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林语堂英译：清人李密庵《半半歌》

2013-07-02 22:58阅读：

http://blog.sina.cn/dpool/blog/u/1261204611

很偶然的机会读到了清人李密庵所作的《半半歌》，印象深刻，这首诗作实是“中庸”思想的典型体现。今读到林语堂先生对该诗的英译，可以将汉英版集录于此，赏析品读，不亦快哉！
林语堂英译：清人李密庵《半半歌》


半半歌

（清）李密庵
看破浮生过半， 半之受用无边。
半中岁月尽幽闲，半里乾坤宽展。
半廓半乡村舍， 半山半水田园。
半耕半读半经廛，半士半民姻眷。
半雅半粗器具， 半华半实庭轩。
衾裳半素半轻鲜，肴馔半丰半俭。
童仆半能半拙， 妻儿半朴半贤
。
心情半佛半神仙，姓字半藏半显。
一半还之天地， 让将一半人间。
半思后代与沧田，半想阎罗怎见。
酒饮半酣正好， 花开半时偏妍。
帆张半扇免翻颠，马放半缰稳便。
半少却饶滋味， 半多反厌纠缠。
百年苦乐半相参，会占便宜只半。


林语堂英译：清人李密庵《半半歌》


Li Mi-an’s “The Half-Half Song”
林语堂 英译
By far the greater half have I seen through
This floating life-Ah, there’s a magic word-
This “half”-so rich in implications.
It bids us taste the joy of more than we
Can ever own. Halfway in life is man’s
Best state, when slackened pace allows him ease;
A wide world lies halfway, twixt heaven and earth;
To live halfway between the town and land,
Have farms halfway between the streams and hills;
Be half-scholar, and half-a-squire, and half
In business; half as gentry live,
And half related to the common folk;
And have a house that’s half genteel, half plain,
Half elegantly furnished and half bere;
Dresses and gowns that are half old, half new,
And food half epicure’s, half simple fare;
Have servants not too clever, not too dull;
A wife who’s not too simple, nor too smart-
So then, at heart, I feel I’m half a Buddha,
And almost half a Taoist fairy blest.
One half myself to Father Heaven I
Return; the other half to children leave-
Half thinking how for my posterity
To plan and provide, and yet half minding how
To answer God when the body’s laid at rest.
He is most wisely drunk who is half drunk;
And flowers in half-bloom look their prettiest;
As boats at half-sail sail the steadiest,
And horses held at half-slack reins trot best.
Who half too much has, adds anxiety,
But half too little, adds possession’s zest.
Since life’s of sweet and bitter compounded,
Who tastes but half is wise and cleverest.

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