译文分享 | 林觉民《与妻书》英文翻译

简介

林觉民 《与妻书》

林觉民 （1887－1911），福建闽侯人，参加广州起义， 受伤力尽被俘， 慷慨就义， 为黄花岗七十二烈士之一。下令处死他的清廷两广总督张鸣歧也感叹,“惜哉！此人面貌如玉，肝肠如铁，心地如雪，真奇男子也！” 《与妻书》又名《与妻诀别书》 ，是林觉民在起义前三天夜晚在一张手帕上写给其妻子陈意映的诀别信，此文感人肺腑，曾被收入两岸三地的语文教材中。

《与妻书》中英文翻译

意映卿卿如晤：吾今以此书与汝永别矣！吾作此书时，尚是世中一人；汝看此书时，吾已成为阴间一鬼。吾作此书，泪珠和笔墨齐下，不能竟书而欲搁笔，又恐汝不察吾衷，谓吾忍舍汝而死，谓吾不知汝之不欲吾死也，故遂忍悲为汝言之。

Yiying my darling,

With this letter I bid you a final farewell! I am writing this as a living person on earth but I will become a ghost in the underworld by the time you read this. Ink and tears flow in equal measure as I write. I can hardly go on and want to put my pen away, but I am afraid you would misunderstand my heart and think that I am so callous to forsake you or I seek death without knowing your wish for me to stay alive. So I have to overcome my sorrow to explain.

吾至爱汝，即此爱汝一念，使吾勇于就死也。吾自遇汝以来，常愿天下有情人都成眷属；然遍地腥云，满街狼犬，称心快意，几家能彀？司马春衫，吾不能学太上之忘 情也。语云：仁者 “老吾老，以及人之老；幼吾幼，以及人之幼”。吾充吾爱汝之心，助天下人爱其所爱，所以敢先汝而死，不顾汝也。汝体吾此心，于啼泣之余，亦以天下人为念， 当亦乐牺牲吾身与 汝身之福利，为天下人谋永福也。汝其勿悲！

I love you to death! And love gives me the courage to face death. Ever since I met you, I have often wished that all the lovers in the world would find their fulfillment. But the reality is that the land is permeated in blood, and vicious thugs roam the street. How many families can claim true happiness? Just like Tang Poet Bai Juyi cries for the misfortune of a concubine, I could not be like the ancient sages who held themselves aloof from the ordeals of the common people. It is said: 'benevolence is to take care of the old as you would your own parents, to take care of the young as you would your own children.' As my heart is filled with love for you, that love makes me yearn for helping others to love whom they love. That is why I dare to die and to leave you behind. I believe that as you understand my heart, you would, even in your tears of sorrow, be glad to sacrifice my life and your well-being, for the long lasting happiness of all the people. Please do not be sad!

汝忆否？四五年前某夕，吾尝语曰：“与使吾先死也，无宁汝先我而死。”汝初闻言而怒，后经吾婉解，虽不谓吾言为是，而亦无词相答。吾之意盖谓以汝之弱，必不 能禁失吾之悲，吾先死留苦与汝，吾心不忍，故宁请汝先死，吾担悲也。嗟夫！谁知吾卒先汝而死乎？

Do you remember? In one evening about four or five years ago, I once said” if one of us were to die, I wish that you would die before me.” At first you were angry when you heard of it. After I gently explained my intention, you still did not agree but could not refute me. What I meant was, I knew you would not have been able to bear the sadness of my death if I were to die first. My death would have left you in a cruel agony. I would rather that it was me who would bear the sadness of our separation in death. Alas, it is I who will have to die first!

吾真真不能忘汝也！回忆后街之屋，入门穿廊，过前后厅，又 三四折，有小厅，厅旁一室，为吾与汝双栖之所。初婚三四个月，适冬之望日前后，窗外疏梅筛月影，依稀掩映；吾与（汝）并肩携手，低低切切，何事不语？何情 不诉？及今思之，空余泪痕。又回忆六七年前，吾之逃家复归也，汝泣告我：“望今后有远行，必以告妾，妾愿随君行。”吾亦既许汝矣。前十余日回家，即欲乘便 以此行之事语汝，及与汝相对，又不能启口，且以汝之有身也，更恐不胜悲，故惟日日呼酒买醉。嗟夫！当时余心之悲，盖不能以寸管形容之。

I can never ever forget about you! I can visualize our family residence in Back Street, and mentally enter the front door, walk through the hallway, pass both the front and back parlors, into the smaller parlor after a few turns, and the adjacent bedroom where we have lived together. Remember that in the third or fourth months into our marriage, on a winter night of a full moon, sparse plum branches outside window sieved moonlight into exquisite shadows. Side by side, hand in hand, softly we talked. Every experience was shared. and every feeling was exchanged! Oh the memories left tear stains on my face!. I also remember about six or seven years ago, after I returned home from a period of desertion, you tearfully told me: 'you must let me know next time you go on a long trip. I will accompany you wherever you go.' I promised you then that I would. A little more than ten days ago when I came back home, I had wanted to tell you about this journey. However, when I was with you, I could not bring it up. Especially since you were pregnant, I was afraid you could not bear the sadness. All I could do was to take refuge in alcohol to inebriate myself. Alas, my wrenching agony at that time was beyond words.

吾 诚愿与汝相守以死，第以今日事势观之，天灾可以死，盗贼可以死，瓜分之日可以死，奸官污吏虐民可以死，吾辈处今日之中国，国中无地无时不可以死，到那时使 吾眼睁睁看汝死，或使汝眼睁睁看吾死，吾能之乎？抑汝能之乎？即可不死，而离散不相见，徒使两地眼成穿而骨化石，试问古来几曾见破镜能重圆？则较死为苦 也，将奈之何？今日吾与汝幸双健。天下人不当死而死与不愿离而离者，不可数计，钟情如我辈者，能忍之乎？此吾所以敢率性就死不顾汝也。吾今死无余憾，国事 成不成自有同志者在。依新已五岁，转眼成人，汝其善抚之，使之肖我。汝腹中之物，吾疑其女也，女必像汝，吾心甚慰。或又是男，则亦教其以父志为志，则吾死 后尚有二意洞在也。幸甚，幸甚！吾家后日当甚贫，贫无所苦，清静过日而已。

It is my true wish to live out our lives together, but based on the current state of affairs - natural disasters can kill us, thieves and robbers can kill us, the upheaval in the breaking up of China by foreign powers can kill us, corrupt and despotic officials who abuse people can kill us. Our generation lives in a country where death can strike people at any time, anywhere. When that happens to one of us, could you or I bear to just helplessly watch the other die? Even if we escape death, what is to prevent us from being forced to separate from each other until our longing eyes become blind and our yearning bones turn into fossils? The pain of separation is worse than death. And just like a broken mirror cannot be restored, families separated hardly end in a happy reunion. We are fortunate to be alive and healthy today. But the number of people who had wished to live yet perished, and couples who had wished to be together yet were separated, is countless. Can true lovers like us bear with this? This is why I have made the decision to lay down my life, even if it means losing you. I will have no regrets. The success of of the revolution will be on the shoulders of my comrades. Yixin is five years old now, he will be a grown man soon. Please raise him well and make him like me. I suspect the life in your womb is a girl. If so, she surely will be like you, and I will be very glad. Or maybe it is a boy, then please educate him to follow my aspirations. So there will be two of me after my death. Great! Great!

Our family will become very poor. Poverty is not a great hardship for a life lived simply.

吾今与汝无言矣。吾居九泉之下遥闻汝哭声，当哭相和也。吾平日不信有鬼，今则又望其真有。今是人又言心电感应有道，吾亦望其言是实，则吾之死，吾灵尚依依旁汝也，汝不必以无侣悲。I have no more words. If I should hear your wails from afar in the underworld, I ought to answer with wails of my own. I do not believe in ghosts, but now I wish they do exist. Nowadays people also claim that telepathy is possible via bio-electrical signals. I also hope the claim is true. So after my death, my spirit will still be at your side and you do not feel the sorrow of losing your spouse.

吾平生未尝以吾所志语汝，是吾不是处；然语之，又恐汝日日为吾担忧。吾牺牲百死而不辞，而使汝担忧，的的非吾所忍。吾爱汝至，所以为汝谋者惟恐未尽。汝幸而 偶我，又何不幸而生今日中国！吾幸而得汝，又何不幸而生今日之中国！卒不忍独善其身。

I had not revealed to you my aspirations. It is my fault. But if I had told you, I was afraid that you would have been worried about me every day. I could willingly sacrifice my life for my country a hundred times, but I cannot bear the thoughts of your worrying about me. I love you most deeply, and I am always anxious that I have not thought for you carefully enough. You are fortunate to marry be, but are unfortunately to have been born in today's China. I am so fortunate to have you, but so unfortunate to have been born in today's China. In the end, I cannot tend only to my self interest.

嗟夫！巾短情长，所未尽者，尚有万千，汝可以模拟得之。吾今不能见汝矣！汝不能舍吾，其时时于梦中得我乎！一恸！辛未三月廿六夜四鼓，意洞手书。Sigh! So much love, so small a handkerchief, and so many feelings from the heart left unsaid, but you can glean the rest. I can no longer see you now! I know you won't be able to let me go. Will you see me often in your dreams? I am tumultuous!

Written at 4/24/1911 2am

家中诸母皆通文，有不解处，望请其指教，当尽吾意为幸。

PS. Our aunts are all proficient in literature. Please ask them for help if anything is unclear, I really want you to fully appreciate what I meant.

本文原译者介绍：

陈力超（Lichao Chen）

陈力超博士 Dr. Lee Chen是美国博睿公司创始人， 麻州东南教育局联盟国际部主任。曾任哈佛大学医学院(Harvard Medical School)讲师，波士顿退伍军人医学中心(VABHS)健康科学家。 美国独立教育顾问协会(IECA)会员， 美国寄宿学校联盟(TABS)成员，美中医学交流协会(ACMES)执委会委员,美国神经科学会(SFN)，美国睡眠研究会(SRS)，美中教育和健康学会(SABEH)会员。

陈博士出身于医学世家，父母均毕业于北京大学医学院。母亲是我国首批儿科专业毕业生，父亲为第一批医学副博士学位获得者（前苏联教育体系），哥哥曾在军事医学科学院，协和医科大学，及史坦福大学医学院从事中、西医药理及免疫研究。陈博士来美前，曾在河南医科大学和北京医科大学学习。来美获得神经科学博士学位后，在哈佛大学医学院从事睡眠研究。在专业方面，他率先发现两种一氧化氮合成酶对睡眠的调控作用，开创了RNA干扰技术在睡眠研究中的应用，发表过数十篇学术论文，并教授、辅导过多位美国学生。他的专业介绍可见 （https://sleep.med./people/faculty/246）

陈博士在美国有近20年学习、工作、和生活经验，对中美两国教育及文化都有深厚的了解， 并积极推动两国人民的交流及相互理解。多年的切身体会，让陈博士认识到中国学生来美求学， 除了语言上的不足， 更有文化和理念的差距。因此， 他积极主导博睿公司在培训项目中加强对学生思辨创新能力的培养和深度的文化体验，并在对学生的个人辅导中引领学生尽快掌握美式思维， 融入美国社会。 同时， 也帮助学生扎根中华文化，是他们能够成为传承和发扬两种优秀文化的新一代世界公民。

陈博士是把兰迪·波许 (Randy Pausch) 的“最后的讲演”译成中文的第一人，并同步翻译了兰迪的个人博客。 他建立了推动中西方意见交流的英文网上平台“愚公移山”，英国卫报 (The Guardian) 也因此邀请他在“十字路口的中国”专题系列发表评论。此次他将林觉民的《与妻书》译成英文，也得到哈佛中国研究讲席教授，哈佛中国基金主席William Kirby（柯伟林）教授的高度评价。

这一版本的翻译，多年酝酿思考的结果。陈博士衷心感谢众多线上线下的朋友对这一版本翻译的贡献，支持和鼓励，特别是T.Tang, TonyP4，Haidong,南桥，Kai King, 久英教育的Joanna Yin, 以及美国博睿的全体同仁。