钱钟书先生的这篇散文说的是窗子，但其用意绝不止是说说窗子而已，而是要以窗子来比喻生活、比喻生活。从语言上看，《窗》延续了一贯的钱派手法，用词平实、普通，没长句，没什么复杂结构，很从容地叙述、说理，却又紧紧地扣住了主题。如此的特征对翻译构成的困难程度不言而喻，翻译中应当时时充分考虑上述特征，尽可能在译文中体现出来。下面大家就以《窗》这篇散文的前两段为例，来谈谈中文翻译英文中可能遇见的问题。
中文翻译英文翻译：
窗 Random1 Thoughts on the Window
又是春季，窗子可以常开了。春季从窗外进去，人在屋子里坐不住，就从门里出去。不过屋子外的春季太贱了！到处是阳光，不像射破屋里阴深的那样明亮；到处是给太阳晒得懒洋洋的风，不像搅动屋里沉闷的那样有生气。就是鸟语，也好像琐碎而单薄，需要屋里的寂静来做衬托。大家因此了解，春季是该镶嵌在窗子里看的，好比画配了框子。
It is spring again and the window can be left open as often as one would like. As spring comes in through the windows, so peopleunable to bear staying inside any longergo outdoors. The spring outside, however, is much too cheap, for the sun shines on everything, and so does not seem as bright as that which shoots into the darkness of the house. Outside the sun-slothed breeze blows everywhere, but it is not so lively as that which stirs the gloominess inside the house. Even the chirping2 of the birds sounds so thin and broken that the quietness of the house is needed to set it off. It seems that spring was always meant to be put behind a windowpane for show, just like a picture in a frame.
同时，大家悟到，门和窗有不一样的意义。当然，门是造了叫人出进的。但，窗子有时也可作为进出口用，譬如小偷或小说里私约的情人就喜欢爬窗子。所以窗子和门的根本分别，决不止是有无人进去出去。若据赏春一事来看，大家可以如此说：有了门，大家可以出去；有了窗，大家可以不必出去。窗子打通了大自然和人的隔膜，把风和太阳逗引进去，使屋子里也关着一部分春季，让大家安坐了享受，不需要再到外面去找。
At the same time it also becomes clear that the door has a different significance from the window. Of course, doors were made for people to pass through; but a window can also sometimes serve as an entrance or as an exit, and is used as such by thieves and by lovers in novels. In fact the fundamental difference between a door and a window has nothing to do with them being either entrances or exits. When it comes to the admiration3 of spring, it could be put this way: a door makes it possible for one to go out, whereas a window makes it possible for one not to have to. A window helps to pull down the partition between man and nature. It leads breezes and sunlight in, and keeps part of the spring in the house. It allows one to sit and enjoy the spring in peace, and makes it unnecessary to go looking for it outside.
逐句剖析：
窗
Random Thoughts on the Window（题目中的这个窗字，的含义较为丰富，使人有多种联想，因此译成Random Thoughts on the Window.）
又是春季
It is spring again
中文是无主句，英文没如此的句子结构，因此用It is句型。原文里又用在句首，但英文假如也把again放在句首，这个词就太突出，分量太重了。所以again一词在译文中放在句末和原文又放在句首分量相当。
窗子可以常开了
and the window can be left open as often as one would like
用定冠词the 加单数名词window来代表所有些窗子。英语里表示全部可以有几种办法：
1）复数名词，2）不定冠词a/an+名词，3）定冠词+名词。这里就是用的第三种，更侧重其一致性。常开不可以译成can open often或can be opened often.由于原文是从人的角度说的，大家什么时间想开窗都行，所以用了one would like如此的说法。
春季从窗外进去
As spring comes in through the windows
这句把春季拟人化了，英文也用同样的结构就好。窗外：out of the window.但，假如把从窗外进去理解成一个过程，用through表示就最好。
人在屋子里坐不住，就从门里出去。
so peopleunable to bear staying inside any longergo outdoors
破折号之间的形容词短语说明大家在屋里坐不住是什么原因。bear：忍受，后面既可跟-ing动词，也可跟不定式动词。
不过屋子外的春季太贱了
The spring outside, however, is much too cheap
这里的贱，是说春季多阳光，以多为贱，中外同理，用cheap也就顺理成章了。
到处是阳光
for the sun shines on everything
这里和上一句是连接在一块的，所以用了连接词for来讲明缘由。最好不要译成the sunshine is everywhere.由于阳光并非一种存在，而是说照耀在所有些所有上面，因此说shines.
不像射破屋里阴深的那样明亮
and so does not seem as bright as that which shoots into the darkness of the house
用seem是指屋里屋外阳光是一样的，只不过环境的反差使阳光看上去不同罢了。asas是表示屋里屋外阳光的比较。that指the sun.
到处是给太阳晒得懒洋洋的风
Outside the sun-slothed breeze blows everywhere
这里加了一个词outside，由于后面立刻要说到的屋里并不包含在到处一词里。晒字英文里与之相当的词就是shine，但shine并没带复合宾语的使用方法，所以换了一个角度来讲这句话。sun-slothed是一个复合词。
不像搅动屋里沉闷的那样有生气#p#分页标题#e#
but it is not so lively as that which stirs the gloominess inside the house
沉闷这个词在这里不是形容词，而是名词，所以用gloomy加上词尾-ness构成了表示状况的名词。
就是鸟语，也好像琐碎而单薄，需要屋里的寂静来做衬托。
Even the chirping of the birds sounds so thin and broken that the quietness of the house is needed to set it off
说thin and broken而不说broken and thin只不过由于语音的关系，音节少的词放在前面，多的放在后面，结构上看上去平稳，不至于头重脚轻。只须把这几个词连在一块朗读一下就可领会出来。
大家因此了解，春季是该镶嵌在窗子里看的，好比画配了框子。
It seems that spring was always meant to be put behind a windowpane for show, just like a picture in a frame
大家因此了解译成It seems，由于这是一种比喻的说法，直译成英文会给人以突兀的感觉，所以用好像这样的说法。be meant to be的意思是原本为，加了always等于从语气上与原文更相符合，并没特别具体的意思。中文说窗子里，而英文却不可以说in a windowpane，windowpane指的是窗子上的玻璃，这就是用behind是什么原因。
同时，大家悟到，门和窗有不一样的意义
At the same time it also becomes clear that the door has a different significance from the window
悟到和上一句中的了解是相同的意思，it become clear that 这一说法比it seems that 要一定一些。
当然，门是造了叫人出进的
Of course, doors were made for people to pass through
出进可以译成to come out and go in，但译成to pass through就看上去句子紧凑、精炼一些。
但，窗子有时也可作为进出口用
but a window can also sometimes serve as an entrance or as an exit
entrance和exit这两个词比door和window抽象化了，充分表明了进出口的字面意思和含义。
譬如小偷或小说里私约的情人就喜欢爬窗子
and is used as such by thieves and by lovers in novels
译文用了by thieves and by lovers，而不说by thieves and lovers，由于这本来就是两类人，不可以放在一块混为一谈。
所以窗子和门的根本分别，决不止是有无人进去出去
In fact the fundamental difference between a door and a window has nothing to do with them being either entrances or exits
比较一下different between和前文的different （from）：说两者之间有什么区别，用different between A and B；而说A如何不同于B则说 A is different from B.
若据赏春一事来看，大家可以如此说
When it comes to the admiration of spring, it could be put this way
When it comes to是比较中庸的说法，不那样正式，但也不那样随便，意思是说起赏春，叫人们对下文有一个期待。
有了门，大家可以出去
a door makes it possible for one to go out
有了门不可以译成with a/the door，由于这里不是说有还是没，而是有门存在，大家就能进出房子。
有了窗，大家可以不必出去
whereas a window makes it possible for one not to have to
Whereas而。这是一个连接词，表示一种前后的比较或对照。这里的句型和上面是一样的，但后面的not to have to 是不定式的否定形式，后面省略了go out.
窗子打通了大自然和人的隔膜。
A window helps to pull down the partition between man and nature
因为有了窗子，人和大自然之间的隔膜才得以打破，窗子起的是一种促进用途，其本身并不可以去打破什么，因此用了helps to pull down. partition隔离墙。隔膜是解剖学词语，这里用的是其引申意义，不可以按字面译成diaphragm，那样意思就不对了。man and nature：man是指整个人类，所以不需要任何冠词；nature则是不可数名词。
把风和太阳逗引进去，使屋子里也关着一部分春季
It leads breezes and sunlight in, and keeps part of the spring in the house
Lead：引导，引领。keepin the house：使停留在屋里不可以外出。
让大家安坐了享受，不需要再到外面去找。
It allows one to sit and enjoy the spring in peace, and makes it unnecessary to go looking for it outside
原文是说安坐，而事实上安的意思也应当能涵盖享受，只不过从词的步伐上感觉安坐和享受都是两个字的词，好像是并列的。译文里译成了 sitin peace，等于将状语移了一个位。注意这句中几个it的意思，第一个it指代window，第二个it是形式宾语，引出后面的to go，第三个it是指代the spring.
