作者:王曉輝
劉禪在《三國演義》中不是什么重要的角色,前輩亮眼的光焰,讓他顯得格外平庸和渺小。不過,在老百姓的心目中,這個小名“阿斗”的蜀漢末代皇帝還是挺招人喜歡的。
阿斗出生在建安十二年(207年),據(jù)說他母親甘夫人夜里夢見自己仰吞北斗而懷孕,所以就給他取了個小名叫阿斗。阿斗出生時,正是劉備創(chuàng)業(yè)最為艱難的時期,建安十三年,劉備兵敗湖北當(dāng)陽,剛剛一歲的阿斗陷在亂軍之中,多虧趙云拼死保護(hù),才撿回一條性命。阿斗五歲時,劉備忙于取西川,繼母孫夫人(孫權(quán)的妹妹)差一點(diǎn)把他帶回東吳,一旦到了吳國,勢必成為人質(zhì)。又是趙云和張飛登舟搶人,才把阿斗留下。直到建安二十四年,劉備自立漢中王,才算是安定下來;又過了兩年,也就是章武元年(221年),劉備稱帝,阿斗成了皇太子。劉備稱帝不久,就在荊州失守和夷陵之戰(zhàn)的多重打擊下,心力交瘁,病逝在白帝城,十七歲的阿斗即位,成為蜀漢皇帝,史稱后主。
從阿斗的成長經(jīng)歷看,從小到大,他都沒有接受過父親的言傳身教,可以說,他是個缺乏父愛的孩子。連年戰(zhàn)爭,劉備除了東躲西逃,就是東征西討,阿斗雖然衣食無缺,但不會有什么真正的安全感。即便是阿斗當(dāng)了太子之后,劉備也沒有時間來教導(dǎo)兒子,先是荊州失守,關(guān)羽、張飛相繼被害,接著劉備起兵伐吳,又在夷陵大敗,不久就病死在白帝城。這樣的孩子,怎么會有安全感?性格怎么會不懦弱?從這個角度說,這個被忽略的孩子能夠長大成為阿斗而沒有成為阿Q,而且還順利地當(dāng)了四十二年皇帝,已經(jīng)很不容易了。
再看看曹魏的開國皇帝曹丕,在父親曹操的嚴(yán)厲督導(dǎo)下,少年通讀《詩》《論》,稍長即學(xué)五經(jīng)、四部、《史》《漢》及諸子百家之言。曹丕不僅文學(xué)造詣極高,他從很小就學(xué)習(xí)騎射,十歲上就跟隨曹操開始了軍旅生涯。曹丕在《典論·自敘》中說:“余年五歲,上以世方擾亂,教余學(xué)射,六歲而知射;又教余騎馬,八歲而能騎射矣?!?曹操的工作不會比劉備更輕松,但他對子女的教育卻抓得非常緊,別的不說,僅從曹丕和曹植兄弟倆的文學(xué)造詣即可見一斑。這是劉備、孫權(quán)以及絕大多數(shù)帝王所不能比的。
阿斗一生讓人印象最為深刻的就是那句“樂不思蜀”的成語。景耀六年(263年),魏將鄧艾攻破成都,劉禪投降,被遷往魏國都城洛陽,蜀漢就此滅亡。司馬昭給劉禪的待遇還是相當(dāng)優(yōu)厚的,封為安樂公,賜住宅,月給用度,賜絹萬匹,僮婢百人。
但司馬昭還是不放心,于是設(shè)宴款待劉禪,順帶試探一下,看看他是否有東山再起的野心。
昭設(shè)宴款待,先以魏樂舞戲于前,蜀官感傷,獨(dú)后主有喜色。昭令蜀人扮蜀樂于前,蜀官盡皆墮淚,后主嬉笑自若。酒至半酣,昭謂賈充曰:“人之無情,乃至于此!雖使諸葛孔明在,亦不能輔之久全,何況姜維乎?”乃問后主曰:“頗思蜀否?”后主曰:“此間樂,不思蜀也。”須臾,后主起身更衣,郤正跟至廂下曰:“陛下如何答應(yīng)不思蜀也?徜彼再問,可泣而答曰:先人墳?zāi)?,遠(yuǎn)在蜀地,乃心西悲,無日不思。晉公必放陛下歸蜀矣?!焙笾骼斡浫胂?。酒將微醉,昭又問曰:“頗思蜀否?”后主如郤正之言以對,欲哭無淚,遂閉其目。昭曰:“何乃似郤正語耶?”后主開目驚視曰:“誠如尊命?!闭鸭白笥医孕χU岩虼松钕埠笾髡\實(shí),并不疑慮。
這是一段很有戲劇性并且?guī)в邢哺械拿鑼?,阿斗也因?yàn)橐痪洹按碎g樂,不思蜀”的回答給后世留下了一個“樂不思蜀”的成語。我們來看看羅慕士的譯文:
Sima Zhao held a feast that began with a performance by Wei musicians and dancers. The Riverlands officials were deeply affronted; the Second Emperor alone wore a look of pleasure. Sima Zhao also had men of Shu dress as Shu musicians. While they performed, the Riverlands officials wept but the Second Emperor laughed with amusement quite unembarrassed. As the wine went around and warmed the company, Sima Zhao said to Jia Chong, "How heartless he is! Not even Kongming -- had he lived -- could have kept the ruler safe for long. Not to speak of Jiang Wei!" Turning to the Second Emperor, Sima Zhao said, "Do you think of Shu at all?" The Emperor replied, "With such entertainment before me, not at all." Shortly afterward, the Emperor excused himself and withdrew, accompanied by Xi Zheng, who asked him, "Why did your Majesty say you do not think of Shu? If he asks again, it would be preferable to answer tearfully, 'My father's grave is far off in Shu, and my heart yearns for the west; I think of the Riverlands every day.' The lord patriarch of Jin, Sima Zhao, will be sure to let you return if you do so." The Second Emperor committed this speech firmly to memory and rejoined the banquet.
The Second Emperor was slightly drunk when Sima Zhao asked him again, "Do you think of Shu at all?" The Second Emperor answered according to Xi Zheng's instruction. He tried to cry, but no tears came, so he shut his eyes tight. Sima Zhao said, "So you are only mouthing Xi Zheng's words!" The Second Emperor opened his eyes and stared in astonishment. "Truly such is the case," he admitted. Sima Zhao and his attendants laughed at him. Because of this, Zhao appreciated the Emperor's simplicity and never mistrusted him.
可能是因?yàn)槭竦赜址Q川或四川,也就是金沙江、雅礱江、岷江和嘉陵江四條大河流經(jīng)的地域,所以羅慕士把“蜀”翻譯成了Riverlands。對于外國讀者來說,Riverlands要比Shu或者Sichuan更具象,也更容易接受。小說中稱劉備為先主,劉禪為后主,因?yàn)閠he First Emperor 已經(jīng)成了秦始皇的專有名稱,所以英譯本中把先主譯為the Emperor或the First Ruler,而后主則譯為the Emperor或the Second Emperor。
中文描寫宴飲場面時經(jīng)常會用到成語“酒至半酣”或“酒酣耳熱”?!昂ā笔蔷坪鹊煤軙晨斓囊馑迹鞍牒ā贝蟾攀菨u入佳境,但遠(yuǎn)未達(dá)到“半醉”的程度。羅慕士的英文翻譯結(jié)合了上面兩個成語,as the wine went around and warmed the company,意思是酒已“走起”,賓客也已喝得渾身溫暖舒泰,這正是“半酣”的狀態(tài),再喝下去恐怕就高了。還有一個類似的成語是“酒過三巡”?!叭病本褪侨?,說的是主人已經(jīng)給客人斟過三輪酒了,接下來就可以談實(shí)質(zhì)性的問題了。梁實(shí)秋先生編著的《遠(yuǎn)東漢英大詞典》給出的解釋是after the wine has gone through three rounds,是直譯,往往作為狀語使用。
阿斗說的“此間樂,不思蜀也”是一句很平常的話,“With such entertainment before me, not at all”, 后來才演變?yōu)槌烧Z“樂不思蜀”。漢英詞典對“樂不思蜀”的解釋是so happy as to forget home and duty,屬于引申了。
“更衣”在這里是上廁所的委婉說法。中國古人講話含蓄,不會直接說“你等一下,我撒泡尿去哈”,而是用“更衣”來替代。既然原文很委婉,譯文當(dāng)然不能說Shortly afterward, the Emperor went to the toilet,或者說the Emperor went to release,所以,羅慕士把這句話譯成了“Shortly afterward, the Emperor excused himself and withdrew”,阿斗說了聲抱歉就出去了(上廁所去了)。英語中excuse(oneself)就是離開之前禮貌地請求原諒,to say in a polite way that you are leaving。
另一個值得關(guān)注的語言現(xiàn)象就是文中的“曰”字。中國古典小說的對話,從頭到尾都是“曰”。以上面這一段為例,一共出現(xiàn)了八個“曰”,放在中文里很正常,但如果不假思索都翻譯成said,對于外國讀者來說一定是味同嚼蠟。羅慕士按照上下文和不同的語氣,分別用said,asked,replied,asked again,answered,admitted來翻譯這一個曰字,照應(yīng)了英語行文的習(xí)慣。漢語不怕重復(fù),越重復(fù)顯得越重要;英語最忌重復(fù),一重復(fù)就變得乏味。
看了上面這段描寫,我倒是覺得阿斗一點(diǎn)兒也不傻,不僅不傻,而且還相當(dāng)聰明。反倒是那個自作聰明的郤正,差一點(diǎn)害了主子的性命。司馬昭何等人,這點(diǎn)兒小把戲能看不出來嗎?而且,司馬昭已經(jīng)安排下了耳目,早已知道劉禪君臣的對話了。幸虧阿斗將計就計,不露破綻,才讓司馬昭打消了疑慮。阿斗能夠化險為夷,很大程度上是繼承了父親劉備在表演方面的天分?;叵胍幌隆度龂萘x》第二十一回,青梅煮酒論英雄,曹操對劉備說,“今天下英雄,惟使君與操耳!” 劉備一驚之下,筷子都落到了地上,但他卻借著雷聲,從容掩蓋過去。第四十二回,趙子龍?jiān)趤y軍中救出阿斗,劉備心中感激,卻接過孩子扔在地上,說道:“為汝這孺子,幾損我一員大將!” 連作者羅貫中都沒有否認(rèn)劉備是在表演,所以才有“無由撫慰忠臣意,故把親兒擲馬前”的詩句。再想想劉備的眼淚,說來就來,比女人還能哭。所以,換一個人放在阿斗的位置上,還真不一定能過得了這一關(guān)。
作為皇帝,阿斗說不上英明神武,但也不至于昏庸無道,也就是個平庸而已。阿斗即位之后,重用諸葛亮、蔣琬等忠臣,蜀國的經(jīng)濟(jì)社會還是向前發(fā)展的,后期雖然寵信宦官黃皓等人,吃喝玩樂多了一點(diǎn)兒,但也沒有太大的劣跡。至于丟失江山,真的不能全怪阿斗一人,那是大勢所趨,誰也無力回天。
正是:
紛紛世事無窮盡,天數(shù)茫茫不可逃。
鼎足三分已成夢,后人憑吊空牢騷。