Some of you may have come across one of the following two posts “The Furthest distance in the World”, “世界上最遙遠的距離.” Some BBSes have the Chinese version down as translated from the “English version” while a few even claim the English version as the work of Tagore.
Is it really?
The answer is an unequivocal NO.
誤傳的其中一個原因,是很多人以為 “Furthest Distance in the World” 是英文板。 其實是中譯英。 是誰譯的 ? 甚麼不會是英語板?If your English is not too bad, you should be able to tell that none of the nine versions found on the Internet is anywhere near “good English.” I am not knocking them all. Some versions are quite “readable”, but they cannot possibly be an “English translation” from Bengalese–the language Taogore wrote in–done by British scholars.
The furthest distance in the world
The furthest distance in the world
Is not between life and death
But when I stand in front of you
Yet you don’t know that
I love you
The furthest distance in the world
Is not when i stand in font of you
Yet you can’t see my love
But when undoubtedly knowing the love from both
Yet cannot
Be together
The furthest distance in the world
Is not being apart while being in love
But when plainly can not resist the yearning
Yet pretending
You have never been in my heart
The furthest distance in the world
Is not <– (是漏了一行)
But using one’s indifferent heart
To dig an uncrossable river
For the one who loves you
作者:林汐 錄入新月於 August 03, 2003 at 07:32:54: Update April 12th, 2007(**Believe it or not, this guy, wubo (五伯), said he wrote it.請看http://www.newpower.org.cn/bbs/show.asp?id=9857 第6樓 )
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是生與死的距離
而是我站在你面前你不知道我愛你
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是我站在你面前你不知道我愛你
而是愛到痴迷卻不能說我愛你
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是我不能說我愛你
而是想你痛徹心脾卻隻能深埋心底
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是我不能說我想你
而是彼此相愛卻不能夠在一起
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是彼此相愛卻不能夠在一起
而是明知道真愛無敵卻裝作毫不在意
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是樹與樹的距離
而是同根生長的樹枝卻無法在風中相依
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是樹枝無法相依
而是相互了望的星星卻沒有交匯的軌跡
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是星星之間的軌跡
而是縱然軌跡交匯卻在轉瞬間無處尋覓
世界上最遙遠的距離
不是瞬間便無處尋覓
而是尚未相遇便注定無法相聚
世界上最遙遠的距離
是魚與飛鳥的距離
一個在天一個卻深潛海底
谁译的 ?
So who started this "furthest distance"? According to this guyhttp://www.rpi.edu/~jix/mylinks.html, he did. 这个人说是他从中译英的。 (Quote:。“I did the English translation here" means he translated it. But did he really? Or did he just quoted what he found. But either way, there is no way the "Furthest distance" was originally in English.
This is a poem pretty popular on the Chinese BBS, it is rumored to be written by Tagel(Tagore), but I couldn't find the English version of it, so I tend to belive another version of its origin : written by a Taiwan girl on a college BBS. I did the English translation here, as always, I hate words floating out under my own pen, especially translations, all the beauty of the words are lost, and you see it in one glance. {end of quote} Update: April 12th, 2007. This chap reaffirms he was the one that did the original translation, and explains why a line was missing. 寫的有關他自己此譯文的典故 by Xiaoyun Ji
The most popular version circulating on the Web is the one with the missing line. Recently, I came across two more of the same “English version”, except this time, the missing line is in place. 網上流傳最廣的板本,是漏了一行的板。下面 III-3 是沒有漏了一行的板。 網上有至少九個不同的英譯本,其中有三個爛得很 (see 點擊 Here )。全不是英文。但仍有人拍掌說好. 比較可以的是(原譯者: Muyv (Furthesd Distance), AlwaysBlue (Farthest Distance) 及 Howard2005 (Farthest Distance) 的譯本 (網上很多很多的轉貼把他們自己說成是譯者或作者。)
比較小見的是沒有漏了一行的板本
Less seen on the Web is the one with the complete translated text. Before I put that on, let me quote you something.
世界上最遠的距離
The furthest (i) distance in the world
世界上最遙遠的距離
Is not between life and death
(ii) 不是生與死
But (iii) when I stand in front of you
而是我就站在你的面前
Yet you don’t know that
你卻不知道
I love you
我愛你
The furthest distance in the world
世界上最遙遠的距離
Is not when i stand in front of you
不是我站在你面前
Yet you can’t see my love
你卻不知道我愛你
But when undoubtedly knowing the love from both
而是明明知道彼此相愛
Yet can not Be togehter
卻不能在一起
The furthest distance in the world
世界上最遙遠的距離
Is not being apart while being in love
不是明明知道彼此相愛
But when plainly cannot resist the yearning
卻不能在一起
Yet pretending 而是明明無法抵擋這股想念
You have never been in my heart
卻還得故意裝作絲毫沒有把你放在心裡
The furthest distance in the world
世界上最遙遠的距離
Is not when plainly can not(iv) resist the yearning
Yet pretending you have never been in my heart
不是明明無法抵擋這股想念,
But using one’s indifferent heart
卻還得故意裝作絲毫沒有把你放在心裡
To dig an uncrossable river For the one who loves you
而是用自己冷漠的心對愛你的人掘了一條無法跨越的溝渠
—
另外的一個中譯英板。
這是 AlwaysBlue 所譯。 出自: Farthest Distance in the World
作者 AlwaysBlue 發表於 2003-09-25 09:02:47
引:(Quote) The poem is said to be written by Tagore, but I just failed to find it in Tagore's Poetry. The following is my clumsy translation, and a friend of mine has made some corrections. (End of Quote)
The Farthest Distance in The World
The farthest distance in the world
is not the space between life and death,
but that you don't know I love you while I am standing in front of you.
The farthest distance in the world
is not that you don't know I love you while I am standing in front of you,
but that we can't be together though we both love each other.
The farthest distance in the world
is not that we can't be together while we both love each other,
but that I have to pretend that I don't care about you at all while I can't help missing you.
The farthest distance in the world
is not that I have to pretend that I don't care about you at all while I can't help missing you,
but that you build an unsurpassable gap between you and your lover unmercifully.
—
網上10 個不同的英譯本連接列表
(i) Furthest Distance In the World.原譯者 Muyvhttp://www.rpi.edu/~jix/disclaimer.html(流傳最廣,也可能是第一個譯本)
(ii) Farthest Distance in the World. 原譯者 Always Bluehttp://www.blueidea.com/bbs/NewsDetail.asp?id=1193729
(iii) Farthest Distance in the World 五伯/林汐 version. 原譯者 Howard 2005http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardid=26&id=18403″ (2 versions, floors 1 and 18)
(iv) Farthest Distance in the World: Version posted by 陽光天使 (不知是原譯或是轉載) at http://www.fzc168.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=15&ID=26338&page=1 “Farthest Distance in the World”
(v) Furthest Distance in the World, translated by “bobbie” in her MSN Spacehttp://bobbie8610.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!F271795F55DD8640!666.entry?wa=wsignin1.0 This is a better version as she recognized the need to use “it is”. The other versions are all missing the verb “is” in “is when”.
(vi)比較多錯的 The most distant way in the world. Originally translated by 原譯者 Feihttp://www.tdmov.com/html/ruanjianyingyong/20070307/42521.html
(vii) 比較多錯的 The farest(sic) distance in the world. Originally translated by 原譯者不詳 http://www.aasky.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7745
(viii)慘不忍讀譯文 1, 原譯者不詳 http://www.69699.org/viewthread.php?tid=143269&extra=page%3D1
(ix)慘不忍讀譯文 2, 原譯者不詳 http://www.69699.org/viewthread.php?tid=135312&extra=page%3D3
(ix)慘不忍讀譯文3 The most distance way (quoted by Gitanjali) 原譯者不詳http://blog.csdn.net/willbetter/archive/2006/03/07/618090.aspx
The remotest distance is not in the world ;
Raw and dead but;
I stand in front of you;
But you do not know that I love you
The remotest distance is not in the world ;
I stand in front of you;
You know but I love you but;
Know obviously that in love each other;
But can’t be together
The remotest distance is not in the world ;
Know obviously that in love each other;
Can’t together but;
It is unable to block and resist this burst to miss obviously ;
But must pretend not to place you on in the heart at all on purpose
The remotest distance is not in the world ;
It is unable to keep out this burst to miss obviously ;
It but must pretend on purpose it place on in the heart at all you but;
Use one’s own cold and detached heart;
Have dug a piece of irrigation canals and ditches that can’t be crossed over to the person who loves you !!(Update: Jan 2008. Thank goodness, the guys at 69699.org finally dismanlted their “English Corner.” It was really a disgrace to keep all those nonsensical English at that site, and with their readers praising how good they are. To view an archived copy of this hilarious translation, go to:http://www3.sympatico.ca/d.stephen/696junk.htm
The remotest distance is not in the world ;
Raw and dead but;
I stand in front of you;
But you do not know that I love you
The remotest distance is not in the world ;
I stand in front of you;
You know but I love you but;
Know obviously that in love each other;
But can’t be together
The remotest distance is not in the world ;
Know obviously that in love each other;
Can’t together but;
It is unable to block and resist this burst to miss obviously ;
But must pretend not to place you on in the heart at all on purpose
The remotest distance is not in the world ;
It is unable to keep out this burst to miss obviously ;
It but must pretend on purpose it place on in the heart at all you but;
Use one’s own cold and detached heart;
Have dug a piece of irrigation canals and ditches that can’t be crossed over to the person who loves you !!
—-
慘不忍讀譯文#2
On the boundary farthest distance
Is not to living with die
But is I stand in your in front however you do not know that I love you Farthest distance in the world
Is not I stand in your in front however you do not know that I love you
But is to know perfectly well the way love each other each other however can’t together
Farthest distance in the world
Is not to know perfectly well the way love each other each other however can’t together
But can’t resist clearly this remember fondly
Return however of set up for intentionally the slightest not present to mind you
Farthest distance in the world
Is not to can’t resist clearly this remember fondly
Return however of set up for intentionally the slightest not present to mind you
But is a heart to use oneself’s inhospitality to love your person
Dig a can’t across the however deep
The strangest thing is, some of the people who read them think they are good. Do they know any English? Some of these are posted by the hosts of the particular forum. Don’t you have to know some English to be a host of an “English” forum?
慘不忍讀譯文#3
Another bad translation.
The “Farest”??!! Distance in the World
The farest distance in the world
is not that between living and death
it is
when I am just before u
u even don’t know that I love u
The farest distance in the world
is not
when I am just before u
u even don’t know that I love u
it is
while both of them know that they love each other
they just cannot come together
The farest distance in the world
is not
while both of them know that they love each other
they just cannot come together
it is
clearly awaring of no way to resist the miss
I have to pretend caring nothing of u
The farest distance in the world
is not
clearly awaring of no way to resist the miss
I have to pretend caring nothing of u
it is
with a cold heart u dig
a vast gap of no access for the one loving u
—
—
Farthest, furthest, longest, or widest?
Some people raised the question of whether “farther” or “further” should be used in the translation for “最遥远的距离”. People who are for “further” pointed out that some dictionaries claim that both further and farther can be used for distances. Supporters for the use of “farther” pointed to writing style guides, such as the authoritative”The Little Brown Handbook”, that stipulate “farther” is for distance, and “further” is for degree.
Mr. Yeti at the Rainlane BBS Wrote:”My personal opinion—feel free to disagree—is that we are talking about the distance between two objects. Farther or farthest is measured with respect to a fixed point: Jim lives farther from me than Jill, but John lives the farthest. In 世界上最遥远的距离, we are talking about “Of all the 距离s in 世界上, this one is the 最遥远的.” I.e. “Of all the distances between two objects in the world, this one is the LONGEST.”