《朱自清 背影 英文翻译.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《朱自清 背影 英文翻译.docx（7页珍藏版）》请在三一办公上搜索。
1、朱自清 背影 英文翻译朱自清 背影(翻译) Rear-View of a Fading Figure (Original by Zhu Ziqing/Translation by alexcwlin) 我与父亲不相见已二年余了，我最不能忘记的是他的背影。 I havent seen Dad for over two years, and what I cant forget the most is the sight of him from the back as he was walking away. 那年冬天，祖母死了，父亲的差使也交卸 了，正是祸不单行的日子，我从北京到徐州，打算跟着父
2、亲奔丧回家。到徐州见着父亲，看见满院狼藉的 东西，又想起祖母，不禁簌簌地流下眼泪。父亲说，“事已如此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路！” It was a double-whammy for our family in the winter of that year. Grandma passed away, and Dad lost his job. I travelled from Beijing to Xu Zhou and planned to accompany Dad home for the funeral. When I saw Dads house in disarray and
3、 thought about Grandma, I began to weep uncontrollably. Dad said: “Lighten up! Whatever happened, happened. Theres always light at the end of the tunnel.” 回家变卖典质，父亲还了亏空；又借钱办了丧事。这些日子，家中光景很是惨淡，一半为了丧事，一 半为了父亲赋闲。丧事完毕，父亲要到南京谋事，我也要回北京念书，我们便同行。 At home, we sold off whatever we could. Dad paid off what he o
4、wed and borrowed for the funeral. Things at home were depressing due to the funeral and Dads unemployment. After the funeral, Dad had to go to Nanjing to find work and I had to return to Beijing for school, and we left in company together. 到南京时，有朋友约去游逛，勾留了一日；第二日上午便须渡江到浦口，下午上车北去。父亲因为事 忙，本已说定不送我，叫旅馆里一
5、个熟识的茶房陪我同去。他再三嘱咐茶房，甚是仔细。但他终于不放心， 怕茶房不妥帖；颇踌躇了一会。 At Nanjing, we stayed a day for some sightseeing with friends. In the morning of the following day I had to go to Pukou on the other side of the river, and then headed north by train in the afternoon. Dad was busy taking care of something. Initially he
6、 did not plan to see me off and asked an acquainted bellhop, repeatedly and painstakingly, to take me to the station. After much pondering, he was concerned the bellhop might slip up and at the end he decided to take me there himself. 其实我那年已二十岁，北京已来往过两三次，是没有甚么要紧的了。他踌 躇了一会，终于决定还是自己送我去。我两三回劝他不必去；他只说，“
7、不要紧，他们去不好！” In all fairness, there was nothing to worry about because I was twenty years old and had been through the Beijing trip two or three times. I tried to talk him out of it several times but he said: “It doesnt matter. I rather go myself instead of those people.” 我们过了江，进了车站。我买票，他忙着照看行李。行李太多了
8、，得向脚夫行些小费，才可过去。他 便又忙着和他们讲价钱。我那时真是聪明过分，总觉他说话不大漂亮，非自己插嘴不可。但他终于讲定了价钱； We crossed the river and entered the train station. I went to purchase the train ticket while he was keeping an eye on the luggage. There was too much luggage. We had to hire a porter to get there and he got busy bargaining with the
9、porters. At that time, I was a bit of a smartass and felt compelled to interrupt to correct what Dad said. He finally settled on a price with a porter. 就送我上车。他给我拣定了靠车门的一张椅子；我将他给我做的紫毛大衣铺好坐位。他嘱我路上小 心，夜里警醒些，不要受凉。又嘱托茶房好好照应我。我心里暗笑他的迂；他们只认得钱，托他们直是白 托！而且我这样大年纪的人，难道还不能料理自己么？唉，我现在想想，那时真是太聪明了！ He took me to t
10、he train, and picked a seat for me close to the door. He spread the purple fur coat which he gave me on the seat and cautioned me to be careful on the way, be vigilant at nighttime, and be wary of catching a cold. He asked the train-servers to take care of me. I snickered at his ignorance in thinkin
11、g those servers only acknowledged money and it was a waste of time to ask them to take care of me. After all, why would anyone think I could not take care of myself at that age? Oh my goodness! In looking back now, I was indeed too conceited at that time. 我说道，“爸爸，你走吧。”他望车外看了看，说，“我买几个橘子去。你就在此地，不要走动。”
12、我看 那边月台的栅栏外有几个卖东西的等着顾客。走到那边月台，须穿过铁道，须跳下去又爬上去。父亲是一 个胖子，走过去自然要费事些。 I said: “Dad, you should go.” He took a look outside the train-cabin window and said: “Let me go and buy a few tangerines. Stay here and dont move.” I looked and saw a few street vendors waiting for customers outside of the fence of th
13、e train platform on the opposite side. To get to the platform on that side, someone from this side had to cross the train tracks by climbing down and then up those elevated platforms. Dad was somewhat overweight, and naturally it would take some effort for him to get across. 我本来要去的，他不肯，只好让他去。我看见他戴着黑
14、布小帽，穿着黑布 大马褂，深青布棉袍，蹒跚地走到铁道边，慢慢探身下去，尚不大难。可是他穿过铁道，要爬上那边月台， 就不容易了。他用两手攀着上面，两脚再向上缩；他肥胖的身子向左微倾，显出努力的样子。 I wanted to go instead, but he insisted and I had to let him go. I watched as he, in a little black hat, a black robe, and a deep-turquoise jacket, staggered to the side of the railroad track. It wasnt
15、 too difficult for him to lower himself down slowly, but it took some struggle to climb up the platform after crossing the tracks. He clung onto the edge, raised his legs, and tilted slightly to the left as he tried to lift his overweight figure with great effort. 这时我看见 他的背影，我的泪很快地流下来了。我赶紧拭干了泪，怕他看见，
16、也怕别人看见。我再向外看时，他已抱 了朱红的橘子望回走了。过铁道时，他先将橘子散放在地上，自己慢慢爬下，再抱起橘子走。到这边时， 我赶紧去搀他。他和我走到车上，将橘子一股脑儿放在我的皮大衣上。 In watching him from the back side at that moment, my tears began to stream down my cheeks. I quickly wiped the tears dry to avoid detection by him or others. When I looked outside again, he was already
17、walking back with those reddish tangerines in his clasp. To cross the tracks, he scattered the tangerines on the ground of the platform, climbed down to the tracks slowly, and held onto the fruits as he walked. When he reached this side, I promptly went over and gave him a hand. He walked up to the
18、train cabin with me and dumped those tangerines on my leather coat. 于是扑扑衣上的泥土，心里很轻松 似的，过一会说，“我走了；到那边来信！”我望着他走出去。他走了几步，回过头看见我，说，“进去吧， 里边没人。”等他的背影混入来来往往的人里，再找不着了，我便进来坐下，我的眼泪又来了。 He dusted off the dirt on his coat seemingly in good spirits, and after a little while, said: “Im taking off. Dont forget to
19、 write.” I watched as he walked outside. He took a few steps, looked back, and said: “Go back! Theres no one else inside.” I waited until he disappeared among the bustling crowd. But when I sat down, my tears began to well again. 近几年来，父亲和我都是东奔西走，家中光景是一日不如一日。他少年出外谋生，独力支持，做了许 多大事。那知老境却如此颓唐！他触目伤怀，自然情不能
20、自已。情郁于中，自然要发之于外；家庭琐屑便 往往触他之怒。他待我渐渐不同往日。 In the last few years, Dad and I have been running around everywhere. Our familys finances have been in a downward spiral. When he was young, he accomplished many great things while making a living in supporting his family singlehandedly. Who would have though
21、t things get so bad at his old age? In reflecting on what had happened, some time ago he couldnt help but blew up at petty little things in the family with anger which he had bottled up for some time. And for a period, he treated me not as fondly as he did in the past. 但最近两年的不见，他终于忘却我的不好，只是惦记着我，惦记着
22、我的儿子。我北来后，他写了一信给我，信中说道，“我身体平安，惟膀子疼痛利害，举箸提笔，诸多不便， 大约大去之期不远矣。”我读到此处，在晶莹的泪光中，又看见那肥胖的，青布棉袍，黑布马褂的背影。唉！ 我不知何时再能与他相见！ But after not seeing each other for a couple of years, he finally has forgotten my failings and misses me and my son all the time. After I have moved to the north, he wrote me a letter once
23、 and it read: “Im well, but my arms have been in excruciating pain lately. I have difficulties writing and using chopsticks. Im afraid my time is near.” At this juncture, I seemed to see through my tear-filled eyes his plump rear-figure clad in turquoise jacket and black robe fading away. Oh my, whe
24、n can I see him again! Translation Technical Notes (by alexcwlin) The greatest challenge in translating this classic is tense-switching: deciding which tenses to use under different circumstances. Use past tenses when past conditions or events are being described, but use present tenses when present conditions or events (at the time when the writer was compiling the article) are being discussed.
