恋爱不是游戏 庐隐 中英文对照版

张培基英译中国现代散文选(一)之《恋爱不是游戏》

恋爱不是游戏 

——庐隐 

    没有在浮沉的人海中(1)，翻过筋斗的和尚，不能算善知识(2)； 

    没有受过恋爱洗礼的人生，不能算真人生。 

    和尚最大的努力，是否认现世而求未来的涅槃(3)，但他若不曾了解现世，他又怎能勘破现世(4)，而跳出三界(5)外呢？ 

    而恋爱是人类生活的中心，孟子说：“食色性也。”所谓恋爱正是天赋之本能；如一生不了解恋爱的人，他又何能了解整个人生？ 

    所以凡事都从学习而知而能，只有恋爱用不着学习，只要到了相当的年龄，碰到合式（适）的机会，他和她便会莫名其妙地恋爱起来。 

    恋爱人人都会(6)，可是不见得人人都懂(7)，世俗大半以性欲伪充恋爱，以游戏的态度处置恋爱，于是我们时刻可看到因恋爱而不幸的记载。 

    实在的恋爱绝不是游戏，也绝不是堕落的人生所能体验出其价值的，它具有引人向上的鞭策力，它也具有伟大无私的至上情操，它更是美丽的象征。 

    在一双男女正纯洁热爱着的时候，他和她内心充实着惊人的力量；他们的灵魂是从万有的束缚中，得到了自由，不怕威胁，不为利诱，他们是超越了现实，而创造他们理想的乐园。 

    不幸物欲充塞的现世界，这种恋爱的光辉，有如萤火之微弱，而且“恋爱”有时适成为无知男女堕落之阶，使维纳斯不禁深深地叹息：“自从世界人群趋向灭亡之途，恋爱变成了游戏，哀哉！”

 

注释: 

女作家庐隐（1898-1934），福建闽侯人，早期与冰心齐名。她的杂文短小精悍，直爽坦率，笔锋锐利。 

(1)“浮沉的人海中”译为ups and downs in the sea of mortals，其中ups and downs意同vicissitudes（兴败、盛衰）；the sea of mortals意同the sea of the living。 

(2)“不能算善知识”意即“没有过资格称为智者”，现译为will have no claim to true wisdom，其中have no claim to本作“对……没有提出要求的权利”解，现作“没有资格称为……”解。此句也可译为will have no true wisdom to speak of，但与原意稍有出入。 

(3)“涅槃”指信佛教者经过长期“修道”所达到的最高境界。后世也称僧人逝世为“涅槃”（又称“入灭”或“圆寂”）。英语称之为virvana，源于梵文。 

(4)“勘破现世”意同“看破红尘”现译为see through the vanity of human society。 

(5)“跳出三界”中的“三界”也是佛教用语，指“众生所住的世界”。现按“与现世一刀两断”的意思把“跳出三界”译为make a clean break with this mortal world。 

(6)“恋爱人人都会”意即“恋爱出于本能”，故译为People love by instinct。 

(7)“可是不见的人人都懂”译为yet all cannot understand it correctly，等于yet not all can understand I correctly。

 

Love is Not a Game 

                 ——Lu Yin 

    A Buddhist monk without having experienced ups and downs in the sea of mortals will have no claim to true wisdom. 

    Likewise, one who has never gone through the baptism of romantic love will have little genuine knowledge of life. 

    Buddhist monks exert every effort to renounce this life in favour of future nirvana. But, without a full knowledge of this life, how could they see through the vanity of human society and make a clean break with this mortal world? 

Romantic love is the core of human life. Mencius says, “The desire for food and sex is nature.” In other words, love is innate. If one remains a lifelong stranger to love, how can he thoroughly understand life? 

    Man becomes capable through learning. But love is an exception. Boy and girl, when they are of age and meet at an opportune moment, will become mysteriously attached to each other. 

Though people love by instinct, yet all cannot understand it correctly. More often than not, love is but carnal desire in disguise and is treated as a mere game. That is why we so often hear tragic stories of love. 

    True love is not a game. Nor can its true value be appreciated by the morally degenerate. True love spurs one on to higher attainment. It embodies the supreme quality of selflessness, and is, above all, symbolic of beauty. 

    When a man and woman are deeply immersed in true love, they are full of amazing inner strength. Their souls are freed from all bondage. They are unyielding before threats and incorruptible before any promise of material gain. They transcend the reality to create an ideal paradise of their own. 

Unfortunately, in this present world overflowing with material desires, this kind of true love is as rare as the feeble light of fireflies. What is more, “love” sometimes even leads to moral degeneration on the part of ignorant men and women. Over this, Venus cannot help lamenting with a deep sigh, “Love has become a mere game ever since humanity set out on its way to extinction. O what a sad story!”