朱自清 背影(翻译-中译英)
Rear-View of a Fading Figure (Original by ZhuZiqing/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 haven’t seen Dad for over two years, and whatI can’t forget the most is the sight of him from the back as he was walkingaway.
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 thewinter of that year. Grandma passed away, and Dad lost his job. I travelledfrom Beijing to Xu Zhou and planned to accompany Dad home for the funeral. WhenI saw Dad’s house in disarray and thought about Grandma, I began to weepuncontrollably. Dad said: “Lighten up! Whatever happened, happened. There’salways 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. Dadpaid off what he owed and borrowed for the funeral. Things at home weredepressing due to the funeral and Dad’s unemployment. After the funeral, Dadhad 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 somesightseeing with friends. In the morning of the following day I had to go toPukou on the other side of the river, and then headed north by train in theafternoon. Dad was busy taking care of something. Initially he did not plan tosee me off and told an acquainted bellhop, repeatedly and painstakingly, on howto take me to the station. After much pondering, he was concerned the bellhopmight 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，“不要紧，他们去不好！”
In all fairness, there was nothing to worryabout because I was twenty years old and had been through the Beijing trip twoor three times. I tried to talk him out of it several times but he said: “Itdoesn’t 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，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 trainstation. I went to purchase the train ticket while he was keeping an eye on theluggage. There was too much luggage. We had to hire a porter to get there andhe got busy bargaining with the porters. At that time, I was a bit of asmartass and felt compelled to interrupt to correct what Dad said. He finallysettled 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 the train, and picked a seat forme close to the door. He spread the purple fur coat which he made for me on theseat and cautioned me to be careful on the way, be vigilant at nighttime, andbe wary of catching a cold. He asked the train-servers to take care of me. Isnickered at his ignorance in thinking those servers only acknowledged moneyand it was a waste of time to ask them to take care of me. After all, why wouldanyone think I could not take care of myself at that age? Oh my goodness! Inlooking 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。”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 lookoutside the train-cabin window and said: “Let me go and buy a few tangerines.Stay here and don’t move.” I looked and saw a few street vendors waiting forcustomers outside of the fence of the train platform on the opposite side. Toget to the platform on that side, someone from this side had to cross the traintracks by climbing down and then up those elevated platforms. Dad was somewhatoverweight, and of course 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 Ihad to let him go. I watched as he, in a little black hat, a black robe, and adeep-turquoise jacket, staggered to the side of the railroad track. It wasn’ttoo difficult for him to lower himself down slowly, but it took some struggleto 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 hisoverweight 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，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 thatmoment, my tears began to stream down my cheeks. I quickly wiped the tears dryto avoid detection by him or others. When I looked outside again, he wasalready walking back with those reddish tangerines in his clasp. To cross thetracks, he scattered the tangerines on the ground of the platform, climbed downto the tracks slowly, and held onto the fruits as he walked. When he reachedthis side, I promptly went over and gave him a hand. He walked up to the traincabin 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 ingood spirits, and after a little while, said: “I’m taking off. Don’t forget towrite when you get there.” I watched as he walked outside. He took a few steps,looked back, and said: “Go back! There’s no one else inside.” I waited until hedisappeared among the bustling crowd. But when I sat down, my tears began towell 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 beenrunning around everywhere. Our family’s finances have been in a downwardspiral. When he was young, he accomplished many great things while making aliving in supporting his family singlehandedly. Who would have thought thingsget so bad at his old age? In reflecting on what had happened, some time ago hecouldn’t help but blew up at petty little things in the family with anger whichhe had bottled up for some time. And for a period, he treated me not as fondlyas 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 ofyears, he finally has forgotten my failings and misses me and my son all thetime. After I have moved up north, he wrote me a letter once and it read: “I’mwell, but my arms have been in excruciating pain lately. I have difficultieswriting and using chopsticks. I’m afraid my time is near.” At the very moment Iread to that part, I seemed to see through my tear-filled eyes his plumprear-figure clad in turquoise jacket and black robe fading away. Oh my, when wouldI see him again?
TranslationTechnical Notes (by alexcwlin)
The greatest challenge in translating thisclassic is tense-switching: deciding which tenses to use under differentcircumstances.
Use past tenses when past conditions or eventsare being described, but use present tenses when present conditions or events(at the time when the writer was compiling the article) are beingdiscussed.
Rear-View of a Fading Figure (Original by ZhuZiqing/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 haven’t seen Dad for over two years, and whatI can’t forget the most is the sight of him from the back as he was walkingaway.
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 thewinter of that year. Grandma passed away, and Dad lost his job. I travelledfrom Beijing to Xu Zhou and planned to accompany Dad home for the funeral. WhenI saw Dad’s house in disarray and thought about Grandma, I began to weepuncontrollably. Dad said: “Lighten up! Whatever happened, happened. There’salways 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. Dadpaid off what he owed and borrowed for the funeral. Things at home weredepressing due to the funeral and Dad’s unemployment. After the funeral, Dadhad 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 somesightseeing with friends. In the morning of the following day I had to go toPukou on the other side of the river, and then headed north by train in theafternoon. Dad was busy taking care of something. Initially he did not plan tosee me off and told an acquainted bellhop, repeatedly and painstakingly, on howto take me to the station. After much pondering, he was concerned the bellhopmight 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，“不要紧，他们去不好！”
In all fairness, there was nothing to worryabout because I was twenty years old and had been through the Beijing trip twoor three times. I tried to talk him out of it several times but he said: “Itdoesn’t 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，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 trainstation. I went to purchase the train ticket while he was keeping an eye on theluggage. There was too much luggage. We had to hire a porter to get there andhe got busy bargaining with the porters. At that time, I was a bit of asmartass and felt compelled to interrupt to correct what Dad said. He finallysettled 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 the train, and picked a seat forme close to the door. He spread the purple fur coat which he made for me on theseat and cautioned me to be careful on the way, be vigilant at nighttime, andbe wary of catching a cold. He asked the train-servers to take care of me. Isnickered at his ignorance in thinking those servers only acknowledged moneyand it was a waste of time to ask them to take care of me. After all, why wouldanyone think I could not take care of myself at that age? Oh my goodness! Inlooking 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。”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 lookoutside the train-cabin window and said: “Let me go and buy a few tangerines.Stay here and don’t move.” I looked and saw a few street vendors waiting forcustomers outside of the fence of the train platform on the opposite side. Toget to the platform on that side, someone from this side had to cross the traintracks by climbing down and then up those elevated platforms. Dad was somewhatoverweight, and of course 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 Ihad to let him go. I watched as he, in a little black hat, a black robe, and adeep-turquoise jacket, staggered to the side of the railroad track. It wasn’ttoo difficult for him to lower himself down slowly, but it took some struggleto 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 hisoverweight 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，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 thatmoment, my tears began to stream down my cheeks. I quickly wiped the tears dryto avoid detection by him or others. When I looked outside again, he wasalready walking back with those reddish tangerines in his clasp. To cross thetracks, he scattered the tangerines on the ground of the platform, climbed downto the tracks slowly, and held onto the fruits as he walked. When he reachedthis side, I promptly went over and gave him a hand. He walked up to the traincabin 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 ingood spirits, and after a little while, said: “I’m taking off. Don’t forget towrite when you get there.” I watched as he walked outside. He took a few steps,looked back, and said: “Go back! There’s no one else inside.” I waited until hedisappeared among the bustling crowd. But when I sat down, my tears began towell 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 beenrunning around everywhere. Our family’s finances have been in a downwardspiral. When he was young, he accomplished many great things while making aliving in supporting his family singlehandedly. Who would have thought thingsget so bad at his old age? In reflecting on what had happened, some time ago hecouldn’t help but blew up at petty little things in the family with anger whichhe had bottled up for some time. And for a period, he treated me not as fondlyas 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 ofyears, he finally has forgotten my failings and misses me and my son all thetime. After I have moved up north, he wrote me a letter once and it read: “I’mwell, but my arms have been in excruciating pain lately. I have difficultieswriting and using chopsticks. I’m afraid my time is near.” At the very moment Iread to that part, I seemed to see through my tear-filled eyes his plumprear-figure clad in turquoise jacket and black robe fading away. Oh my, when wouldI see him again?
TranslationTechnical Notes (by alexcwlin)
The greatest challenge in translating thisclassic is tense-switching: deciding which tenses to use under differentcircumstances.
Use past tenses when past conditions or eventsare being described, but use present tenses when present conditions or events(at the time when the writer was compiling the article) are beingdiscussed.
温馨提示：内容为网友见解，仅供参考
第1个回答 2015-02-04
感动，是要写话还是什么？
相似回答
