《⽔调歌头·明⽉⼏时有》：关于许渊冲的译⽂及其他
琼海美食中秋节到了，许多⼈都会想到苏轼的那⾸《⽔调歌头》。实际上，很多⼈不仅能背诵，⽽且还会唱出来。⽔调歌头
苏轼
丙⾠中秋，欢饮达旦，⼤醉，作此篇，兼怀⼦由。
明⽉⼏时有，把酒问青天。
不知天上宫阙，今⼣是何年。
我欲乘风归去，⼜恐琼楼⽟宇，⾼处不胜寒。
起舞弄清影，何似在⼈间。
转朱阁，低绮户，照⽆眠。
九龙谷不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？
⼈有悲欢离合，⽉有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。
但愿⼈长久，千⾥共婵娟。
周长的计算公式
这⾸词所表现的思想情感，本来甚为明显，苏轼因为政治处境的失意，以及和其弟苏辙的别离，中秋对⽉，不⽆抑郁惆怅之感。但是他没有陷在消极悲观的情绪中，旋即以超然达观的思想排除忧患，终于表现出对⼈间⽣活的热爱。
尽管很多⼈对这⾸词倒背如流，但不⼀定真的能完全理解，尤其在做⽂本细读时，会有多处理解不透。
很多读者并不需要深究每个词的含义，于是乎，不理解的地⽅就永远搁置下来了。⽐如：“转朱阁，低绮户，照⽆眠。”是什么在“转朱阁”？⼜是什么“低绮户”？是谁在“⽆眠”，他为什么⽆眠？
⼀个“转”描写了时空的变化。从空间上，⽉亮从红⾊的阁楼之东转到了之西；从时间上，从前半夜转到了后半夜。“低”字也⽤得绝妙，⽉亮低低地照进窗户，说明⽉亮即将西沉，这⼀夜就要过去了。⽉亮的运⾏变化都是表层书写，我们读诗要读出深层含义：词⼈关注到⽉亮的变化，说明他⼀晚上因思念亲⼈⽽⽆法⼊睡，只能眼睁睁地看着⽉亮在天上运⾏，可见其思念之浓烈。
“不应有恨”到底是什么意思？谁对谁有恨？这⾥词⼈在跟⽉亮对话，他说：“⽉亮啊，你不应该是对我有怨恨吧？为什么总是在我跟亲⼈分别的时候照得这么圆，这么亮，让我⽆法⼊睡，让我备受思念的煎熬。”
这⾸词引发了中国⼈在中秋之夜对亲⼈的思念，因⽽⼴为传唱，也有许多著名的翻译家⼀再翻译。其中就有许渊冲教授的译⽂：
The Midautumn Festival
Tune: "Prelude to Water Melody"
等待爱情How long will the full moon appear?
Wine cup in hand, I ask the sky.
I do not know what time of the year
It would be tonight in the palace on high.
Riding the wind, there I would fly,
Yet I'm afraid the crystalline palace would be
Too high and cold for me.
I rise and dance, with my shadow I play.
On high as on earth, would it be as gay?
The moon goes round the mansions red
Through gauze-draped window soft to shed
Her light upon the sleepless bed.
Her light upon the sleepless bed.
Why then when people part, is the oft full and bright?
Men have sorrow and joy; they part or meet again;
The moon is bright or dim and she may wax or wane.
There has been nothing perfect since the olden days.
So let us wish that man
Will live long as he can!
Though miles apart, we'll share the beauty she displays.
许教授的译⽂可圈可点的地⽅有很多。⽐如，“照⽆眠”翻译成“shed her light upon the sleepless bed”，巧妙地运⽤了转喻（metonymy）的修辞⼿法，⽤“sleepless bed"指代”床上⽆眠的那个⼈“。
然⽽，译⽂的问题也很多：
⼀开头，“明⽉⼏时有”译成“How long will the full moon appear?"苏轼是想问明⽉何时才有。这个问句辞约⽽义丰，在失意中他盼望着出现⼀位明君，所以他才有这样的⼀问；另⼀⽅⾯，今夜是中秋，明⽉出现了，多么难得，可是词⼈⼼中的明⽉何时出现呢？许教授将“⼏时有”译成了“明⽉会出现多长”，没有表达词⼈内⼼的惆怅。
“何似在⼈间”，许教授的译⽂是“On high as on earth, would it be as gay?”（天上和⼈间⼀样都会快乐吗？）原诗中并没有详说词⼈的内⼼情感，但从语境中不难看出，词⼈并没有快乐的情感体现，相反他想到了⾃⼰的失意的⾝世，思念着亲⼈，倒是有⼏分愁怀。许教授⽤“gay"⼀词，显然是为了凑韵，却表达错了原诗中的情感体现。
“转朱阁”，许教授翻译成“The moon goes round the mansions red”，“mansion"⼀词⽋妥。词⼈在失意的时候，应该不会住在庄园般的⼤厦⾥，”⼩阁楼“更符合他⾝处的环境。
“不应有恨”被许教授漏掉了，不知是有意还是⽆意，然⽽，为了使得⾏数对等，他将“但愿⼈长久”译成了押韵的两⾏。“千⾥共婵娟”只译成“数英⾥”，没有突出远隔千⼭万⽔的离别，情感描写没有到位。
我学习了许教授的翻译，⽃胆改译如下：
Mid-autumn Festival: to the Tune of Prelude to Water Melody
Su Shi
On the Mid-autumn Festival of1076, I kept drinking with great joy till dawn and became drunk. I composedthis poem,
On the Mid-autumn Festival of1076, I kept drinking with great joy till dawn and became drunk. I composedthis poem, yearning for my younger brother Ziyou.
When does the full bright moon appear?
I raise my wine and ask the sky.
Tonight,I wonder, which year
It is in the Celestial Palace high.
I want to go back home by riding the air,
But I’m afraid these jade towers crystalline
Would be too high, colder than I can bear.
I rise and dance with the shadow of mine;
Is it like our mortal world high up there?
Turning round the attics red,
Lowly through the latticed window,
The moon shines on the sleepless bed.
She shouldn’t have any indignation.
Why is she oft so full in our separation?
Men part and meet; they may be sad and gay;
The moon does wax and wane, being dim and bright.
手机温度
Nothing’s been perfect since the olden day.
I wish we could live long, and share her light
Even when we’re a thousand miles away.
水浒传作者