 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
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:
* t: p p/ k. ?" h, i
! t' W2 D( I1 _. J% E5 ^: P6 V1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)
' m! c# h* o. H( k+ ~4 G
1 `# Z% k: ]9 x7 } W* @7 D6 GWealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)- |" W7 d) `, L5 c- A$ M7 z
' e' n: a/ T" R2.[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》) 6 p$ D# S8 P3 C5 V7 X6 ~) `
g8 g6 }/ Z/ B; E2 V/ n! jIt‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译) / J0 r/ r, n: f) c# m- m
2 G. B8 b4 \% F$ w3 \0 ]3.[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》)) I4 o# L' w) |& e, h3 T. `
i6 k$ z# m6 e# q5 p% j8 w; jWho says there isn‘t? It‘s just that my marriage luck has been bad. I‘ve never met the right one. (S. Shapiro 译)( u+ K" P0 T( Z! i$ P
% t% M7 K* q5 V6 p" o- s" x$ X$ \4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) 1 R$ v) z/ p, i' o
" ~7 m/ i# P" f/ y4 X( D( `She lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)2 s# d' F$ c8 a9 _: R/ a
4 z" W( ^6 `! P" I% N3 R- Y, N' v
5.[刘备送别徐庶时说]备分浅缘薄,不能与先生相聚。(《三国演义》)# z8 y% p6 D0 [6 {" o7 o
( M1 E2 h, s# r, U& {1 d) H( U
My meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译); R+ s, {8 S, o( D8 i$ e
! H8 E* L: v7 }9 t. U6.[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》)
E- }- ~ t7 G! ]
2 S3 O: H( v+ u' M* \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)' R1 a2 ^" p9 W* a% p& D
1 l0 l! k% K* y: r- s* ^
7.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》)9 ?1 k/ G4 Q( p' q
. I: ~ I' s& {4 J) GYou are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other‘s music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me
# Q/ c6 {3 C3 T- J1 K2 a
/ n5 E, | v$ g/ Z# Zsuch blessings. If we are linked by the ties of destiny, we will meet again in the next life. (D.C. & V. H Mair 译)& Y$ E& v5 D, n; {5 A8 Q. z3 e
' ~& N& R% M! V x# X
8.[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》)3 L9 x; Q+ M* X3 c; W
+ H2 y/ p! }. T$ L
Miss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love1 K8 `; c3 M& }% v! G
. I2 H- o6 {) U9 Iwith you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
( M$ q9 C9 ]9 O/ I% ?8 t' s7 U: ^
+ H8 k# l' D+ f, }& X2 b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。
u# l: c; g8 P! ~1 Y( z7 I
: _* a. v+ b$ h5 c% w I$ y; [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:, G" i0 V0 Z- |2 R
, F% Y% p! }+ h. v% c8 }' a7 d% X. {. s ]
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。
6 t% R! D) N: o- k. ^+ `
5 {- ~! u6 [, s- Z2 W7 h. y+ GYour talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. But I have not had the honour of being presented to you.
) D& y, q6 E; Q' j: m# z0 u0 n
; `- s: Z* G, x6 M2 x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:$ z# o6 r- u, h v- W5 A7 _
8 I) q$ l$ B/ x5 i11.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?8 I- E* v. I4 C6 c, I
" |# b3 d0 z4 U% \4 r' TThis 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
; {1 Z) k. D- U0 Q
* g' }9 I4 N6 d- l+ Jthat your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
|