辛弃疾的《青玉案·元夕》一词脍炙人口。英文翻译有很多。最著名的非许渊冲老先生翻译的版本莫属了。许渊冲----诗译英法唯一人 ，北京大学教授，翻译家。在国内外出版中、英、法文著译六十本，包括《诗经》、《楚辞》、《李白诗选》、《西厢记》、《红与黑》、《包法利夫人》、《追忆似水年华》等中外名著，是有史以来将中国历代诗词译成英、法韵文的唯一专家。1999年被提名为诺贝尔文学奖候选人。
青玉案·元夕
(宋)辛弃疾
东风夜放花千树，更吹落，星如雨。
宝马雕车香满路，凤萧声动，壶光转，一夜鱼龙舞 。
蛾儿雪柳黄金缕，笑语盈盈暗香去。
众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首，那人却在，灯火阑珊处。
“上元”，“元夕”，指的都是“元宵节”。辛弃疾的这首《青玉案》，描绘了在元夕灯火中等寻情人的情景，是稼轩词中为数很少的涉及爱情的作品之一。
辛弃疾的《青玉案·元夕》一词脍炙人口。英文翻译有很多。我们选出三个相对优秀的英译版本，简单地评论一下，看看是否能找出其中最好的一篇。
三篇译文，都比其它译文简洁，流畅，有诗意，而且比较忠实于辛公原作。音韵上，三篇中许译和U译都押韵，念起来很有音乐感。陶译基本上不押韵，念起来比较平淡。
文字上，各有千秋。例如雕车一词，许译直接用雕车(carved cabs)，U译用香车(scented chariots)，陶译用华车，装饰华丽的车 (ornate carriages ) 。这一词，许译比较忠实于原来文字。宝马的马字，许译和U译用英语诗中常用的马字(steeds)，比较好。而陶译则用普通的马字(horses)。
凤箫一词，U译用( Phoenix-cooing flutes)最好，有凤之形和凤之声。Cooing 是鸟类的鸪鸪声，也可以是人类的喁喁情话。想像一下，凤箫声动，发出如鸟鸣，如情话之声，多么美。许译只简单地用箫(flute)一字，没有译凤字。陶译则用神奇的箫(magic flute)代替,也没有用凤字。
玉壶一词，U译和陶译都是译成玉壶 (jade pot, jade urn)。比较符合原作之意。许译成月亮，虽然有此一说，但是与原作之意不甚贴切。因为据周密《武林旧事。元夕》：“灯之品极多，。。福州所进，则纯用白玉，晃耀夺目，如清水玉壶。。。”。所以玉壶应该就是白玉雕饰的灯。
暗香一词，U译成浮香(fragrance floating)，说出香的形态而没有说是微淡的香。陶译成幽香(subtle perfume), 许译成缕香(trials of scents)都很好。但是，如果根据林和靖咏梅诗：“疏影横斜水清浅，暗香浮动月黄昏。”则暗香的形态可以是浮动的。因此，如果U译加一字，改成暗香浮动(faint fragrance floating)，就贴切了。
“暗香去”的去字，U译和陶译用过去(passing, gone)不及许译用融入(melts into)好。
“蓦然回首”一词中的蓦然，陶译比较简单，只用偶然(perchance )一字， U译用匆匆一瞥(only on a glance)，两者都未能表达出蓦然一词中有突然的意思。许译成突然(when all at once), 最贴切了。
由上可见，诗词的英文翻译要做到简洁，流畅，有韵律，有诗意，贴切，忠实于原作，并不容易。
The Lantern Festival Night - to the tune of Green Jade Table
by Xin Qiji
(1)许渊冲、许明译，简称许译
One night's east wind adorns a thousand trees with flowers
And blows down stars in showers.
Fine steeds and carved cabs spread fragrance en route;
Music vibrates from the flute;
The moon sheds its full light
While fish and dragon lanterns dance all night.
In gold-thread dress, with moth or willow ornaments,
Giggling, she melts into the throng with trails of scents
But in the crowd once and again
I look for her in vain.
When all at once I turn my head,
I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed.
(2)译者U君，简称U译
The east wind at night has flowered a thousand trees,
Bringing showers of glowing stars down streets,
Fleeting our scented chariots and stately steeds.
Phoenix-cooing flutes resounding,
Jade-pot-flashing lanterns revolving,
Dolphins and dragons are dancing away--
All night long it’s bright as day.
See the grain moths silvern, the tassels golden?
See the snow-clad willow twigs of the maidens
Passing with laughter gurgling, fragrance floating?
Far and near, among the crowds surging,
Tens of thousands of rounds for one I’ve been searching;
Only on a glance cast backward do I behold:
There she is, where lights are burning so low!
(3)温哥华陶先生译，简称陶译
Night lights a thousand trees in bloom
A shower of stars blown
By the east wind
Ornate carriages drawn by gallant horses
Filled the boulevards with a sweet fragrance
Voice of the magic flute flowing
Luster of the jade white urn turning
All night the fishes and the dragons danced
Butterflies, willows, charms of gold
Gone -- that angelic laughter, that subtle perfume
In the crowds for her I’d searched a thousand times
Perchance I turned
And there she was
Where lights were few and dim
