Jin Shenghua

Jin Shenghua's "A Long Bridge" is an article that uses metaphorical techniques to describe the hardships and sacrifices of translation workers. The article is selected from Jin Shenghua's essay collection "Idle View by the Bridge", published in January 1995. The article vividly depicts the important role of translation in cultural exchange by using the metaphor of translation as a bridge. 一座长桥 ◎ 金圣华 翻译就像一座桥，桥两端，气候悬殊，风光迥异。两端之间，原隔着险峻的山谷(1)，湍急的溪流(2)。两旁的人，各忙各的，世代相传(3)，分别发展出一套不同的习俗风尚以及语言文化来。 有一天，这不同文化习俗的人，忽然想起要跟对岸打个招呼(4)。怎么办？要渡过峡谷，不得不起一座桥，谁来起桥？ 终于来了，一群傻里傻气的志愿者(5)。 问他们：“你们可知道，干这份工作，必须吃得起苦，干劲十足？” 他们点点头，充满信心的说：“我们有的是干劲，我们也不怕吃苦。” 再问道：“这份差事(6)，待遇并不好，赶起工来，日以继夜。说老实话，你们可知道付出的劳力与报酬并不相符？” 答道：“我们不是想发财。” 再追问：“难道不知道从来没有人是干这一行而发达的吗？做这一行必须默默耕耘(7)，若想抱着沽名钓誉的心，还是趁早别干。桥造好了，人在桥上踏，没有谁会为你们立纪念碑的。” 又答道：“我们不是想出名。” 最后只有叹道：“好吧！既不为名也不为利，可别怪大家没提醒你们(8)，这工作可得小心经营，起桥最要紧的是两端根基扎得实，起石桥得一块块石头砌；起木桥得一块块木头搭；哪怕是座绳桥也马虎不得，须一根根绳子打结，不然人一上桥就摔下深涧，怎么还到得了对岸？” 桥还是建了，一座座、一条条。知识在传递，文化在交流。可是有谁想起建桥人？ A Long Bridge ◎ Jin Shenghua Translation is like a bridge with a very different climate and landscape at either end of it．Under the bridge，there lies a valley between steep mountains with a rapid stream flowing through it．Before the bridge is built，people on either side of the valley have for generations made no contact with those on the other．Hence，there have developed two different customs and habits，and two different languages and cultures. One day，people of the two sides，each with a different culture and custom，suddenly desire to communicate with each other．What can they do？A bridge of course has to be built in order to cross the valley．But who is to build it？ At last，a group of people naively offer themselves for the job. Someone asks them，“Don't you know…

Jin Shenghua's "Books and People" depicts the emotional changes of a friend who, after experiencing ups and downs in their love life, ultimately chooses to return to the study and be accompanied by books. 书与人 ◎ 金圣华 有朋友在情场上轰轰烈烈的驰骋了一阵(1)，终于累了，最后，收拾情心(2)，悄悄退回书斋之中，终日与书本为伍。 再不听到他唉声叹气，只觉他心情平和，仿佛一切都豁然开朗，天地广阔了许多。 把自己的喜怒哀乐，完全寄托在另外一个人身上(3)，原是一件十分危险的事。对方喜则自己心花怒放，对方怒则自己心惊胆战，对方的一笑一颦，完全控制着自己的情绪起落，这又何苦呢？ 面对书本，则完全没有这种麻烦。 择书比择友简单得多。不擅辞令、厌恶应酬(4)的人，可以自由自在的徜徉于书林之中，游目四顾，俯拾皆友。 看书，可以博览，可以细嚼(5)，没有人会怪你喜新厌旧，也没有人要求你从一而终。你大可以从一本换到另一本，喜爱的书，不妨一读再读；不耐看的书，又可随手抛下，谁也不会因此而伤心失望。人际关系错综复杂，那“书际关系”呢？只要花点时间去了解，再高深的学问也弄得明白。 手持一书，吟哦于四壁之中，神游于四海之外，既可以与老庄谈心，又可以跟柏拉图对话。心情烦闷时(6)，济慈、雪莱在你耳畔喁喁细语(7)，巴尔扎克为你搬演“人间喜剧”(8)，还有李白、杜甫、王尔德、莎士比亚……一大堆才华横溢的朋友等着你呼唤前来。 找不到朋友时，为什么不翻翻书？ Books and Man ◎ Jin Shenghua A friend of mine，having been actively involved in the arena of love for some time，finally became weary of it and，containing himself，quietly retired to his study to spend time with books all day long. He was no longer heard sighing deeply．On the contrary，he now had a peaceful mind and felt everything was bright and clear and the world wide and open. It is very dangerous to let somebody be master of your sentiments，such as joy，anger，pleasure and sorrow．For example，you are elated simply because the other party looks cheerful，you are jumpy simply because the other party looks put out．Consequently，you are completely at the mercy of the other party as regards your own mood．Is it worth it？ As to books，things are entirely different. It is much easier to choose a book than a friend．One who is poor at speech and shuns socializing will nevertheless feel like being surrounded by friends while sauntering freely…

Jin Shenghua's prose "One More Plate" conveys the author's profound reflection and philosophical thinking on life attitude through an anecdote. 多一只碟子 ◎ 金圣华 从朋友口中，听到一则轶事。 电子学教授陈之藩当年自美国来香港中文大学履新，临行之前，与夫人在家中整理行装。陈教授夫妇有一套精美的茶具，收拾装箱时，一不小心，打破了一只茶杯。 一般人的反应，一定是感到十分心疼(1)，好端端的成套茶具，打破一只杯，如何去配？(2) 谁知陈教授的反应却不然，他莞尔一笑，坦然说道：“真不错，又多了一只碟子！” 凡事从好处想，这种能耐(3)，在现实生活中，确能使人受益无穷。 陈之藩教授不但是位杰出的科学家，也是位了不起的散文家，他的一些散文集，清新隽永，当年曾使我折服不已(4)。如今回想起来，令我惊叹的，不仅仅是他那优美的文笔，而是字里行间流露出来的睿智与巧思。 人生不如意事常八九(5)，这是一句老话，老得几乎令人不想再重复(6)，可是生命的旅程，行行复行行，在漫长的旅途上，的确会遇上一重又一重的挫折。 每当失意时，人总觉得别人为什么比自己幸运？别人生意兴隆、仕途平坦、财源广进(7)、名成利就；自己为什么如老牛破车，踽踽独行在暮色四合的郊道上？ 果真如此吗？杯中只有一半水，有人喜孜孜说：“好呀！还有半杯(8)”，有人愁眉苦脸：“哎呀！只剩下半杯了”，分别就在这里。 One Saucer More ◎ Jin Shenghua I've been told the following anecdote by a friend of mine： When Chen Chih-fan，professor of electronics，was about to leave the U.S．for Hong Kong to take up his new post at the Chinese University of Hong Kong，he did packing at home with his wife．They owned a beautiful tea set，but while packing up，they had one of the cups broken through carelessness. Ordinary people would have got very upset over it，as it was always troublesome to replace the broken cup to complete the set. Professor Chen，however，reacted to it differently．He said calmly with a smile，“Wow！Now we've got one saucer more！” The attitude of always looking on the bright side of things will definitely be of inestimable benefit to us in our real life. Professor Chen has distinguished himself both as a scientist and an essayist．His prose writings，which have been published in several collections，are known for their fresh and expressive style．I was struck with admiration when I first read them，and I remember how I marvelled then at…