Saturday, October 18, 2008

那天﹐在讀與吃的專欄裡﹐有人留言提及MARCEL PROUST的《A LA RECHERCHE DU TEMPS PERDU》。住在巴黎的MICHELLE說﹕「就不知道翻譯做了英文的普魯詩名著會是個什麼樣子。」

於是﹐我又想起了丘世文。每逢有人提及《追憶似水年華》﹐我都會想起這位英年早逝的香港大學師兄。無疑﹐大家讀的學科很大不同。不過﹐既然他早我超過二十年在同一所大學畢業﹐當然稱得上是我的師兄。

這部普魯詩的名著﹐是他的至愛。每次在書店裡遇上了新的版本﹐無論是法文版本﹐還是英文以至中文翻譯﹐他都會立即買下來。記得在其《明報》專欄《一人觀眾》裡﹐他便寫道﹕

「我是個標準普魯詩迷。自一九七二年讀大學認識這部經典名著開始﹐英譯本也隨著每次的修訂要買上三套及看過多次。而一九九二年的秋天﹐我趁到巴黎旅遊亦專誠到JOSEPH GILBERT書店買得『七星叢書』(BIBLIOTHEQUE DE LA PLEIADE)增訂新版而歸﹐好作以後研究之用。

前星期上灣仔曙光圖書公司﹐見老闆馬國明剛好訂來兩套新由VINTAGE出版社發行的普及裝英文新譯《IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME》﹐不禁眼前一亮。這是近乎完美的新修訂英譯本﹐年前我曾花上一個月先睹為快了﹐也想趁這機會向大家鄭重推薦。」

那是九六年十一月二十八日的事情。丘世文亦已離開人間剛好十年。就不知道在這十年日子裡﹐這部被譽為西方二十世紀最偉大的小說﹐是否又有新的修訂。

那時候﹐每個星期天早上﹐都愛留守在收音機前﹐收聽丘世文﹑陶傑等主持的《講東講西》。他們談論的東西﹐都是我從前未曾想過的﹔他們的觀點﹐也是我從前沒有碰上過的。我的思想突然有脫胎換骨的感覺。迷上陶傑的同時﹐其實我更迷丘世文。原來﹐曾幾何時﹐《明報》副刊是如此耀眼。我無緣逢遇金庸小說連載的年代﹐卻有幸讀過既有丘世文﹐又有陶傑擠在一起的時候。他們都是香港人的驕傲。

我有一整套丘世文的著作﹐包括那部書信集。畢竟﹐他遺留在人間的文字實在太少。現在﹐我希望能夠找到的﹐是所有《號外》雜誌。那是丘世文有份創辦的城市雜誌。

突然想起丘世文﹐除了是因為適逢有人在其辭世十年的時候﹐提及到普魯詩的《追憶似水年華》﹐也因為我明白到他那天在《一人觀眾》裡所寫的話。

早陣子﹐跟一位來自立陶宛的朋友談到俄羅斯文學。她問我讀過《戰爭與和平》沒有。我搖著頭道﹕「曾開始過﹐只是中途放棄了。因為搞不清裡面人物的名字。一時混亂起來﹐便擱置了。直至現在﹐也未有重新拿起。」朋友同意我的講法。她道﹕「俄羅斯人名字多變﹐的確會對不諳俄文的人造成許多不便。不過﹐沒有讀過托爾詩泰這部名著﹐算不得進過俄國文學的堂奧。」

不知怎的﹐我就牢記著這一句話。

有天﹐如常到書店閒逛。在書架上找不到一本合意的書時﹐卻不經意地碰上了《戰爭與和平》企鵝出版社的最新英譯本。隨手拿下來翻讀﹐也就沉醉了在那個小說的世界裡面﹐捨不得把書放下來。

正要付款﹐看到了另一個企鵝出版社的英譯本﹐只售五塊。比這個最新翻譯便宜近十塊。因為價錢的吸引﹐我亦拿來翻翻﹐重讀剛讀完的首兩章。

我明白到何解這個版本較為便宜﹔也明白到丘世文所言的「近乎完美的新修訂英譯本」。

於是﹐亦學著丘世文當天的口吻在這裡寫道﹕也想趁這機會向大家鄭重推薦ANTHONY BRIGGS的譯本。

2 comments:

Snowdrops said...

I haven't read any Proust before, in fact my knowledge of French literature is rather limited, as I deliberately didn't read any French translated works because I have always wanted to be able to read them in their original language, and didn't want the English translations to "ruin" these masterpieces for me. But I guess I now have to resign myself to the fact that I will have to depend on quality English translations if I were to ever be able to read them at all. So thanks for the Anthony Briggs recommendation.

I agree with you that the long and many permutations of Russian names could be a hindrance to enjoying Russian literature. I found the same when I was reading Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.

By the way, you seem quite enamoured with the idea of a canon in literature - i.e. that there is an expert-approved set of masterpieces that have to be read to be considered "well-read" in one literature. I don't disagree with the idea that there are well-known masterpieces that one should read before one dies (similar to the fact that there are certain fabulous places on this Earth that you should travel to before you die), but relying on expert authority to determine one's tastes would mean missing out on lots of interesting and no less deserving contemporary treats.

The Man Who Loves Everton said...

yes, that's the problem of reading translation of russian lit. particulary those with numerous characters. i found the same when i read anna karenina. sometimes i just didn't know that those names were of the same person.

to be honest, i do rely on "experts' review" or "experts' recommendations". to learn the skill of differentiating "good books" and "bad books" is never easy and, still, not managed to do that. in other words, am still learning that skill through my fav writers' recommendations.

btw i read a few pages of the white tiger in eason today. quite witty. as i am in the middle of war and peace, i don't want to start another one (so i didn't buy it).