李清照（1084-？）号易安居士，济南（今属山东）人。幼有才藻，十八岁适金石家赵 明诚，夫妇感情甚笃。南渡后，赵明诚病故，她颠沛流离于江浙皖赣一带，在 孤寂中度过晚年。她工诗能文，诗尤为宋代大家，前期词多写闺情相思，后期 词融入家国之恨与身世之感，风格顿变。她兼擅令慢，每能创意出奇，以经过 提炼的口语表达其独特真切的感受，形成辛弃疾所称道的“易安体”。李清照是宋代著名的女词人，婉约派的代表人物，《声声慢》为其后期的一首名作，历来为人所推崇。《历朝名媛诗词》云:“玩其笔力，本自矫拔，词家少有，庶几苏、辛之亚。”《花草新编》曰“超然笔墨蹊径之外。岂独闺韩，士林中不多见也。”声声慢之英译文虽亦时有所见，其中却以徐忠杰、林语堂、杨宪益夫妇和许渊冲 (以下简称徐、林、杨、许)的译文尤具代表性。本文旨在对四大名家的四种译文进行比较欣赏的同时，能对同好在中诗 (词)英译的创造性工作时有所助益。
寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚。
乍暖还寒时候，难将息。
三杯两盏淡酒，怎敌他、晚来风急?
雁过也，正伤心、却是旧时相识。
满地黄花堆积，憔悴损、而今有谁堪摘?
守着窗儿，独自怎生得黑?
梧桐更兼细雨，到黄昏、点点滴滴。
这次第，怎一个愁字了得!
徐中杰译本：
I've a sense of something missing I must seek.
Everything about me looks dismal and bleak.
Nothing that gives me pleasure, I can find.
Even the weather has proved most unkind.
It is warm, but abruptly it turns cold again.
An unbroken rest most difficult to. obtain.
Three cups of thin wine would utterly fail.
To cope with the rising evening gale.
Myself, into woe, a flight of wild geese has thrown.
But with them, very familiar I have grown.
About the ground, cluysandiernums are bestrewn.
Gathering into heaps--bruised---withering soon.
With myself in utter misery and gloom,
Who cares to save them from their approaching doom?
Standing by the window-watching in anguish stark,
Could I bear alone the sight until it is dark?
Against the tung and plane trees, the wind rises high.
The drizzle becomes trickles, as even draws nigh.
How, in the word "Miserable", can one find-
The total effects of all these on the mind!