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缘分”是所谓命中注定的人与人遇合的机缘。英译“缘分”(亦作“天缘”)以及“有缘”、“无缘”常用的英文词有fate, luck, lot, destiny 等。请看几个例子:/ V \" o$ `3 }# p1 t: m% ~" I
; P) M( B, v' y1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)4 t [9 j8 Q1 Q3 a
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Wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)
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2 o0 f# K: E5 l/ t+ k" V4 _2.[宝玉问香菱为何薛蟠相亲定下了金桂,香菱笑道] 一则是天缘,二来是“情人眼里出西施”(《红楼梦》) . X- R* s9 e- Z$ r
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It‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译)
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% f. N" J) \" I* B- P8 w" N3.[王婆为了撮合西门庆和潘金莲,故意问前者是不是妻子死后,没有别的女人他中意的。西门庆争辩说]做甚么了便没?只恨我夫妻缘分上薄,自不撞着!(《水浒》)" g1 w$ U" `, N3 q7 A' B# \
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Who says there isn‘t? It‘s just that my marriage luck has been bad. I‘ve never met the right one. (S. Shapiro 译)
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4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) ' y3 P: ]# f( D. l7 E) @
% z M+ O* B2 o5 I- u/ GShe lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)* b& Z$ U m' G& S1 B
4 O' N& s+ ~& V" T9 c5.[刘备送别徐庶时说]备分浅缘薄,不能与先生相聚。(《三国演义》)
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1 q, ]8 U: T" g1 P3 _, i4 z+ hMy meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)2 K( v( i4 u0 j' J$ \+ q
) P( e0 o2 u' G8 R- j/ J6 V* S6.[杜慎卿向季苇萧诉说自己没有知心朋友]只为缘悭分浅,遇不着一个知己,所以对月伤怀,临风洒泪!(《儒林外史》)- [- p7 s% k$ t) w! `2 O
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But I have not been lucky enough to find a true friend, and that is why I so often give way to melancholy! (杨宪益、戴乃迭 译)+ i; W4 |+ D, V! _) _# ^
% k- N& t& }6 n" v; \$ W) l7.君琴瑟之好,自相知音;薄命人乌有此福。如有缘,再世可相聚耳。(《聊斋.宦娘》)
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1 M7 J0 O! N$ Y+ s- c9 o0 j: M0 S2 ?4 zYou are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other‘s music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me: L; P# @" H3 M" i
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such blessings. If we are linked by the ties of destiny, we will meet again in the next life. (D.C. & V. H Mair 译)
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; a# ~2 D. Y n6 J2 p9 H8.[方鸿渐看不中张小姐,心中暗说]“我你他”小姐,咱们没有“举碗[案]齐眉”的缘分,希望另有好运气的人来爱上您。 (《围城》)
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Miss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love
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with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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* k" o9 r6 P \2 Y P可以看出,以上句子里的中心词都含有“命运”的意识,英译亦然。《围城》一例所mean,据New World Dictionary 等词典的解释也有 to destine or seem to destine 的意思,颇为妥帖。1 w/ z4 q$ X0 e/ k: F
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然而,“缘分”等词和命运的关联在有的用法里变得淡化了,甚至完全消失了。它只是泛指一种机遇或者机会。所以M. Roberts翻译《三国演义》的以下两句,用的词语和上边英译句子中的相应部分不同:" O' q2 i5 B, C0 w6 J& \. V/ E
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9.[刘备二顾草芦时误认诸葛均为为诸葛亮,说]备久慕先生,无缘拜会。
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Your talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. But I have not had the honour of being presented to you.
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1 o, N5 [/ c# T5 n( Z6 K不仅如此,这种机遇还可以发生在人和事物之间。体育报道里说的“无缘(进入)决赛(be barred from entering the finals; be disqualified for the finals) 即其一例。《浮生六记》的作者沈复(字三白)因妻子陈芸喜欢李白和白居易的诗,就跟她说:
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& R& U" p2 i" N, h11.异哉!李太白是知己,白乐天是启蒙师,余适逢字三白,为卿婿;卿与“白”字何其有缘耶?4 F5 C; y! q! m5 b6 k
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This is very strange. So LiBai is your bosom friend, Bai Juyi is your first tutor and yours band‘s literary name is Sanbai. It seems K: C. q, c) {2 R# E" i9 j
$ j4 E8 g+ R. t1 ~5 A1 r4 R* {" }/ _; Ythat your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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