名作翻译鉴赏：《三国演义》（孔明借箭）杨宪益与罗慕士英译文对比赏析
2014-09-15 23:03阅读：
孔明借箭（《三国演义》节选）
罗贯中 著
第四十六回 用奇谋孔明借箭 献密计黄盖受刑
次日，聚众将于帐下，教请孔明议事。孔明欣然而至。坐定，瑜问孔明曰：“即日将与曹军交战，水路交兵，当以何兵器为先？”孔明曰：“大江之上，以弓箭为先。”瑜曰：“先生之言，甚合愚意。但今军中正缺箭用，敢烦先生监造十万枝箭，以为应敌之具。此系公事，先生幸勿推却。”孔明曰：“都督见委，自当效劳。敢问十万支箭，何时要用？”瑜曰：“十日之内，可完办否？”孔明曰：“操军即日将至，若候十日，必误大事。”瑜曰：“先生料几日可完办？”孔明曰：“只消三日，便可拜纳十万枝箭。”瑜曰：“军中无戏言。”孔明曰：“怎敢戏都督！愿纳军令状：三日不办，甘当重罚。
”瑜大喜，唤军政司当面取了文书，置酒相待曰：“待军事毕后，自有酬劳。”孔明曰：“今日已不及，来日造起。至第三日，可差五百小军到江边搬箭。”饮了数杯，辞去。鲁肃曰：“此人莫非诈乎？”瑜曰：“他自送死，非我逼他。今明白对众要了文书，他便两胁生翅，也飞不去。我只分付军匠人等，教他故意迟延，凡应用物件，都不与齐备。如此，必然误了日期。那时定罪，有何理说？公今可去探他虚实，却来回报。”
隶领命来见孔明。孔明曰：“吾曾告子敬，休对公瑾说，他必要害我。不想子瑾不肯为我隐讳，今日果然又弄出事来。三日内如何造得十万箭？子敬只得救我！”肃曰：“公自取其祸，我如何救得你？”孔明曰：“望子敬借我二十只船，每船要军士三十人，船上皆用青布为幔，各束草千余个，分布两边。吾别有妙用。第三日包管有十万枝箭。只不可又教公瑾得知。若彼知之，吾计败矣。”隶允诺，却不解其意。回报周瑜，果然不提起借船之事，只言：“孔明并不用箭竹、翎毛、胶漆等物，自有道理。”瑜大疑曰：“且看他三日后如何回覆我！”
却说鲁隶私自拨轻快船二十只，各船三十余人，并布幔束草等物，尽皆齐备，候孔明调用。第一日却不见孔明动静；第二日亦只不动。至第三日四更时分，孔明密请鲁肃到船中。肃问曰：“公召我来何意？”孔明曰：“特请子敬同往取箭。”肃曰：“何处去取？”孔明曰：“子敬休问，前去便见。”遂命将二十只船，用长索相连，径望北岸进发。是夜大雾漫天，长江之中，雾气更甚，对面不相见。孔明促舟前进，果然是好大雾。当夜五更时候，船已近曹操水寨。孔明教把船只头西尾东，一带摆开，就船上擂鼓呐喊。鲁肃惊曰：“倘曹兵齐出，如之奈何？”孔明笑曰：“吾料曹操于重雾中必不敢出。吾等只顾酌酒取乐，待雾散便回。”
却说曹操中，听得擂鼓呐喊，毛王介、于禁二人慌忙飞报曹操。操传令曰：“重雾迷江，彼军忽至，必有埋伏，切不可轻动。可拨水军弓弩手乱箭射之。”又差人往旱寨内唤张辽、徐晃各带弓弩军三千，火速到江边助射。比及号令到来，毛王介、于禁怕南军抢入水寨，已差弓弩手在寨前放箭；少顷，旱寨内弓弩手亦到，约一万余人，尽皆向江中放箭：箭如雨发。孔明教把船吊回，头东尾西，逼近水寨受箭，一在擂鼓呐喊。待至日高雾散，孔明令收船急回。二十只船两边束草上，排满箭支。孔明令各船上军士齐声叫曰：“谢丞相箭！”比及曹军寨内报知曹操时，这里船轻水急，已放回二十余里，追之不及。曹操懊悔不已。
杨宪益、戴乃迭译文：
The Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong
An Excerpt from Chapter 16
By a Ruse Zhuge Liang Borrows Arrows
Huang Gai Proposes a Stratagem and Is Beaten
The next day Zhou Yu assembled his officers and summoned
Zhuge Liang to a council. The latter went there cheerfully, and
after they had taken seats Zhou Yu asked,“What arms are most
important in naval fighting? We shall be engaging the forces of Cao
Cao soon.”
“Oh the river , arrows are best ,”said Zhuge
Liang.
“I agree with you. But we are rather short of arrows. Would
you undertake to supply a hundred thousand for our next fight?
Since this is for the common good, I am sure you won’t
refuse!”
“I shall certainly do my best to carry out your orders,”said
Zhuge Liang.“May I ask when you want the arrows?”
“Could you have them ready in ten days?”
“The enemy may be here any time. Ten days would be too
late.”
“In that case how long do you think you will
need?”
“In three days I can give you a hundred thousand
arrows.”
“We don’t appreciate jokes in the army!”said Zhou
Yu.
“How dare I joke with you , commander?” protested Zhuge
Liang.
“Give me a written order. If I haven’t done the job in three
days, I am willing to accept any punishment.”
In high good humor Zhou Yu ordered his adjutant to draw up an
order forthwith. Then he drank to Zhuge Liang’s success and
said,“When this task is completed, you will be
rewarded.”
“It is too late to start today. I will start tomorrow,” said
Zhuge Liang.“Three days from tomorrow you can send five hundred men
to the river bank to fetch the arrows.”After drinking a few more
cups he took his leave.
“Do you think he is up to some trick?”asked Lu
Su.
“I think he has signed his own death warrant,”said Zhou Yu.“I
didn’t push him into this. He asked for that formal order before
the whole council. Even if he sprouts wings he can hardly escape
this time. I shall just tell the workmen to hold things up and not
supply him with the material he needs, so that of course he can’t
produce the arrows. Then, when I condemn him, no one can protest.
Go and see what he’s doing now and keep me informed.”
So off went Lu Su to see Zhuge Liang, who said“I asked you
not to let Zhou Yu know or he would kill me. But you couldn’t hold
your tongue, and now I’m in trouble. How am I to make a hundred
thousand arrows in three days? You must come to my
rescue.”
“You brought this on yourself,”replied Lu Su.“How can I help
you?”
“I want the loan of twenty boats, each manned by thirty men.
All the boats should have black cloth curtains and a thousand
bundles of straw lashed to both sides. I shall make good use of
them. On the third day I promise to deliver the arrows. But on no
account tell Zhou Yu, or my plan will fall through.”
Although Lu Su was puzzled, when he went back to Zhou Yu he
did not mention the boats. He said only that Zhuge Liang had not
asked for bamboo, feathers, glue or varnish, but had some other way
of producing arrows.
Zhou Yu Ws puzzled too but simply said, “Well, we’ll see what
he has to say in three days’ time.”
Lu Su quietly prepared twenty fast ships each manned by more
than thirty men, as well as the curtains and straw. The first and
second days, Zhuge Liang made no move. Before dawn on the third day
at about the fourth watch, he secretly invited Lu Su to his boat.
When asked the reason he reason he said, “I want you to come with
me to fetch those arrows.”
“Where from?”
“Don’t ask that. You will see.”
Then Zhuge Liang had the twenty ships fastened together with
a long rope and made them row towards the north bank. The night was
foggy and mist lay so thick on the river that men face to face
could hardly see each other. He urged the ships forward till by the
fifth watch they were close to Cao Cao’s camp, then they were
ordered to form a line with their prows to the west, while the
crows beat drums and raised a mighty clamor.
Lu Su was alarmed and asked,“What if the enemy
attacks?”
Zhuge Liang said with a laugh, “I doubt if Cao Cao will come
out in this heavy fog. Let us pass the time pleasantly drinking and
go back when the fog lifts.”
When Cao Cao’s troops heard the clamor and beating of drums,
Mao Jie and Yu Jin hurried to report to their chief. His orders
were, “If their fleet has arrived in a heavy fog like this, they
must be up to some trick. Don’t do anything rash. Get the bowmen in
your fleet to shoot at them.” He also sent orders to Zhang Liao and
Xu Huang to take three thousand archers from their army to the bank
at once to help the marines. By the time this order was delivered,
the admirals had already ordered bowmen to let fly their arrows to
prevent the men of Wu from attacking their camp. Soon a host of
army archers also arrived, and all shot together at the river.
Arrows fell like rain. Then Zhuge Liang made his crews turn so that
their prows pointed east and go closer to the camp so that more
arrows might hit them, while they went on sounding drums and
raising a din, When the sun rose and the mist began to scatter, he
gave orders for a speedy return. By then the straw on all the boats
was bristling with arrows, and Zhuge Liang ordered the crews to
shout, “Thank you, Cao Cao, for yout arrows!” By the time this was
reported to Cao Cao, the swift light boats were more than twenty li
downstream, and it was impossible to overtake them. Cao Cao was
sorry, but there was no help for it. (1070 words)
罗慕士译文：
Three Kingdoms By Luo Guanzhong
An Excerpt from Chapter 16
Kongming Borrows Cao Cao’s Arrows Through a
Ruse;
Huang Gai Is Flogged Following a Secret Plan
The next day Zhou Yu gathered his generals together and
summoned Kongming, who came eagerly. At the assembly Zhou Yu asked
him,“When we engaged Cao Cao in battle on the river routes, what
should be the weapon of choice?” “On the Great River, bow and
arrow,”Kongming replied.“My view precisely, sir,” Zhou Yu said,“But
we happen to be short of arrows. Dare I trouble you, sir, to
undertake the production of one hundred thousand arrows to use
against the enemy? Please favor us with your cooperation in this
official matter.”“Whatever task the chief commander assigns, I
shall strive to complete,”replied Kongming.“But may I ask by what
time you will require them?”“Can you finish in ten days?” asked
Zhou Yu.“Cao’s army is due at any moment,” said Kongming. “If we
must wait ten days, it will spoil everything.”“How many days do you
estimate you need, sir?”said Zhou Yu.“With all respect, I will
deliver the arrows in three days,” Kongming answered. “There is no
room for levity in the a
