意向在意義理論中具有相當?shù)闹匾?。意向使意義具有某種動勢和傾向性,因而可以決定表達式,也可能只是隱含在表達式中,而且情形常如后者,即不是“外顯”(explicit)而是“隱含”(implicit),因而特別值得翻譯者注意。
我們先從 David Hawkes的英譯T'ien Wen談起。Hawkes是世界知名的很有造詣的中國典籍翻譯大師,談他的翻譯意在討論問題、啟發(fā)思考,絕不在對他譯作進行貶抑,事實上他譯的中國典籍已經(jīng)達到了很高的水平。這里,我們意在論事、不在論人。
以下三節(jié)每句后的編號,即譯句的編號;英語句后小字注碼表示原譯句序:
[八九]薄暮雷電(179),歸何懮?(180)
厥嚴不奉(181),帝何求?(180)
伏匿穴處(181),云何愛?(181)
荊勛作師,夫何長?(182)
悟過更改,我又何言?。?83)
179-180
Towards evening there was thunder and lightning. /Why
was the lady sad? /His majesty was not shown forth: what
was the god seeking for?3
181, 183
He lay in hiding and lived in caves. What was his sorrow? /
When he awoke to his errors and mended his ways, what
did he say then?2
[九O]吳光爭國,久余是勝。(184)
何環(huán)間穿社,以及丘陵,(185)
是淫是蕩,爰出子文?(185)