錢鐘書先生的這篇散文說的是窗子，但是其用意絕不僅僅是說說窗子而已，而是要以窗子來比喻生活、比喻人生。從語言上看，《窗》延續(xù)了一貫的錢派手法，用詞平實、普通，沒有長句，沒有什么復(fù)雜結(jié)構(gòu)，非常從容地敘述、說理，卻又緊緊地扣住了主題。這樣的特點對構(gòu)成的難度不言而喻，翻譯中應(yīng)當(dāng)時時充分考慮上述特點，盡量在譯文中體現(xiàn)出來。下面我們就以《窗》這篇散文的前兩段為例，來談?wù)劃h譯英中可能遇到的問題。

漢譯英翻譯：

窗 Random Thoughts on the Window

又是春天，窗子可以常開了。春天從窗外進來，人在屋子里坐不住，就從門里出去。不過屋子外的春天太賤了！到處是陽光，不像射破屋里陰深的那樣明亮；到處是給太陽曬得懶洋洋的風(fēng)，不像攪動屋里沉悶的那樣有生氣。就是鳥語，也似乎瑣碎而單薄，需要屋里的寂靜來做襯托。我們因此明白，春天是該鑲嵌在窗子里看的，好比畫配了框子。　　

It is spring again and the window can be left open as often as one would like. As spring comes in through the windows, so people——unable to bear staying inside any longer——go outdoors. The spring outside, however, is much too cheap, for the sun shines on everything, and so does not seem as bright as that which shoots into the darkness of the house. Outside the sun-slothed breeze blows everywhere, but it is not so lively as that which stirs the gloominess inside the house. Even the chirping of the birds sounds so thin and broken that the quietness of the house is needed to set it off. It seems that spring was always meant to be put behind a windowpane for show, just like a picture in a frame.

同時，我們悟到，門和窗有不同的意義。當(dāng)然，門是造了讓人出進的。但是，窗子有時也可作為進出口用，譬如小偷或小說里私約的情人就喜歡爬窗子。所以窗子和門的根本分別，決不僅是有沒有人進來出去。若據(jù)賞春一事來看，我們不妨這樣說：有了門，我們可以出去；有了窗，我們可以不必出去。窗子打通了大自然和人的隔膜，把風(fēng)和太陽逗引進來，使屋子里也關(guān)著一部分春天，讓我們安坐了享受，無需再到外面去找?！　?/p>

At the same time it also becomes clear that the door has a different significance from the window. Of course, doors were made for people to pass through; but a window can also sometimes serve as an entrance or as an exit, and is used as such by thieves and by lovers in novels. In fact the fundamental difference between a door and a window has nothing to do with them being either entrances or exits. When it comes to the admiration of spring, it could be put this way: a door makes it possible for one to go out, whereas a window makes it possible for one not to have to. A window helps to pull down the partition between man and nature. It leads breezes and sunlight in, and keeps part of the spring in the house. It allows one to sit and enjoy the spring in peace, and makes it unnecessary to go looking for it outside.

逐句分析：

窗

Random Thoughts on the Window?。}目中的這個窗字，包含的意思較為豐富，使人有多種聯(lián)想，因此譯成Random Thoughts on the Window.）　　

又是春天

It is spring again

中文是無主句，英文沒有這樣的句子結(jié)構(gòu)，因此用It is……句型。原文里“又”用在句首，但是英文如果也把again放在句首，這個詞就太突出，分量太重了。所以again一詞在譯文中放在句末和原文“又”放在句首分量相當(dāng)。

窗子可以常開了

and the window can be left open as often as one would like

用定冠詞the 加單數(shù)名詞window來代表所有的窗子。英語里表示“全部”可以有幾種方法：1）復(fù)數(shù)名詞，2）不定冠詞a/an+名詞，3）定冠詞+名詞。這里就是用的第三種，更側(cè)重其一致性。“常開”不能譯成can open often或can be opened often.因為原文是從人的角度說的，人們什么時候想開窗都行，所以用了one would like這樣的說法。

春天從窗外進來

As spring comes in through the windows

這句把春天擬人化了，英文也用同樣的結(jié)構(gòu)就行。窗外：out of the window.但是，如果把“從窗外進來”理解成一個過程，用through表示就比較好。