翁帆“倒追”杨振宁,全靠这封英文情书?大写的服!
今天是七夕,写个“老房子着火”的故事吧。
“老房子着火”是网上的一个梗,下一句是“难以扑救”。
这个梗出自钱锺书的《围城》,意思是,老年人的爱情就像着了火的老房子,一旦势起,便火光冲天,不可遏制。
钱钟书这个比喻是想说明,爱情是不分年龄的,老年人一样可能因为爱情降临而焕发出年轻人的热情。
关于“老房子着火”的八卦往往也是网友们津津乐道的,不论是默多克和邓文迪、王石和田朴珺,还是杨振宁和翁帆,都是人们茶余饭后最喜欢的谈资。
不过世俗的眼光一向跟浪漫无关,大多数人总是市侩地认为芳龄女子爱上老人家不过是为了地位和利益。
翁帆和杨振宁
但“杨翁恋”似乎走得十分稳健,面对质疑,不予理睬;面对祝福,一笑而过。
那么,翁帆是如何让杨振宁“老房子着火,一发不可收拾”呢?
前一阵子,我看到了网上流传的翁帆写给杨振宁的英文情诗,让我突然明白,爱情来了,谁都无路可逃。
事先声明,这封情书在网络流传已久,都说是翁帆写给杨振宁的,事实有待考证,但我宁愿相信这是真的,写得太美好,太感动。
某位中文大牛还将之译成了古文,意境优美,读来令人享受,侃哥我写了一点自己的理解,供大家学习、玩味:
①
Cold here, icy cold there.
You belong to neither, leaves have withered.
Your face is pale and blue, a tearful smile.
Something in your eyes, whispers words of last good-bye.
My heart sinks down, tears surge out.
此处冷,彼处更冷。
枯叶凋零,君属何人。
君面惨淡忧郁,含泪而笑。
君热泪盈眶,喃喃自语,难言再见。
妾心沉落,泪涌似涛。
这首英文情诗写的颇有“骈体文”的感觉(特别是前两段),两两相对,对仗公正,句末押韵。读起来非常有美感。
第一段描绘了分手道别的场景。
“Something in your eyes, whispers words of last good-bye”这句话非常传神,似乎让人看到了这样的场景,男主虽然沉默不语,但眼中泛起泪花,似乎在低声告别。
女主对自己情感决堤的描写也直中要害,my heart sink down(妾心沉落)、tears surge out(泪涌似涛)两句话简单而深情。
②
Light vied with wine, elegance mixed with fragrance,
laughing covered by greetings, the crowd was busy at handshaking.
You stood there, eyes on me.
I trembled at the sparkles, brighter than the light.
A masterpiece from God, I felt dizzy.
We were not near, yet we were together.
灯酒相辉,芳雅相应,
祝辞笑声此起彼伏,芸芸皆劳碌于握手。
君站立一旁,美目探妾。
妾莹灯下颤颤而立。
此必上帝之杰作,使晕眩。
虽妾与君相隔甚远,然心相近。
其实结合第一段,你会发现作者用了倒序。第一段是现在,而这一段回到了过去,描述了他们在酒会初识的场景。
男主远远地看着女主,而女主在灯下晕眩。在那一刻,不用说话,两颗心已经走到一起,所以作者最后才会说We were not near, yet we were together.(相隔甚远,然心相近)。
这就是 love at first sight 的感觉吧。
③
Days ended.
You said, you would wait for me at the Alps side.
We would ski against snowflakes dancing in the sky.
I gave no answer but a good-bye to accompany your flight.
Gone was the plane, I suddenly tasted my pain.
I knew I had been silly and stupid, you were in my heart,
I shouldn’t have hidden in the dark.
I tried to forget your disappointment.
I made believe sometime someday, I would tell you, I feel all the same.
往日已去。
君云君将于阿尔卑斯山畔待妾,
滑雪于雪花飞舞之天空下。
妾欲说还休,但嘱祝福。
飞机渐逝,妾心将苦。
妾深知妾之愚蠹,君已窃妾心,妾当不可漠然于暗中彷徨。
妾尝试忘君之失,然无可善终。
妾信某日某时,妾将告君妾心永驻。
这一段又回到现实。
把“I gave no answer”翻译成“欲说还休”太妙。
“欲说还休”表达难于启齿的感情或者内心有所顾虑而不敢表达,想说却又马上停下没有说。
两人情定于“欲说还休”,所以分别之时,“欲说还休”自然也是最好的默契。
④
My thought struggled at confessing, somehow hesitation ended in flinching.
I continued my role of a fool, clinched to my maiden pride, yet secretly indulged in your promise of the white land --
snow measuring down to us, in your arms, I am lifted up.
The chiming of Christmas bell!
妾于忏悔中挣扎,不时退缩,犹豫。
妾愚于处子之婚,然潜纵于君之诺。
白雪皑皑,君挽妾身,妾意甚欢,共听圣诞钟声。
这一段描写了女主面对爱情的仿徨和不安,以及最终被爱情安抚的心态。
不过我认为把“maiden pride”翻译为“处子之婚”有失偏颇, maiden 表示“处女、少女”,pride 表示“骄傲”,其实翻译为“少女的矜持”会更好。
也就是说,女主虽然怀有少女的矜持,但仍然被男主“白雪、公主抱、聆听圣诞钟声”的承诺俘虏。
⑤
The bell died in the patter of rain, from hell came the laughing of Satan at my brain.
Tearful smile, swallowed by the darkness.
How could I trace your hair to wipe your tears?
My hands reached out, catching nothing but a raindrop, on a leaf that had withered.
钟声忽止于急雨,乃听撒旦之笑声。
含泪微笑,黑暗相伴。
妾欲寻君之发擦君之泪而不可。
妾伸手欲触,无他,但枯叶一雨滴耳。
这一段仍然延续上一段的幻想,但被脑中的“撒旦之笑”打破,这一声笑象征着现实中分离的痛苦。
特别是最后几句话,凄美至极, tearful smile, swallowed by the darkness(含泪的微笑,被黑夜渐渐吞噬);My hands reached out, catching nothing but a raindrop(我向渐行渐远的飞机伸出双手,但只触摸到冰冷的雨滴...)
⑥
Snowflakes have melted into water,
we are no more together.
雪花渐融,
妾与君天涯各一方。
最后一句话呼应前面的“We were not near, yet we were together”,耐人寻味,看来女生还是很难忍受地域上的分割。
读完这首英文情书,是不是很像韩剧里的分别场景?
翁帆样子温柔清雅楚楚动人,曾经在广东外语外贸大学翻译系攻读硕士。醉心研习外国文学的她,散发一种清新脱俗气质。
如果这封信真的出自翁帆手笔,那么杨振宁读到时,会不会觉得自己整个天空都要被照亮了?
娶翁帆的时候,杨振宁已是耄耋之年,他曾公开称翁帆是:
“上帝恩赐的最后礼物,给我的老灵魂,一个重回青春的欢喜。”
“She's the final gift from God, rejuvenating my old soul.”
一个男人(或女人)到了古稀之年还能被年轻异性爱上,那么绝对可以骄傲地再爱一次,因为确实没什么比享受上天赐予的幸运更幸福的事了。
爱情的真谛,不就是要寻找相似的灵魂?
推荐阅读
上篇:如何用英语优雅地说:滚