“换言之，雅不是美化，不是把一篇原来不典雅的文章译得很典雅，而是指一种努力，要传达一种比词、句的简单的含义更高更精微的东西：原作者的心智特点，原作的精神光泽。”（王佐良，1989：41）
让我们重读《天演论》开场白的经典译文，来体味一下大师严复的用心。
It may be safely assumed that, two thousand years ago, before Caesar set foot in southern Britain, the whole countryside visible from the windows of the room in which I write, was in what is called “the state of Nature”. Except, it may be, by raising a few sepulchral mounds, such as those which still, here and there, break the flowing contours of the downs, man’s hands had made no mark upon it; and the thin veil of vegetation which overspread the broad-backed heights and the shelving sides of the coombs was unaffected by his industry. 赫胥黎独处一室之中。在英伦之南。背山而面野。栏外诸境。历历如在几下。乃玄想二千年前。当罗马大将恺彻未到时。此间有何景物。计唯有天造草味。人功未施。其借征人境者。不过几处荒坟。散见坡陀起伏间。而灌木丛林。蒙茸山麓。未经删治如今者。则无疑也。（王佐良，1989：38） 据王佐良先生略论，严复把整段原文拆开照汉语习见的方式重新组句：原文里的复合长句在译文里变成了若干并列短句，主从联系不见了，读起来反而更加流畅。原文里第一人称I成了译文里第三人称的“赫胥黎”，英语论文题目，也是值得注意的变化。如此变化的目的很可能是要使译文读起来象中国古代的说部与史书，史书的开头往往是：太史公曰、臣光曰之类。（王佐良，1989：38）
而严复之所以选择“汉以前字法句法”，也不只是从语言或风 |
