Translation and appreciation
原文：《五柳先生传》 译文3：The Man of Five-Willows 译文4： A Biographical Sketch of the Five-Willow Gentleman
原文：先生不知何许人也，亦不详其姓字。宅边有五柳树，因以为号焉。
原文：环睹萧然，不蔽风日。短褐穿结，箪瓢屡空。晏如也。常著文 章自娱。颇示己志。忘怀得失，以此自终。 译文3：Four bare walls enclose his rooms; the wind and sun find free access through the roof and the chinks. His clothes are ragged, his dishes usually empty. But he takes it perfectly at ease. Sometimes he writes to amuse himself, to express what is in his mind. He cares little for worldly gain or loss. It is thus he passes his allotted span on earth. 译文4： The walls of his bare rooms had ceased to shelter him from wind and sun. His clothes of coarse cloth would have ceased to provide his body with a cover, had he not tied together in knots the many gaping holes. His bamboo vessels and gourd ladles were invariably hollow. Yet he was at peace with himself and content. • He took pleasure in writing. His works give a fair account of his interests and purpose in life. Thus he lived to the end of his days.
原文：闲静少言，不慕荣利。好读书，不求甚解；每有会意，便欣然忘食。 性嗜酒，家贫而不能常得。亲旧知其如此，或置酒而招之。造饮辄尽， 期在必醉；既醉而退，曾不吝请去留。 译文3：Tranquil and spare of speech, he covets neither fame nor profit. He takes delight in books, but is not concerned with details. Whenever an idea flashes upon him he becomes so overjoyed as to forget his meals. Drinking is his natural weakness, but, being poor, he cannot afford to buy wine. Knowing it well, his relatives and friends are wont to provide some for him to share. Then he finishes every drop and does not stop till quite drunk. While tipsy, he leaves them without more ado. 译文4： Quiet and sparing of words, he was concerned with neither fame nor gain. Without being pedantic, he had a passion for learning. Whenever a hidden meaning dawned upon him, he would forget his meals in an ecstasy of delight. • A weakness he had for the brimming cup, and would have indulged more freely, had he been less impoverished. Knowing it, kith and kin would ask him over for a drink. Once there, he would drain off whatever amount was to be had, bent on getting himself drunk. As soon as justice had been done to the wine, he would take his leave.
Summary
• 译文3的特点：比较口语化，句式以简单句为主，基本表达了原文 的意思。译文4的特点：行文正式，无论是从句式结构还是用词来 说都是比较正式且严谨的。特别是倒装句、虚拟式的运用，使译文 更为严谨。
• 译文3采用一般现在时，使读者与原作更为接近，特别是在写人时， 一般现在时的使用可以让读者更为接近所刻画的人物；译文4则使 用过去式，一般过去式描写的一般是发生在过去的事情，这就没有 现在时的那种亲近感。
• 译文3无脚注，译文4有脚注。脚注的添加使读者尤其是外文读者充 分了解文本知识背景，从而更好的理解译文。
Thank you
原文：赞曰：黔娄之妻有言：“不戚戚于贫贱，不汲汲于富贵。”其 言兹若人之俦乎？衔觞赋诗，以乐其志，无怀氏之民欤？葛天氏之 民欤？ • 译文3：Envoy Wise Old Chien-lou once remarked: "Not to be dejected though poor and humble, nor eager for riches and honor." Is this not a fitting epithet for a man like him? He drinks deep, chants his poems and finds happiness in himself. Is he not one of those who have lived in the spacious days of yore? • 译文4:To conclude, Qian Lou's (1) wife had this to say of her husband: "Unperturbed [he was] by poverty; indifferent to wealth and rank." Would this not sever for an accurate appraisal of the Five-Willow Gentleman? With the rim of his wine cup between his lips, poetizing for the sheer joy of it, he appears to be a misplaced ancient ofTian (2).
译文赏析 《五柳先生传》
Contents
Introduction Translation and appreciation
Summary
Introduction
• 《五柳先生传》是东晋 陶渊明的代表作之一， 作者将自身醉心田园、 超然世外的习性和志趣 以五柳先生的身份抒发 出来，文风恬淡，构思 独特。本文选取翻译家 方重和谭时麟的翻译进 行对比赏析。
译文3： The man cannot be identified. No one knows his name. As there are five willows grown beside his hut, he has come to be known as "Man of Five-Willows." 译文4： Unknown were his origins, his name and the way he styled himself. They called him the Five-Willow Gentleman after the five willows gracing the fringe of his cottage.