美国米尼索达大学马瑞志（Richard B. Mather）教授，赵元任先生入室弟子也。以二十年精力，英译《世说新语》正文及刘孝标注，嘉惠西国士林，功莫大焉。然临川之书夙称难解，异国学人更不免于隔阂。两年前居美就养，与老友匹资堡大学王伊同（斯大）教授研讨译文，举四百余事与马教授商榷。马氏欣然采纳，于所未安者并通函讨论。因成《马译世说新语商兑》一文，1990年12月刊于新竹清华大学之《清华学报》新20卷第2期。今年北京大学《国学研究》创刊征稿，愧无以应。《商兑》文成以后，不无剩义，因摘录以供补白，并就正于大洋彼岸之王马两教授。
依《商兑》之例，以罗马数字代表篇，阿拉伯数字代表节。首列马氏译文，次列原文及解释，最后附订正之译文。
Ⅰ/27 The director-general from Chih's staff had been secretly laying aside provisions and wanted the silk. ……and furthermore ate very little rice himself. ……Wei therefore repaid and thanked him and sent him on his way.
“质帐下都督阴赍粮要之，……又进少饭。……谢而遣之。”“进少饭”谓都督进饭于胡威，非指其自身。译文中都督索绢及胡威付与云云皆译者所增。绢原为威父所赐，初无付与都督之必要。
……had been secretly carrying provisions…… offered some rice to Wei. ……thanked him and sent him away.
Ⅰ/29 When Yüeh talked with the chancellor he always made a discreet intimacy his first principle.
“长豫与丞相语，恒以慎密为端。”“慎密”两字为一词，犹言小心谨慎，密字无亲密之义。译文每割裂一词中两字，分别迻译，遂不可通。
……he always made caution his first principle.
Ⅰ/30 Since this gentleman had a reputation in the past, and in addition enjoyed the praise of the former generation,……
“此公既有宿名，加先达知称。”“公”字承上文深公而言，乃尊称僧人。“宿名”犹言久有名誉，非过去之意。“先达”犹前辈。法深亦渡江南来，与桓彝同时人而年辈略长，译文径作为前一代人所知称，似欠贴切。
Since this master has long been held in good reputation, and in addition enjoyed the praise of the elders.
Ⅰ/41 ……he went directly to his private residence and never returned.
“率而去下舍，便不复还。”
《商兑》建议改正译文为he casually left his official residence，而未暇申论，兹补述之。此节正文中“去”字，日本诸家所译《世说新语》亦皆解为“往”、“赴”之意。如川胜义雄等译本（《世界文学大系》第71卷《中国古小说集》）作“ふらっと私邸に向ぅ；”大村梅雄译本（《中国古典文学全集》第32卷）作“にわかに私邸ヘぃつて……；森三树三郎译本（《中国古典文学大系》第9卷）作“急に私宅に入りこみ……”。（以上三条皆承刘俊文君从日本录寄美国，谨志感谢）目加田诚氏译文（《新释汉文大系》第76卷）最晚出而其口语译文最能表达六朝语气，亦作“ちつちと私宅ヘ归り……”。马氏英译及诸家日译皆有两误：去乃离去而非往或赴之意，下舍乃官舍而非私邸也。
《说文解字》云：“去，人相违也。”段注：“违，离也。人离故从大，大者人也”。去之本义为离去，参看《说文通训定声》豫部第九。检《世说》用例，凡言去者皆离去之义，如“直是清虚日来，滓秽日去耳”（言语30）。“殷中军尝至刘尹所，……殷去后……。”张退，刘曰：“卿且去……”（文学33、53）。“太丘舍去，去后乃至。……答曰：待君久不至，已去。友人便怒曰：非人哉！与人期行，相委而去”。“庾公临去（指逃离建康）。”“王饮酒毕，因得自解去”（方正1、35、63）。“日旰未得前，王便引去”（雅量30）。“刘晨去夕反。”“贺未语，令：且去，见张廷尉当为及之”（规箴4、13）。“使人题门作活字，便去”（捷悟1）。“康临去，登曰……”。“山公将去选曹”（栖逸2、3）。“侃犹不返，达曰：卿可去矣。”“汝去郡邑数年”（贤媛19、23）。“卿复少时不去，我成轻薄京尹”（宠礼4）。“民吏皆去，唯郡卒独以小船载冰出钱塘口”“临去，都下人因附百许函书”（任诞30、31）。以上训离去之去字诸例以外，唯贤媛13“卿往不如不去”，往与去互文，与今日口语用法相同。此中消息，治中古语法词汇者必将有说，非我所敢妄论。然“率而去下舍”之去必作离去解，则可以无疑。今日口语之去字，《世说》多用往字，其例甚夥。偶亦用之字，不过数见。
《说文解字》舍字下云：“市居曰舍。”南朝史科有时“邸舍”连称，尚存市居之义。《释名·释宫室》称：“舍，于中舍息也。”舍指止息之处，而非家宅。汉代丞相、御史大夫、郎、吏皆有居住之官舍，盖在衙署附近，便于办公，休沐之日始归家。（参看木言《官舍和廉吏》，载1990年8月29日《光明日报·史学》）下舍云者，盖晋代官舍之称。《晋书》五九赵王伦传言，“（义阳王）威惧，自崇礼闼走还下舍。”司马威时官中书令，下舍当即中书令所居处。《初学记》十一尚书令条引《十洲记》：“即尚书令下舍之门”。殷仲堪欲夺殷觊所任南蛮校尉之职，《世说》此条之下舍即南蛮校尉之下舍。殷觊去任不使人知，“便不复还”即不还下舍。如解下舍为其私宅，则还字无所承矣。文字表面明白，而理解可以完全相反，此《世说》之所以难读，吾侪固不宜苛求于外国译者也。
……he casually left his official residence and never returned.
Ⅰ/45 ……this was the reward of the "unmixed filial devotion".
“时人以为纯孝之报也。”“纯”字直译为不杂似欠妥。
……the reward of the genuine filial devotion,
Ⅰ/47 (1) ……also was well aware of the situation.
“康伯亦甚相知”。“相知”犹言见知，所知者吴氏兄弟之为人，非指任何情况。
Po himself also knew them well.
(2) was an intelligent and enlightenecl woman.
“聪明妇人也。”聪明二字为一词，译作intelligent已足。
(3) till the end of the funeral.
“终其丧如此”。此“丧”字指服丧期间，非指下葬。
till the end of the mourning period.
Ⅱ/1 (1) summoned the recluse Hsü Yü for an interview.
“昔尧聘许由”。“聘”即《礼记·月令》所谓“聘名士，礼贤者”，指礼敬之意。译文未见，殊失帝尧礼敬许由欲让天下之旨。译为invited较妥。
(2) made an offering of food equivalent to that for the Five Sacred Peaks.
“以配食五岳”。“配食”谓祭五岳之神时以箕山公神配享即陪同受祭，乃指祭礼规格而言。
made an offering of food worthy of the same rank as that of the Five Sacred Peaks.
Ⅱ/6 whereupon he made no further reply.
“故不相答”。此四字亦元方之语。“故”字解释其不回答原因，皆应在引号之内。译文误解为叙述之文。
Therefore I don't want to give you any reply.
Ⅱ/9 to hide behind "goodness and morality".
“仁义之慝”。译文误解慝字为匿。慝有邪恶之义，即harmful to…
Ⅱ/10 Tsao Tsao was subtle in his literary tastes.
“妙选文学”。此句主语为曹操不误，但非记述其本人之文学修养，乃谓其精心选择文学优长之士随侍太子。
Tsao Tsao carefully selected some distinguished literary talents.
Ⅱ/14 first discovered its divine properties.
“首获神效”。“神效”犹云miraculous effect. 译文直译神字，误译效字，遂失原意。
Ⅱ/15 (1) began to study reading and writing.
“归便就师诵书”。“诵书”谓读书，译文分割诵与书为两事，误解书为写。
(2) That's the only reason I ask.
“故问耳”之“耳”此处不宜拘泥于而已之训，译文以only表达，反失原意。
That's why I asked.
(3) he would examine cases calmly and pass sentences with composure.
“闲详安谛”四字指神态安详，与决狱判案无干。
He would keep calm retaining great composure.
Ⅱ/18 (1) never copied.
“弃而不录”之“录”非指抄录，乃保留、保存（keep）之意，如此理解始与下文“好事者或存之”相呼应。
(2) practical joker
“好事者”译为恶作剧者，误。译curious person较近似。
(3) What Just that thing?
“可复尔耳。”不知译文何据。原文意为All right, it can be done.
Ⅱ/19 sighed with relief.
“叹服”。译文未见“服”字，实为sighed in admiration.
Ⅱ/36 was immediately encourage any exclaimed.
“便游乐不住”。原文之意似为温峤遂安心而悠游自得thereupon he enjoyed himself without any worry.
Ⅱ/58 was travelling to take up his assignment.
“行部”。译文嫌不明确，行部乃汉代以来成语。
was making a tour of inspection.
Ⅱ/59 (1) The grand narshal has newly…
“大司马方将……”此句非完成式而应是未来式is just going to…。
(2) pacified the gods of soil and grain.
“内镇社稷”。社稷分别为两神名，此处复合为一词，应译regime或government.
Ⅱ/61 wrapped in a napkin preserved in the ancestral temple.
“巾笥而藏于庙”。“巾笥”乃笥上覆以巾——box covered with cloth.
Ⅱ/63 A holy man and raising horses don't go together.
“道人畜马不韵”。译文盖释“韵”字为协调，不确。
It is not graceful for a monk to raise horses.
Ⅱ/65 (1) most memorable.
“绝可想”。“想”非指记忆，乃想念、想慕之意，当译admirable.
(2) Ping followed the tradition of his father implicitly, performing all the observances.
“秉群从父率礼相承”。此句中“父”字为衍文，参看徐震堮《校笺》，故译文全误。原文谓秉与其群从兄弟之间以礼相处——on courteous terms with one another.
Ⅱ/71 discussing the meaning of literature.
“讲论文义”。“文义”乃六代习语，义指谈义，即玄学，应译literature and philosophy.
Ⅱ/75 (1) Though worthies and sages are set apart from other men, the distance between is also slight.
“贤圣去人，其间亦迩。”译文误解“去”字为隔离，分句中八字为两事，以为贤圣远离众人，而又相去不远。原文实仅谓圣贤与众人相距不远。
The distance between the sages and other men is rather slight.
(2) he certainly wouldn't have considered it "as limitless as the Milky way".
“必不至河汉”。“河汉”一词直译较费解，不如迻译为disagree.
Ⅱ/78 gathering of his nephews and nieces at a banquet.
“当与子侄燕集。”原文只言“子侄”——sons and nephews。侄字古代虽包括妇女，刘义庆时侄当已只指男子。
Ⅱ/82 (1) Hsieh finally rose from his seat.
“谢遂起坐”。原文当指谢于委顿之后闻高之议论，遂精神振奋。起坐非离坐而去，而是sat straight.
(2) By this means he was able at last to quit his seat.
“谢因此得终坐”。译文理解终坐为离席，与原文之意恰相反。原文意为谢万由于高崧之谈论而终未离坐而去。
On account of this Hsieh afforded to sit through the meeting.
Ⅱ/88 until evening of the funeral day he had not gone to the coffin to weep.
“至暝不临。”
黄昏临哭乃依丧中常制，原文无“葬日”二字。
Ⅱ/90 I can't begin to describe them.
“使人应接不暇”。此指景色之变化多端，使人目不暇接，与描述无干。
There are too many things for the eye to take in.
Ⅲ/1 to visit the jail.
“付狱”应是to put in jail.
Ⅲ/2 a mother who had abandoned her child on the grass receiving mat and had not picked it up.
“民有在草不起子者。”“在草”谓怀孕生产，“起”犹言举，谓喂养。译文未明其义，误解为抛儿于草褥而不抱起，殊失原文意旨。
a mother who has given birth to a child but does not raise it.
Ⅲ/5 he was disappointed and frustrated.
“非望路绝”。原文谓由于山涛领吏部，抱非分之望者路绝即不得进用。译文误以山涛为主语，遂不可解。
those who were unduly ambitious got frustrated.
Ⅲ/6 to sort out and establish…
“分定礼仪律令”。“分定”谓数人分别——respectively——制定，译文误解为分出。
Ⅲ/16 if it had been gotten from someone else…
“若他所得”。译文误解“他”为他人。实则他字乃相对于上文之力役而言，指所得方式。
if it had been gotten otherwise (or by other way)…
Ⅲ/18 documents and letters.
“看文书”。“文书”一词即documents，与信札无干。
Ⅲ/20 affairs moved so slowly it took years before anything got done.
“事动经年然后得过。”“事”指文书，非事务。参看《魏晋南北朝史札记·南史》。“经年”非多年。
It often took a year or so to have any document handled.
Ⅳ/1 (1) Whenever he passed any mountain or stream he would take in it's aspect in a single glance, never forgetting any of it to the end of his life.
“每经历山川，及接颜一见，皆终身不忘。”“接颜”谓与人晤面，与经历山川并列，言两者皆终身不忘。译文混为一事，遂不可通。
Whenever he passed any mountain or stream and met any people even for once, he would never forget to the end of his life.
(2) despoiling a great man.
“贼夫人之子”，语出《论语·先进》，意为委巷之言为害于青年——harmful to the young men，译文误解为有害于马融。
Ⅳ/5 barely finished editing
“撰四本论始毕”，“撰”应为writing．
Ⅳ/6 Do you care to raise any objections?
“可得复难不？”
Is it possible for you to raise any objections again?
Ⅳ/24 working on grand schemes and intrigues.
“大修计校”。“计校”一词不易解，译文亦不知所云。田余庆教授《东晋门阀政治》104页引《世说》此条，有注云：计，计簿；校，校实。“大修计校”当谓大聚甲兵钱谷诸事。《三国志·魏志·崔琰传》曹操领冀州牧，“校计、甲兵”，《太平御览》卷二六引此，作“计校甲兵”。据此则“计校”与甲兵相关联，计盖指计数即清点，校盖指检查，姑试译为to examine and make an inventory of the armament on a large scate.
Ⅹ/10 little boy
“小郎”即今语小叔——husband's younger brother，译文误。
ⅩⅨ/4 went to farther.
“因不复前”。“前”指见面，非前后之意。参看《魏晋南北朝史札记·晋书》。
thereapon she no longer wanted to see him.
1990年夏返北京后，得读唐异明《评世说新语英译本》，载《读书》1986年第2期。嗣又得知，中国广播电视出版社曾出版《梁实秋读书札记》，其中亦有文评马氏译本。附记于此，以供海内外嗜读临川之书者参考。
此稿中之英文翻译承北京大学王岷源教授审核，谨致谢忱。
1992年6月4日写成
（原载《国学研究》第一卷）