第五十八章

福祸相依

其政闷闷，其民淳淳；其政察察，其民缺缺。是以圣人方而不割，廉而不劌，直而不肆，光而不耀。祸兮福之所倚，福兮祸之所伏。孰知其极？其无正也。正复为奇，善复为妖。人之迷，其日固久。

Fortune and Misfortune Live Together

If those who govern are generous and incorruptible,

the people will be simple and loyal;

if those who govern are harsh and corrupted,

the people will be cunning and deceitful.

Therefore, the sages who follow the divine law are

upright and kind,

sharp but not harmful,

straightforward but not conceited,

bright but not dazzling.

Misfortune is what fortune depends on,

and fortune is where misfortune lies.

As there are no established standards,

who knows whether it is disaster or happiness?

Extremes meet and what is good may suddenly be transformed into evil,

about which people have been confused for a long time.

1. “闷闷”、“淳淳”、“察察”、“缺缺”的英译

这四个叠词的英译最大差别存在于对其意不同的理解。许渊冲译本将“闷闷”译为“lenient”，即“宽大、仁慈”；“淳淳”译为“simple”，即“简单质朴”；“察察”译为“severe”，即“严厉苛刻”；“缺缺”译为“a lack of freedom”，即“缺少自由”。辜正坤的译本中“闷闷”译为“magnanimous”，即“宽宏大量”；“淳淳”译为“simple”，用词和许渊冲相同；“察察”译为“harsh”，即“严厉无情”；“缺缺”译为“cunning”即“狡猾”。我们的译本将“闷闷”理解为“慷慨廉洁”，取词“generous and incorruptible”；“淳淳”理解为“质朴、忠诚”，取词“simple and loyal”；“察察”理解为“严厉、腐败”取词“harsh and corrupted”；“缺缺”理解为“狡猾、善欺”，取词“cunning and deceitful”。Arthur Waley在其译本中把“闷闷”译为“depressed，压抑，克制”，“淳淳”译为“happy and satisfied，高兴、满意”；“察察”译为“lively and self-assured，活泼、自信”；“缺缺”译为“carping and discontented，挑剔、不满。是不是这个理解与以上的三种译文大相径庭？

2. “祸兮福之所倚，福兮祸之所伏”的英译

福祸相依几乎已经成了现代人对正反矛盾相互转化的辩证看法的最常见表达。人们对“祸兮福之所倚，福兮祸之所伏”理解基本不存在分歧。许渊冲译作“Weal comes after woe，woe lies under weal”，“福”选译为“weal”，即“福利”，“祸”选译为“woe”，即“悲痛”,总之，宣传生偏。辜正坤将其译作“Disaster hides itself behind good fortune. Good fortune leans against disaster”，即“灾难隐藏在好运中，好运依附于灾难”。Arthur Waley将其译作“It is upon bad fortune that good fortune leans, upon good fortune that bad fortune rests.”,属于字面直译。我们将其译作“Misfortune is what fortune depends on, and fortune is where misfortune lies. 用词直接，不易发生歧义。