2008年1月29日 论恋爱

上周参加了一个哲学讲座，话题是讲柏拉图的《会饮篇》（Symposium）的论题。为此，我专门泡在图书馆又将《会饮篇》详读了一遍，读完后情不自禁地被带入千年哲思中。初读《会饮篇》还是在大学里，大受感染，几个瑰丽的想像一直蚀刻在心中。这篇短短三十四页的对话，在哲学、文学、美学上都占有非常重要的地位。初识柏拉图的文章是他的《理想国》，花了两个多月。《会饮篇》虽也有哲学思辩，但完全可以当小说或者戏剧来读，言辞华美，处处绽放着美丽的思想之花，俏皮洞见远理俯拾皆是。同时，又溶轻松与严肃于一体，模糊真与假，事实与遐想的界限。真可谓“假作真时真亦假，无为有处有还无”。

找爱人，便是找自己的另一半？

对话讲的是一次在悲剧诗人阿格森家中聚会的事，席间除了苏格拉底，阿格森，还有另一个阿里斯托芬（古希腊最伟大喜剧家）。大家商议罢清酒，除歌舞，宴会之后，专以谈话助兴，并拟定以歌颂爱神为论题(compose an encomium to Love)，依次发言。最有意思的是阿里斯托芬的发言，而定下柏拉图精神恋爱此说的，却是苏格拉底之论述。

阿里斯托芬告诉众人，人最初是如今的两倍，四足四手，四眼。有三类人：最主要的是阴阳兼具一套的叫androgynous（men-women阴阳同体人）。他（她）们可以像风车一样滚，速度奇快。另两种是纯阴或纯阳。我们这些原始祖先们爱闹事，不敬天神。天神一怒下，将人类都劈成两半。而androgynous们就一分为二，从一人中化出男和女两人。肚脐眼便是当年留下的伤口。从此人变为四肢，双眼，单性之人。天谴之伤痛后渐淡忘，但因为他们以前是一体的，尔后才被分开。因此，人人心灵中，一生都在寻找其另一半，大多由阴阳合体物而一分为二，因而世上，绝大多数人，异性相觅相得。而少数原本是纯阳或纯阴的，他们（她们）自然对异性无兴趣，只是想找同性另一半。这就是恋爱的由来：并非因sexual intercourse，而是基于返本的求“完整性”。所以，真正的幸福是此人找到其另一半，从此合二为一，返回到原本的完整状态。

爱是美还是丑？

接着阿格森开始赞颂爱神。他认为爱神最年轻，最美，最温柔，最灵活，最优雅（young, beautiful, delicate, 因为爱神只在充满花香之所停驻，在人最软的心灵间飞掠。爱神最有力量，因为其使人甘愿为之效劳，奉献一切而无悔。而凡被爱神触及心灵，人人都变成诗人，备具乐感。

他的话引出了苏格拉底的名论。苏格拉底这次仍装出一无所知的样子，不断地问阿格森问题，直到阿格森被彻底征服。“人总是想得到他尚未得到的东西。那如果爱是最美的？爱又如何去企望去得到美呢？”由此更引出当年他和女巫迪欧缔玛的一段对话，层层深入。得出几大论点：一是我们追求爱情，是因为我们自身缺乏。我们并非缺乏爱情本身，爱无所谓善恶美丑，或者在两极端中间，爱是个纽带，通道，通向我们追求爱的对象——美。而美又是善，最高的美等同于最高的善（goodness）。人总是首先去寻求爱的具体：具体人，美女，帅哥及他们身上散发出来的美。但这些都如盛暑之果。渐而我们在追寻中，会慢慢发现心灵之美，胜过肉体之美。再往后，我们会将美从单个人中抽出，发现美的行为，美的表现，渐渐我们寻求一种永恒，无生无死之美。同时，人有一种向往永恒的自然意愿（pursue of immortality），肉身重之人会如动物般，通过交媾，产生后代而延续自己；而灵性人则通过寻求永恒的美和善，在与极致的美和善中，达到精神永恒。

自己竭尽所理解叙述，但仍觉言难尽意。有志者须亲自去读才能更多体会。至少，我们这里知晓，所谓柏拉图式精神恋爱，并非摒弃肉体，只是认为属初始阶段，不能局限于彼，如动物般只在那块泥潭里翻滚。至于阿氏的“一分为二”说昨天看休谟又见其引申后话。人们被劈成两半后，内心渴望‘统一’的胜似大陆与台湾人们对统一的渴望，因此他们在生活中满世界找，找到‘半’人就去试着凑一块，发现不是，便放下再找，直到圆满一直不停歇，否则心中的空虚失落，不完整感一直会纠缠肆虐内心，尽管他们的感观会得到一时痛快。可爱的Hume续杜道：后来天帝同情这帮被分为两半的人们，便派Love 和Hymen两位神来以最好的方式缝补配对。但两位神秉性不同，前者主要以‘快乐’为依据去拼凑，求一时欢娱；而后者主司婚姻，以care（关心）去配对，求的是长远之计：家庭、安定等。一时间两者争端不下，互相拆台。Love 刚配好一对， Hymen去拆散重装，反之亦然。这种局势争端便一直到今天。

也许读起来像童话，像寓言，但是又如此深刻，可以一笑了之，也可以从中得悟。人生之事，左右也不过情、仇、爱、恨几字。或如孟夫子所概括：“食、色，性也。”咱们中国人很少将生活抽象到像柏拉图那么高。一方面是好事，不像西方人格那么分裂，仰望高高在上的美，却无法可及。中国人很少将‘爱’纯粹化，思辩抽象化。但也容易将爱中“灵”位置放得太低，过于庸俗化。不过，对爱的思辩比真正去爱还是要简单罢。喜欢这种vicarious 的乐趣，有如今天早上看刚下水的韩国同学在水里拼命扑腾时gloating的快乐。八卦（gossip）别人好像也是一种，但那不好，要戒了。

 

英语句式理解-钱3： As非典型常见句型枚举 

1. as…as…can be

It is as plain as plain can be. 那是再明白也没有了。

You are as wrong as wrong can be.

The place is as still as still. (可将后can be 省掉)

2. as…so

 As rust eats iron, so care eats the heart. 忧能伤人，如锈之蚀铁。

3. it is in (or with) …as in ( or with)

It is in life as in a journey. 人生如逆旅

It is with women as with flowers.    妇美如花

4.      as… much; as many; like so many

a.       I thought as much. 我亦作如是想。这里表示亦然。如I was not at all vexed at my failure, for I had expected as much.

b.      Those five days seemed to me as many years. 五天犹如五年。

c.       They work like so many ants.

5.      as good as , 意思有时解为： ‘amounting to’ ,‘not falling short of,

 He was as good as his word;

有时做‘Virtually’‘almost’讲, In every essential respect: He is as good as dead already. 各基本方面来看，他已虽生犹死。

The merchant as good as promised the orphan boy, that he would adopt him. 这商人等于答应收养这孤儿的请求了。

In policy, as well ecclesiastical as civil, there are always evils which no art of man can cure. (Hooker)

6.      ‘as it is’ at the end of sentence or the head of sentence.

a.       If I were rich, I should do so. As it is, I do nothing. 我有钱会这么做。但事实没钱，只好

b.      The painter does not copy nature as it is.

（置于句前表事转折“但事实上”之意，放在句末，则表示照现状。

7.      past participle + as it is ; present participle + as it does( 强调原因)

a.       Hidden as it was by the trees, the tomb was difficult to find.

深藏于树木中，那坟墓很难找到。

b.      Standing as it does on a high hill, the church commands a fine view.

象这样建立在高山上，教堂的眺望很好。

   （其实，起的是强调作用，去掉也无妨。）

8. may as well… as , might as well as

a. Friendship is a vase, which, if it is cracked by accident, may as well be broken at once. 友情如瓶，偶有裂痕，旋即破碎。

b. you might as well erect a house without bricks and motor as try to get on in life without education. 不受教育而想立身处世，就象没有砖和灰泥来建造房子一样。

May as well= had better, might as well= assumption，前者指可能之事，后者指假设的多。

9. not so much … as;   not so much as

His success is not so much by talent as by energy. 他的成功多因勤力所致，而非才智。

He did not so much as turn his face. 他连头都没回一下。(相当even not)

He did not so much as punish one of the murderers, nor did he show the least tenderness to the survivors. ( Macaulay)

前者为说是---还不如说是句意，而后者表示‘甚至没有’

英文理解： 几则用名词造句特殊结构（ abridged from Mr. Qian GeChuan's the techniques of translation)

 不好意思，有些句子偷懒，就没译出来。当时笔记许多都直接用英文记的，谅不会导致误解。

1. All+ abstract nouns / abstract nouns+ itself = very + adjectives

a. He was all gentleness to her. 他对她十分温存。

b. to his superiors, he is humility itself. 他对上司极尽谦卑。

She is all smiles.(她一味笑)

He is all eyes.（他只是看）

 

2. ‘something(much) of’ ‘ nothing (little) of’

a. Mr. Li is something of a philosopher. 李君略有哲人风范。

b. Mr. Wu is nothing of a musician. 吴君全无音乐家风味

c. Mr. Lu is very much of a poet. 卢君大有诗人风度。

Something of 有几分，  and something like =something approximating in character or amount， much of 表非常

 

3. Function of objective or subjective of genitive 属格主宾格问题

 a. No one came to my brother’s rescue. 谁也不来救助我兄弟。

 b. The love of money is the root of all evil.

 c. His mother’s loss pushed him to the brink of suicide.  他母亲过世，使他悲痛欲绝。

d. The love of these aesthetic tastes is a loss of happiness.

e. Succeeding ages will reverence his memory.

His death was hastened by the shock of her loss.

以上诸例中有的属格做宾格，导致理解上的误区。

 

4.      Nouns+ of + a + nouns

a.       It was a great mountain of a wave.  那是一个象山一样高的大浪。

b.      That fool of a Tom did it.

Appositive possessive, a can not be omitted.  ‘her old sharper of a father’, he was a fine figure of a young man. (他是一个翩翩公子)

She was an angel of a wife. (天仙一般的妻子)

 

5.      noun +of  + possessive genitives + noun

 It was beyond expectation to meet a man of your taste.

You are a lady of her wisdom.

 

6. of + abstract noun= adjective   of …+ common noun

 (a) It was of great importance.

 (b) The earth is the shape of a pear.

This shirt is the right size.

The towers were exactly the same height.

 

7. have + the + abstract noun + infinitive

She had the cheek to say such a thing.

How can you have the heart to drawn such darling little kittens? (the heart=hard-heartedness)

I had the luck to find him at home.

He had the foresight to carry fire insureance.

 

8. that(those) + which

   He lost that picture which he had got with much trouble.

It is the strong restriction, something like ‘such … as’

Those persons who do most good are least conscious of it.

A dog will become attached to those members of the family who are kind to it.

Milton had that universality which belongs to the highest order of genius.

Education alone can conduct us to that enjoyment which is best in quality and infinite in quantity.

 

 

于细微处见功夫（3）：力荐钱歌川先生《翻译的技巧》

1. Under the Mongol Dynasty Chinese men of letters stood at the foot of the social ladder.

He lay the money and treasures at the feet of the beautiful lady.

前句at the foot of，当为底层，而后句为脚下，

2. He has not a little experience.    他经验丰富。（ not a little means ‘very much’）

  He has not the least experience.   毫无经验

 

3. This is the same knife as I have lost. 这和我掉的那支同‘类’。

  This is the same knife that I have lost. 这就是我掉的那支笔。

4. Which train are you going by?  坐哪部车？

  What train are you going by?   坐几点的车？

5. I have a friendship for him.  我和他挺好的           

I have a friendship with him.我和他有来往

6. He spoke nothing on purpose.

He spoke nothing to the purpose. 他不得要领

He spoke nothing to no purpose.  我所言无不生效，to no purpose 无效

7. I run away for my life. 我拼命跑( desperately)

I cannot run for the life of me.  我死也跑不动了。.

8. They are all of age.    他们都已成年 

They are all of an age. 他们同年。

9. He is a man of family. 他是世家子弟。

He is a family man. 他是有家室的人。 Family marriage =marriage with children; a man of the world= poor and hard-working man; a worldly man( vulgar )

 

10. He had trouble on my account.   他为我而惹了麻烦。

He took trouble on my account. 他为我不辞劳苦。

 

11. I parted from him on the bridge.  与人分，用from，与物分用with

He hates to part with his money.

12. She is careless of her dress.

 She is careless about her dress. （前者不爱惜，后不修边幅）

 

不觉间，在英国已近半年。一缘所学英语对外教育多为理论，二缘诸事萦怀，感想颇多，援笔处少。看书我少受专业所限，而对认识英语上也多少有所得，遂趁新年之际，‘重操旧业’，陆续将所得与网上众友讨论，力争一月至少能写两三篇。

向大家力荐一本老书《翻译的技巧》（钱歌川）。有网兄先前曾引用为我解惑过，当时在国内忙没来及，未想到到爱大来，居然偶见这本书，（手头这本商务81年初版，也不清楚国内是否有销）于是欣然读之，颇受教益。此书系统讲技巧，而且围绕‘句式’系统讲技巧。诚然这本传统经典翻译教科书，作者写了十年之久。窃以为近年来翻译技巧书虽层出不穷，但水分颇多，而难找出一本在这方面超过此书。并且其编排由浅入深，习题针对性强。拟撷英咀华，于随后再编摘几则，与众共飨。

 

 

英语词句的理解：留心细微处   (1)  词语篇

在接触英语的时候，我们因为对特殊的结构或词语用法不熟，导致 misunderstanding 。聊拈一例， Jude the obscure 里面有一句引言：“ He has no star save his heart.” 以前给学生们译，就许多人译成“他没有救星挽救他”。这时 save 是个介词，这里相当于 except, but 。于是这句话应当是“只有他的心指引着他。” 还有一句， I will not do more than I can help. 句式相当简单，但似乎很费解。记得自己做学生时当年翻译课老师给我们做这句翻译时，看着我们都不解的神情，一边脸上挂着幸灾乐祸地一旁笑，等着我们千奇百怪地翻译出来，他好开心。后来自己做老师了，也忍不住 trick 一下学生，弄一些‘陷阱句’，也贼贼地笑看他们 perplexed 神情，急切想知道答案， ego 于是瞬间膨胀，飘飘然。做主要是 help 他们太熟知‘帮助’的意思了。 Cannot help doing 这词组也很熟，但其实同理， help 在此做 avoid, prevent from 解，应理解成“我能不帮，就不帮。”这些都是考验平时功夫，所谓见多了，见怪不怪了。来英前曾与自己恩师一聚，向他讨教做学问之事。他说，“多读，必须多读。”我觉得对英语的理解也是一样。有些词，特别是许多常用词，看上去很熟，但其实有些用法很容易给我们带来陷阱。不妨例举一些，大家共同探讨学习。

1.1  His English is anything but correct.

1.2  His English is nothing but correct.

1.3  His English is all but correct.

2.1  Anyhow, she works.

2.2   She works anyhow.

3.1  I hope he will soon get over it.

3.2  .I hope he will soon get it over.

4.1  Quiet properly he was punished.

4.2  He was punished quite properly.

5.1  She has an eye for antique furniture.

5.2  She has eyes only for antique furniture.

6.1  It is his manner that annoys me.

6.2  It is his manners that annoy me.

7.1  He is behind time.

7.2  He is behind the times.

8.1  You should pay more attention to matters of moment.

8.2  You should pay more attention to matters of the moment.

9.1  I swear at him.

9.2  I swear by him.

10.1  He is jealous of himself.

10.2  He is jealous of Jimmy.

11.1  Mary goes into business.

11.2  Mary goes to business..

12.1  He was familiar to me.

12.2  He was familiar with me.

 

以上零散举的例子，将相近用法并举，似是而非，有时只多加 s, 或 the ，意思却截然不同了。

1 例中 1.1 anything but correct 指错误百出，一无是处；而 1.2 意思，‘只是不错而已’， 1.3 ‘几乎没错误’； anyhow 字面意思“无论如何 ”，但放前放后有差异。前一句可译成不管怎样，他工作了；而后一句她马虎工作， anyhow 后置，变成修饰谓语动词，近 carelessly 之意。‘ get over it ’表忘记（不愉快的事） get it over 表结束。 4.1 与 4.2 也是位置在作怪，前一句他受处份理所当然；后一句是他受的处份恰如其分。 5.1 have an eye 表示有眼光，有鉴赏力，而 5.2 表示只想看看。 Manner 态度，方式； manners 表礼貌。他对我礼貌惹火我，细想不难理解，许多时候，礼貌待人是疏远人的一种方式。像这种词还有 confidence 信任，信心； confidences 秘密，这都要求平时去留心。 7.1 表示他迟到了，而 7.2 表示他落伍了

8.1 表示 matters of moment 表示重要事务，而后者表示当前事务。后面几句应当容易， 9.1 我诅咒他；后面一句是‘相信他’； 10.1 我珍爱自己，而 10.2 嫉妒别人，不存在嫉妒自己的说法。 go into business 和 go to business ，前者下海从商了；后者上班去了。 12.1 我对他很熟， 12.2 他对我很随便。后面几句都算 collocation 问题了。

 

英诗三   趣诗两则

诗可以兴，可以观，可以怨，也可以娱。

在笑中体会一下人生的况味。平日所读到，摘之于后。

 

The Pig

by Roald Dahl

In England once there lived a big

And wonderfully clever pig.

To everybody it was plain

That Piggy had a massive brain.

He worked out sums inside his head,

There was no book he hadn't read.

He knew what made an airplane fly,

He knew how engines worked and why.

He knew all this, but in the end

One question drove him round the bend:

He simply couldn't puzzle out

What LIFE was really all about.

What was the reason for his birth?

Why was he placed upon this earth?

His giant brain went round and round.

Alas, no answer could be found.

Till suddenly one wondrous night.

All in a flash he saw the light.

He jumped up like a ballet dancer

And yelled, "By gum, I've got the answer!"

"They want my bacon slice by slice

"To sell at a tremendous price!

"They want my tender juicy chops

"To put in all the butcher's shops!

"They want my pork to make a roast

"And that's the part'll cost the most!

"They want my sausages in strings!

"They even want my chitterlings!

"The butcher's shop! The carving knife!

"That is the reason for my life!"

Such thoughts as these are not designed

To give a pig great piece of mind.

Next morning, in comes Farmer Bland,

A pail of pigswill in his hand,

And piggy with a mighty roar,

Bashes the farmer to the floor?

 Now comes the rather grizzly bit

So let's not make too much of it,

Except that you must understand

That Piggy did eat Farmer Bland,

He ate him up from head to toe,

Chewing the pieces nice and slow.

It took an hour to reach the feet,

Because there was so much to eat,

And when he finished, Pig, of course,

Felt absolutely no remorse.

Slowly he scratched his brainy head

And with a little smile he said,

"I had a fairly powerful hunch

"That he might have me for his lunch.

"And so, because I feared the worst,

"I thought I'd better eat him first."

 

"Ah, are you digging on my grave,
Thomas Hardy

"Ah, are you digging on my grave,
My loved one? -- planting rue?"
-- "No: yesterday he went to wed
One of the brightest wealth has bred.
'It cannot hurt her now,' he said,
'That I should not be true.'"

"Then who is digging on my grave,
My nearest dearest kin?"
-- "Ah, no: they sit and think, 'What use!
What good will planting flowers produce?
No tendance of her mound can loose
Her spirit from Death's gin.'"

"But someone digs upon my grave?
My enemy? -- prodding sly?"
-- "Nay: when she heard you had passed the Gate
That shuts on all flesh soon or late,
She thought you no more worth her hate,
And cares not where you lie.

"Then, who is digging on my grave?
Say -- since I have not guessed!"
-- "O it is I, my mistress dear,
Your little dog , who still lives near,
And much I hope my movements here
Have not disturbed your rest?"

"Ah yes! You dig upon my grave...
Why flashed it not to me
That one true heart was left behind!
What feeling do we ever find
To equal among human kind
A dog's fidelity!"

"Mistress, I dug upon your grave
To bury a bone, in case
I should be hungry near this spot
When passing on my daily trot.
I am sorry, but I quite forgot
It was your resting place."

 

一首写猪，一首写狗。达尔的猪了不得，能够思考许多事情。最后也思考存在问题，所谓‘生’之意义。不过不像人类，这么一思考就掉入虚无中去，或哲人式的思辨泥潭。他旋即想到他的存在意义只是被当成食品而已，于是奋起反抗，先下手为强，把农夫给吃了。现在，猪肉涨价，猪预计出笼的更多，不知道真会培养出这样的聪明猪来么？

哈代作为大师，写狗也出手不凡，他的这首诗是睿智与幽默及机巧的结合。文章标题即是‘你在我坟上挖掘吗？’以死人和她的小狗问答展开诗。这位被葬于坟墓下的死者猜是谁在上面挖，爱人，亲友，敌人猜了个遍，小狗招供是他在挖，而当这位死者感概人世沧桑，只有狗最可靠时，小狗最后诚实地打击她说：“我在您坟上挖是为了埋骨头以备不时之需！”读完后，想想能感受到哈代那苍凉的目光：死去万事空。

两首诗都非常通俗易懂，以情节取胜，便不去译了。

 

英诗中的李清照（二）

         1

If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

        （读这首诗可以让人多做点好事，小也罢，大也罢，假若能做到这些，也不枉此生了）

2

   Success is Counted Sweetest

 Success is counted sweetest

 By those who ne’er succeed.

 To comprehend a nectar

 Requires sorest need

 Not one of all the purple host

 Who took the flag to-day

 Can tell the definition,

 So clear, of victory,

 As he, defeated, dying,

 On whose forbidden ear

 The distant strains of triumph

 Break, agonized and clear.

（成功，永远在前方的成功才最迷人。）

          3

I’ll try

The little boy who says “I’ll try”

Will climb to the hill-top.

The little boy who says “I can’t”

Will at the bottom stop.

“I’ll try” does great things every day,

“I can’t” gets nothing done;

Be sure then that you say “I’ll try”

And let “I can’t” alone

（记得 N 年前，做学生时代 presentation ，就引用一句： If you don’t succeed, try, try, try it again. 再到现在，才知道许多事不那么简单， resignation 心态有时必要了）

          4

Who Has Seen the Wind?

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you.

But when the leaves hang trembling,

The wind is passing through.

 

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I.

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

  （这首诗平白得伟大，朴素几句，就道尽了“风”韵。我想起布莱克，在他的小诗《爱的秘密》里把爱情比作风，劝戒人们不要去说出来，而要如微风样潜入别人心中，颇有意思：

Never seek to tell thy love
Love that never told can be
For the gentle wind doth move
Silently, invisibly.

同样是简通的诗语。

          5

A birthday

My heart is like a singing bird

Whose nest is in a watered shoot;

My heart is like an apple tree