阿瑟韦利英文节译西游记 国学英文一起学
“文化走出去”是新时代文化发展的突出主题，所谓“墙推倒了就是桥”，不同语言之间的障碍一旦突破，便是有效的沟通纽带。即便学习的是中国古典传统文化、诗词，若有意为之，也是可以与英语等外语的学习融合起来的，事半功倍。
许多近现代的中外大师们留下了很多这方面伟大的作品。林语堂先生的《英译重编传奇小说》里头的《白猿》、《碾玉观音》等我是先看了英文长知道有这些篇目的存在的，理雅各的英译《中国经典》，即便有些在所难免的错漏之处，仍然是中华国学经典英译的典范著作。这里要说的是阿瑟韦利Arthur Waley。这是位没到过东方却精通东方语言的传奇东方学者。他的著作“170 Chinese Poems”《百七十首中国古诗》在网上还找不到中文原文，所以本号准备从其中的英译白居易诗着手，把对应的中文原文的篇目还原出来。
比如
其实就是《过天门街》：
雪尽终南又欲春，遥怜翠色对红尘。
千车万马九衢上，回首看山无一人
本人特别喜欢的另一著作是阿瑟韦利节译的《西游记》，英文名Monkey。
这里让我们来赏析其开篇第一段：
THERE was a rock that since the creation of the world had been worked upon by the pure essences of Heaven and the fine savours of Earth, the vigour of sunshine and the grace of moonlight（每受天真地秀，日精月华）, till at last it became magically pregnant and one day split open, giving birth to a stone egg, about as big as a playing ball.
Fructified by the wind it developed into a stone monkey, complete with every organ and limb. At once this monkey learned to climb and run; but its first act was to make a bow towards each of the four quarters. As it did so, a steely light darted from this monkey’s eyes and flashed as far as the Palace of the Pole Star（斗府）.
This shaft of light astonished the Jade Emperor（玉帝） as he sat in the Cloud Palace of the Golden Gates（金阙云宫）, in the Treasure Hall of the Holy Mists（灵霄宝殿）, surrounded by his fairy Ministers.
Seeing this strange light flashing, he ordered Thousand-league Eye（千里眼） and Down-the-wind Ears（顺风耳） to open the gate of the Southern Heaven and look out. At his bidding these two captains went out to the gate and looked so sharply and listened so well that presently they were able to report, ‘This steely light comes from the borders of the small country of Ao-lai, that lies to the east of the Holy Continent（东胜神洲）, from the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit（花果山）. On this mountain is a magic rock, which gave birth to an egg. This egg changed into a stone monkey, and when he made his bow to the four quarters a steely light flashed from his eyes with a beam that reached the Palace of the Pole Star（斗府）. But now he is taking a drink, and the light is growing dim.’
The Jade Emperor condescended to take an indulgent view（垂赐恩慈）.
‘These creatures in the world below,’ he said, ‘were compounded of the essence of heaven and earth, and nothing that goes on there should surprise us.’
《西游记》里的原文大体是：
那座山正当顶上，有一块仙石。其石有三丈六尺五寸高，有二丈四尺围圆。三丈六尺五寸高，按周天三百六十五度；二丈四尺围圆，按政历二十四气。上有九窍八孔，按九宫八卦。四面更无树木遮阴，左右倒有芝兰相衬。盖自开辟以来，每受天真地秀，日精月华，感之既久，遂有灵通之意。内育仙胞。一日迸裂，产一石卵，似圆球样大。因见风，化作一个石猴。五官俱备，四肢皆全。便就学爬学走，拜了四方。目运两道金光，射冲斗府。惊动高天上圣大慈仁者玉皇大天尊玄穹高上帝，驾座金阙云宫灵霄宝殿，聚集仙卿，见有金光焰焰，即命千里眼、顺风耳开南天门观看。二将果奉旨出门外，看的真，听的明。须臾回报道：“臣奉旨观听金光之处，乃东胜神洲海东傲来小国之界，有一座花果山，山上有一仙石，石产一卵，见风化一石猴，在那里拜四方，眼运金光，射冲斗府。如今服饵水食，金光将潜息矣。”
玉帝垂赐恩慈曰：“下方之物，乃天地精华所生，不足为异。”
这段译文没有机械地照搬原文的细节，但很好地把握住了内容的核心部分。后续我们会一起赏析接下来的精彩章节。