节气雨水

今年的2月18日迎来雨水节气。雨水，是二十四节气之第2个节气，标志着春季的深入，通常在每年的2月18日或19日到来，此时太阳到达黄经330°。

雨水

Rain Water

雨水节气的到来标志着降雨量的增多和气温的回升。雨水节气来临之际，盛春之景开始勃发：河水解冻，大雁北归，草木转绿。

Rain Water signals the increase in rainfall and rise in temperature. With its arrival, lively spring-like scenery starts blossoming: the river water defreezes, wild geese move from south to north, and trees and grass turn green again.

雨水至

万物生

Rain Water arrives, 

bringing life to all things

在中国北方，春季干旱很常见，本季降水量仅占年平均降雨量的10%至15%。春雨对农作物的生长极为重要，在中国古代谚语中常说“春雨贵如油”，形象地比喻了春雨的珍贵，在英语中，我们可以将其说成rain in spring is as precious as oil.

随着降雨的增加，空气湿度也快速增加，从而带来气温降低和天气潮湿，随之就会出现我们常说的“倒春寒”，“倒”字在这里表达了逆转、反常的意思，即春天的温暖被寒冷所替代，春天的进程似乎被倒转，所以，在英语中，我们可以将其表达为return of cold spell。

雨水期间，女婿带着礼物拜访岳父岳母是一个常见习俗，叫做“接寿”。根据传统，礼物一般是两把各缠着四米长红色绸带的藤椅，象征健康长寿。另一个有代表性的礼物是“罐罐肉”，是用大豆和海带炖的猪脚，女婿通过将“罐罐肉”送给岳父岳母，来表达自己对他们的尊重和感激。在英文中，我们可以将其翻译为visiting in-laws。

一到雨水节气，我们都会不约而同的说出这句“好雨知时节，当春乃发生”，它出自唐代诗人杜甫的《春夜喜雨》，其对应的英文也有多个版本，我们一起来看一下是如何翻译的~

好雨知时节，当春乃发生

许渊冲译：

Good rain knows its time right;

It will fall when comes spring.

洪业译：

A nice rain knows when to fall –

Coming as a natural product of the 

spring.

杨宪益、戴乃迭译：

A good rain knows its season

And comes when spring is here;

宇文所安译：

A good rain knows its appointed 

time,

right in spring it brings things to life.

许渊冲译本简洁明了，保留了原诗的意境。Good rain直接表达了“好雨”的含义，knows its time right传达了“知时节”的意思，而It will fall when comes spring则对应“当春乃发生”。整体翻译流畅，符合英语表达习惯，但稍显直白，诗意的含蓄感有所减弱。
洪业译本更加注重意境的传达。A nice rain虽然不如good rain直接，但更显柔和，knows when to fall表达了“知时节”的含义，而Coming as a natural product of the spring则进一步解释了春雨是春天的自然产物。整体翻译更具诗意，但略显冗长。
杨宪益和戴乃迭译本较为忠实于原文。A good rain与“好雨”对应，knows its season传达了“知时节”的意思，而And comes when spring is here则对应“当春乃发生”。整体翻译简洁且贴近原意，但在诗意表达上稍显平淡。
宇文所安译本在忠实原文的基础上，增加了对春雨作用的描述。A good rain对应“好雨”，knows its appointed time传达了“知时节”的含义，而right in spring it brings things to life则进一步强调了春雨在春天唤醒万物的作用。整体翻译更具深度，但稍显复杂。

每个译本都各有特点，你喜欢哪个版本呢？

最后，附上完整译文供大家赏析~

好雨知时节，当春乃发生。

随风潜入夜，润物细无声。

野径云俱黑，江船火独明。

晓看红湿处，花重锦官城。

春夜喜雨

唐

杜甫

许渊冲译：

Happy Rain on a Spring Night

Good rain knows its time right;

It will fall when comes spring.

With wind it steals in night;

Mute, it moistens each thing.

O’er wild lanes dark cloud spreads;

In boat a lantern looms.

Dawn sees saturated reds;

The town’s heavy with blooms.

洪业译：

Pleased with Rain on a Spring Night

A nice rain knows when to fall –

Coming as a natural product of the spring.

Following the wind, it smoothly occupies the night

And moistens everything with soft and silent blessings.

Dark are the clouds above every country road;

There is only one light coming from a slowly moving boat.

In the morning I shall see many red and wet patches

Of full and heavy flowers everywhere in the City of Brocade.

杨宪益、戴乃迭译：

Welcome Rain One Spring Night

A good rain knows its season

And comes when spring is here;

On the heels of the wind it slips secretly into the night,

Silent and soft, it moistens everything.

Now clouds hang black above the country roads,

A lone boat on the river sheds a glimmer of light;

At dawn we shall see splashes of rain-washed red –

Drenched, heavy blooms in the City of Brocade.

宇文所安译：

Delighting in Rain on a Spring Night

A good rain knows its appointed time,

right in spring it brings things to life.

It enters the night unseen with the wind

and moistens things finely, without a sound.

Over wilderness paths, the clouds are all black,

a boat on the river, its fire alone bright.

At daybreak look where it’s wet and red —

the flowers will be heavy in Brocade City.

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来源 | 本文综编自翻译天堂、中国日报双语新闻等

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审核｜肖英 / 万顷

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