雙關(guān)(pun)，是漢英共有的一種辭格，又名“多義關(guān)聯(lián)”，是指在特定的言語環(huán)境中，借助語音和語義的聯(lián)系，使語句同時(shí)關(guān)涉兩種事物，達(dá)到言在此而意在彼的修辭效果。其作用是多方面的：或者用以表達(dá)弦外之音；或者借題發(fā)揮，即物抒懷；或者是幽默辛辣，于笑中明理?？傊?，運(yùn)用雙關(guān)的主要意圖是要把內(nèi)容表達(dá)得更加含蓄，加深語言的余味，以便聽者（讀者）深入思考，多方聯(lián)想，從而增加語言的感染力。
按照結(jié)構(gòu)成分所起的作用，雙關(guān)可分為兩大類：諧音雙關(guān)（又稱語音雙關(guān)）和語義雙關(guān)。曹雪芹巧妙地利用語言環(huán)境及條件，賦予語言以雙關(guān)內(nèi)容，造成“興發(fā)乎此而義歸于彼”的藝術(shù)境界，提高了語言的表現(xiàn)力，從而收到了出語驚人的效果。
諧音雙關(guān)是利用同音、近音的條件構(gòu)成雙關(guān)。
1) （賈赦）因說道：“一家子一個(gè)兒子最孝順。偏生母親病了，各處求醫(yī)不得，便請(qǐng)了 一個(gè)針灸的婆子來。婆子原不知道脈理，只說是心火，如今用針灸之法，針灸針灸就好了。這兒子慌了，便問：‘心見鐵即死，如何針得？’婆子道：‘不用針心，只針肋條就是了?！瘍鹤拥?，‘肋條離心甚遠(yuǎn)，怎么就好？’婆子道：‘不妨事。你不知天下父母心偏的多呢?！保ǖ谄呤寤兀?/p>
楊譯：
"The son of a certain family was most filial," he began. "One day his mother fell ill, and unable to find physicians able to cure her they called in an old woman who practiced acupuncture. As she knew nothing of the principles of pulse-taking, she diagnosed the illness as fire in the heart which a few acupuncture treatments would set right.
"The son asked in alarm, 'How can you needle her heart? Won't that kill her?’
"The old woman said, 'there's no need to needle the heart. Just needling the ribs will do.'
"He protested, 'But the heart isn't anywhere near the ribs.'
"She said, 'That doesn't matter. Don't you know that all parents are biased, so that their hearts always incline to one side?'"
霍譯：
...and then told the following story.
'This one is about a dutiful son whose mother was ill. He tried everywhere to get a doctor for her, but couldn't find one, so in the end he was reduced to calling in an old woman who practised acupuncture. Now this old dame knew nothing of physiology, nevertheless she assured the son that it was inflammation of the heart that his mother was suffering from and that she could cure it instantly with her needle. The son became very alarmed.
'"If metal in any form comes into contact with the heart, " he said, "it means death. Surely you're not going to put a needle in her heart?"
"'No, no, I shan't put it in the heart," said the old woman. "I mean to put it in here, over the ribs."
'"But that's too far from the heart," said the son. "Surely if you put it in there, it won't do any good?"
'"Oh yes it will," said the old woman. "A mother's heart always inclines towards one side."'
賈赦講的這個(gè)笑話，整個(gè)是由諧音雙關(guān)構(gòu)成的?！袄邨l離心甚遠(yuǎn)” 就意味著“偏心”，這個(gè)“偏心”又與“你不知天下父母心偏的多呢”之 “偏心”雙關(guān)，而且它的言外之意又與賈母的“偏心”雙關(guān)。所以引得賈母最后不乏幽默和風(fēng)度地“笑道：‘我也得這個(gè)婆子針一針就好了’”。這個(gè)笑話結(jié)合人物性格、故事情節(jié)，夾雜運(yùn)用雙關(guān)辭格，于戲謔笑談中，表現(xiàn)了賈赦與賈母的矛盾，增添了文章的趣味。
但是，如何使這趣味引起英語讀者的共鳴，卻并非易事?！皾h語里某一個(gè)詞或句能一語雙關(guān)，把它譯成英語時(shí)，很難把一語雙關(guān)的效果譯出來，常常需要‘二語雙關(guān)’的手法才能達(dá)到這個(gè)目的，……”在上述的兩個(gè)譯本中，楊譯就是典型的以“二語雙關(guān)”譯 “一語雙關(guān)”的譯法。譯者分別用all parents are biased和their hearts always incline to one side來表達(dá)原文里的雙關(guān);相比而言，霍譯則是“一語雙關(guān)”譯法：這個(gè)譯法的巧妙之處在于充分利用了“偏心”的“心”字在英文里的對(duì)應(yīng)詞heart也具備與漢語原文相似的構(gòu)成雙關(guān)的條件，因而直譯原文即可完全表情達(dá)意，令讀者領(lǐng)會(huì)其中的言外之意。顯然，楊譯中的heart —詞自始至終用其本義(人體的器官: 心臟），而霍譯的最后一句“A mother's heart always inclines towards one side”則一詞二意：除本義外，還包含雙關(guān)意義，即表示抽象的思 想、感情等。這種情況在雙關(guān)語的漢英互譯中是一個(gè)特例。
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