文化对翻译有多重要？马斯克发的《七步诗》，被网友当成菜谱...

Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves.

生如夏花之绚烂，死如秋叶之静美。

——郑振铎 译

注：出自泰戈尔（Tagore）《飞鸟集》（Stray Birds）。

In me the tiger sniffs the rose.

心有猛虎，细嗅蔷薇。

——余光中 译

注：此为英国诗人西格里夫·萨松（Siegfried Sassoon）代表作《于我，过去，现在以及未来 》（“In me, past, present, future meet”）的经典诗句。

Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves.

生如夏花之绚烂，死如秋叶之静美。

——郑振铎 译

"Every little helps," as the old lady said，when she pissed in the sea.

老妪小遗于大海中，自语曰：“不无小补。”

——钱锺书 译

Able was I ere I saw Elba.

落败孤岛孤败落。

——马红军 译

注：据说这是拿破仑被流放到厄尔巴岛时说的一句话。直译是“在我看到厄尔巴岛之前，我曾所向无 敌。”本翻译还原了英文中回文的文字游戏，正读、反读都一样。

中华儿女多奇志，不爱红装爱武装。

Most Chinese daughters have a desire strong,

To face the powder and not powder the face.

——许渊冲 译

注：powder the face为涂脂抹粉 ，face the powder为面对硝烟，简直绝妙。

关关雎鸠，在河之洲。窈窕淑女，君子好逑。

By riverside a pair

Of turtledoves are cooing；

There's a good maiden fair

Whom a young man is wooing.

——许渊冲 译

浮云游子意，落日故人情。

With floating cloud you'll float away; Like parting day I'll part from you.

——许渊冲 译

寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚。

So dim, so dark,

So dense, so dull,

So damp, so dank,

So dead!

——许渊冲 译

无边落木萧萧下，不尽长江滚滚来。

The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower;

The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour.

——许渊冲 译

吃一堑，长一智。

A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.

——钱锺书 译

注：许渊冲曾大赞钱先生的这句翻译，称：原文只有对仗，具有形美；译文却不但有对仗，还押了韵，不但有形美，还有音美，真是妙译。