作者：王曉輝

《三國演義》的前幾章中，大英雄們的事業剛剛起步，官職都很低。劉備一介白丁，自費招兵買馬，參與鎮壓黃巾起義，雖然立了功，但因為沒有背景，只得到了定州中山府安喜縣尉一個低微的官職，又因為張飛動手打了朝廷派出的巡視員，連這個小官也沒保住。后來，經公孫瓚的舉薦，才當上了平原縣令。據《三國志·蜀書·先主傳》記載，打人的不是張飛，而是劉備本人“直入縛督郵，杖二百，解綬系其頸著馬枊，棄官亡命”。《三國演義》的作者羅貫中為了塑造劉備仁義的形象，將這一節改成了“張翼德怒鞭督郵”，打人的“鍋”就由張飛背了。

東漢末年，貴族門閥勢力強大，加之宦官當權，朝綱渙散，如果沒有背景，再有才能，也很難出人頭地。劉備尚且如此，關羽和張飛就更不用說了，只能在劉備身邊充當馬弓手和步弓手。

秦漢時的縣令是地方首席行政長官，縣尉則是縣令的佐官，負責治安、法制，相當于今天的公安局長。縣令的英文是Magistrate，縣尉可以譯成Judicial Officer。馬弓手和步弓手實際上就是普通士兵，但縣衙門里的弓手還不是真正意義上的弓箭手，而是維持治安的基層工作人員，相當于今天的派出所的“片兒警”。羅慕士教授采用了字面意義的翻譯方法，將“馬弓手”和“步弓手”分別譯為“mounted archer”和“standing archer”。

關羽和張飛雖然只是弓手，但剛一出道，就是大將風范。北平太守公孫瓚第一次見到關張二人，即為其儀表和氣勢所吸引，當聽劉備介紹關羽為馬弓手、張飛為步弓手時，公孫瓚嘆道：“如此可謂埋沒英雄（A waste of talent）！”機緣巧合，沒過幾天，身為馬弓手的關羽就上演了一出精彩的戲碼——“溫酒斬華雄”。

《三國演義》第五回，“發矯詔諸鎮應曹公，破關兵三英戰呂布”。十八路諸侯討伐董卓，卻被董卓部將華雄連斬數將。正在大家不知所措的時候，階下一人叫道：“小將愿往斬華雄頭，獻于帳下！”眾視之，見其人身長九尺，髯長二尺，丹鳳眼，臥蠶眉，面如重棗，聲如巨鐘，立于帳前。紹問何人。公孫瓚曰：“此劉玄德之弟關羽也。”紹問現居何職。瓚曰：“跟隨劉玄德充馬弓手。”帳上袁術大喝曰：“汝欺吾眾諸侯無大將耶？量一弓手，安敢亂言！與我打出！”曹操急止之曰：“公路息怒。此人既出大言，必有勇略；試教出馬，如其不勝，責之未遲。”袁紹曰：“使一弓手出戰，必被華雄所笑。”操曰：“此人儀表不俗，華雄安知他是弓手？”關公曰：“如不勝，請斬某頭。”操教釃熱酒一杯，與關公飲了上馬。關公曰：“酒且斟下，某去便來。”出帳提刀，飛身上馬。眾諸侯聽得關外鼓聲大振，喊聲大舉，如天摧地塌，岳撼山崩，眾皆失驚。正欲探聽，鸞鈴響處，馬到中軍，云長提華雄之頭，擲于地上。其酒尚溫。

羅貫中不愧是講故事的高手。三國故事能夠家喻戶曉，關羽、張飛、趙云、諸葛亮的形象能夠深入人心，與羅貫中高超的藝術手法有著直接的關系。原文不到250個漢字，卻容納了關羽、曹操、公孫瓚、袁紹、袁術五個人的對話和驚心動魄的搏殺，關公的豪邁英武、曹操的慧眼識人、袁術的狹隘暴躁和袁紹的死要面子都展現得淋漓盡致。整段文字中沒有一個字講關羽武藝如何高強，打斗如何激烈，只用天摧地塌、岳撼山崩的鼓聲和吶喊烘托氣氛；整個戰斗過程都是虛寫，只有兩樣東西寫得實實在在——地上的人頭和桌上的熱酒！

我們再來看看羅慕士的譯文：

At that, a voice from the back boomed, "I offer to present Hua Xiong's head to you personally."

The assembled lords turned to the speaker, a man over nine spans, with a great beard flowing from rich ruddy cheeks. His eyes were like those of the crimson-faced phoenix, his voice like a tolling bell. He fixed his eyes directly on the audience. "Who is this man?" demanded Shao. "Guan Yu, sworn brother of Xuande," answered Gongsun Zan. "His position?" asked Shao. "Mounted archer under Xuande," was the reply. At that, the war-ruler's brother, Yuan Shu, burst out, "Are you trying to insult us? A mere archer! Have we no more commanders? What nonsense! Get him out of here!" But Cao Cao checked Yuan Shu: "Pray, hold your temper. This man has made his boast. He can't be a coward. Now let him make it good. You'll have plenty of time to condemn him if he fails." "But to send out an archer!" Yuan Shao said. "Hua Xiong will laugh in his sleeve!" "He doesn't look like an ordinary soldier," Cao Cao replied. "How is Hua Xiong going to know?" Finally, Lord Guan spoke: "If I fail, my head is yours."

Cao Cao had a draft of wine heated for Lord Guan before he mounted. "Pour it," said the warrior," and set it aside for me. I'll be back shortly." He leaped to his horse, gripped his weapon, and was gone. The assembly of lords heard the rolling of drums and the clamor of voices outside the pass, and it seemed as if the heavens would split open and the earth buckle, as if the hills were shaking and the mountains moving. The terror-struck assembly was about to make inquiry when the jingling of bridle bells announced Lord Guan's return. He entered the tent and tossed Hua Xiong's head, freshly severed, on the ground. His wine was still warm.

羅慕士的翻譯同樣精彩。譯文的字數與原文大致相當，甚至還要少上十幾二十個字。對話部分簡單緊湊，突出了陣前的緊張氣氛。最值得我們體味的是結尾的部分的翻譯：“眾皆失驚。正欲探聽，鸞鈴響處，馬到中軍，云長提華雄之頭，擲于地上。”羅慕士將“鸞鈴響處，馬到中軍”譯成了一個狀語從句，(The terror-struck assembly was about to make inquiry) when the jingling of bridle bells announced Lord Guan's return，處理得絲絲入扣，平滑自然。“云長提華雄之頭，擲于地上”，羅慕士譯為“He entered the tent and tossed Hua Xiong's head, freshly severed, on the ground.”譯文中加上了“freshly severed”，意思是“新切下來的”。又不是推銷生魚刺身，為什么要強調freshly severed？我有些疑惑。如果是為了表示關公斬華雄干凈利落，前面有關公“出帳提刀，飛身上馬”，后面有“其酒尚溫”，已經說得非常清楚了。也許譯者是為了讓譯文更加生動吧？

十八路諸侯討伐董卓以失敗告終，原因很簡單，烏合之眾，各懷異心。曹操曾寫過一首五言古體詩《蒿里行》，明確道出了討伐失敗的原因：“軍合力不齊，躊躇而雁行。勢利使人爭，嗣還自相戕。”諸侯用兵，讓本就處在動蕩之中的東漢政權分崩離析，但接下來的亂世，也為劉備、曹操、孫權以及關羽、張飛、諸葛亮、周瑜這些英雄豪杰提供了施展才干的舞臺。

“溫酒斬華雄”和隨后的“三英戰呂布”，確立了劉關張兄弟在諸侯中的地位。經過多年征戰，劉備取得了荊州、益州和漢中，于221年建立蜀漢，成為一代帝王。關羽溫酒斬華雄之后，又誅殺顏良、文丑，過五關斬六將，取長沙，水淹七軍，一路戰功赫赫。當年的馬弓手，位列為五虎大將（關、張、趙、馬、黃）之首，逐漸成了“戰神”。