翻译实例评析 Genius Sacrificed for Failure 1 Dr. William N. Brown

1. 翻译实例评析Genius Sacrificed for Failure 1Dr. William N. Brown • During my youth in America’s Appalachian mountains, I learned that farmers preferred sons over daughters, largely because boys were better at heavy farm labor (though what boys anywhere could best the tireless Hui’an girls in the fields of Fujian!) 2 • With only 3% of Americans in agriculture today, brain has supplanted brawn,3 yet cultural preferences, like bad habits, are easier to make than break. But history warns repeatedly of the tragic cost of dismissing too casually the gifts of the so-called weaker sex.4 • About 150 years ago, a village church vicar in Yorkshire, England, had three lovely, intelligent daughters but his hopes hinged entirely on the sole male heir, Branwell, a youth with remarkable talent in both art and literature.5

2. Branwell’s father and sister hoarded their pennies to pack him off to London’s Royal Academy of Arts, but if art was his calling, he dialed a wrong number.6 Within weeks he hightailed it home, a penniless failure. • Hopes still high, the family landed Branwell a job7 as a private tutor, hoping this would free him to develop his literary skills and achieve the success and fame that he deserved. Failure again. • For years the selfless sisters squelched their own goals, farming themselves out as teachers and governesses in support of their increasingly indebted brother, convinced the world must eventually recognize his genius. As failures multiplied, Branwell turned to alcohol, then opium, and eventually died as he had lived: a failure. So died hope in the one male8 — but what of the three anonymous sisters?

3. During Branwell’s last years, the girls published a book of poetry at their own expense (under a pseudonym, for fear of reviewer’s bias against females). Even Branwell might have snickered: they sold only 2 copies. • Undaunted, they continued in their spare time, late at night by candlelight, to pour out their pent-up emotion, writing of 9 what they knew best, of women in conflict with their natural desires and social condition — in reality, less fiction than autobiography! And 19th century literature was transformed by Anne’s Agnes Grey, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Charlotte’s Jane Eyre.

4. But years of sacrifice for Banwell had taken their toll. Emily took ill at her brother’s funeral and died within 3 months, aged 29; Anne died 5 months later, aged 30; Charlotte lived only to age 39. If only they had been nurtured instead of sacrificed.

5. No one remembers Branwell’s name, much less his art or literature, but Bronte sister’s tragically shot lives teach us even more of life than of literature. Their sacrificed genius cries out to us that in modern society we must value children not by their physical strength or sexual gender, as we would any mere beast of burden, but by their integrity, strength, commitment, courage—spiritual qualities abundant in both boys and girls. China, a nation blessed by more boys and girls than any nation, ignores at her own peril10 the lesson of the Bronte tragedy.

6. Patrick Bronte fathered Branwell, but more importantly, he fathered Anne, Emily and Charlotte. Were he alive today he would surely urge us to put away our passe11 prejudices and avoid his own tragic and irrevocable error of putting all of his eggs in one male basket! 12

7. 【概述】 • 这篇散文的作者是威廉·布朗博士，曾执教于厦门大学，获福建省优秀外国专家荣誉称号，获中国国家外国专家局国庆友谊奖。在这篇文章中，作者以19世纪英国3位女作家勃朗特姐妹的悲剧为例，阐述了重男轻女所带来的后果，告诫中国的父母们吸取教训，以免重蹈覆辙，造成终生遗憾。这在今天来说很有现实意义。文章结构严谨，观点明确，论证有力，语言通俗易懂，接近口语体。翻译时应力求保持原文的这种风格，注意熟语、俚语和双关语的译法。可采用词性转换法、双关语意译法、分译法、句子成分转换法等翻译技巧。

8. 【参考译文】为育庸才损英才 威廉·布朗博士 • 小时候，我生活在美国的阿巴拉契亚山区，发现那里的农民重男轻女，多半因为男孩 • 比女孩更能胜任重体力活──但是，看一看福建农田里的惠安女，她们那种不屈不挠的毅力是任何地方的男子都自叹弗如的！ • 今天在美国，脑力劳动已经取代了体力劳动，只有百分之三的人从事农业生产。但文化上的偏见正如陈规陋习一样，形成容易却冲破难。面对所谓“纤弱的”女性，历史再三告诫我们，若轻率地忽视她们的禀赋，其代价会何等惨重！

9. 约150年前，在英国的约克郡，有一个乡村教区的牧师，他有三位聪颖可爱的女儿，但是他把希望却完全寄托在唯一的继承人──儿子布兰韦尔身上。这个年轻人在艺术和文学上都有出众的天资。约150年前，在英国的约克郡，有一个乡村教区的牧师，他有三位聪颖可爱的女儿，但是他把希望却完全寄托在唯一的继承人──儿子布兰韦尔身上。这个年轻人在艺术和文学上都有出众的天资。 • 父亲和姐妹们都省吃俭用，帮弟弟凑足盘缠，打点行装，送他上了伦敦皇家艺术学院。但是要指望他在艺术上有所成就，那他可就走错了门。不到几个星期，他就分文全无，败北而归。

10. 然而家人并不就此罢休，他们又想方设法帮布兰韦尔弄到一分私人教师的活计，希望这份差事能够使他自由施展自己的文学才华，获取应有的功名，可这次又失败了。然而家人并不就此罢休，他们又想方设法帮布兰韦尔弄到一分私人教师的活计，希望这份差事能够使他自由施展自己的文学才华，获取应有的功名，可这次又失败了。 • 几年来，无私的姐妹们压抑着自己的志向，应邀去学校任教或当家庭教师，以负担那债台日益高筑的弟弟。她们深信，总有一天，弟弟的天才会得到社会的承认。然而，接踵而来的失败使布兰韦尔一蹶不振，他染上了酗酒、吸毒的恶习，最后临死时仍然与生前一样：一事无成。于是寄托在全家唯一男性身上的希望也随之破灭。而那三位默默无闻的姐妹，其命运又是如何呢？

11. 在布兰韦尔生前最后几年，姑娘们自己出资出版了一本诗集（用的是假名，以防编辑们对女性的偏见）只卖出了两本。也许连布兰韦尔都在窃笑。在布兰韦尔生前最后几年，姑娘们自己出资出版了一本诗集（用的是假名，以防编辑们对女性的偏见）只卖出了两本。也许连布兰韦尔都在窃笑。 • 然而姐妹们并不气馁，利用空余时间继续笔耕，夜深人静时，她们秉烛而书，倾吐她们幽禁的情怀，抒写自己最熟悉的一切。她们描写了女性天赋的追求与社会现状之间的冲突。实际上，她们所写的与其说是小说，倒不如说是自传！于是，19世纪的文坛就因安妮的《艾格尼斯·格雷》，艾米莉的《呼啸山庄》和夏洛蒂的《简·爱》的问世而大大改观了。

12. 然而，多年来牺牲自己扶持布兰韦尔的三姐妹，终于为此付出了沉痛的代价！艾米莉在她弟弟葬礼的那一天得了病，三个月后便离开了人世，年方29岁；5个月后安妮也以30岁芳龄长逝；夏洛蒂则只活到39岁。假若她们能早日得到培养而不做出牺牲，该有多好啊！然而，多年来牺牲自己扶持布兰韦尔的三姐妹，终于为此付出了沉痛的代价！艾米莉在她弟弟葬礼的那一天得了病，三个月后便离开了人世，年方29岁；5个月后安妮也以30岁芳龄长逝；夏洛蒂则只活到39岁。假若她们能早日得到培养而不做出牺牲，该有多好啊！

13. 现在，无人记得布兰韦尔的名字。更不用说他的艺术或文学了。然而从勃朗特三姐妹悲剧性的夭折中，我们学到的不仅是文学，更重要的是生命的真谛。她们牺牲了的天分向我们大声疾呼：在现代社会，我们不能像评价驮畜那样，仅仅以体力和性别来评估自己的子女了；而必须就正直、能力、责任心、勇气等男女孩子都具有的精神品质来评价他们。中国，这个有幸拥有世界最多的男孩和女孩的国家，如果不从勃朗特悲剧中吸取教训，就会重蹈覆辙，自食其果。现在，无人记得布兰韦尔的名字。更不用说他的艺术或文学了。然而从勃朗特三姐妹悲剧性的夭折中，我们学到的不仅是文学，更重要的是生命的真谛。她们牺牲了的天分向我们大声疾呼：在现代社会，我们不能像评价驮畜那样，仅仅以体力和性别来评估自己的子女了；而必须就正直、能力、责任心、勇气等男女孩子都具有的精神品质来评价他们。中国，这个有幸拥有世界最多的男孩和女孩的国家，如果不从勃朗特悲剧中吸取教训，就会重蹈覆辙，自食其果。

14. 帕特利克·勃朗特养育了布兰韦尔，但更重要的是，他养育了安妮、艾米莉和夏洛蒂。倘若此人仍活着的话，他一定会迫切敦促我们抛弃陈旧的偏见，以免使他自己的悲剧和抱憾终生的过失重演：将一切希望都押在一个男性后裔身上。帕特利克·勃朗特养育了布兰韦尔，但更重要的是，他养育了安妮、艾米莉和夏洛蒂。倘若此人仍活着的话，他一定会迫切敦促我们抛弃陈旧的偏见，以免使他自己的悲剧和抱憾终生的过失重演：将一切希望都押在一个男性后裔身上。