德国诗人、戏剧家歌德说:“艺术要通过一个完整体向世界说话。”俄罗斯思想家、文学评论家别林斯基说:“在画幅中,没有偶然的和多余的东西,所有的部分都从属于一个整体,一切趋向一个目的,一切都有助于形成一个美丽的、完整的、独特的东西。”所谓完整体或完整的东西,即是具有连续性、贯通性和统一性特征的整体,进一步说,是构成整体的各部分之间以及部分与整体之间形成的是一个前后关联、意脉贯通、和谐自洽的有机统一体。
法国雕塑家罗丹完成伟大文学家巴尔扎克的雕像后,自己感到十分满意,连忙叫学生过来欣赏,学生观赏过程中渐渐将目光集中到巴尔扎克叠合在胸前的双手上,并连连称赞说:“好极了,老师,我可从没有见过这样一双奇妙的手啊!”罗丹听后拿起斧子径直砍掉了“那双完美的手”。究其原因应是局部的双手过于“完美”突出,影响了雕像整体美的呈现。当代著名作家、诗人余光中说:“一首诗局部的精警必须役于主题而为整体服务,不可功高震主。”意思是局部的诗句再怎么精彩也须与诗篇整体相协调、相融洽,才可形成一个有机的艺术整体。前人的经验言说昭示了艺术整体性的基本内涵与美学价值,那么如何实践艺术整体性呢?宋代范文正公作《严先生祠堂记》一文,收尾四句是“云山苍苍,江水泱泱,先生之德,山高水长”。他的朋友李太伯看见,就告诉他:“公此文一出名世,只一字未妥。”他问何字,李太伯说:“先生之德,不如改先生之风。”他听后很高兴,就依着改了。为何如此修改呢?原因之一是“德”字抽象,与具象的“云”“山”“江”“水”不在一个话语系统中,而“风”字能与之相协调、相融合;其次,“德”字仄声音哑,没有“风”字沉重响亮,音韵上难以与“苍”“泱”“长”等形成一个韵味悠长的和谐整体。再者,表情达意上,“德”字颇显直白,不如“风”字含蓄,更具张力,也更自然妥帖。
从上可见,无论是艺术创作,还是写诗作文,都讲求作品审美的整体性,都讲求整体中不同部分彼此关联、相互映照、和谐贯通,都追求作品是一个内在关联的有机统一体。以此类推,作为艺术再创造的翻译作品要经久耐读,引人入胜,自然也应以追求艺术整体性为已任,以实现译文字词句段章的血脉相连、语势贯通、浑然一体为目标。在这方面,中外优秀翻译家苦心经营的诸多译作,可以作为我们学习、借鉴与提高的经典范例。兹引译例一则,试作解说。
【原文】
背 影
文/朱自清
我与父亲不相见已二年余了,我最不能忘记的是他的背影。那年冬天,祖母死了,父亲的差使也交卸了,正是祸不单行的日子,我从北京到徐州,打算跟着父亲奔丧回家。到徐州见着父亲,看见满院狼藉的东西,又想起祖母,不禁簌簌地流下眼泪。父亲说,“事已如此,不必难过,好在天无绝人之路!”
回家变卖典质,父亲还了亏空;又借钱办了丧事。这些日子,家中光景很是惨淡,一半为了丧事,一半为了父亲赋闲。丧事完毕,父亲要到南京谋事,我也要回北京念书,我们便同行。
【译文】
The Silhouette of His Back
By Zhu Ziqing Translated by Howard Goldblatt
It has been more than two years since the last time I saw my father, and the memory that has stayed with me the longest is the silhouette of his back. It was during the winter of that year; Grandmother had just died, and Father’s temporary appointment with the government had been terminated. Truly those were days when “calamities never come singly.” I traveled from Beijing to Xuzhou, planning to return home with my father for the funeral. When I reached Xuzhou, I met my father, and I noticed that his garden was in complete disarray. I thought again of Grandmother and was unable to hold back the flow of tears. Father said, “Things are as they are; you shouldn’t be sad, for happily there is nothing under Heaven that is hopeless.”
On our return home, by selling and pawning things, Father was able to clear up his debts; then he borrowed money to pay for the funeral. During those days the situation in our home was a pathetic one, partly because of the funeral and partly because of Father’s unemployment. After the funeral ceremonies were completed, Father set out for Nanjing to look for work, since I intended to return to Beijing to study, we took to the road together.
[选自Joseph S. M. Lau & Howard Goldblatt eds. The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature (Second Edition), Columbia University Press, 2007.]
以上段落选自现代作家朱自清的散文《背影》的开头部分,写的是作者跟父亲奔丧回家的情景。
