说起清明节，就不得不提这首唐代诗人杜牧所作的《清明》七绝。古人曾说过，好的诗，能够“状难写之景，如在目前；含不尽之意，在于言外。”《清明》这首小诗，一个难字也没有，一个典故也不用，整篇是十分通俗的语言，写得自如至极，毫无经营造作之痕。音节十分和谐圆满，景象非常清新、生动，而又境界优美、兴味隐跃。
清明
（唐）杜牧
清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。
借问酒家何处有，牧童遥指杏花村。
我国古代诗人在严格的格律束缚下，着力于构筑清净交融的意美，达到“从心所欲不逾矩”的境界，充分发挥和展现了汉语表义的魅力。想必大家对杜牧这首著名的《清明》都不陌生，尤其是其中的脍炙人口的名句，那么这首诗用英文如何翻译呢？
根据在网上搜集到的多个名家译本，各位译者英译文化负载词“清明”上采用的策略不尽相同，大体上归为音译，直译、意译等。值得一提的是，在英译“雨纷纷”、“断魂”、“牧童”、“遥指”、“杏花村”时，译文各有千秋。
对于“清明”两字，各位译者分别是这样表述的：
- 陈君朴——直接用拼音Qingming
- 杨宪益、戴乃迭——将“清明”意译为In the Raining Season of Spring
- 吴钧陶——将“清明”意译为The Pure Brightness Day
- 许渊冲——穿越了“清明”字面本身，直接点明其内涵（The Mourning Day）
- 蔡廷干——别具一格地借用了英语“万圣节”（All Saints' Day）将“清明节”翻译为All Souls' Day
对于“欲断魂”境界的演绎，各位译者分别是这样表述的：
- 陈君朴——broken-hearted（心碎）
- 许渊冲——heart is going to break
- 吴君陶——heart lost in dismay
- 蔡廷干——用了一个副词sadly（The men and women sadly move along the way）
- 杨宪益、戴乃迭——用了两个形容词gloomy（阴郁的）、miserable（悲惨的）来表述
对于“牧童”两字，各位译者分别是这样表述的：
- 陈君朴——A buffalo boy（水牛娃）
- 吴钧陶——cowboy（牛仔）
- 蔡廷干——herdboy（牧童）
- 许渊冲——cowherd（放牛娃）
- 孙大雨——shepherd（牧羊人）
- 杨宪益、戴乃迭——shepherd boy（牧羊童）
下面我们一起来看看几位名家的全诗翻译吧！
一、许渊冲英译《清明》（韵式aabb）
The Mourning Day
By Du Mu
A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day;
The mourner's heart is going to break on his way.
Where can a wineshop be found to drown his sad hours?
A cowherd points to a cot 'mid apricot flowers.
选自：《英语世界》2016-04-04
优点：题译准确，中西合璧，长短整齐
缺点：第三人称，代入感弱，无伤大雅
二、杨宪益、戴乃迭英译《清明》（无韵译法）
In the Raining Season of Spring
By Du MuIt drizzles endless during the rainy season in spring,
Travelers along the road look gloomy and miserable.
When I ask a shepherd boy where I can find a tavern,
He points at a distant hamlet nestling amidst apricot blossoms.
选自：古诗苑汉英译丛《唐诗》，外文出版社，2001
优点：意境开阔，身临其境
缺点：韵脚欠佳，感情稍弱
三、吴钧陶英译《清明》（韵式aaba）
The Pure Brightness Day
By Du Mu
It drizzles thick and fast on the Pure Brightness Day,
I travel with my heart lost in dismay.
"Is there a public house somewhere, cowboy?"
He points at Apricot Village faraway.
选自：《英语世界》2016-04-04
优点：韵脚一致，郎朗上口
缺点：题目之意，有所偏差
四、蔡廷干英译《清明》（韵式aabb）
All Souls’ Day
By Du Mu
The rain falls thick and fast on All Souls' Day,
The men and women sadly move along the way.
They ask where wineshops can be found or where to rest ---
And there the herdboy's fingers Almond-Town suggest.
选自：蔡廷干，《唐诗精品百首英译》，湖北教育出版社，1994
优点：题目意译，主题相合
缺点：第三人称，情感略弱
五、孙大雨英译《清明》（韵式aaba）
The Clear-and-Bright Feast
By Du Mu
Upon the Clear-and-Bright Feast of spring, the rain drizzleth down in spray.
Pedestrians on countryside ways, in gloom are pinning away.
When asked "Where a tavern fair for rest, is hereabouts to be found",
The shepherd boy the Apricot Bloom Vill, doth point to afar and say.
选自：孙大雨，《古诗文英译集》，上海外语教育出版社，1997
优点：一二四押韵，符合七绝格律
缺点：单句变双句，不够简洁清晰
六、万昌盛、王僴中英译《清明》（韵式aabb）
The Tomb-visiting Day
By Du Mu
The ceaseless drizzle drips all the dismal day,
So broken-hearted fares the traveler on the way.
When asked where could be found a tavern bower,
A cowboy points to yonder village of the apricot flower.
选自：《中国古诗一百首》，大象出版社，1999
优点：题目异化，铺垫情感
缺点：韵脚转换，格律略杂
七、吴伟雄英译《清明》（韵式aabb）
The Mourning Day
By Du Mu
It drizzles thick and fast on the Mourning Day,
The mourner's heart is going to break on his way.
When asked for a wineshop to drown his sad hours?
A cowboy points to a hamlet amid apricot flowers.
选自：《英语世界》，2016-04-04
八、陈君朴英译《清明》
The Qingming Festival
By Du Mu
On the Qingming Day, rain is falling uninterrupted,
And the wayfarer is more than ever broken-hearted;
"Is there any wine shop hereabouts?" A buffalo boy
Points to a distant village where apricots are spotted.
选自：《汉英对照唐诗绝句150首》，上海大学出版，2007
以上八个译文版本，你最喜欢哪个呢？
