置酒戏．凤姐凑趣笑道：“一个老祖宗给孩子们作生日，不拘怎样，谁还敢争，又办什么酒戏．既高兴要热闹，就说不得自己花上几两．巴巴的找出这霉烂的二十两银子来作东道，这意思还叫我赔上．果然拿不出来也罢了，金的，银的，圆的，扁的，压塌了箱子底，只是勒ц我们．举眼看看，谁不是儿女？难道将来只有宝兄弟顶了你老人家上五台山不成？那些梯己只留于他，我们如今虽不配使，也别苦了我们．这个够酒的？够戏的？"说的满屋里都笑起来．贾母亦笑道：“你们听听这嘴！我也算会说的，怎么说不过这猴儿．你婆婆也不敢强嘴，你和我まま的。”凤姐笑道：“我婆婆也是一样的疼宝玉，我也没处去诉冤，倒说我强嘴。”说着，又引着贾母笑了一回，贾母十分喜悦．到晚间，众人都在贾母前，定昏之余，大家娘儿姊妹等说笑时，贾母因问宝钗爱听何戏，爱吃何物等语．宝钗深知贾母年老人，喜热闹戏文，爱吃甜烂之食，便总依贾母往日素喜者说了出来．贾母更加欢悦．次日便先送过衣服玩物礼去，王夫人，凤姐，黛玉等诸人皆有随分不一，不须多记．至二十一日，就贾母内院中搭了家常小巧戏台，定了一班新出小戏，昆弋两腔皆有．就在贾母上房排了几席家宴酒席，并无一个外客，只有薛姨妈，史湘云，宝钗是客，余者皆是自己人．这日早起，宝玉因不见林黛玉，便到他房中来寻，只见林黛玉歪在炕上．宝玉笑道：“起来吃饭去，就开戏了．你爱看那一出？我好点。”林黛玉冷笑道：“你既这样说，你特叫一班戏来，拣我爱的唱给我看．这会子犯不上み着人借光儿问我。”宝玉笑道：“这有什么难的．明儿就这样行，也叫他们借咱们的光儿。”一面说，一面拉起他来，携手出去．

霍克斯译文
CHAPTER 22

Bao-yu finds Zen enlightenment
in an operatic aria
And Jia Zheng sees portents of doom in
lantern riddles

Hearing that Xi-feng wanted to consult him about something, Jia Lian halted and asked her what it was.
‘It’s Bao-chai’s birthday on the twenty-first,’ said Xi-feng. ‘What do you think we ought to do about it?’
‘How should I know?’ said Jia Lian. ‘You’ve managed plenty of big birthday celebrations before in your time. Why have you become so helpless all of a sudden?’
‘There are fixed rules for everything when you are planning a big grown-up celebration,’ said Xi-feng; ‘but in Bao-chai’s case she’s neither exactly grown-up nor exactly a child any longer. That’s why I wanted your advice.’
Jia Lian lowered his head and thought for a moment.
‘Why, you’re being stupid!’ he said presently. ‘There’s a precedent right in front of you. What about Dai-yu? All you’ve got to do is find what arrangements you made in the past for her and do exactly the same for Bao-chai now.’
‘Do you suppose I didn’t think of that?’ said Xi-feng with scorn. ‘I’m not that stupid! The point is that yesterday, be cause of something Grandma said, I started asking them all their birthdays and ages, and it seems that on this birthday of hers on the twenty-first Bao-chai is going to be fifteen. Now that doesn’t qualify for a full-scale celebration, but it is a sort of coming-of-age, and when Grandma heard about it she said she wanted to sponsor something for it herself. So obviously, whatever we do, it can’t be quite the same as what we’ve done in the past for Dai-yu.’
‘Well in that case,’ said Jia Lian, ‘take what you did for Dai-yu as a basis and just add on a bit.’
‘That’s what I’d thought of doing,’ said Xi-feng; ‘but I wanted to see what you thought before doing anything definite, because I didn’t want to go adding extras on my own initiative and then have you complaining that you hadn’t been properly consulted.’
‘You can cut that out!’ said Jia Lian — though not ill- humouredly. ‘You know you don’t really mean a word of it! Just stop snooping on me all the time, that’s all I ask. You won’t hear any complaints from me then about not being consulted!’
With that he walked off: but whither, or to whom, our narrative does not disclose.
It tells us instead that Shi Xiang-yun, having spent a con siderable part of the New Year holiday with the Jias, was now on the point of returning home, but was urged by Grand mother Jia to wait for Bao-chai’s birthday and not go back until she had seen the plays. Xiang-yun agreed to stay and sent someone home with instructions to tell them that she would be returning a little later than planned and to fetch a couple of pieces of her own embroidery that she could give to Bao-chai as a birthday-present.
Ever since Bao-chai’s first arrival, Grandmother Jia had been pleasurably impressed by her placid and dependable disposition, and now that she was about to spend her first ‘big’ birthday in the Jia household, the old lady resolved to make it a memorable one. Taking twenty taels of silver from her private store, she summoned Xi-feng and directed her to spend it on providing wine and plays for a celebration. Xi-feng made this the occasion for a little raillery.
‘If the old lady says she wants her grandchild’s birthday celebrated,’ she said, ‘then celebrated it must be, and we must all jump to it without arguing! But if she’s going to start asking for plays as well, all I can say to that is that if she’s in the mood for a bit of fun, I’m afraid she’s going to have to pay for it. She’s going to have to cough up something out of those private savings of hers she’s been hoarding all these years - not wait until the last minute and then fish out a measly little twenty taels to pay for the party: that’s just another way of telling us we’ve got to pay for it ourselves. I mean, if you were really hard up, it would be another matter: but you’ve got boxes and boxes of boodle — the bottoms are dropping out of them, they’re so full! It’s pure meanness, that’s what it is! You forget, Grannie, when you go to heaven young Bao-yu won’t be the only one who’ll walk ahead of the hearse. You’ve got other grandchildren too, don’t forget! You don’t have to leave everything to him. The rest of us may not be much use, but you mustn’t be too hard on us. Twenty taels! Do you really think that’s enough to pay for a party and plays?’
At this point the entire company burst into laughter, which Grandmother Jia joined in herself.
‘Just listen to her!’ she said. ‘I thought I had a fairly sharp tongue, but I’m no match for this one: “Clack-clack, clack-clack” — it’s worse than a pair of wooden clappers! Even your mother-in-law daren’t argue with me, my dear! Don’t pick on me!’
‘Mother-in-law is just as soppy about Bao-yu as you are,’ said Xi-feng. ‘I’ve got no one to tell my troubles to. And you say I’m sharp-tongued!’
Xi-feng’s mock-lugubriousness set the old lady off in another squall of laughter. She loved to be teased, and Xi-feng’s bantering put her in great good humour.
That night, when the young folk had finished paying their evening duty and were standing round her laughing and talking a while before retiring to their own apartments, Grandmother Jia asked Bao-chai what sort of plays she liked best and what her favourite dishes were. Bao-chai was well aware that her grandmother, like most old women, enjoyed the livelier, more rackety sort of plays and liked sweet and pappy things to eat, so she framed her answers entirely in terms of these preferences. The old lady was delighted.
Next day presents of clothing and various other objects, to which Lady Wang, Xi-feng, Dai-yu and the rest had all contributed, were sent round to Bao-chai’s. Our narrative supplies no details.
At last the twenty-first arrived. A dear little stage had been erected in the courtyard outside Grandmother Jia’s apartment and a newly trained troupe of child actors able to perform both Kun-qu and the noisier Yi-qiang type of plays had been en gaged. In the apartment’s main sitting-room a semicircle of little tables were arranged facing outwards towards the stage and laid in preparation for a feast. No outsiders were invited. The guests of honour were Aunt Xue, Shi Xiang-yun and Bao- chai herself. All the others invited were members of the family.
Early that morning Bao-yu, not seeing Dai-yu around, went to look for her in her room and found her still reclining on the kang.
‘Get up and have something to eat!’ he said. ‘The players will be starting shortly. Tell me some play you like so that I shall know which one to choose!’
‘If you’re so anxious to please me,’ said Dai-yu coldly, ‘you ought to hire a troupe specially and put on all my favourites. It’s a cheap sort of kindness to treat me at someone else’s expense!’
‘Never mind!’ said Bao-yu. ‘When we hire a troupe for you, you’ll be able to return the compliment.’
He hauled her up from the kang, and the two of them went off hand in hand together.
As soon as they had eaten, it was time to talk about choosing the plays and Grandmother Jia called on Bao-chai to begin. Bao-chai made a show of declining; but it was her birthday, and in the end she gave in and selected a piece about Monkey from The Journey to the West. Grandmother Jia was pleased.
Aunt Xue was now invited to pick a play, but as her own daughter had just chosen, she refused. Grandmother Jia did not press her and passed on to Xi-feng. Xi-feng would nor mally have refused to take precedence over her aunt and mother-in-law, who were both present, but Grandmother had commanded and must be obeyed. As she happened to know that the old lady’s partiality for lively plays was particularly strong in the case of those which had lots of jokes and clowning in them, she selected a piece entitled Liu Er Pawns His Clothes in order to make sure that this element was not lacking from the programme. As she had anticipated, Grand mother Jia was even more delighted by this second choice.

杨宪益译文

Chapter 22

A Song Awakens Baoyu to Esoteric Truths

Lantern-Riddles Grieve Jia
Zheng with

Their Ill Omens

Hearing that Xifeng wanted to consult him about something, Jia
Lian stopped to ask what it was.
“It’s Baochai’s birthday on the twenty-first,” she said. “What do you intend to do about it?”
“Why ask me that?” he retorted. “You’ve handled plenty of big birth day celebrations. Why can’t you cope with this?”
“For big birthdays there are definite rules but this is neither big nor small, that’s why I wanted your advice.”
He lowered his head to think before answering.
“You’re losing your grip,” he said after a pause. “There’s a prece dent in Baiyu’s birthday. Just celebrate this the same way.”
“As if that hadn’t occurred to me too!” Xifeng smiled mockingly. “But yesterday the old lady told me she’d been asking everybody’s age and learned that Baochai would be fifteen this year, and although that’s not a round number it means she’s reached marriageable age. If the old lady wants to celebrate her birthday specially, it’ll have to be different from Daiyu’s in the past.”
“In that case, have things on a more lavish scale.”
“That’s what I thought, but I wanted to sound you out so as not to be blamed for doing something extra on my own initiative without consulting you.”
“Well, well! Why this sudden show of consideration? Me blame you? I’m quite satisfied if you don’t find fault with me.”
With that he left, but where he went does not concern us.
Let us return now to Xiangyun. After spending several days in the Rong Mansion it was time for her to go home, but the Lady Dowager urged her to wait until after Baochai’s birthday and the performance of
operas. So Xiangyun, having to stay on, sent home for two pieces of her embroidery as a birthday-present for her cousin.
The fact was that the Lady Dowager had taken a fancy to Baochai since her arrival on account of her steady, amiable behaviour. And as this would be her first birthday in their house, the old lady summoned Xifeng and gave her twenty taels of silver from her own coffer for a feast and an opera.
Xifeng teased, “When an Old Ancestress wants to celebrate some grandchild’s birthday, no matter how grandly, who are we to protest? So there’s to be a feast and opera too, is there? Well, if you want it to be lively you’ll have to pay for it yourself instead of trying to play host with a mouldy twenty taels. I suppose you expect me to make up the rest? If you really couldn’t afford it, all right. But your cases are bursting with gold and silver ingots of every shape and size the bottoms of the chests are dropping out, they’re so full. Yet you’re still squeezing us. Look, aren’t all of us your children? Is Baoyu the only one who’ll carry you as an immortal on his head to Mount Wutai, that you keep every thing for him? Even if the rest of us aren’t good enough, don’t be so hard on us. Is this enough for a feast or theatricals?”
The whole company burst out laughing.
“Listen to that tongue of hers!” The old lady chuckled. “I’m not exactly tongue-tied myself but I’m no match for this monkey. Not even your mother-in-law would think of arguing with me, but you give me tit for tat.”
“My mother-in-lay dotes on Baoyu just as much as you do,” retorted Xifeng with a smile. “So I’ve no one to take my side. Instead, you make me out a termagant.”
That set the old lady crowing with laughter and put her in the highest of spirits.
That night, after the family had gathered to pay their evening respects to the Lady Dowager and then gone on to chat, she asked Baochai to name her favourite operas and dishes. Knowing the old lady’s partiality for lively shows and sweet, pappy food, Baochai gave these as her own preferences, adding even more to the Lady Dowager’s pleasure.
The first thing next day she had presents of clothing and trinkets sent to the girl. Lady Wang, Xifeng, Daiyu and the others also sent theirs according to the status of each. But these need not be enumerated in detail.
On the twenty-first a small stage was set up in the Lady Dowager’s inner courtyard and a new troupe of young actresses had been hired who were able to perform both Kunqu and Yiyang operas. Tables were laid in the hail for a family feast, to which no outsiders were asked: apart from Aunt Xue, Xiangyun and Baochai, who were guests, all the rest would be members of the family.
Not seeing Daiyu that morning, Baoyu went to look for her and found her curled up on her kang.
“Come on to breakfast,” he said, “The show will soon be starting. Tell me which opera you’d like and I’ll ask for it.”
Daiyu smiled disdainfully.
“If that’s how you feel, you’d better hire a special company to play my favourite pieces instead of expecting me to cash in on someone else’s birthday.”
“That’s easy, we’ll hire a company next time and let the rest of them cash in on us.
He pulled her up and they went off hand in hand.

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《红楼梦》翻译 （三百零四）

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《红楼梦》翻译（三百零四）

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