Li: You have been doing your homework for two hours and should take a break.
Ma: OK. Let’s go and play volleyball.

Li: This Saturday is my birthday. Please come to my home for a get
together.
Ma: Fine. I’ll certainly come.


Xiao Ma, come up the mountain. The scenery is beautiful up on the
mountain.
Ma: I will go up after a little rest.


This hotel is very convenient to transportation and not far from several
tourist spots.
Ma: Yes, it is also close to the airport. The bus just took 5 minutes to take us
here.

Li: San Francisco to Beijing is about ten thousand kilometers, right?
Ma: Right. I heard that flying from Beijing to San Francisco takes 12 hours.












此诗是当代诗人孟冲之的一首古风。投稿给《诗殿堂》。他们找我翻译。

全诗五字70行。 如果一口气翻译下来，英文读者会觉得不堪卒读，所以在格式上采取了四行一小节，给读者以喘息的机会。 当然， 这样处理，每个小节是否自成一个意群，就不是我作为译者能控制的了。还有就是中文的诗行数未必正好对应，势必要有所取舍。我的舍， 安排在最后。作者说到自己拜神，联想到年轻气盛，是无神论者，从来没给神佛作揖鞠躬。但是经过一生坎坷，当年的雄心已经不复存在，对神佛现在也多少存有一点敬畏之心了。 其中两行， 何不同其光， 何不合其辙， 说的就是这种与命运妥协的意思。这两行我只翻译成两个字 Heart tamed (心被驯服了）。

这种叙事的古风， 倒是也比较对我的胃口。 如果不用考虑声韵， 翻译起来还是比较上手。 我先是用无韵体翻译。 现在我自己写诗也好，翻译也好，基本上每行的音节数在10到15之间。 加加工经可能押到10个音节，是英语传统诗歌常用的音节数。 当然，翻译不可能做到整齐划一。

翻完以后，再看看每节有没有可以调整的，已取得押韵或者近似押韵的效果。至于说重音的安排，绝对超出我的能力之外，根本不考虑。




与家人同谒大云山

少登家后丘，远望神思逸。峨峨大云山，烟岚邈不及。梦想一朝游，今年四十七。还乡携老幼，暑日访仙迹。
晨至贺畈野，忽觉天地窄。入山不见山，但见青苍逼。百折之字路，车身如竖立。左仰十丈崖，右临万仞壁。


A Pilgrimage to the Dayunshan Mountain

By MENG Chongzhi

Translated by YU Lan

A child I climbed up a mound behind my house
And looked far with wild imagination.
There stood in distance the Dayun Mountain
Majestic and misty, well beyond the clouds.

I dreamed of going there someday before long
And I did, as a septuagenarian.
In summer I toured the immortal's mountain
Back at native home, my folks tagging along.

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