文化传播视角看汉英翻译第二期 | 天青色等烟雨，而我在等你

源远流长的中华文化，历经数千载风风雨雨，为人类文明留下了瑰丽的艺术与人文遗产。

那些我们耳熟能详的中国元素——书法、园林、京剧、瓷器……共同塑造了一代代中国人的精神图景，从如同一个个活的历史与文化载体，承载着由古至今国人智慧和生命的重量。

而文明的孕育和生长离不开沟通与交流，就好比诞生于古印度的佛教，汉朝时传入中国，在风土人情、信仰气质迥然不同的大地上生根发芽、获得新生，至今深刻影响着中国人的文化图景，在中国的建筑、绘画等等艺术作品发展史上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔。

各个文明之间不能停止交流的步伐，而翻译正是那沟通的桥梁。语言和文化的壁垒造成的误解，须得以有效的沟通“解铃”。

所以，“以文化传播视角看汉英翻译”系列专题应运而生。在这个系列里，小编每一期都为大家介绍一个中华文化的代表元素，同时附上相关内容的汉译英范例，总结出相应的汉译英技巧与表达。

往期文化专题详见：

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本期推送是有关中国瓷器的相关介绍和翻译案例。

全文阅读大约需要30分钟

提到瓷器，想必大家都不陌生。作为一项中国传统的工艺，它可以说是中国文化的一大载体；承载着多个世纪以来的中国人民的智慧和巧思。

话虽如此，不知看到此处的你对瓷器的制造工艺和历史是否了解呢？面对有关瓷器的文本翻译时，你是否能够做到“下笔如有神”、迅速反应出相关的英文表达呢？

如果你对这两个问题的回答都是“否”或者“不确定”，那么今天就和小编一起探索探索有关瓷器的翻译案例吧！

干货出没，前方高能预警——

瓷器是中国文明史上的重要物品。瓷器的前身是陶器，釉陶是瓷器产生的基础。大约在公元1世纪，中国就出现了瓷器。到了宋代（960——1279）瓷器进入了成熟期。宋瓷代表中国瓷器的最高水平，当时有钧、定、官、哥、汝五大名窑，各窑的瓷器均具创造性，一直是后代模仿的对象。自元代开始，景德镇开始成为中国的瓷器中心。

Porcelain is of great significance in the history of Chinese civilization. Pottery was the predecessor of porcelain, while glazed pottery was the basis for the emergence of porcelain. Around the first century, porcelain production first emerged in China, and by the Song Dynasty (960—1279) it had become mature. Song-dynasty porcelain represented the acme of Chinese porcelain technique. Five famous kilns, the Jun, Ding, Guan, Ge, and Ru, were all creative and original in their respective products, and their porcelain ware has been imitated by latter generations throughout the ages. In the Yuan Dynasty (1206—1368), Jingdezhen became the center of the Chinese porcelain industry.

中国瓷器莹然可玩，沉静的色彩，透明的胎体，优雅的图案，精巧的形状，都是一代一代瓷器艺人追求的目标。青铜器、陶器、瓷器都是中国人喜爱之物，但风格各有不同。瓷器虽没有陶器的古朴，却多了一些细腻；没有青铜器那样肃穆，却多了一种轻巧和优雅。

Chinese porcelain ischerishedfor its serene color, crystal paste, graceful designs, and ingenious forms--a quest of generations of craftspeople. Bronzeware, pottery and porcelain are all popular with the Chinese people, though their styles vary widely. Pottery is simple and unsophisticated, while bronzeware suggests solemnity, but porcelain is the most exquisite and elegant.

predecessor 前身；前辈；原先的东西；被替代的东西 （与successor相对）

Pottery: n.陶器; 陶器厂[作坊]; <集合词>陶器类; 陶器制造（术）; 有的时候也能用clayware指代。

• potter: n.陶工; 制陶工人; 

• potter作动词时还表示to do things or move without hurrying, especially when you are doing sth that you enjoy and that is not important，也就是—— 从容做事；欣然从事；漫步；闲荡；稀里糊涂地混日子;

• Potter本身也是个姓氏（想必看过Harry Potter的人都不会陌生）

glazed pottery 陶釉; 釉陶;

• 除了表“（陶器）上釉的（a thin layer of a hard shiny substance.）”之外glazed还能表示“目光）木然的，呆滞的，无神采的”

• 唐三彩: Tri-colored glazed pottery (of the Tang Dynasty) 
  

另外陶制的还可以用earthenware表达——

earthen：（地面或墙）泥土做的，土制的; （物体）陶制的; 瓦;

• earthen jar/pot：陶罐；陶壶；瓦盆

• earthen vessel：泥土器皿

• earthen in hue：面如土色

• earthen building：土制建筑

ware:（与名词连用）表示“…制品”，“…用具”，有时也泛指在大街上贩卖的商品；相关搭配有——

• ceramic ware 陶瓷制品

• Bronzeware 青铜器

• porcelain ware 瓷器

• glassware 玻璃制品

• copper and porcelain cooking ware.  铜质和陶瓷厨具

• bathroom ware 浴室用品

• ornamental ware 装饰品

• homeware 家居用品

acme: the highest stage of development or the most excellent example of sth 顶峰；顶点；典范；极盛时期;

• 常见搭配有at one's acme; reach the acme of...

• 在字典里查找这个词可以关联到许多意思相近的表达，比如：peak; pinnacle; superlative; summit; etc.

kiln: A kiln is an oven that is used to bake pottery and bricks in order to make them hard. 窑（用于烧制陶器和砖）

• shuttle kiln 梭式窑

• cement rotary kiln 水泥回转窑

• brick kiln 砖窑

• stone kiln 石窑

paste:(any mixture of a soft and malleable consistency)  面团; 糨糊; 肉（或鱼等）酱（作涂抹料或烹饪用）; （制作人造宝石的）铅质玻璃;

exquisite: extremely beautiful or pleasant, especially in a delicate way.

熟悉中国瓷器的人都知道，很多瓷器布满了不规则的裂纹，瓷学术语叫“开片”，开片本来是瓷器制作中的缺陷，到了北宋却变成了人们的追求，而且这一传统一直流传至今。他是中国瓷器的典型特征之一。

Anyone familiar with Chinese porcelain knows that the surface of some porcelain ware is covered with irregular cracks. This is referred to as “crackling” in porcelain terminology. The crackles occurred during kilning due to flawed workmanship, but as time went on crackleware became a craze during the Song Dynasty, and was passed down to this very day. Crackleware today is one of the typical Chinese porcelain styles.

中国瓷器追求裂纹，就是追求自然天成的趣味。瓷器是人工的艺术，但最反对人工的痕迹。瓷器上面好的裂纹是自然形成的，它是不可预料的。

Chinese people love crackleware because they love nature’s unique craft. Porcelain is an artificial art, but what it most defies is nothing other than artificiality. The interest in crackleware lies in its naturally produced and unpredictable patterns.

crackle：

• n. glazed china with a network of fine cracks on the surface；瓷器表面的裂纹

• adj. having the surface decorated with a network of fine cracks, as in crackleware; 

• 冰/冷裂纹 cold crackle

• 同时还可以表示（像东西在火里燃烧一样）发爆裂声，噼啪作响

crackle的词根是crack，这个词本身也有很多含义：

crack： 

• vt.破裂，打开; （使…）开裂; 说（笑话）

• n. 裂缝; 试图; 缝隙;

• vi.断裂，折断; 碎裂声，爆裂声; 镜子破裂了; 失去控制，衰退;

• adj.

• 训练有素的; 技艺高超的; 优秀的; 一流的;

另外，以crack（裂纹）做词根的表达有很多，可以举一反三：

• cracked：adj.有裂缝的; 声音沙哑的; 精神失常的;

• cracking adj.优秀的; 美妙的; 分裂的; 极快的; adv.非常; 极其; n. 破裂; 分馏; [化]裂化;

• cracker：informal or slang terms for mentally irregular; 疯狂/发疯（it is driving me crazy/crackers）; n. 爆竹；薄脆饼干；

明代是青花瓷的成熟期，中国青花瓷器的大量珍品出自这个时代。青花瓷还与一个地名有关，这就是中国的瓷都景德镇，自元代在景德镇创造出令人心醉的青花之后，明清两代这里一直是中国瓷器的中心，皇家的官窑也设立于此。

The Ming Dynasty witnessed the maturity of the art, and a large number of valuable pieces were produced in this period. Jingdezhen, a small town that created the enchanting blue-and-white porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty, became its porcelain-producing center; and in the subsequent Ming Dynasty, the imperial kilns were established here.

青花瓷，在材料上，它的秘诀就是氧化钴，以氧化钴在白色的胎体上作画，然后上釉，经过高温烧制便成了青花。因为氧化钴一经高温，就变成了蓝色。乳白色的底子，上面加上清澈的蓝色，外面罩上透明的釉，形成鲜洁光亮、清雅透明的效果。

To produce blue-and-white porcelain, cobalt oxide is requisite. It is employed to draw on the white roughcast before glaze is applied. After kilning at a high temperature, the roughcast turns into blue-and-white porcelain, since cobalt oxide turns blue with heat. The white surface with blue patterns and a shiny sheen of glaze produces a pure, elegant and transparent effect.

cobalt oxide 氧化钴

cobalt: [化]钴（符号为Co；来源于德文Kobold）; 钴类颜料; 深蓝色; 

requisite: n.必需品;必备品;必要条件 (~for)

[类同于necessity; essential; requirement]

              adj.必需的;必备的;必不可少的

roughcast: v. 涂粗灰泥于; n.粗灰泥，毛坯;

                adj.涂粗灰泥的;

• porcelain - roughcast 瓷胚
  

blue-and-white porcelain: 青花瓷

sheen of glaze:sheen意即“光泽，光辉; 华服; 有光泽的纺织物”。这里原文说的是“透明的釉”，实际上并不是真的“透明”，而是强调它的光泽透亮，故译文处理成了shiny sheen of glaze。

瓷器是综合性的艺术，好的瓷器如雕塑，需要有引人注目的造型，对于瓷器欣赏而言，造型往往能先声夺人。

Porcelain is a comprehensive art, and form is as important to a good piece of porcelain as it is to a fine piece of sculpture. For porcelain ware of artistic value, an intriguing shape can capture instant attention from viewers.

清道光间的白釉印花小罐，是白色系的瓷器。它的形状虽然与一般小罐没有多大差别，但内部嵌有五色花瓣的暗花，在简洁素雅之外，又暗藏美艳。

A small white porcelain container produced during the Qing Dynasty’s Daoguang reign (1821-1850) is such a piece in the white series. From the exterior, it looks no different from an ordinary container for holding go (a board game) pieces, but on the interior are relief-like flowers with five-color petals concisely and elegantly outlined.

intriguing:有趣的;引人入胜的;奇怪的 (If you describe something as intriguing, you mean that it is interesting or strange).

intrigue: v.激起…的兴趣；引发…的好奇心

~ (with sb) (against sb) 秘密策划（加害他人）；密谋.

n. 密谋策划；阴谋;密谋；秘密关系；阴谋诡计；有时也指“引人入胜的复杂情节”

• political intrigue 政治阴谋

• intriguer 密谋者
  

• a web of intrigue 勾心斗角的罗网

• intrigues and scandals 阴谋与丑闻
  

先声夺人 capture instant attention from viewers

暗花儿 a veiled design incised in porcelain or woven in fabric 也就是说暗花原本是一个专业名词，指的就是刻在瓷器或者织在布上的一种设计。

译文将“内部嵌有五色花瓣的暗花，在简洁素雅之外，又暗藏美艳”这句话做了信息的整合， 不直说它是“inscribed in porcelain”，而说“relief-like flowers”（像浮雕一样的花纹）；并将“简洁素雅、暗藏美艳”作为副词修饰（concisely and elegantly outlined）

一提到relief这个词大家一般都会想到“免除，减轻”、“救援物资”等等含义，但其实它同时也指“浮雕”（a way of decorating wood, stone, etc. by cutting designs into the surface of it so that some parts stick out more than others; a design that is made in this way）

另外它还有“光和色彩产生的醒目效果”之意：

• in sharp relief 格外醒目

• the differences have been thrown into sharp relief 分歧更加引人注目
  

资料来源：

《中国文化读本》中文版&英文版（Insights into Chinese Culture）叶朗、朱良志著。

资料整理、文案撰写：叶芷瑜

排版编辑：叶芷瑜、郭婷婷

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