【外国儿童文学精品选译-专栏】“我可不想让我的女儿嫁给一个买不起手表的穷小子！” / 翻译：李峰 / 四六文摘

不是那么一个简单的问题

翻译：李峰

阿兰是个英俊的青年，而且彬彬有礼。

一天早上他正走在街上去赴约。他不想迟到也不想早到。但他忘了戴手表，就来到一个等出租车的男子跟前。

对不起，先生，他很有礼貌地说，但你能告诉我现在几点了吗？

那个等车的人，穿着很好，看上去很富有，没有说什么，甚至都没有看阿兰。

阿兰又对他说，对不起先生，您能不能告诉我现在几点了？

这一次，那个人看了看阿兰，但他还是没说话，还很快转移了目光。

阿兰自忖，哦，他不是个聋子，那他肯定是个粗鲁的人。

为什么你不能告诉我现在几点？他又追问道。

那人转向他，说：请试着理解我。我站在这儿等出租，你过来问时间。如果我告诉你，你会感谢我。我会说，没关系。你会说这天气不错啊。然后我得回答，是的，我喜欢这暖洋洋的冬日。在我们一段友好的谈话之后会发生什么呢？你彬彬有礼，是个让人感到愉快的年轻人。所以出租车来了之后，我会提出捎你一段。你会接受。然后我们继续谈话。我喜欢你，你也喜欢我。然后我会邀请你到我家里去。你会见到我女儿，她很漂亮，你又很英俊。你们会相互喜欢，然后相爱。你就想娶她。现在你理解我为什么不睬你了吧。

阿兰摇了摇头。

不，先生，对不起，我不理解。你说的所有的事情对我来说都很自然，没有什么不对啊。

确实如此。但我不想让我的女儿嫁给一个穷得买不起手表的小子。早上好。说完他就匆匆离开了。

英文原文：

Not Such a Simple Question

Alan Chang was a handsome young man with good manners.

One morning he was walking along a street on his way to anappointment. He did not want to be early or late. He had forgotten to put onhis watch so he went up to a man who was waiting for a taxi.

“Excuse me, sir,” he said, very politely, "but could you tellme the time?"

The man, who was very well-dressed and looked quite rich, saidnothing. He did not even look at Alan.

Alan spoke to him again. "Excuse me , sir," he said, "but could youplease tell me what time it is?"

This time the man looked at him, but he did not speak and lookedquickly away.

Alan thought to himself : Well ,he's not deaf. He must be just rude.

"Why won't you tell me the time, sir?" he demanded.

The man turned towards him and said, "Try to understand me. Iam standing here waiting for a taxi. You come up to me and ask me for the time.If I tell it to you, you will thank me. I will say,' That's all right.' You maythen say, 'It's a beautiful day,' to which I may reply 'Yes, I like these sunnywinter days.' Before we know what is happening we have a friendly conversation.You are a pleasant, polite young man and so when my taxi comes, I offer you aride. You accept. We talk. I like you. You like me. I invite you to my home.You meet my daughter. She is a very pretty girl. You are a good-looking man.You like each other. Soon you fall in love. You want to marry. Now do youunderstand my problem?"

Alan shook his head.

"No sir, I'm sorry, I don't. Everything you have said seemsvery natural to me."

"Exactly," the man said," and I do not want my daughterto marry a man who is too poor to buy a watch. Good morning to you, "Andwith these words he hurried away.

翻译记趣

天涯论坛上有人自称刚翻译了一部六十万余字的心理学著作，现在得闲开帖，来解答一些英语爱好者学习上的疑问。颇为志得意满。

此帖一开，跟帖者众。对帖主大表敬仰。六十万字，不老少了。而人的心理曲折复杂，心理学流派众多，又要介绍各个的开山鼻祖，流长渊源，流派特点、变迁，分析方法，优势缺陷等等等等，要翻译清楚明白，确实不易。

帖主闻之，得意之情更难稍遏，遂拿出翻译中得意之举示例一二，却引来众多反对意见，帖主坚称，此乃专业翻译，不可以常理推之，云云。

有人不复于此纠缠而另辟蹊径，拿出其它问题就教于此方家。

I want to be what I waswhen I wanted to be what I am now.

帖主倒也不示弱，当即给出答案：城里的人想出去，城外的人想进去。

旋即又招来佩服者，称翻译得贴切天成。不料亦有不屑者称，拿两种语言里现成的名句、格言加以配对，乃翻译初学者之大忌。两下里云泥之别，该帖随即又热闹非凡。

有一人不招不摇，回复曰：帖主此翻译不当处有三：

其一、又要进去，又要出去，究竟居于何处。作为专业译者，措辞严谨不够。

其二、句子原意为个人体验，而帖主翻成了大众普遍的（universal）体验，扩大了外延。

其三、原意为个人感悟在时间维度纵向的比较，帖主扩大了内涵。