《Three Kingdoms》，罗贯中著，翻译Moss Roberts，936页
O so vast, O so mighty,
The Great River rolls to sea,
Flowers do waves thrash,
Heroes do sands smash,
When all the dreams drain,
Same are loss and gain.
Green mountains remain,
Under pink sunsets,
Hoary fishers and woodcutters,
Along the banks, find calm water,
In autumn moon or in spring wind,
By the wine jars, fill porcelain.
Discuss talk and tale,
Only laugh and gale...
泰国人认为，《三国演义》读过三遍以上者不可以与之交朋友，言下之意老罗这部奇书能教人很多近乎诡的智慧。然而在中国，我们问别人这部书的时候不是问“你读过没有？”，而是“你读过几遍？”怪不得在国内经常被人算计，因为很多同胞都读过好几次！幸好，我这是读第二遍，而且别出心裁地去北大图书馆弄来2004年重新修订的英文版。这样我的智慧不至于和国人相差太远，还能成为大家可以放心的朋友！
GRE背词过程中读的正好是《Three Kingdoms》（《三国演义》英文版），连续找到背景。和其它原著的情况类似，英文版三国里析出的生词中本来有60％以上是GRE词汇；现在反过来，先用电子词典搜捕词汇书的生词，再回到原著，也左右逢源。
第578页，徐晃对关羽道：……Yet well and fondly do I remember the lusty years of our companionship, when I gained much from your tutelage.” （忆昔壮年相从，多蒙教诲，感谢不忘。）讲完这些虚情假意的话，徐晃就抡大斧砍过来了，把关云长逼上绝路——这个“教诲”是够可以的。
关羽死了，下一章就到曹操，有篇《邺中歌》（第595页）叹到：“……But in decline he whined as any child. He can fight no more; fate ordains his lot.”（霸王降作儿女鸣，无可奈何中不平）。
第646页：“They had Nanjun surrounded when ambushers inside, led by Lu Xun and outside, led by Zhuge Jin, closed in and decimated them.”（曹真、夏侯尚围了南郡，被陆逊伏兵于内，诸葛瑾伏兵于外，内外夹攻，因此大败。）这里则看出翻译者对战争残酷性的认识：大量杀死。
第661页，关索道：“Since escaping the Jingzhou catastrophe, I’ve been recuperating at Bao Hamlet.”（自荆州失陷，逃难在鲍家庄养病。）
第846页，上演姜维接箭射杀郭淮的惊险一幕：“As he fled, the arrows dropped, leaving his quiver empty.”（维手无器械，腰间止有一副弓箭，走得慌忙，箭皆落了，只有空壶。）
例子实在多不胜数。想到俞校长在其“红宝书”的序言中提及他当年读三国来放松自我，被老婆鞭策之后转为背GRE单词。现在我发现，如果读的是英文版的话，三国和GRE其实并不矛盾！
Moss Roberts作为纽约大学的中文教授，对汉学的造诣让我们普通的中国读者自愧不如，因为他对中国古代的制度有相当研究，还附录了一个表，详细说明太守是什么什么，行军司马又如何如何――看了这些英文解释，我才第一次对这些自以为很懂的术语有了认识。
尤其对书中翻成英文的三国名言感兴趣，边看边记到手机上，常常发给别人看懂不懂。不妨考考大家这些名言是什么：
A general in the field may refuse his lord's command.（不听话还有天大的借口）
Attack the unprepared; strike where unexpected.（兵法基本常识）
Beauties whose faces would make fish forget to swim or bird to fly, abash the very blossoms and outshine the moon.（发给你的女朋友吧，哄晕她）
Better to wrong the world than have it wrong me.（我在维也纳向欧洲的心理治疗师讲述了这个血腥的故事，讲到这句三国第一名言时，洋人们不寒而栗！我还加了一句CAO CAO IS MY HERO!）
Broad consultation makes one wise; one-sided consideration makes one blind.（进谏是好事，但碰上暴君，马上把你推出去behead）
Brothers are like arms and legs; wives and children are merely garments that can always be mended.（这句话揭露了刘备同志的极端大男子主义！）
Effective medicine is bitter to the mouth but remedies diseases. Loyal words offend the ear but benefit one's conduct.（中药苦苦的，很多不明成分在里头，很危险，质疑这句！）
Floods are met with earthworks and enemy generals with and army.（8个字）
How could one cup of water put out a cartload of burning wood?（四字成语）
If an evil is minor, resist it nonetheless. If a good deed is trifling, perform it all the same.（刘备入选教科书和的名言）
Intolerance of trifles ruins great plans.（说得好！司马懿和小平都做到了）
Know the enemy, know yourself, never know defeat.（老孙的千古名言）
Only through austerity and quiescence can one's purpose shine forth; only through concentration and self-control can one's distant goal be reached.（翻译难度很大，境界确实很高！）
Plans evolved within the tent decides victories a thousand li away.（酷！）
Ruining a perfect picture of a snake by adding paws.（儿童学的成语）
Sparrows in the eaves unaware that the mansion is about to burn down.（文绉绉的）
Strangers never come before relatives.（纪灵这个笨脑瓜居然也想到这条诡计）
The court trains its troops for a thousand days though they be used but a single time.（激励员工必备）
The liege's grief is the vassal's shame. The liege's shame is the vassal's death.（修辞很有气势！）
The wise bird chooses the tree it'll nest on, the wise vassal the lord he will serve.（评书中的老生常谈，策反必备）
There's no time to cover the ears after thunder peals.（给下载工具作广告了）
To get the cubs, go to the tiger's lair.（有违野生动物保护条例）
Victory and defeat are commonplace to the master of warfare.（心理咨询必备）
When a dragon's in a ditch, the shrimp will tease it; when a phoenix enters the coop, the hens will mock it.（人生总有失意时，关二哥也不例外）
Whoever recognizes the exigencies of occasion is a paragon of men.（听完这句话之后很多人物都会做蠢事，小心）
BTW，在
http://www.threekingdoms.com/上有C. H. Brewitt-Taylor翻译的在线版
