燕子來時新社，梨花落後清明。人間四月，在仲春與暮春之間，我們迎來了清明。春風送暖，春雨潤物，冬日的嚴寒早已褪去，天地間一片氣清景明，惠風和暢。
清明，總是能引起人的無限文思，曆代很多文人都曾將清明節作爲詩詞歌賦的對象，但要說起最爲人熟知的，莫過于唐代詩人杜牧的那首《清明》。只要說到清明，我們腦海裏一定會浮現出“清明時節雨紛紛，路上行人欲斷魂”。這一句詩曆來廣爲傳誦，早已成爲了每一個中國人對于清明的集體記憶。
（唐）杜牧
清明時節雨紛紛，
路上行人欲斷魂。
借問酒家何處有？
牧童遙指杏花村。
關于作者
杜牧（公元803-約852年），字牧之，號樊川居士，晚唐傑出詩人，與李商隱並稱爲“小李杜”。他主張“凡爲文以意爲主，以氣爲輔，以辭采章句爲之兵衛。”他寫下了如《阿房宮賦》、《赤壁》、《九日齊山登高》等千古傳誦的文章。
詩人以簡潔有力的語言，描繪了清明時節的景象和人們的情感。全詩語言通俗易懂、音節和諧圓滿、景象清新生動，寫得自如之極，毫無經營造作之痕，而又境界優美、興味隱躍。
如此之美的詩，翻譯成英文會是什麽樣子?
八大名家翻譯的《清明》，你見過嗎？
01許淵沖 譯（韻式aabb）
The Mourning Day
By Du Mu
A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day;
The mourner's heart is going to break on his way.
Where can a wineshop be found to drown his sad hours?
A cowherd points to a cot 'mid apricot flowers.
02蔡廷幹 譯（韻式aabb）
All Souls’Day
By Du Mu
The rain falls thick and fast on All Souls' Day，
The men and women sadly move along the way.
They ask where wineshops can be found or where to rest
And there the herdboy's fingers Almond-Town suggest.
03吳偉雄 譯（韻式aabb）
The Mourning Day
By Du Mu
It drizzles thick and fast on the Mourning Day,
The mourner's heart is going to break on his way.
When asked for a wineshop to drown his sad hours?
A cowboy points to a hamlet amid apricot flowers.
04萬昌盛、王僴 譯（韻式aabb）
The Tomb-visiting Day
By Du Mu
The ceaseless drizzle drips all the dismal day,
So broken-hearted fares the traveler on the way.
When asked where could be found a tavern bower,
A cowboy points to yonder village of the apricot flower.
05吳鈞陶 譯（韻式aaba）
The Pure Brightness Day
By Du Mu
It drizzles thick and fast on the Pure Brightness Day，
I travel with my heart lost in dismay.
"Is there a public house somewhere，cowboy?"
He points at Apricot Village faraway.
06孫大雨 譯（韻式aaba）
The Clear-and-Bright Feast
By Du Mu
Upon the Clear-and-Bright Feast of spring, the rain drizzleth down in spray.
Pedestrians on countryside ways, in gloom are pinning away.
When asked "Where a tavern fair for rest, is hereabouts to be found",
The shepherd boy the Apricot Bloom Vill, doth point to afar and say.
07楊憲益、戴乃叠 譯（無韻譯法）
In the Raining Season of Spring
By Du Mu
It drizzles endless during the rainy season in spring,
Travelers along the road look gloomy and miserable.
When I ask a shepherd boy where I can find a tavern,
He points at a distant hamlet nestling amidst apricot blossoms.
08陳君樸 譯
The Qingming Festival
By Du Mu
On the Qingming Day, rain is falling uninterrupted,
And the wayfarer is more than ever broken-hearted;
"Is there any wine shop hereabouts?" A buffalo boy
Points to a distant village where apricots are spotted.
對于“清明”兩字，各位譯者分別是這樣表述的：陳君樸：直接用拼音 Qingming
楊憲益、戴乃叠：將“清明”意譯爲In the Raining Season of Spring
吳鈞陶：將“清明”意譯爲The Pure Brightness Day
許淵沖：穿越了“清明”字面本身，直接點明其內涵（The Mourning Day）
萬昌盛、王僴：根據節日內涵，將“清明”譯爲The Tomb-visiting Day
蔡廷幹：別具一格地借用了英語“萬聖節”（All Saints' Day）將“清明節”翻譯爲All Souls' Day
看完之後，你覺得哪一版才更合你心意呢？古詩翻譯向來是最難的，詩人所精心雕琢出來的那種渾然天成的氣韻、意境、想要用另一種截然不同的語言重現，何其困難。但譯者總是能用一種巧妙的方式，突破語言和文化的桎梏，將語言之美，文字之美，詩歌之美傳達給更多的人。
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