还记得在最近的一次 Performance Review 结束的时候,头儿很严肃地给我提出两条批评意见:一是必须保证晚上六点钟以前离开办公室,二是午餐休息时间要用足合同规定的一小时(吃完饭,逛公园逛商场随你便,就是不要急着回来工作!)。当时我大乐,心想这岂不成了小丸子那个“加强营养、保证睡眠”的新年计划了?想归想,还是得一脸诚恳地对头儿说:“那什么,您也一样啊!”然后两人相视大笑。(所谓千穿万穿马屁不穿,以前那个大马来的同事说的对,全世界的人都一样,People have different skin colours but same brain colour.)其实不管是她还是我,都没办法做到这两条,大家逗大家开心而已。
"He didn't like books in which dull, cranky writers describe humdrum events in the very humdrum lives of humdrum people. Reality gave him enough of that kind of thing, why should he read about it? Besides, he couldn't stand it when a writer tried to convince him of something. And these humdrum books, it seemed to him, were always trying to do just that."
纪伊国屋里可供选择的译本不多,只有两种,一种是企鹅,Paul Turner 译,封面是很好看的古庞培壁画;一种是牛津,Ronald McCail 译,封面是油画,一对小情侣,表情悲苦(不是我贴的这幅布格罗夫人)。坐在地板上比较了一番内容,发觉还是 Ronald McCail 的本子好,虽然封面有伤风化,不好带出门读。Paul Turner 的语气自然,象讲故事,可是原文用诗的地方,他通通给散文化了; Ronald McCail 的初读有一点点涩,可是忠实原文,而且该用诗的地方都用了诗。
最后令我下定决心的,是达夫尼斯的两句诗,Paul Turner 译作花和蜂蜜的地方, Ronald McCail 译作了花瓣和蜂房:
What on earth is Chloe's kiss doing to me?
her lips were softer than rose-petals,
her mouth was sweeter than honeycomb.
but that kiss has caused me more pain than a bee-sting!