“物故犹堪用 人亡不可逢”——白居易诗《感旧纱帽》英译赏析
昔君乌纱帽,赠我白头翁。
帽今在顶上,君已归泉中。
物故犹堪用,人亡不可逢。
岐山今夜月,坟树正秋风。
在我们日常语境里,“乌纱帽”和做官紧密联系在一起,当官了叫做“戴了乌纱帽”,革职的叫做“摘掉乌纱帽”,以至于《现代汉语词典》对“乌纱帽”词条的解释就是“古代文官的一种帽子”。其实,直至唐朝,乌纱帽仍是民间一种比较普通的帽子。五代时期马缟的《中华古今注·乌纱帽》记载,“武德九年十一月,太宗诏曰:‘自今已后,天子服乌纱帽,百官士庶皆同服之。 ’”这说明,乌纱帽在唐朝仍然属于便服之列。《感旧纱帽》诗中写道,“昔君乌纱帽,赠我白头翁。”这说的是乌纱帽可以当作馈赠朋友的礼品。
以下英文译文来自Arthur Waley阿瑟韦利的A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems
THE HAT GIVEN TO THE POET BY LI CHIEN
Long ago to a white-haired gentleman
You made the present of a black gauze hat.
昔君乌纱帽,赠我白头翁。
The gauze hat still sits on my head;
But you already are gone to the Nether Springs.
帽今在顶上,君已归泉中。Nether: lower in position.
The thing is old, but still fit to wear;
The man is gone and will never be seen again.
物故犹堪用,人亡不可逢。
Out on the hill the moon is shining to-night
And the trees on your tomb are swayed by the autumn wind.
岐山今夜月,坟树正秋风。