吴冠中《鸵鸟•孔雀•老鹰》 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

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鸵鸟•孔雀•老鹰

Ostrich·Peacock·Eagle
吴冠中
Wu Guanzhong
 
🔥背景知识:《鸵鸟•孔雀•老鹰》是中国当代著名画家兼散文家吴冠中于2000年写的一篇随笔。
 
鸵鸟
The Ostrich
鸵鸟踌珊地走着,一身的肉真馋人,它之生似乎为了供人食用。
The ostrich hobbles with its tantalizing fleshy body. The bird seems destined to be human food.
🎈「鸵鸟蹒跚地走着,一身的肉真馋人」译为The ostrich hobbles with its tantalizing fleshy body,其中tantalizing 作「吊胃口的」「令人馋涎欲滴的」解。此句也可译为The ostrich staggers along, its fleshy body looking so tempting to the human palate,但不如前译简约。
🎈生来、注定be destined to
例句
Maybe we were destined to meet.
也许命中注定我俩就要相遇。
 

它没有防卫的手段,敌人来了就跑,跑得特别快。
It has no self-defense means. In the face of an enemy, it just runs away, and that very quickly.
🎈「敌人来了就跑,跑得特别快」译为In the face of an enemy, it just runs away, and that very quickly,其中 In the face of 作「面临」解,又后面and that very quickly中的that作「而且」解,用来加强语气。
 

当跑不脱的紧急时刻,它将头钻进沙堆,它看不见敌人了,以为已安全,
At the critical moment when it is hard-pressed, it buries its head in the sand, thinking itself safe simply because it can’t see the enemy.
🎈hard-pressed指时间紧张的,也就是此处的「跑不脱」(来不及跑)
🎈thinking itself safe simply because it can’t see the enemy.做伴随状语。

 
人笑这是鸵鸟心态。
People, therefore, refer to it in ridicule as ostrichism. 
🎈 therefore属于逻辑连词的增词,根据上下文的逻辑所做出的判断,当跑不脱的紧急时刻,它将头钻进沙堆,它看不见敌人了,以为已安全,(所以)人笑这是鸵鸟心态。 
🎈鸵鸟心态未译ostrich mentality,今用英语中现有的ostrichism(鸵鸟政策、自我陶醉、逃避行为)一词表达。
🎈refer to A as B 是固定搭配,表示「称A为B」。新概念第三册第4课有句话:坐办公室的人之所以常常被称作白领工人,就是因为他们通常是穿着硬领白衬衫、系着领带去上班。英文版本是:People who work in offices are frequently referred to as ‘white-collar workers’ for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work.
 

是鸵鸟学了阿Q,还是阿Q学了鸵鸟,无从考证,也不必考证了。
It is impossible and also unnecessary to find out if Ah Q is the teacher of the ostrich or vice versa.
🎈 反之or vice versa
例句
In other words, you can’t take money from defense and put it in domestic or vice versa.
也就是说,不能将缩减的国防开支用于国内项目上,反之亦然。
🎈阿Q是鲁迅创作的中篇小说《阿Q正传》中的主人公。阿Q是贫苦农民,受尽剥削压迫他原以为革命就是造反,痛恨它,但当看到统治者在革命面前惊慌失措时,便要求参加革命,最终被杀。
 

孔雀
The Peacock
孔雀陶醉在自己的美丽中,
The peacock is intoxicated with its own beauty.
🎈陶醉于、沉醉于be intoxicated with
 

她施施然地散步,侧目看行人,希望人们欣赏它的美,它估计人们都拜倒于它的艳丽。
It struts around with a sidelong glance at the pedestrians, hoping that they will stop to view and admire itself and believing that all people will be infatuated with its gorgeousness.
🎈「她施施然地散步」作「她大摇大摆地走动」或「她高视阔步地走动」解,译为It struts around 即可。
🎈hoping that…and believing that作伴随状语。
🎈被……迷住、沉迷于、为……所着迷be infatuated with
例句
She was completely infatuated with him.
她完全迷恋上了他。
 

一个穿红衣服的孩子走了过来,她怕是与它媲美的,于是赶紧张屏,并左右摇摆,使出浑身解数。
When a little kid in red happens to come near, the peacock, taking her for a potential strong rival, immediately erects and spreads out its tail feathers and sways now to the left and now to the right as best it can.
🎈a little kid in red 中in red 是介词短语作后置定语,比定语从句和分词短语都更加简洁。武峰十二天里有一个理论是:中文里的动词可以翻译为英文中的介词,这里的in red就是「穿」着红衣服,今后看到动词转介词的用法注意留心积累,简洁地道。
🎈她怕是与她媲美的可按害怕(认为)她是潜在的竞争对手分别译为 fearing that she might be a potential rival 或 taking her for a potential rival。 
🎈韩刚《90天突破二笔》有句话:虽然上海的文化遗迹不能与北京媲美……Shanghai may not rival Beijing/ be on par with Beijing in cultural heritage…。on (a) par with 有「与…….相媲美」「与……势均力敌,不相上下,相提并论」之意。
🎈「张屏」又作「开屏」,可译为 erects and spreads out its fail feathers 或 spreads its tail to display its fine feathers。 
🎈「左右摇摆」可译为 sways now to the left and now to the right 或 sways from side to side,但前者较生动。
🎈「使出浑身解数」译为 as best it can,比 doing all it is capable of利落。
 

开屏后确乎引来大群观赏的人们,人们赞美,欢笑。
That succeeds in attracting a large group of spectators. They marvel at its beauty and cheer.
🎈succeed in doing sth成功做某事
🎈一大群a large group/number of…。还有很多替换表达,平时注意积累。
🎈对…惊奇、惊叹于marvel at sth
例句
We all marveled at his success.
我们对他的成功感到惊奇。
 

它似乎听懂了歌颂的语言,自己十分开心;
The big bird looks very happy with all the words of praise, which it seems to understand fully. 
🎈「歌颂的语言」也就是「赞美之词」,现译作all the words of praise。
🎈「它似乎听懂了」译作which it seems to understand fully,作all the words of praise的非限制性修饰成分。
 

只一句,它永远没听懂:你是一个可怜的女人。
Nevertheless, there is one sentence it can never understand, that is, “You’re a miserable woman.”
🎈Nevertheless是增译成分,表明转折的逻辑关系。

 
The Eagle
灰褐色的老鹰从未意识到打扮自己的羽毛,
The grayish brown eagle never thinks of preening itself.
🎈think单独使用时表示「思考」,接that宾语从句时意为「认为、觉得」。think of意为「考虑到、想到」,后常接代词、名词或动词-ing形式。
 

而且它总离人群远远的,常盘旋于高空,远看它只是短短的线之一划。
It keeps off from man and often wheels high up in the sky, only to disappear way up like a flash.
🎈远离…keep off from…
🎈wheel作名词表示「方向盘、轮子」,作动词表示「(动物、鸟禽等)转圈,旋转,盘旋」。又,还记得之前见过的一个表达吗?此处wheels high up in the sky和wheels way up in the sky意思类似,但因本句后半部分也出现了同样的意思,故为避免重复使用同一个表达,前面这一处译作high up更为恰当。

 
它目力好敏锐,遥远处一只奔跑的兔或鼠,一旦落人它的视线,它飞速降落,猛地一扑,便获取了生命的粮食。
As soon as it spots a distant hare or rat on the run, the sharp-eyed bird will swoop down on its prey for life-sustaining food.
🎈「遥远处一只奔跑的兔或鼠,一旦落入她的视线……」译为As soon as it spots a distant hare or rat on the run …,其中spots作「发现」解,意同 discovers, catches sight of等,又on the run是成语,意思是「奔跑中的」,也可用短语running like crazy替代。
 

它那如钩的爪和嘴,令人恐惧,也令人欣赏,是强力之美,是尖锐之美,引无数画家尽折腰。
Its hooked claws and beak are scary but admirable. They embody the beauty of strength and sharpness and have been the favorite theme of innumerable painters.
🎈「她那如钩的爪和嘴,令人恐惧,也令人欣赏」可译为Its hooked claws and beak are both scary and admirable, 但不如 Its hooked claws and beak are scary but admirable确切,因后者稍许侧重了「令人欣赏」的意思。
🎈「是」不一定译作be,embody也是很好的选择,大家可根据具体语境选用。
 
🔥必背词汇
swoop         v.(鸟或飞机)向下猛冲,俯冲
英义
When a bird or aeroplane swoops, it suddenly moves downwards through the air in a smooth curving movement.
例句
More than 20 helicopters began swooping in low over the ocean.
20 多架直升机开始下降向海面俯冲。
 
hare         n.野兔
英义
A hare is an animal like a rabbit but larger with long ears, long legs, and a small tail.
例句
First catch your hare then cook him.
先捕兔后烹调。
 
peacock         cn.孔雀
英义
A peacock is a large bird. The male has a very large tail covered with blue and green spots, which it can spread out like a fan.
例句
peacocks strutting slowly across the garden
园中趾高气扬地慢步走过的孔雀
 
preen          v.鸟用喙整理羽毛
英义
When birds preen their feathers, they clean them and arrange them neatly using their beaks.
例句
Rare birds preen themselves right in front of your camera.
很少有鸟类会在镜头面前梳理自己的羽毛。
 
flash        cn.闪耀,闪光
英义
A flash is a sudden burst of light or of something shiny or bright.
例句
A jay emerged from the juniper bush in a flash of blue feathers.
只见亮闪闪的蓝色羽毛一闪,一只松鸦从刺柏丛中钻了出来。
 
infatuated        adj.热恋的,着迷的,迷恋的
英义
If you are infatuated with a person or thing, you have strong feelings of love or passion for them which make you unable to think clearly or sensibly about them.
例句
He was utterly infatuated with her.
他完全被她迷住了。
 
spectator         cn. (尤指体育比赛的)观众
英义
A spectator is someone who watches something, especially a sporting event.
例句
Thirty thousand spectators watched the final game.
3 万名观众观看了决赛。
 
🔥重点表达
自我防卫 self-defense means
面临 In the face of
紧急时刻 at the critical moment
逃跑 run away
反之亦然 or vice versa
称A为B refer to A as B
陶醉 be intoxicated with
拜倒于/迷恋 be infatuated with
张屏/开屏erect and spread out its tail feathers
左右摇摆sway now to the left and now to the right
使出浑身解数 as best it can
感到惊奇,大为赞叹 marvel at sth.
目力敏锐 sharp-eyed
生命的粮食 life-sustaining food
打扮羽毛/整理羽毛 preen itself
远离某物 keep off sth.
飞速下降,向下俯冲 swoop down
奔跑中的 on the run
 
🔥复盘测试
自我防卫
面临
紧急时刻
逃跑
反之亦然
称A为B 
陶醉
拜倒于/迷恋
张屏/开屏
左右摇摆
使出浑身解数
感到惊奇,大为赞叹
目力敏锐
生命的粮食
打扮羽毛/整理羽毛
远离某物
飞速下降,向下俯冲
奔跑中的
 
🔥表达对比
「大群、无数」you有几种表达?
 
开屏后确乎引来(大群)观赏的人们。
That succeeds in attracting a large group of spectators.
 
……是强力之美,是尖锐之美,引(无数)画家尽折腰。
……embody the beauty of strength and sharpness and have been the favorite theme of innumerable painters.
 
十九世纪有(大批的)穷人迁移。
In the nineteenth century you have waves of poor people.
 
我们必须从等着看球星的(大群)球迷中挤过去。
We had to rake through a throng of ball fans waiting to see the star.
 
目击者称他们看见(一大群)青年人头戴头盔,身穿警服、身配警棍。
Witnesses said they observed packs of young men armed with batons and wearing helmets and army fatigues.

未经允许不得转载:帕布莉卡 » 吴冠中《鸵鸟•孔雀•老鹰》 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

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