华章英韵｜王阳明《中秋》何功杰英译 ‖第11期

 

 　　 “人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺”本是众所周知，但是我们还是难免会“情随事迁，感慨系之”。心情受天气、环境和其他外部因素的影响而波动似乎是人之常情，然而胸怀宽广、眼界高远的智者却可以做到“不以物喜，不以己悲”。今日中秋，著名翻译家何功杰教授将带领我们一起品味阳明先生“吾心自有光明月，千古团圆永无缺”的高远境界。《华章英韵》主持人也借此良辰佳节祝亲爱的读者心自有光，千古团圆！

 

　　 It is universally acknowledged that “People have sorrows and joys, separations and reunions. The moon dims or shines, waxes or wanes”, but still “our emotions change with the circumstances and we have the need for catharsis”. It seems common for people to be influenced by weather, surroundings, and other external factors, whereas the wise with big heart and foresight are “not pleased by external gains, nor saddened by personal losses”. On this Mid-Autumn Festival, the renowned translator Professor He Gongjie will lead us to get some insight into Master Wang Yangming’s enlightening lines: “With a bright moon in my heart n’er waning, / Through the ages we’ll enjoy it round and bright.” The hostesses of Chinese Verse in English Rhyme would also take this opportunity to wish you, our dear readers, to always have light in your heart and live happily together with your beloved ones forever!

 

 

 

（明）王阳明

 

去年中秋阴复晴，今年中秋阴复阴。

百年好景不多遇，况乃白发相侵寻。

吾心自有光明月，千古团圆永无缺。

山河大地拥情辉，赏心何必中秋节。

 

Written by Wang Yangming

Translated by He Gongjie

 

 

It’s cloudy ere it was fine last Moon’s Day,

But this year it’s cloudy all through the night.

Good scene for joy is rare to come across,

And now my head’s covered all with frost white.

With a bright moon in my heart n’er waning,

Through the ages we’ll enjoy it round and bright.

The moon’s glory embraces th’ rivers and land all,

To please heart’s not merely th’ autumn moon light.

 

　　译者说
 

　　王阳明特别喜欢皎月。诗人常对月夜感怀来表达对人生哲理的体认。本诗通过今昔中秋节忽阴忽晴对比，暗喻人生境遇难测，欣喜哀愁难料。诗人认为，只要心中有光，自然天清地明；旷达长远地面对万物，就会豪情漫漫，万物难侵。原诗七言诗行，双行一韵；译诗隔行押韵，一韵到底。每行基本保持十节。
 

　　Wang Yangming was infatuated with the bright moon. He always reflected on the philosophical meaning of life on moonlit nights. This poem is a metaphor of life's unpredictable circumstances, joys and sorrows through the contrast between the past and the present Mid-Autumn Festivals. According to the poet, as long as there is light in heart, the whole world will look bright, and if you can embrace the world with big heart and foresight, you will be full of pride and enthusiasm, so that nothing can defeat you. The original poem has seven characters in each line, rhyming on the even numbered lines. The translated poem has ten syllables to each line and adopts the same rhyming scheme as the original.

It is universally acknowledged that “People have sorrows and joys, separations and reunions. The moon dims or shines, waxes or wanes”, but still “our emotions change with the circumstances and we have the need for catharsis”. It seems common for people to be influenced by weather, surroundings, and other external factors, whereas the wise with big heart and foresight are “not pleased by external gains, nor saddened by personal losses”. On this Mid-Autumn Festival, the renowned translator Professor He Gongjie will lead us to get some insight into Master Wang Yangming’s enlightening lines: “With a bright moon in my heart n’er waning, / Through the ages we’ll enjoy it round and bright.” The hostesses of Chinese Verse in English Rhyme would also take this opportunity to wish you, our dear readers, to always have light in your heart and live happily together with your beloved ones forever!

 

译者简介
 

　　何功杰 安徽大学外语系资深教授，从教近50年，退休后还应聘浙江五所大学教学8年。曾担任安安徽大学外语系研究生导师, 在安大首次开设英诗选读课。在近50年的教学过程中,为英语专业开设过精读、泛读、口语、翻译、英文写作、英国文学、英国20世纪文学、西方文学概论、文学理论、英美诗歌、比较文学、英美文化、英语修辞、英语国家概况等十多门课程。曾两次获教学优秀奖。多次获各种文学奖。其中1991年获首届全国优秀外国文学图书特等奖，连续三次获台湾“梁实秋文学奖”译诗奖。先后出版著译十五、六册，代表作有《英诗选读》（英语版，配有诗歌参考译文），《英语诗歌导读》（英语版），《英语诗歌理解和欣赏指南》（英语版），《英诗艺术简论》，《英语鼎诗选译》，《英美诗歌》等。公开发表论文和散文二十余篇。译诗和诗评曾被前学部委员、英诗名家王佐良教授、《英国使馆文化教育处英语在线》和众多同行学者收编引用和转载。他还曾参与创建安徽大学出版社，并担任第一任社长。入编中国国际交流出版社出版（香港）的《世界名人录》，《中国专家大辞典》。

 

　　He Gongjie is an emeritus professor of English from Anhui University. His teaching career lasted for about 50 years. He was a supervisor of graduate students in Anhui University and continued to teach in five universities even after retirement. He was the first professor to teach English Poetry in Anhui University and also taught many other courses including Reading, Writing, Speaking, Translation, English Literature, Literary Theories, Comparative Literature, etc. He has won the Excellence in Teaching Award twice and many other literature awards, including the First National Prize for Excellent Foreign Literature Books in 1991 and three Liang Shiqiu Literature Awards for poetry translation. His translated poems and comments on poetry were quoted by Wang Zuoliang, the renowned professor of English, and many other scholars. He is the author of 15 books and more than 20 articles and proses. He was also the first president of Anhui University Press. Professor He was inducted into The World Celebrity List and The Dictionary of Chinese Experts published by China International Exchange Publishing House (Hong Kong).