发信人: roy_young(杨落伊)
整理人: roy_young(2001-06-19 06:42:01), 站内信件
|
再談中文俗語，美語說法 (上)/ 懷中
●中國人自譯中文俗語，往往使老外一知半解，滿頭霧水，主要因為「照字直譯」，帶有「中國味道」；加上兩國文化背景不同，思想差異，使老外一時無法領悟中國俗語中的「奧妙」含意。假如咱們把中文俗語用老外那種淺白易懂的說法，加以「對照」，也許更能使對方一目了然，充分了解。那麼不是可以達到「交流」和「溝通」的目標嗎？本欄曾以「中文俗語美語說法」為題舉過一些例子，現在再補充一些，供讀者參考。
1. 近墨者黑，近朱者赤： 有人直譯為：
If you touch ink, you get stained black; if you touch vermilion, you get stained red.（vermilion = vermillion 是朱砂或鮮紅色的意思)
也有人譯成：
When you touch black, you become black; when you touch red, you become red.
這種說法，恐怕老外一時無法理解真正含意。不過他們倒有這麼說：
One takes the behavior of one's company. (一個人的行為，往往受到朋友的影響。) 或
One takes on the attributes of one's associates. (attributes 複數時是指品質、特性；associates 指朋友、同事)
簡單的說，就是：
Watch the company you keep！（小心交朋友！）
至於「to be tarred with the same brush！」(又是指與壞朋友在一起同流合汙。) 例如：
They are tarred with the same brush. (他們是一路貨色，同流合汙。)
(tar 的意思是玷汙，過去式及過去分詞是 tarred)
2. 忠言逆耳，良藥苦口：有人譯成：
Faithful words are contrary to the ears; good medicine tastes bitter to the mouth.
也有人譯為：
Bitter words are medicine; sweet words bring illness.
這些說法，老外也會「一知半解」。不過他們倒有這樣說：
Honest advice may be distasteful to the recipient. (忠言是接受者所不喜歡的); 或
Honest advice is hard to accept. (誠懇的忠告，是難以接受的。) 或
Honest advice is usually unwanted. (忠言未必受人歡迎) 或
Truth is a hard pill to swallow. （說真話像顆很難嚥下的藥丸）
更簡單的說，就是：
Truth hurts. (說真話，會傷感情的。)
註：老外通常重視「個人主義」，所以不輕易給人忠告，也不喜歡聽到別人的忠言。
3. 學如行舟，不進則退：有人譯成：
Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back.
老外聽後，也許感到「迷糊」，如果稍加修改，可能明白些：
Learning seems like rowing upstream; if one does not advance, one will fall back. 或
Learning is like rowing against the current, if one does not advance, one will retreat. (upstream 是逆流；current 是激流)
簡單地說，就是：
If you don't continue to learn, you will get behind. 或 Work hard or you will fail.
4. 一日為師，終身為父：有人譯成：
He who teaches me for one day is my father for life. 或是說：
If you are my teacher for even one day, you will be my teacher (mentor) all my life. 或
He who teaches me may be considered my father-figure for life.
這些意思都是說：老師對我一天的教誨，使我終生受用不盡。雖然老外沒有這種想法，但仍然了解句中的意思)。不過，老外倒認為：師長對學生應該授予一技之長，將來才能受益無窮。所以他們常說：
Teach others to fish and they will fish for a lifetime.（就是說：不能只送魚，要教人如何釣魚，將來才能終生有魚。這裡的fish，是指任何的技能）也可以說：
Give a man fish, he will have a meal; teach him to fish, he will have food all his life.
5. 人不可貌相，海水不可斗量：有人譯為：
A man can not be known by his look, nor can the water be measured by a bushel basket.
如果稍加修改，老外更能了解：
A man can not be judged by his appearance, nor can the water in the sea be measured by a bucket.
不過，老外通常只說：
We can not judge a person by appearance only. 或 You can not judge a book by its cover.
(意思是：一本書的好壞，要看真正的內容，不能只看表面的漂亮，或名人的推介。)
6. 雷聲大，雨點小：有人譯為：
The thunder roars loudly, but little rain falls. 或者說：
All we hear is thunder, but no rain falls.
不過老外倒有這樣說法：
Actions speak louder than words. (行動勝於言談) 或
All we hear is words, but there is no action. 或
Actions and words should go hand in hand. (言行必須一致)
也有老外說：
An empty barrel makes biggest sound.（意思是：空洞的話，說得太多了。）
----
I left my heart in San Francisco |
|