英文版《水浒传》（《All Men Are Brothers》——赛珍珠译（874字）

自嘲编译

赛珍珠（Pearl S. Buck），女，美国作家，1938年诺贝尔文学奖得主。她1892年出生于美国弗吉尼亚州，4个月后随传教士父母来到中国，在江苏镇江度过了童年和青少年时期。1914年她毕业于金陵大学（今南京大学），获文学学士学位。她在中国生活了近40年，她认为自己就是中国人。

她翻译的英文版《水浒传》名字叫《All Men Are Brothers》（四海之内皆兄弟），1933年由美国纽约The John Day Company与英国伦敦同时出版，为71回本的全译本，但合并为70回（将原第一回并入引言），不译部分插诗以保持叙事流畅。1948年又推出Miguel Covarrubias插图版，林语堂作序，是《水浒传》首个英文全译本，忠实原文而语句流畅，成为中西文化交流的经典桥梁，畅销于欧美。

她在1948版的译者序言中说：“我翻译《水浒传》绝非出于学术考订，只因它是一个讲得极好的故事。在众多版本中，我独选七十回本，因其保留了最纯粹的活力与风格，而非迎合后世的道德说教。在翻译中我力求逐字逐句地直译，希望不懂中文的读者能产生一种错觉——他们在读一部原著。中文的风格与这部小说的题材极为相称，我唯一的目标就是让译文尽可能逼近原文，即便原文平淡之处也予以保留。对于原书的结构进行了如下调整：将原书第一回并入引言，从第二回“王教头私走延安府”开篇，我认为故事的真意自此展开。对书中诗歌，省略了大量时常打断叙事的诗词，仅保留与情节紧密相关的部分。原文中的打油诗，译文中也保持其打油诗的风貌。对于原书中的专有名词，我做了唯一“任性”的改动。为方便西方读者，每个人物自始至终只用一个名字，专有名词直接拼写，省略了部分在英文中毫无意义的绰号。

林语堂在1948版的英文导言中说：“这是一部“怒书”（a book of anger）。它诞生于元明之际，是数百年民间智慧的结晶，从说书人的话本演变而来，充满了对不公社会的批判与反抗精神。《水浒传》塑造了李逵、武松、鲁智深等一系列鲜活的草莽英雄，他们的传奇故事与侠义精神早已融入中华民族的集体记忆。这部作品独特的叙事风格与人文关怀，是中国古典文学献给世界的瑰宝。赛珍珠的全译本是《水浒传》首个英文全译本，它忠实而流畅，让西方世界得以首次全面领略这部中国古典小说的魅力，成为中西文化交流的经典桥梁。

附：以下是英文原作，供读者参考

1.《水浒传》英文译本《All Men Are Brothers》赛珍珠译者序言（1948版）

Introduction by Pearl S. Buck

I have translated this, the most famous of Chinese novels, not with any academic purpose, nor with a desire to engage in textual criticism. I have no academic interest whatsoever in translating this novel. Beyond my love for the original work, I have no other aim than to tell a wonderfully good story.

I have chosen to translate the seventy-chapter version, for among all the versions—the seventy-five, the hundred, the hundred-and-fifteen, the hundred-and-twenty, and the hundred-and-twenty-four—I believe the seventy-chapter version retains the purest vitality and style. Other versions tend to accommodate later moral didacticism, losing the raw energy and directness that make the story compelling.

I have translated as literally as possible. For me, the style of the Chinese language is perfectly suited to the subject matter. My only goal is to make the translation as close to the original as I can. I wish that readers who do not know the Chinese language might have at least the illusion that they are reading the original work. I say "as I can" because I do not pretend to have achieved this, but I have tried to preserve both the content and the style of the original, even retaining those passages that may seem uninteresting.

It is inevitable that a work of such magnitude will have passages of uneven quality. The poems at the end of chapters are examples of this. In the original, these are often doggerel; in my translation, I have kept them as doggerel. I have omitted most of the poems, as they frequently interrupt the narrative flow, but I have retained those that are closely connected to the plot.

The only "capricious" change I have made is in the proper nouns. Since Chinese names are difficult for Western readers, I have used only one name for each character throughout the book, even though a Chinese person may have several names according to custom. I have spelled the proper nouns in the Roman alphabet. I have also attempted to translate the nicknames. When a nickname is meaningless in English or requires lengthy explanation, I have omitted it.

This translation is not an academic exercise. It is simply an attempt to share with English-speaking readers a great and enduring story from Chinese literature.

2.林语堂1948版英文导言

Introduction by Lin Yutang

All Men Are Brothers, or, as it is known in Chinese, Shui Hu Chuan, is, without doubt, one of the greatest novels in the Chinese language. It is a book of anger—a cry against oppression and injustice. Written at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it evolved from the storytelling traditions of the common people, capturing centuries of folk wisdom and popular sentiment.

The novel tells the story of one hundred and eight outlaws who gather at Liangshan Marsh. Each character, from the bold and reckless Li Kui to the noble and steadfast Wu Song, is vividly drawn, embodying the spirit of chivalry and resistance that has resonated through Chinese history. Their adventures are a testament to the human desire for justice and freedom.

What makes this work unique is its blend of popular narrative with profound social commentary. It is not merely a tale of adventure but a mirror held up to the society of its time, exposing the corruption of the government and the suffering of the people. The language is vivid and colloquial, reflecting the speech of the common man, which gives the novel its enduring power and charm.

Pearl S. Buck’s translation is the first complete English version of this classic. It is a translation that is both faithful and fluent. By choosing the seventy-chapter version as her basis, she has preserved the original vitality of the work. Her decision to omit most of the poems, while keeping those essential to the plot, ensures a smooth and engaging narrative for Western readers.

This translation has opened the door to Chinese classical fiction for the English-speaking world. It allows readers to experience the richness of Chinese literature, to understand the Chinese character, and to appreciate the profound cultural heritage that has shaped Chinese society. It is a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures, and a lasting contribution to world literature.