模糊性：语言的共性及其审美价值

模糊性是自然语言的一种客观属性，其内涵较之精确语言具有更多的暗示性、蕴含性、妥贴性、独创性、简洁性、音乐性等特点，因而有更高的审美价值。

中国人对模糊美感的追求，与民族偏于内向的性格特点和审美心理习惯有关。但是，喜好含蓄并非我们民族所特有，作为性格比较外向的西方民族并不排斥模糊和含蓄。西方文学艺术也不乏以模糊和含蓄见长的优秀作品。海明威提出过所谓的“冰山原则”，至于西方象征主义诗人特别是意象派诗人则更是倡导象征、暗示与意象，反对明说和直陈。模糊，乃语言之共性。如：

One cannot see too many summer sunrises on the Mississippi. They are enchanting. First, there is the eloquence of silence; for a sleep hush broods everywhere. Next, there is the haunting sense of loneliness, isolation, remoteness from the worry and bustle of the World. The dawn creeps in stealthily; the solid walls of the black forest soften to gray, and the vast stretches of the river open up and reveal themselves; the water is glass-smooth, gives off spectral little wreaths of white-mist, there is not the faintest breath of wind, nor stir of leaf; the tranquility is profound and infinitely satisfying.

密西西比河夏天的日出真是百看不厌，让人神往。起先，万籁俱寂，静谧笼罩一切；接着，寂寞、孤独、还有远离尘嚣的之感萦绕于怀，挥之不去。晨曦微露，郁郁葱葱，色泽深暗的树林渐渐呈现灰色，宽广的密西西比河撩起了面纱，容貌渐露。江面上，水波不兴，白雾袅袅，萦纡迷离，风静而枝闲，恬谧深沉，令人心旷神怡。

上段景物描写，堪称经典。细细比读，我们会觉察，无论原文，还是译文，皆多模糊词汇！原文美，而译文佳。试比较：

the eloquence of silence→万籁俱寂

a sleep hush broods everywhere→静谧笼罩一切

the haunting sense→（感觉）萦绕于怀，挥之不去

the black forest soften to gray→深暗的树林渐渐呈现灰色

gives off spectral little wreaths of white-mist→白雾袅袅，萦纡迷离

英语原句描写密西西比河的黎明，文笔极富文采，遣词空灵，运笔朦胧。大概是其最大特色。eloquence（雄辩）居然与silence（寂静）搭配。动词broods的主语竟然是hush，非常规之搭配也！haunting sense又是一种怎样的sense呢？谁也说不清，谁也道不明也。black forest soften to gray，动词soften之妙，也许只可意会。spectral little wreaths的直译，就足以让读者头晕，其直译是：光谱般的圈状物。对于这些空灵的遣词，朦胧的运笔，汉译也未示弱：或文言今用，于古朴典雅中绘写意境；或文采斐然，于写意泼墨中白描情愫！

我们再来看一个汉语例子：

两岸的豆麦和河底的水草所发散出来的清香，夹杂在水气中扑面的吹来；月色便朦胧在这水气里。淡黑的起伏的连山，仿佛是踊跃的铁的兽脊似的，都远远的向船尾跑去了，但我却还以为船慢。他们换了四回手，渐望见依稀的赵庄，而且似乎听到歌吹了，还有几点火，料想便是戏台，但或者也许是渔火。(www.xing528.com)

那声音大概是横笛，宛转，悠扬，使我的心也沉静，然而又自失起来，觉得要和他弥散在含着豆麦蕴藻之香的夜气里。（鲁迅《社戏》）

The scent of beans, wheat and water-weeds wafted towards us through the mist, and the moonlight shone faintly through it. Distant grey hills, undulating like the backs of some leaping iron beasts, seemed to be racing past the stern of our boat; but I still felt our progress was slow. When the oarsmen had changed shifts four times, we began to make out the faint outline of Chaochuang and to catch the sound of singing and music. There were several lights too, which we guessed must be on the stage unless they were fishermen's lights.

The music was probably fluting. Eddying round and round and up and down, it soothed me and set me dreaming at the same time, till I felt as though I was about to drift far away with it through the night air heavy with the scent of beans, wheat and river-weeds.

作者坐在船上，背景又是夜晚，自然不能完全看清两岸的景物。作者就使用了一系列带模糊概念的词语，这种带模糊概念的词语又被称为模糊附加词（或模糊限制语），而英语也并不缺乏此类模糊概念词。试比较：

月色便朦胧在这水气里→the moonlight shone faintly through it.

仿佛是踊跃的铁的兽脊似的→like the backs of some leaping iron beasts

渐望见依稀的赵庄→to make out the faint outline of Chaochuang

料想便是戏台→which we guessed must be on the stage

或者也许是渔火→unless they were fishermen's lights

此对比告诉我们：英语和汉语，除了上例所表现的所谓“遣词空灵，运笔朦胧”的相似点之外，另一个具有共性意义的也许在于模糊附加词（或模糊限制语）的使用。所谓模糊附加词是指附加在意义明确的表达式之前从而使本来意义精确的概念变得模糊的词语。

“模糊性是语言的一种属性，人的思维能力是相当发达的，而表示概念的语言成分则是相当有限的。”^〔17〕如自然中的颜色丰富多彩，而在汉语中我们有赤、橙、黄、绿、青、蓝、紫等有限几个概念词。因为现实中的事物与现象本来就不是完全非此即彼的，当人们去描写这些事物与现象时，所使用的语言成分自然具有相应的不确定性，因而只有借助于模糊限制语才能使表达中庸得体。