北京故宫景点英译赏析

神武门

紫禁城北门。建于明永乐十八年（1420年），初名玄武门，取古代“四神”中的玄武，代表北方之意，后因避康熙皇帝玄烨名讳改名神武门。台上为重檐庑殿顶门楼，内设钟鼓，与钟鼓楼相应，用以起更报时。但皇帝居宫中时，神武门上的钟不鸣。城台开有三门，帝后走中间正门，嫔妃、官吏、侍卫、太监及工匠等均由两侧的门出入。皇后祭先蚕，清代选秀女，将妃嫔迎入宫中均走此门。1924年，逊帝溥仪被驱逐出宫即由此门离去。门外上方匾额“故宫博物院”为著名历史学家郭沫若于1971年题写。

Gate of Divine Prowess

(Shen wu men)

Construction of the northern fortified gate of the Forbidden City was completed in 1420 during the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty(1368-1644). It was originally named Gate of the Dark Warrior(Xuan wu men ) after a symbol for the north. Later, during the Qing dynasty(1644-1911), because the personal name of the Kangxi Emperor(r. 1662-1722) was Xuanye, the character xuan(dark, profound) was taboo and therefore was changed to shen(divine). On the high terrace stands a gate tower with double eaves that housed drums and bells; they were sounded at regular two-hour Intervals to give the correct time--except when the emperor slept in the palace. Of the three passageways, the middle one was reserved for the emperor, and those on either side for Imperial concubines, officials, guards, eunuchs, and artisans. In the Qing dynasty, this gate was used when the empress offered sacrifices to the Goddess of Silkworms, when the palace maidens were selected and Imperial

concubines were welcomed. In 1924, when the last emperor Pu Yi was driven out of the palace, he and his retinue left through this gate. Above the gate’s north face hangs a horizontal board reading “Palace Museum” that was written in 1971 by the prominent historian Guo Moruo.

赏析：

1. 原文：紫禁城北门。建于明永乐十八年（1420年），初名玄武门，取古代“四神”中的玄武，代表北方之意，后因避康熙皇帝玄烨名讳改名神武门。

译文：Construction of the northern fortified gate of the Forbidden City was completed in 1420 during the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty(1368-1644). It was originally named Gate of the Dark Warrior(Xuan wu men ) after a symbol for the north. Later, during the Qing dynasty(1644-1911), because the personal name of the Kangxi Emperor(r. 1662-1722) was Xuanye, the character xuan(dark, profound) was taboo and therefore was changed to shen(divine).

分析：为了使得译文更加符合译入语的表达习惯，译文将原文第一二句话进行了合并拆分，形成了三句译文。此外，对于原文中提到的“明永乐十八年（1420年）”，译文为“in 1420 during the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty(1368-1644)”，忽略了“十八年”，因为“永乐十八年”和“1420”是同一年，没有必要再指出“十八”，即使指出来国外游客们也基本上不知所云，而且使得译文重复拖沓。译者注释了明代、清代、康熙帝在位的起止年，这样更能帮助外国游客们了解所述事项的大概年代。

2. 原文：台上为重檐庑殿顶门楼，内设钟鼓，与钟鼓楼相应，用以起更报时。但皇帝居宫中时，神武门上的钟不鸣。

译文：On the high terrace stands a gate tower with double eaves that housed drums and bells; they were sounded at regular two-hour Intervals to give the correct time--except when the emperor slept in the palace.

重檐：double eaves两层屋檐。在基本型屋顶重叠下檐而形成。其作用是扩大屋顶和 屋身的体重，增添屋顶的高度和层次，增强屋顶的雄伟感和庄严感，调节屋顶和屋身的比例。因此，重檐主要用于高级的庑殿、歇山和追求高耸效果的攒尖顶，形成重檐庑殿、重檐歇山和重檐攒尖三大类别。

庑殿：庑殿是古代汉族建筑中的一种屋顶形式。屋顶陡曲峻峭，屋檐宽深庄重、气势雄伟浩大，在封建社会里，是体现皇权、神权等统治阶级的象征。所以多用作宫殿、坛庙、重要门楼等高级建筑上。其他官府及及庶民不许采用。庑殿有重檐和单檐两种。

庑殿顶门楼被简化译为了“gate tower”，并没有译出“庑殿”。

下面是神武门的图片：

3. 原文：城台开有三门，帝后走中间正门，嫔妃、官吏、侍卫、太监及工匠 等均由两侧的门出入。皇后祭先蚕，清代选秀女，将妃嫔迎入宫中均走此门。1924年，逊帝溥仪被驱逐出宫即由此门离去。

译文：Of the three passageways, the middle one was reserved for the emperor, and those on either side for Imperial concubines, officials, guards, eunuchs, and artisans. In the Qing dynasty, this gate was used when the empress offered sacrifices to the Goddess of Silkworms, when the palace maidens were selected and Imperial concubines were welcomed. In 1924, when the last emperor Pu Yi was driven out of the palace, he and his retinue left through this gate.

先蚕礼：是中国古代由皇后主持的最高国家祀典，祭祀人和被祭祀人物均为 女性。每年季春（阴历三月）的吉巳日，由皇后亲祭或遣人祭祀蚕神。

译文没有对“逊帝”进行翻译，并增译了“his retinue”。

“帝后走中间正门”中的“帝后”，译文译成了“the emperor”，经过笔者查询，龙门石窟的一处浮雕为《帝后礼佛图》，雕刻的是北魏孝文帝和文昭皇后的供养行列，所以笔者认为此处应该指“皇帝和皇后”。

4. 原文：门外上方匾额“故宫博物院”为著名历史学家郭沫若于1971年题 写。

译文：Above the gate’s north face hangs a horizontal board reading “Palace Museum” that was written in 1971 by the prominent historian Guo Moruo.

匾额是古建筑的必然组成部分，相当于古建筑的眼睛。用以表达经义、感情之类的属于匾，而表达建筑物名称和性质之类的则属于额。因此合起来可以这样理解匾额的含义：悬挂于门屏上作装饰之用，反映建筑物名称和性质，表达人们义理、情感之类的文学艺术形式即为匾额。译为了 “horizontal board”。