說(shuō)猴

肖維青

曹雪芹似乎很喜歡“猴”這個(gè)字。如果我們用計(jì)算機(jī)檢索一下前80回和后40回，大概會(huì)有驚人的發(fā)現(xiàn)：“猴”字在前后的出場(chǎng)頻率相差極大，前80回是一只聚光燈下的猴兒，后40回則是一只縮在后臺(tái)無(wú)戲的猴兒。

漢語(yǔ)字典里的“猴”，作名詞時(shí)，一般有兩個(gè)義項(xiàng)：一、指動(dòng)物，即獼猴，到底生得如何，我也不用形容，總之，還是對(duì)得起觀眾的；二、比喻乖巧機(jī)靈的人，比如“猴精”?！都t樓夢(mèng)》里的“猴”，大致也是這兩個(gè)意思。讓我們結(jié)合譯文，一起觀猴吧。

《紅樓夢(mèng)》里“猴”指稱本義的不多，這里試舉兩例。第50回眾姐妹在暖香塢制燈謎，寶玉猜中了湘云的謎語(yǔ)，這個(gè)謎就是和“猴”有關(guān)的。

寶玉笑了半日，道：“都不是，我猜著了，一定是耍的猴兒。”（第50回）

“Youre all wrong,”said Bao-yu,who had been grinning silently to himself while the others guessed,“Ive thought of the answer.Its ‘a(chǎn) performing monkey.”（霍克斯譯文）

“Youre all wrong,”declared Baoyu,who had been chuckling to himself for a while. “Ive got it. It must be a monkey in a circus.”（楊、戴譯文）

【點(diǎn)評(píng)】這里的“猴”在兩個(gè)譯文里都是直譯。不過(guò)，表示雜耍的猴子，好像a performing monkey更好， performing 作形容詞，就是表示“會(huì)演出的”，比如a performing bear等。把“耍的猴兒”譯作參加馬戲演出的猴子，似乎抬舉了那些街邊賣藝的家伙們。

以下是第54回賈府合家上下的女眷共度元宵的一個(gè)場(chǎng)景。賈母應(yīng)邀說(shuō)笑話，調(diào)動(dòng)氣氛，她說(shuō)了一個(gè)比較粗鄙的傳說(shuō)，笑話那些伶牙俐齒的人都是喝了當(dāng)年孫悟空的尿。幾個(gè)妯娌自然聽(tīng)出話外之音，都要拿平日嘴乖的王熙鳳取笑。

尤氏、婁氏都笑向李紈道：“咱們這里誰(shuí)是吃過(guò)猴兒尿的，別裝沒(méi)事人兒?！保ǖ?4回）

You-shi and Lou-shi turned towards Li Wan, laughing:“I wonder who she thinks shes fooling. Its very clear which of us in this room is the one who drank monkeys piddle!”（霍克斯譯文）

Madam You and Madam Lou joked to Li Wan,“The one whos drunk monkeys piss is playing innocent!”（楊、戴譯文）

【點(diǎn)評(píng)】這里的“猴”也是直譯，不過(guò)有上下文的情況下，似乎可以考慮Monkey King或者大寫monkey，因?yàn)榇撕锓欠埠?，乃齊天大圣也。

“猴”常比喻乖巧伶俐的人，在《紅樓夢(mèng)》中的代表就是王熙鳳，賈母嘴里總是“猴兒猴兒”嗔怪她，難掩對(duì)鳳姐的疼愛(ài)和驕縱。例如：

賈母笑道：“這猴兒慣的了不得了，只管拿我取笑起來(lái)，恨的我撕你那油嘴?！保ǖ?8回）

“Naughty monkey!” she said. “Make fun of me,would you? Id like to tear that wicked mouth of yours!”（霍克斯譯文）

“This monkeys so dreadfully spoilt, she even makes fun of me,”declared the old lady.“I ought to tear out that glib tongue of yours.”（楊、戴譯文）

【點(diǎn)評(píng)】王熙鳳最得心應(yīng)手的就是奉迎賈母，賈母小時(shí)候頭上不慎跌破，留下了鬢角上一個(gè)坑，她就說(shuō)這個(gè)坑兒好，將來(lái)好盛福壽。賈母聞聽(tīng)，肯定是心花怒放的，當(dāng)著眾人的面，少不得和顏悅色地?cái)?shù)落幾句。楊、戴譯文對(duì)原文基本是直譯，“猴兒”“慣”分別對(duì)應(yīng)monkey、spoilt，霍克斯沒(méi)有翻譯“慣”，不過(guò)naughty monkey一句也是相當(dāng)?shù)轿坏模喝绻粦T，怎么會(huì)淘氣呢。倒是“油嘴”的翻譯，霍克斯有些受到原文的限制，glib tongue更符合英語(yǔ)的習(xí)慣。

賈母回頭道：“猴兒猴兒，你不怕下割舌頭地獄？”（第29回）

“Monkey! Monkey!” said Grandmother Jia. “Arent you afraid of going to the Hell of Scoffers when you die and having your tongue cut out?” （霍克斯譯文）

“What a monkey you are!”cried the Lady Dowager turning to Xifeng. “Arent you afraid of going to the Tongue-Cutting Hell?”（楊、戴譯文）

【點(diǎn)評(píng)】在清虛觀里，王熙鳳拿張道人取笑，賈母覺(jué)得過(guò)分，才說(shuō)了上面的話。原文是疊加的“猴兒”，楊、戴譯文用了感嘆句，顯然比Monkey! Monkey!自然?；艨怂乖谧g文里制造了一個(gè)“嘲笑者的地獄”（Hell of Scoffers），用曲筆交代了鳳姐下割舌地獄的緣故。

在《紅樓夢(mèng)》里，“猴兒”也不是王熙鳳的專利，在別的場(chǎng)合下，字面之下的溺愛(ài)就打了折扣，例如尤二姐對(duì)賈蓉：

那尤二姐便悄悄咬牙含笑罵：“很會(huì)嚼舌頭的猴兒崽子，留下我們給你爹作娘不成！”（第63回）

Er-jie pretended to grind her teeth angrily, though she was trying not to laugh.

“Glib-tongued little ape!” she said. “Were to be kept around here as second strings for your father, I suppose?” （霍克斯譯文）

【點(diǎn)評(píng)】glib-tongued little ape對(duì)譯“嚼舌頭的猴兒崽子”，所謂“嚼舌頭”就是指油嘴滑舌的意思。second string to one's bow 指“第二手準(zhǔn)備”“后備方案”，這里的second strings就所謂“給你爹做娘”。

倘若是主子和下人，或者是身份等級(jí)懸殊的人之間說(shuō)話，“猴兒”就是戲謔的蔑稱。例如：

鳳姐低了一回頭，便又指著興兒說(shuō)道：“你這個(gè)猴兒崽子就該打死。這有什么瞞著我的？你想著瞞了我，就在你那糊涂爺跟前討了好兒了，你新奶奶好疼你。我不看你剛才還有點(diǎn)怕懼兒，不敢撒謊，我把你的腿不給你砸折了呢。”說(shuō)著喝聲“起去?！保ǖ?7回）

Xi-feng bowed her head for some moments, reflecting. Eventually she looked up again and pointed her finger at him.

“You are a wicked little wretch and I ought by rights to kill you for imagining that you could deceive me. I suppose you thought that by deceiving me you would do that stupid master of yours a favour and your new mistress would love you for it. If it werent that I thought you were too frightened just now to have lied to me, I should have broken both your legs.” Her voice rose to a shout. “Get up!”（霍克斯譯文）

又如：

正說(shuō)著，只聽(tīng)門內(nèi)又有老婆子向外叫：“小猴兒們，快傳你柳嬸子去吧，再不來(lái)可就誤了?！保ǖ?1回）

Just then another old woman inside called out,

“Hurry up,you young rascals,and go and fetch your Aunt Liu before it's too late.”（楊、戴譯文）

“猴”字作動(dòng)詞用，在《紅樓夢(mèng)》里有很經(jīng)典的例子，經(jīng)常作為練字的典范。老舍先生說(shuō)：“字沒(méi)有高低貴賤之分，全看用得恰當(dāng)與否。連著用幾個(gè)‘偉大，并不足使文章偉大。一個(gè)很俗的字，正如一個(gè)很雅的字，用在恰當(dāng)?shù)牡胤奖闫鸷米饔?。”“猴”的使用就是一個(gè)俗字如何化腐朽為神奇的典范。

寶玉聽(tīng)說(shuō)，便猴向鳳姐身上立刻要牌，說(shuō)：……（第14回）

As soon as he heard this, Bao-yu twined himself round Xi-feng and began coaxing and wheedling her to ...（霍克斯譯文）

Bao-yu cuddled up to her at that and coaxed, ...（楊、戴譯文）

寶玉……便猴上身去涎皮笑道：“好姐姐，把你嘴上的胭脂賞我吃了罷?！币幻嬲f(shuō)著，一面扭股糖似的粘在身上。（第24回）

With an impulse chuckle he threw himself upon her and clung like sticky toffee about her person:“Come on,Faithful darling, give us a taste of your lipstick!”（霍克斯譯文）

He mischievously nestled close to her.

“Good sister, let me taste the rouge on your lips!”

With this smiling appeal he clung to her like sticky toffee. （楊、戴譯文）

【點(diǎn)評(píng)】“猴”作動(dòng)詞，用在寶玉身上，刻畫出他屈身倚靠、天真活潑的生動(dòng)形象，活現(xiàn)出他那嬌生慣養(yǎng)、好和異性廝混的情態(tài)?！昂铩钡倪@種用法，至今在江浙一帶的口語(yǔ)中依然常用。雖然monkey這個(gè)詞也可以作動(dòng)詞，但是和漢語(yǔ)的“猴”意思上區(qū)別較大，或者表示to play foolishly，或者指to handle carelessly or irresponsibly，例如The boys were monkeying about in the playground, and one of them got hurt，又如Youll break the TV if you dont stop monkeying about with it.因此，翻譯時(shí)不能把monkey和“猴”畫等號(hào)。再比照我們的紅樓夢(mèng)翻譯范例，諸如twined（使纏繞）himself round、cuddled（依偎）up to her、threw himself upon her、nestled（偎依）close to her都是比較準(zhǔn)確的譯文，不拘泥于原文字句，卻出自名手，皆臻化境。