【古诗英译】《题帕三绝》清·曹雪芹

自娱自乐

sore is not the right word, but right now my brain is dead, hehehe

无心剑

原帖由 自娱自乐 于 2009-12-14 11:13:00 发表
Ok, inspired by wuxin's amazing version, I give it a try for fun too.


眼空蓄泪泪空垂，
暗洒闲抛却为谁？
尺幅鲛绡劳解赠，
叫人焉得不伤悲？

Tearful eyes shed tears in vain,
Who am I secretly sobbing for?
A scarf sent to ease my sore,
How can I veil my tearstain?

自娱兄译得更简洁。最后一句将抽象的“伤悲”译成具体的“泪痕”，很好。

Tearful eyes shed tears in vain,
For whom do I secretly weep?
A scarf sent to ease my grief deep,
But how can it veil my tearstain?

自娱自乐

hehehe, great minds think alike!

Here is my humble version

眼空蓄泪泪空垂，
暗洒闲抛却为谁？
尺幅鲛绡劳解赠，
叫人焉得不伤悲？

Tearful eyes shed tears in vain,
For whom do I stealthily weep?
A silk gift from you to rid my pain,
yet how can I stem grief so deep?

无心剑

自娱兄改译真漂亮！

自娱自乐

任他点点与斑斑 ---- Let them be for being hard to wipe away.

可能为了押韵，此句显得有些不自然。

try

Let it (them) be here or / and there anyway

无心剑

自娱兄妙笔生花，无心剑佩服。

自娱自乐

Inspired by Wuxin's marvelous version, I also give it a try for fun!


彩线难收面上珠，
湘江旧迹已模糊。
窗前亦有千竿竹，
不识香痕渍也无？


The colored thread can't glean teardrops on my face;
My memory of days by the Xiang River gets unclear.
Afore my window stand bamboos with many a trace,
I wonder if they'd ponder what stains them is my tear.



I have no idea whatsoever if my interpretation of  this poem, the second and the last line in particular, is acceptable or not?

无心剑

自娱兄，你真厉害。第二句译文精准美妙，赞一个。

自娱自乐

抛珠滚玉只偷潸，镇日无心镇日闲；
枕上袖边难拂拭，任他点点与斑斑。


My tears secretly grow and flow,
All day long forgetful and listless.
Tearstains on sleeves and pillow,
Such a higgledy-piggledy mess.

无心剑

哎，自娱兄出手不凡啊，惹得无心剑又想重译，O(∩_∩)O~