张贤亮
I bought a book of stuff by Zhang Xianliang in Pingyao. It's more difficult than Zhang Ailing (I finished "Love in a Fallen City") and I haven't had a chance to sit down and get through much of it yet. But I read the first paragraph of "Half of Man is Woman", below. I want to see how fast I can translate it so that it makes sense. (I copied and pasted the Chinese so there may be typos.) 评价s and grammar objections very welcome!
我多少次想把这一段经历记录下来，但不是为这段经历感到愧悔，便是为觉察到自己要隐瞒这段经历中的某些事情而感到羞耻，终于搁笔。自己常常是自己的对立面。阳光穿窗而入，斜晖在东墙上涂满灿烂，的金黄。停留在山水轴上的蛾子蓦地飞起来，无声地在屋里旋转。太阳即将走完自己的路，但她明日还会升起，依旧沿着那条亘古不变的途径周而复始；蛾子却也许等不到明天便会死亡，变成一撮尘埃。世上万千生物活过又死去，有的自觉，有的不自觉，但都追求着可笑的长生或永恒。而实际上，所有的生物都获得了永恒，哪怕它只在世上存在过一秒钟。那一秒钟里便有永恒。我并不想去追求虚无缥缈的永恒。永恒，已经存在于我的生命中了。
How many times I've wanted to record these experiences - but either I'm ashamed of the memory, or I become aware of wanting to conceal certain events, and feel ashamed of that; finally I take up my pen. One is often one's own antagonist. The evening sunlight comes through the window, slanting rays spreading a glowing golden yellow over the east wall. A moth resting on a hanging landscape scroll suddenly takes off, noiselessly circling around the room. Although the sun will finish going her own way, tomorrow she will rise again and begin again, following that ancient unchanging circuit as she's always done; the moth, though, will probably not make it to tomorrow before dying and becoming a speck of dust. Ten million creatures have lived and died in the the world - some aware, some not, but all pursuing laughable longevity or eternity. In fact, all creatures have already attained eternity, even if they have only existed in the world for a second: within that second is eternity. I certainly don't want to go pursuing an illusory eternity. Eternity is already contained in my lifetime.
Hmm, I forgot to time myself. Oh well. Greetings from Xi'an where the man beside me in the web caff has moved his web cam so his girlfriend can look at Beatles-haircutted me. More sparse travel update soon. LKQ
Update: I just fed the Chinese through Babelfish because I'm in Xi'an but sick, so not doing anything very exciting today. Look how good Babelfish is!
Babelfish says: My how many wants to experience this section the record to get down, but is not feels for this experience 愧悔, then is for perceived must conceal in this experience to oneself certain matters to feel ashamed, finally stops writing or painting. Own frequently are own opposite. The sunlight puts on the window to enter, the setting sun spreads on the east wall completely brightly, golden yellow. Pauses suddenly flies on the scenery axis moth, silent revolves in the room. The sun soon walks own road, but she tomorrow also will be able to raise, the way which 亘古不变 along that strip starts once again as before; The moth actually perhaps will not be able to wait for tomorrow then to be able to die, turns pinch of dust. In the world 11,000 living thing live had died, some determination, some are unconscious, but all is pursuing the laughable immortal or the eternal. But in fact, all biology all have obtained the eternal, even if it has only had a second in the world. In that second then has the eternal. I certainly do not want to pursue the illusory eternal. The eternal, already existed in mine life.
I got 搁笔 totally wrong. Should be "in the end I put aside my pen", not "finally I take up my pen".
我多少次想把这一段经历记录下来，但不是为这段经历感到愧悔，便是为觉察到自己要隐瞒这段经历中的某些事情而感到羞耻，终于搁笔。自己常常是自己的对立面。阳光穿窗而入，斜晖在东墙上涂满灿烂，的金黄。停留在山水轴上的蛾子蓦地飞起来，无声地在屋里旋转。太阳即将走完自己的路，但她明日还会升起，依旧沿着那条亘古不变的途径周而复始；蛾子却也许等不到明天便会死亡，变成一撮尘埃。世上万千生物活过又死去，有的自觉，有的不自觉，但都追求着可笑的长生或永恒。而实际上，所有的生物都获得了永恒，哪怕它只在世上存在过一秒钟。那一秒钟里便有永恒。我并不想去追求虚无缥缈的永恒。永恒，已经存在于我的生命中了。
How many times I've wanted to record these experiences - but either I'm ashamed of the memory, or I become aware of wanting to conceal certain events, and feel ashamed of that; finally I take up my pen. One is often one's own antagonist. The evening sunlight comes through the window, slanting rays spreading a glowing golden yellow over the east wall. A moth resting on a hanging landscape scroll suddenly takes off, noiselessly circling around the room. Although the sun will finish going her own way, tomorrow she will rise again and begin again, following that ancient unchanging circuit as she's always done; the moth, though, will probably not make it to tomorrow before dying and becoming a speck of dust. Ten million creatures have lived and died in the the world - some aware, some not, but all pursuing laughable longevity or eternity. In fact, all creatures have already attained eternity, even if they have only existed in the world for a second: within that second is eternity. I certainly don't want to go pursuing an illusory eternity. Eternity is already contained in my lifetime.
Hmm, I forgot to time myself. Oh well. Greetings from Xi'an where the man beside me in the web caff has moved his web cam so his girlfriend can look at Beatles-haircutted me. More sparse travel update soon. LKQ
Update: I just fed the Chinese through Babelfish because I'm in Xi'an but sick, so not doing anything very exciting today. Look how good Babelfish is!
Babelfish says: My how many wants to experience this section the record to get down, but is not feels for this experience 愧悔, then is for perceived must conceal in this experience to oneself certain matters to feel ashamed, finally stops writing or painting. Own frequently are own opposite. The sunlight puts on the window to enter, the setting sun spreads on the east wall completely brightly, golden yellow. Pauses suddenly flies on the scenery axis moth, silent revolves in the room. The sun soon walks own road, but she tomorrow also will be able to raise, the way which 亘古不变 along that strip starts once again as before; The moth actually perhaps will not be able to wait for tomorrow then to be able to die, turns pinch of dust. In the world 11,000 living thing live had died, some determination, some are unconscious, but all is pursuing the laughable immortal or the eternal. But in fact, all biology all have obtained the eternal, even if it has only had a second in the world. In that second then has the eternal. I certainly do not want to pursue the illusory eternal. The eternal, already existed in mine life.
I got 搁笔 totally wrong. Should be "in the end I put aside my pen", not "finally I take up my pen".