“物以多为贱 双钱易一束”——白居易诗《食笋》英译赏析
此州乃竹乡，春笋满山谷。
山夫折盈抱，抱来早市鬻。
物以多为贱，双钱易一束。
置之炊甑中，与饭同时熟。
紫箨坼故锦，素肌擘新玉。
每日遂加餐，经时不思肉。
久为京洛客，此味常不足。
且食勿踟蹰，南风吹作竹。
以下英文译文来自Arthur Waley阿瑟韦利的A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems
EATING BAMBOO-SHOOTS
My new Province is a land of bamboo-groves:
Their shoots in spring fill the valleys and hills.
此州乃竹乡，春笋满山谷。
The mountain woodman cuts an armful of them
And brings them down to sell at the early market.
山夫折盈抱，抱来早市鬻。
Things are cheap in proportion as they are common;
For two farthings, I buy a whole bundle.
物以多为贱，双钱易一束。
I put the shoots in a great earthen pot
And heat them up along with boiling rice.
置之炊甑中，与饭同时熟。
The purple nodules broken,—like an old brocade;
The white skin opened,—like new pearls.
紫箨坼故锦，素肌擘新玉。
Now every day I eat them recklessly;
For a long time I have not touched meat.
每日遂加餐，经时不思肉。
All the time I was living at Lo-yang
They could not give me enough to suit my taste,
久为京洛客，此味常不足。
Now I can have as many shoots as I please;
For each breath of the south-wind makes a new bamboo!
且食勿踟蹰，南风吹作竹。踟躕，徘徊不前的样子，犹豫，迟疑。作者的意思应该是喜欢竹笋就多吃一些吧，这些美味的竹笋，在煦暖的南风吹拂之下，很快就会长成不能食用的竹子了。