文/爱德华·科平 译介/宁一中

1825 年，迪洛尔出版了《巴黎郊区的故事》，鲁夫赖地区那片古老的森林尚不为人所重，不禁令人叹息。仅在10 年前，那里还驻扎着一支外国军队。郁郁葱葱的山坡和林木成荫的大道上，英俄士兵比肩而驻。茂盛的树木被砍伐，搭建成侵略者的营地，真是耻辱！

2Thirty years have passed since Dulaure wrote.The aspect of the ancient Bois has been, in fact, completely changed within the last few years.When Horace Walpole1第四任奥福德伯爵（1717—1797），英国作家。其小说《奥特兰托城堡》被认为开创了哥特式小说之先河。was in Paris he complained that it had no park.Many subsequent visitors have echoed the lamentation.They have admired the fine houses of the French capital, the broad streets, the pleasant promenades, the cheerful gardens; but they have always qualified their admiration by this disparaging observation, “There is no park!”

2不过迪洛尔描写的已是30年前的事了。实际上，过去几年里，这片古老的森林已是旧貌换新颜。霍勒斯·沃波尔在巴黎时曾抱怨巴黎没有公园。后来有不少访客也表达了同样的遗憾。他们对这法国首都漂亮的房舍、宽阔的街道、惬意的步道、愉悦的花园多有赞词，却每每在赞美之余不屑地加上一句“可惜没有公园！”。

3They can do so no longer.The Bois de Boulogne has become a park—the park of Paris.You have but to see the Bois de Boulogne on a fine summer’s evening, more especially if the evening be that of Sunday, to feel convinced it is the most popular of Paris.Every avenue, every footway, every bridle path seems to be full of company, company of the most varied kind.

3现在他们没法再这么说了。布洛涅森林已经成了一个公园——巴黎的公园。你只需在一个夏日晴朗的傍晚，尤其是在星期天的傍晚，去布洛涅森林看看，就会确信那里是巴黎最受欢迎的地方。每一条大路、每一条小径、每一条马道，似乎都挤满了，有各色人等，也有各种马匹。

4The millionaire is here from the Bourse; his clerk is here also; the fashionable lady who occupies herself only with coquetting and conquest is here;your blanchisseuse, who concentrates all her energies upon washing and starching, is just behind her; blazing carriages illuminated by incandescent footmen are here; domestic shandrydans and mouldy street cabs are not absent;spirited English horses, graceful and delicate as forest fawns, are here.

4来自交易所的百万富翁淹留于此，他的伙计紧随左右。时髦女郎现身于此，忙着打情骂俏，征服男士；洗衣妇就在她身后，全神贯注浆洗衣服。这里还有被热情高涨的男仆用彩灯装饰得闪闪发亮的马车，也少不了家用轻便马车和街头老式出租马车的身影。精神抖擞的英国马匹在这里展露身姿，优雅如林间的小鹿。

5Five years ago, then, the scene began to change.Engineers, builders,architects, surveyors, gardeners, and excavators were sent for; new paths were cut through the wood; new roads were laid out; flowers and exotic shrubs were planted; grass was sown; trees were introduced; lakes were dug; artificial streams were made; grottoes were constructed; islands were formed; cascades were built; —the wilderness was changed into a smiling garden.

如果对源语作品功能上相关的语境特征在译语的一部分文化中却不存在时，就产生了一个与语言不可译性完全不同的问题，这就是文化不可译性。文化不可译主要体现在传统观念、地理环境、历史文化和宗教文化上。

5森林的变化是从五年前开始的。工程师、建筑工、建筑师、测量员、园艺家被派到这里，挖掘机也开到这里；新辟了林间小径，规划了新的道路；种上了鲜花和奇异的灌丛，播撒了草种，引进了树苗；掘了湖，挖了人造小溪，凿了人工洞穴，建了小岛，引了瀑布。这片荒野被改造成了盈盈笑靥的花园。

6Here flowers are allowed to grow unimprisoned within heptagonal or octagonal fortifications.Paths are permitted to wind round bush and thicket, over hill and dale, without hinderance or restraint, as happy children might wander on a summer holiday.Rock and stone,instead of being tamed by the sculptor into attitudes of lifeless symmetry, are allowed to retain all their native wildness of aspect.They have full liberty also to welcome the rippling stream, the loving moss, or the foot-weary traveller.

6在这里，七角形或八角形的围垒里，花儿自由地开放。小径翻山越岭，蜿蜒于灌木和灌丛间，无拘无束，暑假里快乐的孩子们会漫游其间。大大小小的石头，未让雕刻家刀斧雕琢为毫无生机的对称姿态，而是保持原生野趣。它们也能充分自由地迎迓涟漪圈圈的小溪、可爱的苔藓，或是步履疲惫的游客。

7The effect of all this is charming.You have the wild beauties of nature softened and refined by art.You have the pebble, which on the sea-beach looked so beautiful, rendered even more beautiful by the lapidary’s skill.Compared with a mountain or a crag, it looks very insignificant, doubtless.But then, we cannot carry off the mountain or the crag, and keep it always by us.The pebble, on the contrary, we may for ever have beneath our eyes.

7所有这些的效果都很好。天然的野性美得到艺术的柔润与修饰。瞧那鹅卵石，在沙滩上就显得很美，一经攻石之术的精巧安排，显得更美了。与高山峭壁相比，它确实显得不值一提。但高山峭壁我们搬不动，更不能一直随身携带；而鹅卵石却可以随时摆在眼前欣赏。

8Alas! Must it be said? There are persons who regret the uncultivated roughness of the ancient wood, and complain of the change which has banished it.They recall, with the fondness with which we always evoke the memories of the past, (for who stores in his mind other than happy recollections of former days?) they recall, I say, the wild freedom of the old Bois, the unmown sward, the unenclosed slopes, the unclipped brushwood, the untended flowers, the untouched footways.Their fancy warms in speaking of these things.

8唉，不用说，有人会为古林失去野趣而叹息，抱怨是现在的变化造成的。他们回忆时满怀柔情，那是我们忆起往事时总会带着的柔情（除了过去的好时光，谁还会在脑子里留存其他什么呢？）。嗯，他们回忆的是旧日森林的任性自由，草地未经修剪，山坡没有围栏，灌木从未整枝，花儿无人照看，小径无人踏足。说起这些，他们就兴致盎然。

9The Bois, as I have said, has become much more frequented than of yore.Carriage company has doubled in number.Equestrians have augmented in the same proportion.Pedestrians even more so.For every ten persons who visited the place in former days there are a hundred, probably, now.But if there are more guests so also is there more accommodation for them.

9如我之前所说，来布洛涅森林的人比过去多了许多。马车数量翻了倍。骑马者的数量也同样翻了倍。步行者的数量更是如此。如今，来这里游览的人数大概是过去的十倍。不过，即使游客再增加，这里也有足够的空间容纳他们。

10Often and often have I wandered during the week along the winding footpaths of the wood, musing upon literary studies, listening to the singing of the birds, or watching the morning sunlight creep through the trees, as the friendly breeze opened a passage for it mid their branches.Sometimes for an hour I have scarcely met with human form.Not a single idler has crossed my path.The whole Bois has been for the time my own.Except occasional parties of woodmen, engaged in their daily occupations, there has been no one near to scan my aspect, criticise my garb, or interfere in any way with my movements.

10我常常在工作日徜徉于弯弯曲曲的林间小道，思索着文学研究的问题，听着鸟鸣，或者，看着悦人微风吹开枝叶，让晨光穿林过木。有时一小时都见不到人影儿。一路上碰不到一个闲人。那会儿整个森林都属于我。除了偶尔看到三三两两的伐木工人忙着他们的营生，旁边没有人看我长得如何、穿着如何，或者干涉我的行止。

11Perhaps I have spoken too warmly in favour of the Bois.It has been my favourite haunt so long that I have grown attached to it.I look upon it, it may be,as the lover looks upon his mistress.Where others see blemishes I see beauties.What the unsympathising call a freckle, I call a love mark.

11也许我这些关于布洛涅森林的好话说得过于热情了吧。我喜欢到此流连时日已久，对它有了感情。我爱它，或许就像情人爱他的心上人。别人看到的瑕疵，在我眼里全是美。没有情感投入的人称为雀斑的东西，我称之为爱痣。

12It may be so, I say; it maybe that my mind is full of these amorous delusions.But, then, are not these and similar delusions the charm of our lives? If we were to lose them would not existence be dull indeed? ■

12是的，也许就是这样，也许我脑中满是这些充满爱意的幻觉。话又说回来，这些幻觉和类似的幻觉不正是生活的魅力吗？没有了这些幻觉，活着该是多么的无趣呢！ □