一个女人是这样衰老的
1、二十岁的时候，我穿着一条背心式牛仔裙在校园里走来走去，一说话就脸红。
三十岁的我穿着名牌套装，坐在办公桌前，满脸冷酷地对下属说：“这么愚蠢的问题你也敢问？也不先打个草稿。”
2、二十岁的时候，从图书馆借的是《莎士比亚全集》，《一个青年艺术家的自画像》和《尤里西斯》。
三十岁之后，床头摆的是《跟庄秘籍》，《elle》和《经理人的个人魅力》。
3、二十岁的暑假，在家乡的大街上偶遇自己的暗恋对象，听说他考上了研究生，被他的进步所打击，心如刀绞，想到这辈子终于不能出色得让他看我一眼，不禁怆然泪下。
三十岁之后，到处打听哪里可以花钱买个mba。
4、二十岁的时候，随时随地向人透露我的年龄，答的比问的还快。
三十岁之后，最恨别人问年龄，你要是非问不可，你猜啊。
5、二十岁的时候，一心想和体育系、美术系男生约会。
三十岁之后，我简直认为自己当年是白痴。
6、二十岁的时候，有书店必逛，有书必买。
三十岁之后，对书店视而不见，直接去了隔壁的美容院。
7、二十岁的时候，老妈打电话，不等说完三句就恨不能挂了电话。
三十岁之后，一听到妈的声音就禁不住哭出声来：“妈呀，您老的所有担心现在都应验了……”
8、二十岁的时候，我直想往前冲，谁也别挡我。
三十岁之后，我真想赖着不走啊，又快过年了。
9、二十岁的时候，我想出名要乘早，一个人到了三十岁还寂寂无名，那还活个什么劲儿呀？
三十岁之后，名是不指望了，只希望在四十岁的时候能像我老板一样有钱。
10、二十岁的时候，挤在人头攒动的公共大巴上，吃着甜筒，挺开心。
三十岁之后，看见破旧肮脏的的士都心烦，拜托！油价一跌，就去买车吧，一路开往小康。
11、二十岁的时候，打赌说我这辈子不可能土到死守在一个地方，生活在别处嘛。
三十岁之后，我为了在这座城市买个满意又便宜的房子跑断了双腿。
12、二十岁的时候，看小说专挑和爱情有关的情节看。
三十岁之后，我在聊天室的里的代号叫“不谈爱情”。
13、二十岁的时候，一听到名人就激动不已，就欢呼雀跃，就奋不顾身往前冲。
三十岁之后，一听到名人就若有所失，就心烦意乱，就怒火中烧，就……不知道什么滋味。特别是年轻的，漂亮的，女的名人。
14、二十岁的时候，和某个人晚上一起去看了场电影，不经意中拉了一次手，结果幸福了整整一个夏天。
三十岁之后，坐在香格里拉酒店的旋转餐厅陪客户吃自助餐，在缓缓的转动之中，莫名其妙地一阵空虚，突然间对一切感到索然无味……

☆一个女人是这样衰老的
学译：
how a woman ages
a woman’s aging
a woman fades thus
what causes a woman to grow old?
the way in which a woman is aging
how a woman gets old
改译：
the way woman withers
点评：衰老＝age/old？思路不妨宽些，译wither，如何？另外，wither因使用了转义connotation，其审美想象比age/old更为广阔。 此外，英语的修辞格，或者说任何语言的修辞格，均可以distillation（本义：蒸馏物；引伸义；精华）写之。各种修辞格乃语言美学的价值所在。可是，在汉译英中善用英语修辞格的却不多见。the way woman withers因运用了alliteration（头韵）而获得了形和声两方面的美。

1、二十岁的时候，我穿着一条背心式牛仔裙在校园里走来走去，一说话就脸红。
三十岁的我穿着名牌套装，坐在办公桌前，满脸冷酷地对下属说：“这么愚蠢的问题你也敢问？也不先打个草稿。”
学译：
at the age of twenty, i walked about on the campus, wearing a vest-like jean skirt. my face would turn red whenever i speak. after i have turned thirty, i am seated in front of a bureau, in a suit of famous brand, reproaching a subordinate coldly, “how dare you ask such a stupid question? why didn’t you make a draft first?”
改译：
at the age of twenty, wearing a jeans jumper, i moved about on the campus, my face blushing the moment i had the inclination to make an utterance. at the age of thirty, i, wearing a famous-brand suit and a cold look, reproach my subordinate bluntly, “how can you go so far as to raise such a silly, mindless question?”
点评： 翻译学到一定的时候，就期望有所突破。而突破的唯一道路是学以致用。试比较： …in a suit of famous brand, reproaching a subordinate coldly …wearing a famous-brand suit and a cold look, reproach my subordinate bluntly 前译已经不错，而后译却词采灿烂！究其原因，后译用了zeugma（轭式修饰法）。一个分词巧妙地“串”起了两个宾语（a famous-brand suit/ a cold look）！ zeugma，即a figure of speech in which a single word, usually a verb or adjective, is syntactically related to two or more words, though having a different sense in relation to each.（见webster’s new world dictionary） 另如：the senator picked up his hat and his courage. she possessed two false teeth and a sympathetic heart. he lost the game and his temper. 初学者的译文处处留下“老实”的，或曰稚嫩的痕迹。原句中有“也不先打个草稿”，译文便亦步亦趋：why didn’t you make a draft first? 汉语有“打个草稿”的比喻，可是，英语并不认同。 服饰，是翻译的一大障碍。“背心式牛仔裙”被译成vest-like jean skirt/sleeveless jeans skirt均不地道。背心式牛仔裙＝jeans jumper/ denim jumper。

2、二十岁的时候，从图书馆借的是《莎士比亚全集》，《一个青年艺术家的自画像》和《尤里西斯》。 三十岁之后，床头摆的是《跟庄秘籍》，《elle》和《经理人的个人魅力》。
学译：
at the age of twenty, the collected works of shakespeare, the portrait of an artist as a young man, and ulysses were borrowed from the library. after thirty, strategy of speculation on stocks, elle and manager’s personal charm were put on the bedside. （此译含dangling modifier，为英语非规范表达）
改译：
at the age of twenty, i borrowed books from the library like shakespeare’s complete works, a portrait of the artist as a young man, ulysses. after thirty, on my bedside, lie such books and magazines as the recipe on stocks, elle and manager’s charm.
点评：
两译相比，最大的区别在于，前者“尾轻”，后者“尾重”。英语句法的审美情趣倾向于“尾重”。试比较（前者为佳句，后者为拙句）： gone are the days when i was young. the days when i was young are gone. word came that bribery has sent him to prison, which amazed us. word that bribery has sent him to prison came, which amazed us. 而汉语却没有此习惯，汉语说：我年轻的日子已经一去不返。他因受贿（或行贿）而被捕入狱的消息传来，我们大吃一惊。

3、 二十岁的暑假，在家乡的大街上偶遇自己的暗恋对象，听说他考上了研究生，被他的进步所打击，心如刀绞，想到这辈子终于不能出色得让他看我一眼，不禁怆然泪下。
三十岁之后，到处打听哪里可以花钱买个mba。
学译：
at 20, during a summer holiday i encountered my beloved one on the street of my hometown. i heard he was admitted to be a graduate. i was struck by his advance. i couldn’t help shedding tears in my extreme grief. i thought that for this life i could never achieve much to let him see me in a new light. after 30, i inquire everywhere to purchase an mba certificate.
改译：
at the age of twenty, i ran into the young man who i loved in private in the street of my hometown. upon hearing that he had been enrolled as a graduate, i was virtually dealt a heavy blow, believing reluctantly so painful a fact that i could never do well enough to win his favor, bitter tears streaming down my chee after thirty, i busy myself here and there, inquiring where i could buy an mba diploma.
点评：
语言学家曾形象地将英语句子称为“葡萄型”结构，葡萄主干很短，其上附结着丰硕的果实。而汉语句子则较短，一个短句接一个短句地往下叙述，逐步展开，信息内容像竹竿一样一节一节地通下去，很少有叠床架屋的结构，因而常被称为“竹竿型”结构。英汉互译就犹如“葡萄”和“竹竿”之间的转换。如：the boy, who was crying as if his heart would break, said, when i spoke to him, that he was very hungry, because he had had no food for two days. 寥寥两行，竟有6个短句，而主句（the boy said…）很短，却悬挂着5个分句。而相应的汉语表达却是用节节短句，逐层展开：那个男孩似乎哭得心都碎了，我问他的时候，他说他已经有两天没有吃东西了，他实在是饿极了。两译类比，前译用了六个短句，而后译仅用了三句。尤其是upon hearing that he had been enrolled as a graduate, i was virtually dealt a heavy blow, believing reluctantly so painful a fact that i could never do well enough to win his favor, bitter tears streaming down my cheeks一句，是典型的“葡萄型”结构，主干很短，仅i was virtually dealt a heavy blow而已，而“挂结”其上的，有介词短语，有分词短语，分词短语中还含有状语从句，还有独立主格结构。洋洋洒洒，架床叠屋。须知，英语以此句型为美，而过多的短句的排列被贬为baby english。

4、二十岁的时候，随时随地向人透露我的年龄，答的比问的还快。三十岁之后，最恨别人问年龄，你要是非问不可，你猜啊。
学译：at the age of twenty, i was always ready to disclose my age on all occasions and could not wait to speak out the answer until the inquirer finished his words. after i have turned thirty, i hate any inquiry about my age. if you insist, have a guess.
改译：at the age of twenty, i was so ready to reveal my age, telling people about my age frequently before they inquired. after thirty, age became almost a taboo to me. if somebody is so nosy, i respond, “guess.”
点评：
英语运用词汇的转义（connotation）可谓竭泽而渔，最常用的词汇也可用其转义，而令表达生辉，这就令以汉语为母语者暗羡。因为，数千年来，汉语循规蹈矩，为词汇的本义所茧服，小心翼翼，不敢越雷池一步。“脚趾”，就是脚趾，还能派什么用场？一生中我们使用“脚趾”一词能有几次？然而，打开英语辞典，我们见到了别样的风景！对tiptoe一词，英语也不轻易放过。tiptoe用作名词，转义渐生：踮着脚走；蹑手蹑脚地走。如: she tiptoed out of the room so as not to wake the baby.为了不把婴儿吵醒，，她蹑手蹑脚地走出了房间。 但是，这还不够，英语还要更竭泽而渔，对tiptoe进一步引申，于是产生了如下用法：a.用作形容词：he is a man of tiptoe caution. 他是个做事战战兢兢的人。b.用作名词：the students are all on the tiptoe of expectation of the arrival of their international teacher. 学生们翘首盼望外籍教师的来临。 i was really on the tiptoe of excitement when i got to know that that university enrolled me. 当我得知我被那所大学录取的时候，我万分激动。 the children were on tiptoe for vocation to begin. 孩子们急切盼望假期开始。遗憾的是，国人学习英语常被词汇的转义弄得晕头转向，在汉英翻译中惯于运用英语词汇的本义，束手束脚，打不开思路。“三十岁之后，最恨别人问年龄，你要是非问不可，你猜啊”一句中的“恨”必译hate，“非问不可” 必译if you insist。如果我们认识英语词汇的这个特点，我们的译文也许就生动活泼得多，地道精彩得多。比如汉译中的taboo和nosy两词就值得我们思考。

5、二十岁的时候，一心想和体育系、美术系男生约会。三十岁之后，我简直认为自己当年是白痴。
学译：
when in my twenties, i was only willing to date boys from sports or art department. after thirty, i even thought i had been an idiot before.
改译：
at the age of twenty, i did long to date with the boys from either physical education or the art department. after thirty, it seems so unbelievable that i once idiotically possessed that thought.
点评：
除了不善使用英语词汇的转义之外，对英语词汇的构词的灵活性，我们只是局限于学习，至多是欣赏的层次上，在翻译中如何加以活用，我们也考虑甚少。比如原句出现了“白痴”二字，译者只是照搬，将它译成idiot。译idiot固无不可，但是，若是使用其副词形式idiotically岂不更佳？因为，它不仅显现一种暗示美，而且还折射了别样的强调意味。

6、二十岁的时候，有书店必逛，有书必买。三十岁之后，对书店视而不见，直接去了隔壁的美容院。
学译：
at the age of twenty, i frequented the bookstore and bought whatever i found. after thirty, i ignored them and went ahead into the nearby beauty parlor.
改译：
at the age of twenty, bookstore was a must for me, and i was a big book buyer. while after thirty, paying no attention to the bookstore, i breeze into the beauty parlor next door.
点评：美学心理学认为，语言表达精确和模糊既对立又统一，各有各的审美价值。模糊，与精确一样，透现出一种美。如何透过模糊去获得精确美，是译者不能忘怀的。原句中的“有书必买”译成bought whatever i found，似乎很精确，其实无“美”可言，甚至经不起逻辑的推敲。后译在译“有书店必逛，有书必买”时，用了两个“小词”： a must/ a big book buyer，既轻巧，又含糊，轻巧中透出幽默，含糊中体现了精确！ 另外值得一提的是，后译运用了动词breeze的转义，不仅动词本身很美，而且和名词beauty parlor构成了和谐美，其效果非went ahead into可比。

7、二十岁的时候，老妈打电话，不等说完三句就恨不能挂了电话。
三十岁之后，一听到妈的声音就禁不住哭出声来：“妈呀，您老的所有担心现在都应验了……”
学译：
at the age of twenty, when mother phones me, i am anxious to hang up immediately. after the age of thirty, on hearing mother’s voice on the phone, i cannot help crying out, “mom, all that you worry about have come true.”
改译：
at the age of twenty, while talking with my mother over the phone, i wanted to hang up before my mother had finished a few words. after thirty the voice of mom invariably triggers my crying, “mom, your worries about my marriage have all come true.”
点评：
翻译家傅雷曾说：东方人和西方人的思想方式有基本分歧，我人重综合，重归纳，重暗示，重含蓄；西方人则重分析，细微曲折，挖掘唯恐不尽，描写唯恐不周。 谙熟中西文化的杨振宁教授也发表过这样的言论：中国的文化是向模糊、朦胧及总体的方向走，而西方的文化是向准确而具体的方向走。 思想方式和文化取向必然影响语言。汉语表达的走向也是暗示与含蓄携手，模糊与朦胧拥抱。上段里的“您老的所有担心现在都应验了”就是一例。其中的“担心”指什么？悬念虽在，读者却不觉费解。汉语的模糊含蓄可见一斑。把话说白了，反而不美了。 可是，英语表达却不然，“挖掘”需求“尽”，“描写”需求“周”。或用杨振宁的话来说，必须“准确而具体”，换言之，“担心”的内容须得有所交待。“mom, all that you worry about have come true.”的译文令native speakers茫然。为此，笔者曾与美国教授bill hofmann有以下email探讨： bill, the chinese text does not contain “my marriage”, if in the version i do not add “about my marriage”, could you native speakers understand the implied meaning? ni, i think it is better to remain the marriage reference. 故译文有所增译： “mom, your worries about my marriage have all come true.” 此外，后译使用了一非人称主语句after thirty the voice of mom invariably triggers my crying，译文也添色不少。此点容稍后再析。

8、二十岁的时候，我直想往前冲，谁也别挡我。
三十岁之后，我真想赖着不走啊，又快过年了。
学译：
at the age of twenty, i dashed forward without any apprehension. in my twenties, i strive to hang on to the moment: another new year is coming.
改译：
at the age of twenty, i dashed forward without any concern for the passing days and years. in my thirties, i strive to hang on to every moment. unfortunately, another new year looms on the horizon.
点评：
原句同样写得非常含蓄，没有末尾的“又快过年了”，上文的寓意有几分模糊，读者可能从字面意义去解读。学生译文维系了原句从朦胧，native speakers能接受吗？笔者与bill hofmann之间又有如下“对话”： bill, the chinese text seems to be vague and implicit; the literal version done by my student goes like this: at the age of twenty, i dashed forward without any apprehension. in my twenties, i strive to hang on to the moment: another new year is coming. could you understand and accept this literal version? ni, the literal version is ok. but i would make a few changes: “at the age of twenty, i dashed forward without any concern for the passing days and years. in my thirties, i strive to hang on to every moment. unfortunately, another new year looms on the horizon.” 由于添加了without any concern for the passing days and years，云飞雾散，朦胧顿消。

9、二十岁的时候，我想出名要乘早，一个人到了三十岁还寂寂无名，那还活个什么劲儿呀？
三十岁之后，名是不指望了，只希望在四十岁的时候能像我老板一样有钱。
学译：
at the age of twenty, i said, to gain fame, the earlier the better. how dull it should be one is still infamous in her thirties! in my thirties, reputation is no longer my desire. i only have a wish to be as rich as my boss in my forties.
改译：
at the age of twenty, it’s better to be famous before it’s too late, i believed. what would be the spice of life for a person deserted by fame when approaching thirty? after thirty, fame seems still beyond reach, yet being as rich as my boss at forty becomes my new dream.
点评：
英语既然是“重分析”的语言，其语法必有其特色，语言学家王力先生曾断言：西洋语法是硬的，没有弹性；中国语法是软的，富有弹性。中国语法以达意为主。所谓“硬”，所谓“没有弹性”，一个重要的标志是：英语是形合（hypotaxis）语言，在句子的各成分之间必须用形形色色的含逻辑关系的connectives将其串连起来，而汉语的所谓“软”和“弹性”，就是无需connectives的串连，而其内部的逻辑关系自明。故汉语又被称为意合（parataxis）语言。比如朱自清在他的散文《匆匆》中写到：燕子去了，有再来的时候；杨柳枯了，有再青的时候；桃花谢了，有再开的时候。但是，聪明的，你告诉我，我们的日子为什么一去不复返呢？ 其相应的英译是：swallows may have gone, but there is a time of return; willow trees may have died back, but there is a time of regreening; peach blossomes may have fallen, but they will bloom again. now, you the wise, tell me, why should our days leave us, never to return? 英译出现了三个but，这三个but在native speakers的心目中是非加不可的。不加，即非“正宗”英语。让我们回过头再读朱自清原句。假设，将三个“但是”硬性插入，那将是何种滋味？ 就此意义言，学生译文缺少了应有的connectives，无精打采不像英语，读上去干巴巴的，像个“瘪三”（毛泽东语）。后译的connectives的出现，顿令译文生色。 另，《一个女人是这样衰老的》全文在频作20岁与30岁的对比，根据英语表达习惯，两项对比间，应用连词while，如at the age of twenty…while at thirty…但是，bill教授对此有不同意见： the balance and parallelism is so strong in these statements, i think you could omit the while. however, in the first set, i would probably repeat the phrase at the age of thirty. thereafter, even that could be dropped, keeping only at thirty. 可见，语言有规律可循，但并不存在“万能”的规律。

10、二十岁的时候，挤在人头攒动的公共大巴上，吃着甜筒，挺开心。
三十岁之后，看见破旧肮脏的的士都心烦，拜托！油价一跌，就去买车吧，一路开往小康。
学译：
at the age of twenty, i felt happy squeezed in a crammed bus eating an ice cream. after i have turned thirty, i hate to look at the dirty, worn-out taxis. thank goddess! once the oil price declines, i’ll buy a car to myself and drive all the way to a comfortable life.
改译：
at the age of twenty, i felt so contented sandwiched in a jammed bus, eating ice cream. after thirty, even the sight of a shabby and sordid taxi may sicken me. ok! when the oil price goes down, i’ll buy a car, drive along the road of well-to-do.
点评：
英语的非人称主语句（impersonal subject sentence）具有极高的审美价值，由于历史和文化的原因，汉语大量使用无主语句，而少用非人称主语句，不能不说这是汉语的一个遗憾。所谓非人称主语句，即句子的主语是inanimate nouns。这种句式令表达简洁自如，形象生动，变化灵活。“看见破旧肮脏的的士都心烦……”一句的主语是“我”，汉语常将其省略。而英语却别出心裁，以the sight of a shabby and sordid taxi为主语，自然轻巧地“带”出谓语宾语（may sicken me）。i hate to look at the dirty, worn-out taxis则显得呆板有余，灵巧不足。 另外，后译中没有使用squeezed，而是使用了sandwiched，词的转义增加行文的辞采。又多一例。

11、二十岁的时候，打赌说我这辈子不可能土到死守在一个地方，生活在别处嘛。
三十岁之后，我为了在这座城市买个满意又便宜的房子跑断了双腿。
学译：
at the age of twenty, i bet there was fat chance that i should rustically live my lifetime in one place, as the saying goes, a beautiful life occurs elsewhere. in my thirties, i spare no strength running for a decent and inexpensive house in the local city.
改译：
at the age of twenty, i bet that i would never reside in one city the rest of my life. i’d choose to live in different places. after thirty, i run off my legs searching for an apartment, satisfying and cheap.
点评：
在内容和形式的问题上，nida在80年代的论点有所发展。他在1986年出版的from one language to another（从一种语言到另一种语言）一书中，改变了过去那种“保留内容，改变形式”的提法，而提出了内容和形式兼顾的论点。他认为，功能对等（functional equivalent）的翻译要求“不但是信息内容的对等，而且尽可能地要求形式的对等。”(not only the equivalent content of message, but, in so far as possible, an equivalence of the form.) 为什么nida把形式的对等提到重要的位置呢？这是因为世界各国的语言虽然千差万别，但是，各种语言之间存在着某些语言的共性；因而，在语言形式上（在词汇构成、句法结构、表达方式等各方面）也存在着很多相似之处。所以在一定条件下，译文和原文在内容和形式上都一致，并不是不可能的。在这种情况下，就应该尽量保持一致；决不能任意改变形式。nida的这一论点与近代多数翻译家同意的一条原则：translate literally, if possible, or, appeal to free translation.（陆殿扬：如果可能，就直译；否则就采取意译）相比，nida的提法更具体，更明确，因而，更具有指导意义。 据此，原句中的“跑断了双腿”被译成spare no strength running for…就让人感到可惜。英语存在类似的比喻，异曲同工，完全能套用。如后译：run off my legs searching for… 《综合英语成语词典》对run off one’s legs的释义为：忙得筋疲力尽；疲于奔命；累坏了。另外，后译使用了后置形容词satisfying and cheap，成功地实现了endweightness。值得模仿。只需留心，英语中如此后置形容词比比皆是。如： he comes into the light of everyday like a great leviathan of the deep, braking the smooth surface of accepted things, gay, serious, and sportive. he makes uneasy the static, the set and the still. (from the true artist by norman bethune)

12、二十岁的时候，看小说专挑和爱情有关的情节看。
三十岁之后，我在聊天室的里的代号叫“不谈爱情”。
学译：
at the age of 20, i only read paragraphs about love in reading novels. at the age of 30, my name was “no speaking love” in chat room on the internet.
改译：
at the age of twenty, while reading a novel, i abandoned myself to the chapters exclusively devoted to romance. after thirty, i dubbed myself as “no mention of love” in the internet chat-room.
点评：
两译相比，最大区别在于遣词。试比较：my name was “no speaking love”/ i dubbed myself as “no mention of love”前译的name用得懒散苍白，极为模糊；而后译之dub，就非常明确，其含义是：授予……称号，把……称为……。如：the region is dubbed the paradise on earth.这地方被人称为人间天堂。前面提到模糊的美，而不能偏废的是，译文的遣词，往往有一般和特定，抽象和具体，模糊和明确之别。两者相比，孰美孰陋，应视语境而定。

13、二十岁的时候，一听到名人就激动不已，就欢呼雀跃，就奋不顾身往前冲。
三十岁之后，一听到名人就若有所失，就心烦意乱，就怒火中烧，就……不知道什么滋味。特别是年轻的，漂亮的女的名人。
学译：
when i was twenty, hearing the name of the famous man, i would be so excited that i could almost jump up with cheer and dashed ahead regardless of my safety. after thirty, i was indifferent, annoyed, flew into a temper and i had no feeling to feel the name of the famous man, particularly of those famous, young and pretty females.
改译：
at the age of twenty, upon hearing a celebrity, i would rush forward, hot-blooded, jumping for joy. after thirty, upon hearing the names of celebrities, i feel lost, vexed and burning with anger, especially the names of those famous females, who are young and pretty.
点评：
汉语以神驭形，是可视作意境语言，偏重暗示，欣赏含蓄，写意性很强。而英语则以形摄神，极重逻辑分析，欣赏写实。 以汉语“湖光山色”为例，就比较虚幻，难以落实，尤以“光”字为甚，然写意之中，又具有极强的暗示力，能使读者触发联想，营设如画的意境。 在英译“湖光山色”时，两种语言的差异就逼现在译者面前。其中的“光”，还有一个“色”字，英译时，必须落实，必须有一个明确的交代，否则，就译不出，就只能笼统译之，根本无法照顾到原文的意境或文采。我们得到的权威译文是： 1.a landscape of lakes and mountains 2.the natural beauty of lakes and mountains 3.a beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains 4.the beautiful scenery of the mountains and lakes 两种语言的本质性区别告诉我们一条经验：汉语的一些属于意境性、写意性的表达，只能意译，而难以，或不能直译。一定要直译，非出洋相不可。如有人硬性把“湖光山色”译成the light of the lakes and the color of the mountains。native speakers读此译文就会问：what kind of light is it? where does the light come form? 回到原句，“一听到名人就激动不已，就欢呼雀跃，就奋不顾身往前冲”。其中的激动不已-->欢呼雀跃-->奋不顾身往前冲，就有一个从写实到写意的过渡，特别是“奋不顾身”，纯属写意。如此写意，决不能照直译来。直译将酿成费解，甚至荒诞，就像“湖光山色”的“硬译”一样。 然而，前译就直译了：dashed ahead regardless of my safety。native speakers读此译文时，困惑顿生：was the famous man holding a handgun, ready to shoot at you?

14、二十岁的时候，和某个人晚上一起去看了场电影，不经意中拉了一次手，结果幸福了整整一个夏天。
三十岁之后，坐在香格里拉酒店的旋转餐厅陪客户吃自助餐，在缓缓的转动之中，莫名其妙地一阵空虚，突然间对一切感到索然无味……
学译：
at the age of twenty, i went to see a film on a night with someone who casually took my hand in his palm, and this sweet happiness lingered for the whole summer. after i have turned thirty, i feel an aching void in the slow movement of the rotating restaurant, where i dine with my clients upon a buffet meal, in shangri-la hotel and all of a sudden i lost interest in everything.
改译：
at the age of twenty, one evening, i went to see a film. in the darkness, an incidental touch of hands filled me with joy all that summer. i am thirty, sitting in the rotating restaurant of shangri-la hotel, accompanying clients having a buffet. in the slow rotating, an indescribable emptiness, all of a sudden, seizes me, and i find everything dull and dry.
点评：
汉语以无主语句为美，而英语则以非人称主语句为荣。试比较：不经意中拉了一次手，结果幸福了整整一个夏天。（注：主语系“我”，这个“我”不必道出，读者听者皆能轻易感悟） in the darkness, an incidental touch of hands filled me with joy all that summer. （注：行文何等酣畅自如，表意何其明快淋漓！只缘用了impersonal subject sentence！）莫名其妙地一阵空虚，突然间对一切感到索然无味…… （注：同样也是省略了主语“我”的句式） an indescribable emptiness, all of a sudden, seizes me, and i find everything dull and dry. （注：同样是精彩纷呈，三读不厌的非人称主语句。） kylepluto按：我在网上找到了原文，很有意思，口吻比本文所引用部分更随意一些，也附在文后。

二十岁的时候，我穿着一条背心式牛仔裙在校园里走来走去，一说话就脸红；三十岁的我穿着宝姿套装，坐在办公桌前，满脸冷酷地对下属说：“这么愚蠢的问题你也敢问？也不打个草稿先？！”
二十岁的时候，从图书管借的是《莎士比亚全集》，《一个青年艺术家的自画像》和《尤里西斯》；三十岁时，床头摆的是《跟庄秘籍》，《elle》和《经理人的个人魅力》。
二十岁的暑假，在家乡的大街上偶遇自己的暗恋对象，听说他考上了研究生，被他的进步所打击，心如刀绞，想到这辈子终于不能出色得让他看我一眼，不禁怆然泪下；三十岁之后，到处打听哪里可以花钱买个mba。
二十岁的时候，听苏芮唱三毛的《七点钟》：“穿过操场的青草地，走到你的面前，不能说一句话。拿起钢笔，在你的掌心写下七个数字，点一个头，然后狂奔而去……七点钟，你说七点钟，我等等等……”眼泪打湿枕巾；三十岁之后，得知举国为罗大佑疯狂，缩在沙发里说：“这帮人是不是吃饱了撑的？”
二十岁的时候，老妈打电话，不等说完三句就恨不能挂了电话；三十岁之后，一听到妈的声音就禁不住哭出声来：“妈呀，您老的所有担心现在都应验了……”
二十岁的时候，睡在我下铺的吴小娜，成绩不如我不说，这丫头张口闭口都是“娃哈哈”，像个女痞子，哪有我淑女？三十岁之后，吴小娜成了mrs whinery，移民到了加拿大，摇身一变成了某跨国集团中国区总裁，真tmd有意思。
二十岁的时候，一听别人唱爱情歌曲，就自作多情地认为那是为我唱的，以至于终日神情恍惚，想入非非，自恋得很。三十岁之后，和男同事在卡拉ok房大唱《在雨中》，面不改色心不跳。
二十岁的时候，看小说专挑和爱情有关的情节看。三十岁之后，我在聊天室的里的id是“不谈爱情”。
二十岁的时候，因为傻，体重110斤；三十岁之后，装傻也不行，体重85斤。
二十岁的时候，和某个人晚上一起去看了场电影，不经意中拉了一次手，结果幸福了整整一个夏天；三十岁之后，坐在香格里拉酒店的旋转餐厅陪客户吃自助餐，在缓缓的转动之中，莫名其妙地一阵空虚，突然间对一切索然无味。