語文．書話
上兩期談到翻譯Dr Arthur van Langenberg（梁雅達醫生）在二○二一年出版的書From Scalpel to Spade，這是第三期。書名包括了作者生命中的兩大志業，中文譯名暫且為「從此刀至彼刀」，「此刀」是外科醫生的手術刀，「彼刀」是園丁的鏟刀。我大膽的把園藝也稱為醫生的志業，因為園藝對他來說已不只是簡單的嗜好，就如周肇平醫生為本書所寫的序中提到 Many also already know that Arthur is a good gardener, but they would not realise that gardening can elevate one's life to a spiritual level.園藝可以把平凡的日常生活昇華至心靈的滿足！我在〈認出廬山真面目（之一）〉中說作者是悲天憫人的君子，他在書中這樣說：The Universe is a community. Its harmony is my harmony. That the world is in crisis is no news. As individuals we can do little. But we must do the little we can. I try to do this through avoiding wasteful behaviour and by using strictly organic methods in my food. 看到他說：「宇宙是一個社區。它的和諧是我的和諧。」心中特別感動！如此簡潔的文字！如此廣闊的胸懷！所以園藝對他來說也是他對宇宙盡的責任。
今期且談談由園藝引發的一件日常生活中的趣事。
感悟
書名From Scalpel to Spade其中二字用了S的頭韻，如果翻譯成「從手術刀至鏟刀」，倒也因兩個「刀」字勉強有那麼一點點神韻。之後和老師談起，她說也可以是「從此刀至彼刀」，那就更簡潔有力。
原文第四段
My wife and I are homebodies, seldom dining out. One day I read a restaurant review in the newspaper about a new establishment in Wanchai that offered an innovative menu including home-grown organic vegetables. It was called Yin Yang. We decided to visit. The owner/chef presented some of her specialties, then served up a plate of vegetables from her own farm. Among various vegetables, I recognized Chinese bitter lettuce, Lactuca chinensis（苦蕒菜）, which is not very well known and which very seldom appears in wet markets. I have never seen it in restaurants. Mostly it is grown in village subsistence farms around southern China. Curious, I asked her how she came to grow this particular vegetable. She said: I used to live on the Southside of Hong Kong some twenty years ago. In my estate there was a doctor who grew vegetables in a small plot of land. He was very friendly and not only taught me about L. chinensis but provided me with seeds to grow it. These seeds are almost impossible to source from seed shops. I said: How are you, Margaret? Long time no see. Her jaw dropped.
譯文
我和內子喜歡宅在家中，很少出外用饍。有天看到報上的食評介紹了一家灣仔新開的飯店，提供一些創新菜式，並包括一些自家種的有機蔬菜。飯店名為「鴛鴦」。於是我們決定去試菜。老闆娘兼主廚上了幾道她的拿手菜，包括她自家農場出產的蔬菜。其中有很難在菜市場買到、也不太知名的苦蕒菜（Lactuca chinensis）。我也從未在飯店中見過。這種菜多數為中國南方村落的貧農所種，所以我好奇的問她為何會種這菜。她說：「大約二十年前，我住在香港南區，屋邨中有位醫生，在他屋前的方寸之地種了一些蔬菜。醫生非常友善，不但教給我關於苦蕒菜的一切，還送了種子給我。這些種子可是買不到的！」我聽了她的自述後，就對她說：「好久不見，Margaret！你好嗎？」她驚奇得張口結舌！
感悟
一、Subsistence farms是「生存農場」，不過如果直譯的話，感覺就有些怪怪的，所以我用了「貧農」。不過「在中國南方村落中的」這形容詞又似乎太長了，不知譯界朋友覺得如何？
二、我用了「張口結舌」對Her jaw dropped，二者都是用嘴部動作表示驚奇之情，我覺得還算適當。
三、一看到飯店的名字是Yin Yang，我很自然的把它翻譯成「陰陽」，誰知道原作者說飯店的名字是「鴛鴦」！啊唷，哲學理論居然成了鴛鴦蝴蝶的言情小說了！這也令我想到翻譯時對音譯一定得小心求證，否則就會張冠李戴！
走筆至此，發覺已無篇幅可以繼續寫原文中最後一段所描述令人尷尬的趣事了。只好等下回分解。
(本文翻譯授權自香港中文大學出版社。)
（作者為前教育局質素保證分部DOLACE&ILLIPS計劃總監。）
