张培基英译散文赏析之《杂感集(节录)》2

　　杂感集（节录）Random Thoughts

　　黄药眠Huang Yaomian

　　面盆里泛起一些涟漪，我们觉得不值一提，但在蚂蚁看来，那简直像是汪洋大海轩然大波了。Ripples on a basin of water mean nothing at all to man, but are like wild waves over a boundless sea to ants.

　　 要点：

　　 1，注意“汪洋大海轩然大波”要理解为“汪洋大海中的轩然大波”，译为wild waves over a boundless sea
2，“对…来说不值一提”即mean nothing to sb

　　时间到哪里去了呢？有些人的时间是遗失在拈花弄草的游戏中，有些人是遗失在消散的闲谈和香烟的迷雾中。这些人不知道浪费时间，就等于浪费生命。Where is time gone? Some fool away their time in playing a game of womanizing; some trifle away their time in chit-chat amidst cigarette smoke. They don’t know that wasting time means wasting life.

　　 要点：
1，“拈花惹草的游戏”即“沉湎于女色”或“玩弄女性”，译为playing a game of womanizing，其中womanize意即“使柔弱，玩女人; （男人）沉迷女色;也可译为indulge in womanizing
2, chit-chat意为“闲聊，叽叽喳喳”，美剧中常见， 是比较口语化的表达，此句”消散的闲谈和香烟的迷雾中”理解为“边抽烟边闲谈”用amidst连接
3，本段新出现的trifle away意为“浪费”，和之前见过的fritter away同义，其他表示“浪费”的还有idle

　　有些人，我认识他很久，但始终陌生；有些人，我同他很熟，但始终没有成为朋友；有些人，我同他做了很久的朋友，但后来才发现彼此还没有真正的认识。Some whom I have known for a long time are strangers yet. Some with whom I am well acquainted have never become friends with me. Some have been friends of mine for a long time, but we still don’t really know each other.

　　不过有些人，我同他才第一次见面，一下子就认出他是同志。Some, nevertheless, are immediately found to be real comrades though we meet for the first time.

　　 要点：

　　 1，“但始终陌生”即“但仍然陌生”译为are strangers yet，yet意为“仍然还是”，后面的still也是此意
2，“一下子就认出他是同志”译为are immediately found to be real comrades，real 为增译成分，更加突出原文的意思

　　蜈蚣蛇蝎是毒虫，但用得其当不也能以毒攻毒地治病么？Centipedes, snakes and scorpions are venomous, but, when properly used, they cure disease by combating poison with poison, don’t they?

　　 要点：
“以毒攻毒”译为combating poison with poison

　　钉子如果没有锤子在后面不断督促，钉子就钉不进墙里去。A nail will never be driven into a wall without repeated hammering from behind.

　　 要点：“锤子在后面不断督促”译为repeated hammering from behind，其中hammering兼有“锤子”和“敦促”的意思

　　不成熟的东西也有值得称赞的地方，因为它虽幼稚，但包含有未来。Things immature also have aspects worthy of our praise, because, though puerile, they embody the future.

　　在交响乐队里工作的人们，绝不会因为轮到别人在弹奏而感到自己受到冷遇。Members of a symphony orchestra never feel left out in the cold when it is others’ turn to play their musical instruments.

　　因为交响乐团是一个整体。It is because a symphony orchestra is a whole.

　　 要点：“受到冷遇”第二次出现。上次译为be cold shouldered,此处译为feel left out in the cold，也可译为feel they are given a cold reception

　　无私的人，总希望从自己手里能给人们散步出更多的幸福。A selfless man always thinks of handing out more happiness to others.

　　老头儿不要靠过去的老本，青年人也不要去预支未来的幸福。Old people should not rest on their laurels, nor should young people enjoy in advance their future happiness.

　　 要点：“老头儿不要靠过去的老本”即“老年人不要总依靠着过去的辉煌”译为Old people should not rest on their laurels，其中laurels意为“荣誉，胜利，名声; 月桂树( laurel的名词复数 ); （表示荣誉的）桂冠，殊荣”,也可译为live off old/past achievements

　　你老去计较从人民那里获得了多少东西，你为什么不计算一下，你欠了人民多少东西？You often bother about how much you are getting from the people. Why not figure out how much you owe them?

　　我不愿做清浅平静的湖水，自我欣赏其清洁。我宁愿跟着洪流，夹着泥沙、石块，滚滚东流，而归于海。I hate to be a calm lake which is limpid and shallow and indulge in admiring myself for being so clean. I would rather follow the mighty torrent and surge eastward along with mud, sand and rocks until I reach the sea.

　　 要点：“自我欣赏其清洁”意为“孤芳自赏自己的清澈”译为indulge in admiring myself for being so clean

　　不要光看到挺拔遒劲的松树的枝杈，更重要的是要看到它插入泥土深处的根系啊！Behold not only the straight and sturdy branches of a pine tree, but, more importantly, its roots deep in the soil.

　　拉着牛尾巴不能使它向后退，揪着牛耳朵也不能使它向前进。牵牛就得牵在牛鼻子上。You cannot make a cow move backward by pulling it by the tail, nor can you make it move forward by dragging it by the ear.A cow is to be led by the nose.

　　 综述：
本篇为格言式杂文，三言两语中蕴含着深刻寓意，好好品读此文，不仅在翻译上会有所收获，写作中也可以用上哦。张培基英译散文赏析之《杂感集(节录)》2