来看一首唐朝诗人李商隐的名作《锦瑟》:

　　锦瑟无端五十弦,一弦一柱思华年。

　　庄生晓梦迷蝴蝶,望帝春心托杜鹃。

　　沧海月明珠有泪,蓝田日暖玉生烟。

　　此情可待成追忆,只是当时已惘然。

　　对这首诗,爱诗的人无不乐道喜吟,堪称最享盛名;然而它又是作者意图最不明了的一首诗。自宋元以来,揣测纷纷,莫衷一是。对于这种原作意图不明,从而有多种解读可能的作品,译者应采用语义翻译原则,将这种表达型的文学作品较为忠实地加以传达。张隆溪先生曾提供过一份基本采用直译手法的译文:

　　The patterned lute , for no reason , has fifty strings ;

　　Each string , each fret , recalls the prime years.

　　Zhuangzi in his morning dream was puzzled by thebutterfly ;

　　Emperor Wang entrusted to the cuckoo his springpassion ;

　　Over the vast sea the moon shines , pearls are shedding tears ;

　　On Blue Fields the sun warms , a smoke rises fromthe jade.

　　This mood might have been a thing to be remembered ;

　　But even then , it was already vague and lost .