意向在意义理论中具有相当的重要性。意向使意义具有某种动势和倾向性,因而可以决定表达式,也可能只是隐含在表达式中,而且情形常如后者,即不是“外显”(explicit)而是“隐含”(implicit),因而特别值得翻译者注意。
我们先从 David Hawkes的英译T'ien Wen谈起。Hawkes是世界知名的很有造诣的中国典籍翻译大师,谈他的翻译意在讨论问题、启发思考,绝不在对他译作进行贬抑,事实上他译的中国典籍已经达到了很高的水平。这里,我们意在论事、不在论人。
以下三节每句后的编号,即译句的编号;英语句后小字注码表示原译句序:
[八九]薄暮雷电(179),归何懮?(180)
厥严不奉(181),帝何求?(180)
伏匿穴处(181),云何爱?(181)
荆勋作师,夫何长?(182)
悟过更改,我又何言!(183)
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]吴光争国,久余是胜。(184)
何环间穿社,以及丘陵,(185)
是淫是荡,爰出子文?(185)