雨前Praying For Rainfall
何其芳He Qifang
译文摘自：张培基《英译中国散文选二》
中文：
最后的鸽群带着低弱的笛声在微风里划一个圈子后，也消失了。也许是误认这灰暗的凄冷的天空为夜色的来袭，或是也预感到风雨的将至，遂过早地飞回它们温暖的木舍。
英文：
The last flock of pigeons have also gone out of sight after doing their final circling in the soft breeze， the sound of their whistles barely audible. They are hastening back to their warm wooden dovecote earlier than usual perhaps because they have mistaken the bleak leaden sky for nightfall or because of their presentiment of a storm.
要点：
1，此题目可译为Before the Rain， 现按久旱盼甘霖的主题，把它译为praying for the rain，其中，praying for 的意思是”求“或”祈祷“。
2，“带着低弱的笛声“译为the sound of their whistles barely audible，即”勉强能听到“或”几乎听不到“，译为faint sound of their whistle也是可以的，张培基中还提供了一种译法，即the sound of the whistle trailing off， 但我认为不如前两种确切。
3，hasten to someplace意即赶往某地，之前见到过。
4，误认为=mistaken for
综述：
本文的妙处在于大量拟人的运用。作者托物言志，借景抒情，流露出不满现实，的心态。而拟人体现在翻译中，大部分是通过动词的运用，本段还有presentiment等词，也给文章增色不少。
中文：
几天的阳光在柳条上撤下的一抹嫩绿，被尘土埋掩得有憔悴色了，是需要一次洗涤。还有干裂的大地和树根也早已期待着雨。雨却迟疑着。
英文：
The willow twigs， daubed with a light green by several days of sunshine， are now covered all over with the dust and look so sickly that they need to be washed. And the perched soil and tree roots have likewise been dying for rainfall. Yet the rain is reluctant to come down.
要点：
1、“几天的阳光在柳条上撤下的一抹嫩绿，被尘土埋掩得有憔悴色了，是需要一次洗涤。“译为The willow twigs， daubed with a light green by several days of sunshine， are now covered all over with the dust and look so sickly that they need to be washed.此处作者采取了顺译的方法，重点注意译者对”洒下“”埋掩“的处理。这句话中的嫩绿也可以直译为柳条上的枝叶。译为the light green willow leaves brought on by several days of sunshine now， covered all over with dust ，look so sickly and hence need to be washed.
2、期待着=dying for， 与前文的pray for相呼应，与主题相呼应；迟疑着即“不愿意下“=be reluctant to
综述：注意译者对于细节描写的处理，dying for，和be reluctant to，生动贴切。
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