《论语》翻译杂谈2

子曰：「道千乘之國：敬事而信，節用而愛人，使民以時。」

1.“千乘之国”的翻译。它的表面意义是指“拥有一千辆战车的国家”。James Legge 和许渊冲都是直译，而辜鸿铭则翻译为“a great nation（大国）”。他自己在序言里解释：“为了尽可能地消除英国读者的陌生感和古怪感，只要可行，我们都尽量去掉所有那些中国的专有名词。”那么，“千乘之国”在孔子时代算不算大国呢？杨伯峻《论语译注》里写道：“每乘拥有四匹马拉的兵车一辆，车上甲士3人，车下步卒72人，后勤人员25人，共计100人。千乘之国，指拥有1000辆战车的国家，即诸侯国。春秋时代，战争频仍，所以国家的强弱都用车辆的数目来计算。在孔子时代，千乘之国已经不是大国。” 辜鸿铭考虑到文化传播的需要，为受众考虑，对名词进行了模糊化处理，但是是否准确，值得商榷。

2.“使民以时”的翻译。它的意思是“役使百姓要不误农时”（“作事使民，必以其时，不妨夺农务。”——《论语注疏》）。我们知道，在春秋时代，一旦国家有需要，老百姓是要进行强制劳动或者服兵役的。James Legge和辜鸿铭翻译接近，都用了“employ/employment”，许渊冲则译为“tell them to labor at the proper times of the year”，似乎没有翻译出“役使”的意义，而更像是“告诉百姓不要误了农时”。

【James Legge】The Master said, "To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at the proper seasons."

【辜鸿铭】Confucius remarked, “When directing the affairs of a great nation, a man must be serious in attention to business and faithful and punctual in his engagements. He must study economy in the public expenditure, and love the welfare of the people. He must employ the people at the proper time of the year.”

【许渊冲】In a country of a thousand war-chariots, said the Master, the ruler should be respectful in deed and faithful in word, thrifty in expenditure and affectionate towards the people and tell them to labor at the proper times of the year.