玄德来到庄前下马，亲叩柴门，一童出问。玄德曰：“汉左将军宜城亭侯领豫州牧皇叔刘备特来拜见先生。”童子曰：“我记不得许多名字。”玄德曰：“你只说刘备来访。”童子曰：“先生今早已出。”玄德曰：“何处去了？”童子曰：“踪迹不定，不知何处去了。”玄德曰：“几时归？”童子曰：“归期亦不定，或三五日，或十数日。”

      玄德惆怅不已。张飞曰：“既不见，自归去罢了。”玄德曰：“且待片时。”云长曰：“不如且归，再使人来探听。”玄德从其言，嘱付童子：“如先生回，可言刘备拜访。”遂上马，行数里，勒马回观隆中景物，果然山不高而秀雅，水不深而澄清；地不广而平坦，林不大而茂盛。

      三人回至新野，过了数日，玄德使人探听孔明。回报曰：“卧龙先生已回矣。”玄德便教备马。张飞曰：“量一村夫，何必哥哥自去？可使人唤来便了。”玄德叱曰：“汝岂不闻孟子云：‘欲见贤而不以其道，犹欲其入而闭之门也。’孔明当世大贤，岂可召乎？”遂上马再往访孔明。关、张亦乘马相随。

      时值隆冬，天气严寒，彤云密布。行无数里，忽然朔风凛凛，瑞雪霏霏；山如玉簇，林似银床。张飞曰：“天寒地冻，尚不用兵，岂宜远见无益之人乎？不如回新野以避风雪。”玄德曰：“吾正欲使孔明知我殷勤之意。如弟辈怕冷，可先回去。”飞曰：“死且不怕，岂怕冷乎？但恐哥哥空劳神思。”玄德曰：“勿多言，只相随同去。”将近茅庐，忽闻路旁酒店中有人作歌。玄德立马听之。

      玄德暗忖曰：“卧龙其在此间乎？”遂下马入店。见二人凭桌对饮，上首者白面长须，下首者清奇古貌。玄德揖而问曰：“二公谁是卧龙先生？”长须者曰：“公何人？欲寻卧龙何干？”玄德曰：“某乃刘备也。欲访先生，求济世安民之术。”长须者曰：“吾等非卧龙，皆卧龙之友也。吾乃颍川石广元，此位是汝南孟公威。”广元曰：“吾等皆山野慵懒之徒，不省治国安民之事，不劳下问。明公请自上马，寻访卧龙。”

      玄德乃辞二人，上马投卧龙冈来；到庄前下马，扣门问童子曰：“先生今日在庄否？”童子曰：“现在堂上读书。”玄德大喜，遂跟童子而入。至中门，只见门上大书一联云：“淡泊以明志，宁静而致远。”玄德正看间，忽闻一少年吟咏之声。

      玄德上草堂施礼曰：“备久慕先生，无缘拜会。昨因徐元直称荐，敬至仙庄，不遇空回。今特冒风雪而来，得瞻道貌，实为万幸！”那少年慌忙答礼曰：“将军莫非刘豫州，欲见家兄否？”玄德惊讶曰：“先生又非卧龙耶？”少年曰：“某乃卧龙之弟诸葛均也。愚兄弟三人，长兄诸葛瑾，现在江东孙仲谋处为幕宾。孔明乃二家兄。”玄德曰：“卧龙今在家否？”均曰：“昨为崔州平相约，出外闲游去矣。”玄德曰：“何处闲游？”均曰：“或驾小舟，游于江湖之中；或访僧道于山岭之上；或寻朋友于村落之间；或乐琴棋于洞府之内；往来莫测，不知去所。”玄德曰：“刘备直如此缘分浅薄，两番不遇大贤！”均曰：“少坐献茶。”张飞曰：“那先生既不在，请哥哥上马。”玄德曰：“我既到此间，如何无一语而回？”因问诸葛均曰：“闻令兄卧龙先生熟谙韬略，日看兵书，可得闻乎？”均曰：“不知。”张飞曰：“问他则甚！风雪甚紧，不如早归。”

作者：王榆阳  中国农业大学

Liu Xuande arrived at the retreat, dismounted, and knocked on the wood-made door. A lad came out. Xuande said: “I’m Liu Bei, General of the Han Dynasty, Lord of Yicheng, Governor of Yuzhou, Uncle of the Emperor. I’m here to visit Master Zhuge.”

The lad said: “I can’t remember so many titles.”

“Then just say Liu Bei comes to see him.”

“The master went out early this morning.”

“Whither has he gone?”

“His whereabouts remain a mystery. I don’t know whither he’s gone.”

“When will he come back?”

“It’s unknown as well. Perhaps in three days, perhaps in ten days.”

Xuande sank in deep disappointment.

“Let’s go. He is not going to see us.” Zhang Fei said.

“Wait a moment.” Xuande insisted.

Yunchang suggested: “We’d better return now and later send someone to deliver the latest news.”

Xuande nodded, leaving a message to the lad: “If the master returns home, please tell him that Liu Bei has paid a visit.”

Having rode for several miles, they reined in the horses, looking back during the pause. Longzhong was indeed what people has described. Mountains were not mighty but picturesque; waters were not deep but clear; the land was not expansive but level; woods were not large but lush.

Several days after they returned to Xinye, Xuande sent someone to inquire about Kongming and was told that Master Wolong had returned, which drove him to get the horse saddled at once.

“Just a vulgar, why bother like this? Brother, you can send for him.” Zhangfei said puzzled.

Xuande lectured angrily: “You should have known what great Mencius has said: ‘To see a sage, you have to follow his way as a sage; otherwise, it’s no different from inviting him in with all doors barred.’ Kongming is the greatest sage of the day. How can we summon him in such an abrupt manner?” Then he again rode to visit Kongming, followed by his two brothers Yuchang and Zhang Fei.

It was the dead of the winter, extremely cold. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky. It’s not long before they went much far that the north winds began to blow chilly, subsequently a heavy snow. Soon the mountains were covered with jade of snow and the trees were hidden beneath a sliver blanket.

“It’s too cold to deploy troops,” Zhang Fei doubted, “Do we really have to suffer so much to seek for some worthless words? We’d better go back to Xinye to shelter from the blizzard.”

“But this is how I show my eagerness to Kongming,” Xuande argued, “If my brother you can’t bear the cold, you can go back first.”

Zhang Fei replied: “I don’t even fear death, let alone mere cold. I’m simply concerned that it may be a waste of time and energy for you, my dear brother.”

“So be it. Just go with me,” said Xuande.

When approaching the retreat, they heard a voice sing out from a wayside inn. Xuande stopped, thought for a while and spoke to himself: “Is it where Master Wolong live?” Then he dismounted and entered the inn. Two men were sitting opposite at the table, drinking. One with a fair complexion wore a long beard; the other looked unusually quaint. Xuande made a respectful bow and asked: “May I know which of you is Master Wolong?”

The bearded man wondered: “Who are you? Why are you looking for Wolong?”

Xuande answered: “I’m Liu Bei. I wish that Master Wolong could enlighten me on how to benefit society where people live happily.”

“Neither of us is Wolong; we are both his friends. I’m Shi Guangyuan from Yingchuan. And this is Meng Gongwei from Runan,” the bearded man added, “We are just idle men killing time in the wilds, knowing nothing about your inquiry. Don’t spend time on us any more. You’d better mount now and seek Wolong for the answer.”

Xuande waved farewells to the two men and headed for the Wolong Ridge. Dismounting before the retreat, Xuande knocked on the door and asked the lad: “Is Master at home today?”

“Master is reading in the hall.”

Seized by a burst of ecstasy, Xuande followed the lad in. On the middle door he saw a pair of scrolls which wrote:

By Purity Seek Ideals

In Peace Travel Far  

While savoring these words, Xuande heard a young man read aloud.

Then he entered the hall and saluted: “Master Wolong, though having long heard of and admired you, I’m not fortunate enough to ask after you. Yesterday, on the recommendation of Xu Yuanzhi, I hastened to your dwelling but returned with a pity. Today, braving the elements to pay another visit, I could eventually see your face. To be honest, I’m dead lucky!”

“General, you must be Liu Bei of Yuzhou who wishes to see my brother,” the young man stood up and saluted back in a flurry.

“Then Master you are not Wolong?” Xuande said, startled.

The young man replied: “I’m Zhuge Jun, Wolong’s younger brother. We have a elderly brother, Zhuge Jin, who now serves as an advisor of Sun Quan in the South Land. Kongming is the second in the family.”

“So is Master Wolong at home?” Xuande asked.

“Yesterday Cui Zhouping invited him out, and now they two may hang out somewhere.”

“Where have they gone?”

“They may row a boat in the midst of a lake, or visit a hermit monk or Taoist among the mountains, or look for friends between villages, or play chess or the zither in a divine cave. Their whereabouts is mysterious.”

Xuande sighed: “What poor luck I have! I’ve missed Master twice!”

“Please sit for a while. Let me serve you with the tea.” Jun said.

“Now that Master is not home, my brother you might mount.” Zhang Fei said bluntly.

“Since we are now here, why not have some talk before going back?” Xuande suggested.

So he turned to Zhuge Jun and continued: “I’ve heard that your admirable brother Master Wolong is expert in finesse and tactics and reads works on war daily. Can you share something with us?”

Jun said: “Sorry, I don’t know.”

Zhang Fei grumbled: “There is no use in asking him! We should leave before the snow blows even heavier.”

译文基本忠实完整地再现了原文，语言连贯流畅，基本没有大的语法错误，句式和用词灵活，可读性较强。排版美观，标点符号使用规范。值得称赞的是，这名译员将对话按照现代读者的阅读习惯进行段落重构，读来更为友好。对对联“宁静以致远，淡泊以明志“的排版布局，也独具匠心，效果颇佳，体现了良好的读者意识。不过疑问也存在以下两点不足：一、三顾茅庐里面蕴含了丰富的文化历史背景信息，这些对国外的英语读者来说，是主要的阅读障碍。翻译此类作品，注意适当添加注释，帮助译文读者理解原作。二、诸葛亮在国内妇孺皆知，在汉语中孔明、卧龙、诸葛交替使用，也无混乱。但译成英文，时而孔明，时而卧龙，国外读者读起来就费劲了，如这一句“Xuande sent someone to inquire about Kongming and was told that Master Wolong had returned,”。三、标题中的茅庐，如果直译可以是cottage,如果引申为人，可以译作Wolong,或Kongming。retreat可做隐居休养之处（a quiet, isolated place that you go to in order to rest or to do things in private.），用在此处不太妥当。