发信人: roy_young(金陵二胡)
整理人: roy_young(2001-06-24 17:26:41), 站内信件
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再談中文俗語,美語說法 (中)/ 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。
7. 寧為雞口,不為牛後:有人譯成:
I would rather be a cock's beak than a bull's rump
.或
I would rather be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse.
說得明白些,就是:
It is better to be the head of something worthwhile than the tail of something worthless.
簡單地說,就是:
It is better to be a head than a behind.(behind 當名詞用,是後部或屁股=ass)
說句「文明」話,就是:
It is better to be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in a big pond.
(在小池塘裡當大魚,要比在大池塘裡當小魚好些。)(通常指工作)
8.
以小人之心,度君子之腹:有人譯為:
You are judging a person's open-mindedness with your narrow-mindedness.
或者說:
You are assuming that others think the same way as yourself.
這兩種說法,老外也能了解。不過最簡單的說法就是:
Don't assume that everyone thinks as you do.
(不要認為人家的想法,都與你一樣。)
9. 酒老味醇,薑老愈辣:有人譯成:
The older wine has a better taste; the older ginger has a spicier taste.
這種說法,似乎帶有「中國味道」。
其實老外也有類似說法:
Like vintage wine it can only improve with age.
(vintage指品質優良;age指時間長久)(也就是說:品質好的酒,時間越久越好。)
或者說:
You are just like fine wine; you are aging gracefully.
還可以更簡單的說:
Years bring wisdom.(或Age brings wisdom.)
或The older you are, the wiser you get.(愈老愈聰明)
10. 生不帶來,死不帶去:有人譯為:
At birth we bring nothing; at dealth, we take away nothing.
或譯成:
When you are born, you come with nothing; when you die, you take nothing away.
這種說法,老外也能了解,不過他們通常是說:
Money and material possessions should not define your life.
(擁有金錢和物質,不是代表生命的一切。)
但老外一般只說:
You can't take it with you.(即死不帶去)
(it 是指財物)
11. 事不如人意者,十之八九:有人譯為:
In our life, eight or nine times out of ten events are not smooth.
不過老外還有簡單的說法:
Life is not always smooth sailing.(生活不是一帆風順)
或Life is full of ups and downs.
或Life is full of highs and lows.(人生的旅途都是崎嶇不平)
也可以說:
There is no rose without a thorn.(玫瑰都有刺)
(美好的事物,也有使人痛苦的成份;快樂中,也有煩惱的時候。)
12. 謀事在人,成事在天:有人譯為:
Your motive for doing something depends on you(yourself),but your success or failure depends on God or fate.
不過老外也有相似的說法:
God will determine your path of life.
或
Accept whatever the situation is.
(不論生活情況如何,都得接受。)
也可以說:
That's the way the ball bounces.
(這就是咱們生活的必然性啊!)
13. 由儉入奢易,由奢返儉難:有人譯為:
It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but it is hard the other way around.
可以說:
It is easy to go to an extravagant lifestyle from a modest one, but it is difficult to go the other way around.
最簡單的說法,就是:
It is easier to be rich than to be poor.
14. 走馬看花:老中譯為:
You are looking at flowers on horseback.
老外聽後,也許不易領悟真正涵義。說得明白些,就是:
While galloping on horseback, you can not see the details of the landscape.
或者說:
If you move too fast, you will miss the details.
或You don't have the time to stop and smell the roses.
15. 刀子嘴,豆腐心:有人譯為:
His tongue is as sharp as knife, but his heart is as soft as tofu(butter).
(tofu這個字,已成為普遍的單字,但老外多用butter。)
也可以說:
His tongue is sharp, but his heart is gentle.
就是所謂:
A barking dog never bites.(吠狗不咬人)
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