周一汉译英｜杨绛先生的读书观

说来惭愧，先生的书买过两本《洗澡》、《我们仨》。可只读了《洗澡》：一部给当时文化人思想“洗澡”的书，其中对姚宓（mì）和彦成想爱又不敢爱的细节描述，印象尤为深刻。

现在我们看看先生关于读书的观点。英文译文是我一家之译，有同伴的修改，有错误还请提出并原谅。

我十分同意杨绛先生关于读书的观点：读书好比串门儿，要参见倾佩的老师或拜谒有名的学者，不必事先打招呼求见，也不怕搅扰主人。翻开书面就闯进大门，翻过几页就登堂入室；而且可以经常去，时刻去，如果不得要领，还可以不辞而别或者另请高明。读书是为了寻找黄金屋、千钟粟和颜如玉的，因而就要头悬梁、锥刺股。这里，读书是为了入仕博名的，读书的快乐当然就荡然无存了，反而让人生出几分胆怯和畏惧。今天我们中的许多人，读书更是全然没有风雅境界和心境了，多是借读书之名，取利禄之实，读书不过是一种装潢而已。

I totally agree with Ms. Yangjiang's view about reading: reading books is just like visiting people. You can visit respected teachers or famous scholars without informing them before paying visits and worrying that you may disturb them. Opening a book is the same as entering into a gate and turning a few pages is like going into a living room. You can pay visits over and over again anytime you want. If you fail to learn, you can also leave without saying goodbye or visiting another wise man. If people read for earning gold houses, a thousand bushels of millet and beautiful women, they must work hard with their hair tied on the house beams and thighs jabbed to keep themselves awake. Therefore, if people read for fame, they cannot feel pleasure but may instead feel fear. Today, reading has become formalistic for many Chinese as they pursue fame and gains rather than mind.

重点笔记：

• 黄金屋：gold houses

• 千钟粟：a thousand bushels of millet
• 颜如玉：beautiful women
• 头悬梁、锥刺股：their hair tied on the house beams and thighs jabbed to keep themselves awake
• 锥刺股的“股”，是指大腿：thighs