不上網看資料,也不知《浮生六記》原來是那麼熱爆的書。版本少說也有122種。譯成外文的,也不少於八國。最早的英譯者是由林語堂。
已是多年前看的書。那時年少,無論文字修養和人生歷練都青澀,唏噓似乎有過,倒是讀後很快即忘得七七八八。
最初看的是當然只有四卷,也即最後兩記是闕如的,聽說已發現了第五記。我那本有林語堂的序文。不將書再翻出來,完全忘記了有此一序。今晚看由他翻譯的漢英對照本,真沒想到當年怎麼沒有給那序的「一往情深」文字所感染;想是人生閱歷所限,沒得說。
找一找書架,散處三方,原來還有愈平伯的點校本。真是不得了,原來此書再現時是那麼受文人所愛戴的。此番重看,當要好好品味一下。
作者沈復在首篇次段說,「因思〈關雎〉冠三百篇之首,故列夫婦于首卷;伓以次遞及焉。所愧少年失學,稍識之無,不過記其實情實事而已。若必考訂其文法,是責明于垢鑑矣。」(沈復著,林語堂譯﹕《浮生六記》,外語教學與研究出版社。1999年2月第1版,2001年8月第3刷,頁2)
文字淺白清晰,幾無多餘之字,讀著,可謂得一「爽」字。
既抄了這段,豈能不抄下他寫夫人芸的兩段文字,略見林語堂何以「發願譯成英文,使世人略知中國一對夫婦恬淡可愛生活。」而且「前後易稿不下十次;《天下》發刊後,又經校改」的原因。當然,林的譯文也一併抄下,以供欣賞。
芸與余同齒而長余十月,自幼姊弟相呼,故仍呼之曰淑姊。
時但見滿室鮮衣,芸獨通體素淡,僅新其鞋而已。見其繡製精巧,詢為己作,始知其慧心不僅在筆墨也。
其形削肩長項,瘦不露骨,眉彎目秀,願盼神飛,唯兩齒微露,似非佳相。一種纏綿之態,令人之意也消。(同上,頁6)
Yun was the same age as myself, but ten months older, and as we had been accustomed to calling each other “elder sister" and “younger brother" from childhood, I continued to call her " Sister Su."
At this time the guests in the house all wore bright dresses, but Yun alone was clad in a dress of quiet colour, and had on a new pair of shoes. I noticed that the embroidery on her shoes was very fine, and learnt that it was her own work, so that I began to realize that she was gifted at other things, too, besides reading and writing.
Of a slender figure, she had drooping shoulders and a rather long neck, slim but not to the point of being skinny. Her eyebrows were arched and in her eyes there was a look of quick intelligence and soft refinement. The only defect was that her two front teeth were slightly inclined forward, which was not a mark of good omen. There was an air of tenderness about her which completely fascinated me. (同上,頁7)
由網上資料可見,此書的部分內容入選了內地的課文,而林語堂的譯文也不時成為研究翻譯的範文。我不知香港的學生有多少讀過沈復的文字,更遑論全書。