【翻譯筆記】《圍城》英譯選句 - “算命”
? 原文:
鴻漸忍不住道:“我也算過命,今年運(yùn)氣壞得很,各位不怕連累么?”(錢鐘書 - 圍城 )
翻譯關(guān)鍵詞:忍不住,算命,連累
譯文:
Hung-chien could not help remarking, “I had my fortune told, too. My luck has been terrible this year. Aren’t you all afraid of getting involved in my bad luck?”(美 Jeanne Kelly, Nathan K.Mao <譯> –Fortress Besieged)
翻譯筆記:
忍不住
英語中要表示“忍不住”常用cannot help doing sth.; cannot bear,譯文在此用的是前者。如:
他看上去那么滑稽,我忍不住大笑起來。
He looked so funny that I couldn’t help laughing.
而在表示“不得不;不能避免”時(shí),cannot help doing與cannot help but (后接原型動詞)是一樣的。如:
I cannot help admiring his courage. = I cannot help but admire his courage.
我不得不贊賞他的勇氣。
算命
“算命”常用的表達(dá)方式有have sb.’s fortune told; tell sb’s fortune; practice fortune-telling。
需要注意的是,fortune-teller是“算命先生”,fortune-telling是“算命”,注意這兩個(gè)都是用單數(shù)形式。tell fortunes(算命)中則必須用復(fù)數(shù)形式,如:
他自稱會給人算命。
He claimed that he could tell people’s fortunes.
但tell (him) his fortune,tell (you) your fortune等表達(dá)方式里該用單數(shù)形式。
要是如譯文中的用法,我們也可舉一例,如:
她請人給她算了命。
She had her fortune told。
注意:在說一個(gè)人的“遭遇”、“運(yùn)氣”或“處境”時(shí)往往用復(fù)數(shù)形式。如:
Her fortunes varied but she never lost courage.
她的運(yùn)氣時(shí)好時(shí)壞,但她從不氣餒。
連累
“連累”,即“把某人牽涉(或牽扯)到某事里”,也可以用不同的方法。如implicate; involve; get sb. into sth.。如:
他的自白供出其他一些政治人物涉及此事。
His confession implicated a number of other politicians in the affair.
你害得我添了一大堆額外的工作。
You have involved me in a great deal of extra work.
這件事連累了許多人。
The incident got many people into trouble.
(本文由滬江原創(chuàng),轉(zhuǎn)載請注明出處)