从小背诵着古诗词和文言文长大的我们都知道古诗文有多难懂多难学，翻译成白话文尚且会丢失原有的美感和深藏的韵味，翻译成英文更是难上加难，所以有些人就简单粗暴地将其归结为中文比英文高级，比英文优越。
诚然，中国历史文化源远流长，汉字博大精深意境深远，承载了上下五千年的厚重底蕴，但是文化从无高下之分，语言也不该有所谓优劣之别。
从小所处的文化背景和语言环境不同，哪怕是学了十几年的英文，我们也很难拥有native speaker的表达习惯和语言逻辑，更别提翻译了。
所以，能信达雅地将经典作品翻译成英文的都是大师级人物，必须具备深厚的国学底蕴和高超的英文水平，才能在保留原意的同时，又恰如其分地还原中文的含蓄美、韵律美和意境美。
那么，大师都是怎么翻译那些经典的古诗文呢，让我们一起来领略一下吧
千山鸟飞绝，万径人踪灭。
From hill to hill no bird in flight,
From path to path no man in sight.
无边落木萧萧下，不尽长江滚滚来。
The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower;
The endless river rolls its waves hour after hour.
春眠不觉晓
This spring morning in bed I'm lying,
处处闻啼鸟
Not to awake till birds are crying.
夜来风雨声
After one night of wind and showers,
花落知多少
How many are the fallen flowers!
——许渊冲翻译
许渊冲从事文学翻译长达六十余年，翻译集中在中国古诗英译，被誉为“诗译英法唯一人”。翻译古诗文作品生动优美、对仗工整而不失押韵，也形象地传达了中文的意境之美，诗文画面栩栩如生、跃然纸上。
花谢花飞飞满天，红消香断有谁怜？
游丝软系飘春榭，落絮轻沾扑绣帘。
Fly,fly,faded and broken dreams
Of fragrance, for the spring is gone!
Be hold the gossamer entwine the screens,
And wandering catkins kiss the stone.
试看春残花渐落，便是红颜老死时。
一朝春尽红颜老，花落人亡两不知!
Oh,look upon these tender,fragile beauties,
Of perfumed flesh and bone and hair.
The admirer shan’t be there
when her time is up,
And the admired shall no longer care!
——林语堂翻译
林语堂是民国时期著名文学家、翻译家，黛玉葬花诗并未逐字翻译，而是运用了意象的转换，译出了原诗的动态美感。林氏译文用字虽与原文字面有所差别，然所呈现出之意境却与原诗悲戚缠绵之情全然相应，未损分毫，英文读来也让人不禁泪下。
荒城空大漠
Desolate castle,.the sky,the wide desert
惊沙乱海日
Surprised desert turmoil Sea Sun
——庞德翻译
完全直译，意象叠加。颇有“古藤老树昏鸦”这种感觉。
当然这和庞德本身有关，他以美学为取向，重视诗歌翻译的意象，倒是不拘一格。
吃一堑，长一智
A fall in the pit,
A gain in your wit.
——钱钟书翻译
看完一遍，再念一遍，体会一下节奏感和韵律，欣赏一下前后句的对仗，咱们想一想常见的英语谚语，看能找到几条是前后句如此合辙押韵、音节/字数如此对称、对仗工整的？估计一只手就能数完了~
爱人者,人恒爱之;敬人者,人恒敬之。
He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them.
——辜鸿铭翻译
“ 亦余心之所善兮，虽九死其犹未悔”
For the ideal that I hold dear to my heart, I'd not regret a thousand times to die.
——外交部女神级高级翻译张璐翻译
李清照《声声慢》
寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚
I look for what I miss,
I know not what it is,
I feel so sad,so drear,
So lonely,without cheer.
刘邦《大风歌》
大风起兮云飞扬。
威加海内兮归故乡。
安得猛士兮守四方！
A big wind rises，clouds are driven away.
Home am Inow the world is under my sway.
Where are brave men to guard the four frontiers today！
俞文豹《清夜录》
近水楼台先得月，向阳花木易为春。
The poolside bower’s the best place to enjoy moonbeams
The flowers basking in sunshine may dream spring dreams.
白居易《忆江南》
日出江花红胜火，春来江水绿如蓝。
At sunrise riverside flowers more red than fire,
In spring green river waves grow as blue as sapphire.
李延年《北方有佳人》
一顾倾人城，再顾倾人国。
At her first glance,
soldiers would lose their town;
At her second, a monarch would his crown.
寒山《杳杳寒山道》
杳杳寒山道，落落冷涧滨。
啾啾常有鸟，寂寂更无人。
淅淅风吹面，纷纷雪积身。
朝朝不见日，岁岁不知春。
Long long the pathway to Cold Hill;
Drear, drear the waterside so chill.
Chirp, chirp, I often hear the bird;
Gust by gust winds caress my face;
Flake on flake snow covers all trace.
From day to day the sun won’t swing;
From year to year I know spring.
每一种语言都有它独特的魅力，你只有仔细品味，才能感受到它独特的魅力。