好的英文,大概不太修边幅,我最佩服的简小姐,傲慢与偏见里舞会开过几巡,也没见她细数女士们的裙褶耳坠香水。再如同E.M.福斯特,写穷亲戚伴贵小姐游佛罗伦萨,穷亲戚一出场就挑剔吃的是熬过汤的“二手肉”(The meat has surely been used for soup);她俩讨论谁该住景观房,面朝浑圆稳重的多尔姆、珠宝集萃匣子般的乔托钟楼、以及金晖熠熠的阿诺河,穷亲戚百般辞让,因为小姐那边出了旅费的大头,她便不断地示好知恩(a piece of generosity to which she made many a tactful allusion)。如此精确的人儿,面子活计却总是力道太猛,也不过淡淡两句话,已跃然纸上。这种不落形迹、往纵深的戳刺,张爱玲的小说里也常见,可惜短简的《重访》并没有端很久小说的架子,用笔既无中文的光泽,也没来得及深度铺开。
张的英文,当然也不是全然不必推敲。比如写人斗殴,她叹how un-Chinese these people were。我就很不明白,打一打怎么就不像中国人,对照中文,原来她想说“此地民风强悍”。边干架边exchange of words,那即是“辱骂恫吓”。香港拆建,whole streets were dug up,with a postbox buried to its neck, still functioning,诺大城市众多街道,只得一支邮筒?对照的中文亦含混,想是把中文随意的不确指用得太烂熟。
张爱玲的台湾,好似一直就是车上的观光,开始有麦氏夫妇接机,住了一宿客馆就又搭公车去乡下。她着墨写车掌与司机跳下车围殴一个据说是经常逃票的乘客。那人也许是原住民,囔囔日语求饶,最后车子开走,他还站起来立正行礼。张说“但是那种奇异的敬意只有日本有”,笔一拐,却又联想到共军治下,挑夫、清道工、小贩,一当火车驰过,也要伸出手头的扁担、笤帚、提篮致意(...it also reminded me of the Communist Chinese lining up all the porters, sweepers and peddlers on the railway platform, each presenting his broom, carrying pole, and basket like arms as the train pulled out.)。80年代版没有这一拐天外飞来的类比,我读之错愕不已。
她回忆52年从罗湖出境,香港那边的警察干净、时髦、倨傲,要了一干人的证件交办理室处置,就踱开;大陆边哨,显然一个小土包子,衣衫还阔大皱旧。人们在烈日下苦候,倒是中共小土包发话,责香港人“让你们在外头等着,这么热!去到那边站着。”当然没有人应接他的善意,更要凑紧些,生怕谁“去那边”就过不了铁丝网。“但是仍旧有这么一刹那,我觉得种族的温暖像潮水一样冲洗上来,最后一次在身上冲过”。中英文同款描述,可见彼时贴肤温暖。然而张爱玲在63英文版里又特特拐了一笔,说罗湖桥好比奈何桥,一边连生一边接死。个中滋味,只有亲身经历才晓得,所以她是听不得西人碎嘴什么自由世界其实不自由;糟只糟,太多人在外头活不下去又只得重返死地(Like most cliché,it is true when you experience it yourself. It makes me impatient to hear westerners quibble about the free world not being really free. Too bad that many of us have to go back over that bridge when we can't make a living)。