漢譯英: 常想一二 (林玄青)

中文原文 (left mouse click and drag to see the removed texts)

常想一二
作者: 林玄青

朋友I砑Pǎ 我}字它煸諦戮涌da壁。
@使我感到有些殯y，因槲易災的不好看，何r已有很多年]恕
朋友f：「怕什N？褂你的字我感到很光s，我都不怕了，你怕什N？」
我便在朋友面前展、磨墨，了四字「常想一二」。
朋友f：「@是什N意思？」
我f：「意思是f 我字的不好，你看到@幅字，多多包含，多想一、 二件我的好馱伊恕！
看到我玩笑的B度，朋友f：「v正的，到底是什N意思？」
「『俗Zf人生不如意事十常八、九』，我生命e面不如意的事佔了Q大部份，因此，活著本身是痛苦的。但扣除八、九成的不如意，至少有一、二成是如意的、快返摹⑿廖康氖慮椋如果要^快啡松鴕Ｏ肽且弧⒍珊檬攏@泳械c幸、懂的珍惜，不致被八九成的不如意所打倒了。」
朋友了，非常g喜，抱著「常想一二」回家了。
月之後，他硤揭我，又硐蛭儀笞鄭f是：「每天在k公室e誒凼猓換丶抑崢匆那幅『常想一二』就很_心，但是壁太大，字@得太小，你再字吧！」逗門笥眩乙幌蠐星蟊妒欏賦Ｏ胍歡了下「不思八九」， 上面又了「如意」的M批，中gS手一幅意的瓶花。
]想到^月，我再婚的消息披露蠖耍鷦S多x奇的髡fc流言的困_，朋友有一天打恚f他正坐在客d我的字前面，他f：「想不出什N戇參磕悖你自己的字o你：常想一二、不思八九，事事如意。」
接到朋友的使我很感櫻頁ＳX得在e人的喜c\上添花容易，在e人的苦ye雪中送炭s很困y，那N比例，大s也是八九c一二之比。不能雪中送炭的不是真朋友，然更甭f那些落井下石的人了。
不^，一人到了四十q後，在生活中大概都出辱不@的本事，也不諍蹂\上添花雪中送炭或落井下石了。那是因槲已v^生命的痛苦c挫折，也了S多，情感的相逢cx散，慢慢的に鞽鏨蟹eO的、快返摹⒄虻撓^想，@N^想，正是「常想一二」的^想。

常想一二的^想，乃是在重重蹼中ひ一z黎明的曙光，乃是在LLtm中_⒁恍o的消息，乃是在lR窒息r，有一次深L的呼吸。生命已蚩嗔耍 如果我把十年的不如意事和起恚歡刮e步惟D。生活c感情陷入苦境，有r是o可奈何的，但是如果B思想和心情都陷入苦境，那就是自苦吃，苦上加苦了。
在波サ暮Ｉ蝦叫校以繅W嗑車姆椒āＮ銥是想：前f般的折磨我都能苦中做罰巰碌男┰S苦y自然能逆眄受了。

我小喜gx大人物的饔和回，慢慢w{出一公式：凡是大人物都是受苦受y的，他的生命乎就是「人生不如意事，常八九」的真C言，但他在面嚯yr也都能保持正向的思考，能「常想一二」，最後他超越苦y，苦y便化成生命中最肥沃的B料，是榱慫_⑸ㄋ淶摹
使我深受感擁牟皇撬的苦y，因榭嚯y到加校刮腋擁氖牽核面嚯yr的猿幀酚^、c勇狻
原砣繅飠蠆蝗繅猓K不是Q定人生的H遇，而是取Q於思想的瞬g。
原恚Q定生命品|的不是八九，而是一二。

Think Often of One or Two
by 這裡那裡 (original author--translator) posted at rainlane.com
a second-prize award recepient (with first-prize absent)

A friend of mine came to me with paper, a writing-brush, and an inkslab. He asked me to write an inscription to hang in the living room of his new house. I unfolded a piece of paper right in front of him, rubbed an ink stick against the inkslab, and wrote, "Think often of one or two."
  "What does that mean?" asked my friend.
  I answered, "As an old saying goes, in eight or nine cases out of ten, life is not as pleasant as we wish. However, with the eight or nine cases of unpleasantness excluded, there are at least one or two cases that are as pleasant and gratifying. And if we want to lead a happy life, we should think often of the 'one or two' cases. That way we will rejoice about life and know what to value. And we will not be defeated by life's unpleasantness."
  My friend was very glad to hear that and went home happily with the inscription.
  Several months later, he visited me and, again, asked me to write a few words of encouragement. "I work hard in the office everyday, yet I get picked on. But as soon as I arrive home, the sight of your inscription 'Think often of one or two' cheers me up immediately. However, the wall is wide and the inscription is small. So please write a few more words for me."
  I had never refused a request from a good friend. So I wrote, "Forget about eight or nine" to form a couplet with "Think often of one or two", and "Best Wishes" as its horizontal scroll. Beside them, I drew a freehand brushwork of a flower vase, which could be hung on the wall between the couplets.
  A few months later, the news of my remarriage was published in the newspapers, and, to my surprise, there were all kinds of rumors about it. I was very much annoyed. One day my friend telephoned me. He was sitting in his living room, facing my inscription. "I can't think of the right words to say. So I will just read you your own inscription, 'Think often of one or two; Forget about eight or nine: Best wishes'."
  I was deeply moved by his telephone message. I always believe that adding flowers to the brocade- to make what's good still better -is an easy task, but to offer fuel in snowy weather- to offer timely help -is difficult. The ratio of the two kinds of people is about eight-to-two or nine-to-one. He who can't offer timely help is not a true friend, neither are those who injure you when you are already in great difficulty. However, when a person is past forty, he has probably gained the ability to remain unmoved either by gain or loss. Nor will he care about whether someone makes what's good about him still better, or offers him timely help, or strikes him when he's down. This is due to experiences of pain and setbacks and emotional turmoil of separations and reunions upon which an optimistic, cheerful, and positive attitude toward life is formed.

  The attitude is to "Think often of one or two". This attitude suggests one seek a glimmer of twilight among the clouds, search for comforting news amidst the hustle and bustle of the uncaring world, and enjoy life before it is too late to appreciate it.
  Life is bitter enough. If we add up all the unhappiness of dozens of years, we are bound to struggle ahead only with great difficulty. Sometimes we can't help it that our lives, as well as our state of mind, lapse into adversity. But, if both our hearts and minds are afflicted by adversity, we will be looking for trouble and compounding our bitterness.

  Ever since I was young, I have liked to read biographies and memoirs of great men and women. I gradually came to the conclusion that all great people suffered great hardships, and their lives showed that "life is not as pleasant as one wishes in eight or nine cases out of ten ". However, they always thought positively when faced with hardships, and thought   "often of one or two". At last, they overcame the hardships, which, then, became the food that nourished their souls. It was not the accounts of the hardships they suffered that deeply moved me, for there are hardships everywhere. But, rather, it was their persistence, optimism and courage.
  Whether our lives are as we wish them to be or not, is not decided by what we experience in life but by what we think about those experiences.
After all, it's the "one or two", not the "eight or nine" that determine the quality of our lives.

本譯文有幸獲"韓素音青年翻譯獎"二等獎

Reflect on the One or Two
by loafer (original author--translator) posted at rainlane.com
a second prize award recepient (with first-prize absent)

My friend bought some rice paper, a calligraphy brush and an ink stone and asked me to write a few characters for him to put on the living room wall of his new apartment. I smoothed out the paper, ground some ink and wrote down these words in a vertical line while he was watching: "Reflect on the One or Two."
My friend asked, "What does this mean?" I said, "As the saying goes, 'The chances of dissatisfactions in life are eight or nine out of ten.' However, aside from these eight or nine dissatisfactions, we still have at least one or two favorable, delightful and gratifying things. If we want to enjoy life, we must reflect on the one or two good things. Thus we will feel fortunate and learn to treasure what we have, rather than being overwhelmed by those eight or nine unhappy things." My friend was delighted when he heard this and gladly took the calligraphy home.

A few months later when my friend came to visit me again, he asked me to write a few more words for him. He said, "The office work is always tiring and exasperating, but when I come home and see the characters 'Reflect on the one or two,' I immediately feel cheerful. My living room wall is quite large and the calligraphy looks too small on it. Could you write a few more characters for me?" I never refuse a request from a friend, so I wrote: "Forget about the Eight or Nine," also vertically, as a second line for "Reflect on the One or Two." Then I wrote a horizontal piece that said: "Wishes Fulfilled" to set above the couplets. At the same time I painted a free-hand sketch of flowers in a vase to be placed in between the two lines. Some months later, much to my surprise, the news of my remarriage appeared in a newspaper, giving rise to many absurd stories and rumors, which caused me a great deal of annoyance. Then one day, my friend called me, saying that he was sitting in his living room in front of my calligraphy. "Well," he said, "I can think of nothing to say to comfort you. I'll just read your own words to you: 'Reflect on the One or Two,' 'Forget about the Eight or Nine,' and 'Wishes Fulfilled.'" I was greatly touched when I heard this. I have always believed that it is easy to offer congratulations to people on happy occasions, but it is rather difficult to render help to those in distress. The chances of the latter are also around one or two in ten. Those who do not help a friend in need are not true friends, to say nothing of those who hit a friend when he is down.

Nevertheless, when we are over forty, after the tempering of life experiences, we probably will have learned to remain detached from all ups and downs and will no longer be affected by people flattering us when we are successful, helping us when we are in need or hitting us when we are down. That is because, having undergone life's pain and setbacks and experienced emotional partings and reunions, we have gradually found an optimistic, cheerful and positive philosophy-the philosophy of "reflecting on the one or two." This philosophy means looking for the first ray of dawn through masses of dark clouds, finding a few moments of tranquility in this bustling mundane world and taking a long deep breath when on the verge of suffocation. Life is bitter enough. If we choose to add up all our dissatisfactions in the past several decades, we will hardly be able to continue moving along in life. Our lives and emotions may fall into the abyss of misery, and sometimes we cannot help it, but if we let our minds and moods fall prey to torment as well, we are virtually asking for misery piled on misery.

Since childhood I have enjoyed reading the biographies and memoirs of great people, and I have gradually worked out a formula: Great people undergo great hardships. Their lives give evidence that "the chances of dissatisfactions in life are eight or nine out of ten." However, these heroes are able to remain positive in the presence of hardships and to "reflect on the one or two." In the end they overcome the hardships, turning them into the most fertile soil for their lives. What moves me to the core of my soul is not the hardships they undergo, as hardships are omnipresent, but their steadfastness, optimism and courage in the face of those hardships.
So it is not the circumstance but our instantaneous perception of the circumstance that determines whether it is favorable or unfavorable.
So it is the one or two--not the eight or nine--that forms the texture of life.

[quote=林玄青]原砣繅飠蠆蝗繅猓K不是Q定人生的H遇，而是取Q於思想的瞬g。
原恚Q定生命品|的不是八九，而是一二。[/quote]
now i know it is not how i consider a life event lately but how i perceive it at the moment it takes place that would play a pivotal role in determining the course of my life.
and i realize that what is weaving the texture of my life is not the less favorable events that happen rather frequently but those rare ones that make only positive contributions.

discussion: the original chinese sentence "原砣繅飠蠆蝗繅猓K不是Q定人生的H遇，而是取Q於思想的瞬g" is grammatically incorrect. if it is "人生的H遇" that is "取Q於思想的瞬g", then, the sentence may be rewritten as "原恚Q定人生的H遇，K不是如意或不如意，而是(在於)思想的瞬g" where "取Q於" is replaced with "(在於)".

Adelyn ,  我不贊同你對中文的意見.  

不論是中文原文還是原譯文, 意思是一致的.

原砣繅飠蠆蝗繅猓K不是Q定人生的H遇，而是取Q於思想的瞬g。

原譯文一
Whether our lives are as we wish them to be or not, is not decided by what we experience in life but by what we think about those experiences.
原譯文二
So it is not the circumstance but our instantaneous perception of the circumstance that determines whether it is favorable or unfavorable.

把這句中文簡而言之,就是: 如意或不如意，不是 H遇，而是 思想。這是整個文章的主題所闡明的.
[:455:]  [:455:]  [:455:]

blue ivy, thank you for pointing out the key in understanding the first sentence. i was confused by the strong wording in K不是Q定人生的H遇 which led me to think that 人生的H遇 was the actual subject. in comparison, the translations A and B were correct, as you indicated, in interpreting the author. i was wrong.

the following is a revised version:

原砣繅飠蠆蝗繅猓K不是Q定人生的H遇，而是取Q於思想的瞬g。 原恚Q定生命品|的不是八九，而是一二。

now i realize that how i consider a life event, favorable or unfavorable, has little influence on my life's course, but instead bears a lot from how i perceive the event at the moment it takes place. meanwhile, what is weaving the texture of my life is actually the rare events, the "one or two," which have all positive bearings to my life.

Adelyn, your interpretation is good too.

[quote=林玄青("常想一二")] ...我小喜gx大人物的饔和回，慢慢w{出一公式：凡是大人物都是受苦受y的，他的生命乎就是「人生不如意事，常八九」的真C言，但他在面嚯yr也都能保持正向的思考，能「常想一二」，最後他超越苦y，苦y便化成生命中最肥沃的B料，是榱慫_⑸ㄋ淶摹
使我深受感擁牟皇撬的苦y，因榭嚯y到加校刮腋擁氖牽核面嚯yr的猿幀酚^、c勇狻
原砣繅飠蠆蝗繅猓K不是Q定人生的H遇，而是取Q於思想的瞬g。
原恚Q定生命品|的不是八九，而是一二。 [/quote]
i liked reading books of great person's biography and memoir since childhood and slowly i came to the conclusion that the great persons all suffered hardships and miseries in their life; and such an experience they shared in common was nearly testimonial of "chances that unpleasant events would happen in life are eight or nine out of ten." nevertherless, they all maintained a positive attitude towards the hardships and thought about the pleasant "one or two" that had only positive bearings. finally, the miseries were surmounted and turned into the most fertile nourishment for their later successes. what touched me was not the miserable stories in their life, which were not uncommon, but the persistence, optimism, and courage they held out when facing the overwhelming hardships. then, it became clear to me that how i was to judge a life event as positive or negative would have no bearings on my life's course --it was mostly a consequence of my thought about the event that had just occurred. moreover, considering in a longer term, what would influence more on my life s^tyle was not the recurring, unpleasant things but rather the rarely occurred, all positive bearing events, that is, the "one or two."

常想一二 (林玄青) (full text)

Think Often One or Two (by Lin Xuanqing)


朋友I砑Pǎ 我}字它煸諦戮涌da壁。
@使我感到有些殯y，因槲易災的不好看，何r已有很多年]恕
朋友f：「怕什N？褂你的字我感到很光s，我都不怕了，你怕什N？」
我便在朋友面前展、磨墨，了四字「常想一二」。
朋友f：「@是什N意思？」
我f：「意思是f我字的不好，你看到@幅字，多多包含，多想一、 二件我的好馱伊恕！
看到我玩笑的B度，朋友f：「v正的，到底是什N意思？」
「『俗Zf人生不如意事十常八、九』，我生命e面不如意的事佔了Q大部份，因此，活著本身是痛苦的。但扣除八、九成的不如意，至少有一、二成是如意的、快返摹⑿廖康氖慮椋如果要^快啡松鴕Ｏ肽且弧⒍珊檬攏@泳械c幸、懂的珍惜，不致被八九成的不如意所打倒了。」
朋友了，非常g喜，抱著「常想一二」回家了。
月之後，他硤揭我，又硐蛭儀笞鄭f是：「每天在k公室e誒凼猓換丶抑崢匆那幅『常想一二』就很_心，但是壁太大，字@得太小，你再字吧！」逗門笥眩乙幌蠐星蟊妒欏賦Ｏ胍歡了下「不思八九」， 上面又了「如意」的M批，中gS手一幅意的瓶花。

A friend of mine asked me for a piece of my calligraphy to decorate his living room. He bought me all the needed: rice paper, water brushes, and an inkstone.

I was a little embarrassed because I wasn't a good calligrapher plus I hadn't practiced the art for years.

"What are you worrying about? I am proud of exhibiting your calligraphy in my living room. It is my honor to have your art. Come on!"

Urged by my friend, I began to work: unfolding paper, grinding ink, and writing down four square characters, literally read "often think one two" in English.

A bit confused, my friend asked me for its meaning.

I told him:"It is a plea of pardon for my not very attractive calligraphy and a reminder for you to think one or two appreciable things I have done."

Knowing that I was kidding, my friend pressed to demand the exact meaning behind the line.

"Here it goes: chances are eight or nine out of ten that an event in life will appear as unpleasant. An overwhelming majority of the results will be unsatisfactory! That said, life is painful. However, If we can neglect the 'eight or nine' unpleasant, we will be able to see the pleasing and appreciable 'one or two' that remain. To live a joyful life, try to think often the 'one or two' to feel thankful and grateful, and to become more tolerant of the 'eight or nine'."

Convinced and inspired, my friend took home my calligraphy "Think often one or two."

A few months later, he came to visit me and asked for more of my calligraphy:"It is refreshing to read your 'think often one or two' after working all day long under pressure. But the wall in my living room where your artwork hangs is still mostly empty. Why don't you write some more for me to fill the space?" As usual, I felt difficult to refuse my friend. So I wrote a second line: Forget about eight or nine, and a streamer: Be pleasant, to complete a couplet for him. After that, I added a free-hand painting of a flower in vase to fill the space enclosed by the couplet.


]想到^月，我再婚的消息披露蠖耍鷦S多x奇的髡fc流言的困_，朋友有一天打恚f他正坐在客d我的字前面，他f：「想不出什N戇參磕悖你自己的字o你：常想一二、不思八九，事事如意。」

接到朋友的使我很感櫻頁ＳX得在e人的喜c\上添花容易，在e人的苦ye雪中送炭s很困y，那N比例，大s也是八九c一二之比。不能雪中送炭的不是真朋友，然更甭f那些落井下石的人了。

不^，一人到了四十q後，在生活中大概都出辱不@的本事，也不諍蹂\上添花雪中送炭或落井下石了。那是因槲已v^生命的痛苦c挫折，也了S多，情感的相逢cx散，慢慢的に鞽鏨蟹eO的、快返摹⒄虻撓^想，@N^想，正是「常想一二」的^想。

Another few months later, the press unexpectedly disclosed the news of my remarriage and stirred up a flood of bizarre tales and disturbing rumors. Then, it was my friend who called me. He told me that he was sitting in his living room in front of the couplet I wrote for him. He said:"Can't find a better word to comfort you than yours: Think often one or two, forget about eight or nine, be pleasant!"

I was touched by his words. It would be easier to add a flower to a piece of gorgeous brocade than sending charcoal to the freeze and perish in snow. The chances that people continue to praise the very successful are "eight or nine", while only "one or two" would provide kindly comfort to the very needed. He who wouldn't offer timely help was not a true friend, and worse were those who would hit you with stones when you fell to the ground.

However, at the age of forty, a man would have learned well from his life experience to be not moved by either honor or disgrace, and to care less about what others would think of or do to him either when he was successful or in difficulties. After so much pain and setback, and joy and sorrow in life, we all had come to realize the very need to seek for sunny feelings, enthusiastic, joyful and positive. This attitude towards life came in parallel with "think often one or two".


常想一二的^想，乃在重重蹼中ひ一z黎明的曙光，乃是在LLtm中_⒁恍o的消息，乃是在lR窒息r，有一次深L的呼吸。生命已蚩嗔耍 如果我把十年的不如意事和起恚歡刮e步惟D。生活c感情陷入苦境，有r是o可奈何的，但是如果B思想和心情都陷入苦境，那就是自苦吃，苦上加苦了。

在波サ暮Ｉ蝦叫校以繅W嗑車姆椒āＮ銥是想：前f般的折磨我都能苦中做罰巰碌男┰S苦y自然能逆眄受了。

"Think often one or two" was nothing but an attitude that would encourage the depressed to seek the light of dawn that came through layers of thick clouds, that would allow voice from inside to be heard by helping keep away the noise from daily life, and that would enable a long, deep breath for the exhausted body just before it finally gave up. Life never lacked adversities. If we allowed ourselves to be consumed by the unpleasant experiences in all the past years, we would be unable to put things behind and move up. At times, we had setbacks in life that we had no choice. But it would be our own fault if we allow ourselves to be defeated rationally and emotionally.

I had learned how to face adversity long before I adventured to arrive at this phase of my life's journey. I had told myself over and again that if I could take the sweet with the sour in the past, I should have no difficulty to bear the little hardship at present.


我從小喜歡閱讀大人物的傳記和回憶錄，慢慢歸納出一個公式：凡是大人物都是受苦受難的，他們的生命幾乎就是「人生不如意事，常八九」的真實證言，但他們在面對苦難時也都能保持正向的思考，能「常想一二」，最後他們超越苦難，苦難便化成生命中最肥沃的養料，是為了他們開啟蓮花所準備的。

使我深受感動的不是他們的苦難，因為苦難到處都有，使我感動的是，他們面對苦難時的間持、樂觀、與勇氣。原來如意或不如意，並不是決定人生的際遇，而是取決于思想的瞬間。原來，決定生命品質的不是八九，而是一二。

I used to read biographies and memoirs of great persons when I was a child. Slowly it came to my notice a common experience shared by these great persons: they all had endured a lot of hardship and misery. Their life was almost testimonial of "chances being eight or nine out of ten that an event in life would appear as unpleasant." But they all had kept a positive attitude towards adversity, been able to "think often one or two." It was this attitude that helped them finally turn the adversity to a fertile soil to nourish their later success.

What touched me was not the hardship and misery they faced, which were not uncommon, but their persistence, optimism, and courage. It became clear that how I felt about a life event would have no bearing on my future because it was only a reflection of my attitude at the moment the event occurred. Although I could not choose what was to happen, I could choose the way I would respond to what had happened. My positive attitude would let me enjoy the few pleasant things (disregarding the unpleasant majority events) to make my life joyful.

an alternative translation of the last two sentences:

原砣繅飠蠆蝗繅猓K不是Q定人生的H遇，而是取Q於思想的瞬g。 原恚Q定生命品|的不是八九，而是一二。
Then I realized that how I considered a life event, favorable or unfavorable, would have little influence on my life's course, but instead bear a lot from how I perceived the event at the moment it took place. Meanwhile, what was weaving the texture of my life was actually the rare events, the "one or two," which had a positive bearing on my life.

In the 常想一二 戲譯  I did (第 27 樓 http://www.rainlane.com//dispbbs ... ;ID=7799&skin=0), I translated that as:

原來如意或不如意，並不是決定於人生的際遇，是取決于思想的瞬間。
The fault, dear Brutus. lies not in the circumstances but what is inside your head.
--
原來，決定生命品質的不是八九，而是一二。
That, my friend, is the key to it all: the quality of life is in how much discount you are going to get, and not in the price itself.

:-)  :-) :-)

BTW: I finally took some time out to look for my version of 想起清華種種. (Yr 2002). That was the first year I learned about the HSY contest. (Of course I am not eligbile to enter. Age limitation!) I only learn about it when, after the submission deadline, people start discussing it on Han Ying. So I decided to give it a try. That's the first time I did a full length translation from scratch.  I put it up at Rainlane: http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardid=26&id=18827