朱自清《背影》两种英译.doc

朱自清《背影》英译 2 种（张培基 杨宪益） 背影 （张）The Sight of Father’s Back （杨）My Father’s Back我与父亲不相见已二年余了，我最不能忘记的是他的背影那年冬天，祖母死了，父 亲的差使也交卸了，正是祸不单行的日子，我从北京到徐州，打算跟着父亲奔丧回家到 徐州见着父亲，看见满院狼藉的东西，又想起祖母，不禁簌簌地流下眼泪父亲说， “事已 如此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路！”（张）It is more than two years since I last saw father, and what I can never forget is the sight of his back. Misfortunes never come singly. In the winter of more than two years ago, grandma died and father lost his job. I left Beijing for Xuzhou to join father in hastening home to attend grandma’s funeral. When I met father in Xuzhou, the sight of the disorderly mess in his courtyard and the thought of grandma started tears trickling down my cheeks. Father said, “Now that things’ve come to such a pass, it’s no use crying. Fortunately, Heaven always leaves one a way out.”（杨）Though it is over two years since I saw my father, I can never forget my last view of his back. That winter my grandmother died, and my father’s official appointment was terminated, for troubles never come singly. I went from Beijing to Xuzhou, to go back with him for the funeral. When I joined him in Xuzhou I found the courtyard strewn with things and could not help shedding tears at the thought of granny. “What’s past is gone,” said my father. “It’s no use grieving. Heaven always leaves us some way out.回家变卖典质，父亲还了亏空；又借钱办了丧事。

这些日子，家中光景很是惨淡，一半 为了丧事，一半为了父亲赋闲丧事完毕，父亲要到南京谋事，我也要回北京念书，我们 便同行张）After arriving home in Yangzhou, father paid off debts by selling or pawning things. He also borrowed money to meet the funeral expenses. Between grandma’s funeral and father’s unemployment, our family was then in reduced circumstances. After the funeral was over, father was to go to Nanjing to look for a job and I was to return to Beijing to study, so we started out together.（杨）Once home he sold property and mortgaged the house to clear our debts, besides borrowing money for the funeral. Those were dismal days for our family, thanks to the funeral and father’s unemployment. After the burial he decided to go to Nanjing to look for a position, while I was going back to Beijing to study, so we travelled together.到南京时，有朋友约去游逛，勾留了一日；第二日上午便须渡江到浦口，下午上车北去。

父亲因为事忙，本已说定不送我，叫旅馆里一个熟识的茶房陪我同去他再三嘱咐茶房， 甚是仔细但他终于不放心，怕茶房不妥帖；颇踌躇了一会其实我那年已二十岁，北京 已来往过两三次，是没有甚么要紧的了他踌躇了一会，终于决定还是自己送我去我两 三回劝他不必去；他只说， “不要紧，他们去不好！”（张）I spent the first day in Nanjing strolling about with some friends at their invitation, and was ferrying across the Yangtse River to Pukou the next morning and thence taking a train for Beijing on the afternoon of the same day. Father said he was too busy to go and see me off at the railway station, but would ask a hotel waiter that he knew to accompany me there instead. He urged the waiter again and again to take good care of me, but still did not quite trust him. He hesitated for quite a while about what to do. As a matter of fact, nothing would matter at all because I was then twenty and had already travelled on the Beijing-Pukou Railway a couple of times. After some wavering, he finally decided that he himself would accompany me to the station. I repeatedly tried to talk him out of it, but he only said, “Never mind! It won’t do to trust guys like those hotel boys!”（杨）A friend kept me in Nanjing for a day to see the sights, and the next morning I was to cross the Yangtze to Pukou to take the afternoon train to the north. As father was busy he had decided not to see me off, and he asked a waiter we knew at our hotel to take me to the station, giving him repeated and most detailed instructions. Even so, afraid that the fellow might let me down, he worried for quite a time. As a matter of fact I was already twenty and had travelled to and from Beijing on several occasions, so there was no need for all this fuss. But after much hesitation he finally decided to see me off himself, though I told him again and again there was no need. “Never mind,” he said, “I don’t want them to go.”我们过了江，进了车站。

我买票，他忙着照看行李行李太多了，得向脚夫行些小费， 才可过去他便又忙着和他们讲价钱我那时真是聪明过分，总觉他说话不大漂亮，非自 己插嘴不可但他终于讲定了价钱；就送我上车他给我拣定了靠车门的一张椅子；我将 他给我做的紫毛大衣铺好坐位他嘱我路上小心，夜里警醒些，不要受凉又嘱托茶房好 好照应我我心里暗笑他的迂；他们只认得钱，托他们直是白托！而且我这样大年纪的人， 难道还不能料理自己么？唉，我现在想想，那时真是太聪明了！（张）We entered the railway station after crossing the River. While I was at the booking office buying a ticket, father saw to my luggage. There was quite a bit of luggage and he had to bargain with the porter over the fee. I was then such a smart aleck[1] that I frowned upon the way father was haggling and on the verge of chipping in [2]a few words when the bargain was finally clinched. Getting on the train with me, he picked me a seat close to the carriage door. I spread on the seat the brownish fur lined overcoat he had got tailor made for me. He told me to be watchful on the way and be careful not to catch cold at night. He also asked the train attendants to take good care of me. I sniggered at father for being so impractical, for it was utterly useless to entrust me to those attendants, who cared for nothing but mon。