The Camel梁实秋Liang Shiqiu🔥背景知识：梁实秋（1902-1987），北京人，原籍浙江杭县（今余杭），著名现代散文家、翻译家、教育家。《骆驼》一文是他的后期散文，写于台北，文章托物遣怀，流露出久居台湾的老一代人叹老感时、怀乡思国的情怀。台北没有什么好去处。我从前常喜欢到动物园走动走动，其中两个地方对我有诱惑。一个是一家茶馆，有高屋建瓴之势，凭窗远眺，一片釉绿的田畴，小川蜿蜒其间，颇可使人目旷神怡。另一值得看的便是那一双骆驼了。Few places in Taipei are of much appeal to me except the zoo which I used to frequent for its two attractions, namely, the teahouse commanding a pleasant distant view from the window over the surrounding farmlands with fresh green vegetation and meandering streams, and the two camels.🎈本段原文共三句话，译文重整为一句，内在逻辑更清晰，衔接更为紧凑。🎈「好去处」译作of much appeal（有吸引力的），词性转换不必拘泥原文字与字。🎈except the zoo which I used to frequent for its two attractions中used to frequent for 是used to do（过去常常）的结构，其中frequent作动词，指「常到、常去、常出入于」🎈command是动词，表示「俯瞰、居高临下、清楚地看到」，而原文中正是要描述「凭窗远眺」的景色，所以译为commanding a pleasant distant view from the window，作teahouse的后置定语。🎈「一片釉绿的田畴」译作farmlands with fresh green vegetation，「小川蜿蜒其间」译作meandering streams，meander是(小河或山路等)蜿蜒，曲折，这类对景色的描绘值得学习。🎈结构划分：the teahouse [commanding a pleasant distant view /(from the window over the surrounding farmlands) //with fresh green vegetation and meandering streams]。整个看下来，主要成分就是从teahouse这个点展开，把「茶馆」与「窗外景色」连在了一块。其中，over the surrounding farmlands表示地点，比如我们常说over there（在这）。有人喜欢看猴子，看那些乖巧伶俐的动物，略具人形，而生活究竟简陋，于是令人不由得生出优越之感，掏一把花生米掷进去。Some people like to amuse themselves by watching the playfulness of clever monkeys which, though slightly manlike, are after all simple-minded animals. That’s why people cannot help feeling a sense of superiority and throwing them handfuls of peanuts.🎈to amuse themselves by（以…作消遣）是根据上下文的增译，原句虽没有这样的字句却隐含了这样的意思：人之所以逗猴，是出于自身优越感。这也是本句的核心意思。🎈「略具人形，而生活究竟简陋」译文添加了连接词though加强了语气同时为下一句are after all simple-minded animals铺垫，逻辑层次很清晰。🎈「而生活究竟简陋」应理解为：猴子虽然外形长得像人，却头脑简单，智商远在人类之下，对此人类有很深的优越感。译文并未照字对译，而是根据这样的理解主要「达意」🎈禁不住、忍不住cannot help doing有人喜欢看狮子跳火圈，狗作算学，老虎翻筋斗，觉得有趣。Some people enjoy seeing lions jumping through a fiery hoop, dogs doing easy sums, or tigers turning a somersault.🎈马戏团的杂耍集全了跳火圈jumping through a fiery hoop作算学doing easy sums翻筋斗turning a somersault我之看骆驼则是另外一种心情，骆驼扮演的是悲剧的角色。But it was with a different state of mind for me to watch the camels playing a tragic role.🎈此处可译作it’s… for sb to do句式，也可明确译出因果逻辑关系：因为骆驼演悲剧，所以我的心情有所不同。它的槛外是冷清清的，没有游人围绕，所谓槛也只是一根杉木横着拦在门口。They had few onlookers and were separated by a fir log across the entrance instead of a fence.🎈「冷清清的」由原文的形容词转译为名词few onlookers(没几个参观者)，onlookers指观看某活动的观众或旁观者。🎈Instead of a fence（而不是真正的栅栏）是对原文的增译，目的是强调骆驼生活状况与其他动物比起来差很多，也没有多少关注的人。地上是烂糟糟的泥。它卧在那里，老远一看，真像是大块的毛姜。Lying on the muddy ground, they resembled huge artichokes when looked at from afar.🎈「地上是烂糟糟的泥。它卧在那里…」英译把这两句调整了语序合为一句，译为Lying on the muddy ground，更紧凑简洁。🎈从远处 from afar逼近一看，可真吓人！一块块的毛都在脱落，斑驳的皮肤上隐隐地露着血迹。And it gave me quite a shock to take a closer look. Their hair was falling off in patches, faintly revealing blood-stains on the skin.🎈「逼近一看」译作take a closer look，其中close一词才用比较级形式closer，表明了距离的变化。🎈faintly revealing blood-stains on the skin现分短语作伴随状语，表示「毛发脱落」使得「斑驳血迹」暴露。嘴张着，下巴垂着，有上气无下气地在喘。水汪汪的两只大眼睛好像是眼泪扑簌地盼望着能见亲族一面似的。They were gasping for breath, with mouth wide open, chin drooping and watery big eyes seemingly brimming with tears of longing for their beloved ones.🎈「嘴张着，下巴垂着，有上气无下气地在喘」中文通常把重点内容放在句末，而英文则相反，所以英译为They were gasping for breath, with mouth wide open, chin drooping…，把有上气无下气地在喘gasping for breath指「呼吸十分困难、上气不接下气」提到了句首。🎈「见…一面」是中文习惯表达，英文只表达渴望相见的心情没有必要字对字译出「一面」🎈「亲族」泛指所爱或在乎的人（家人、亲戚朋友等），译作beloved ones腰间的肋骨历历可数，颈子又细又长，尾巴像是一条破扫帚。They were so skinny that their ribs showed through distinctly, their necks thin and long, and their tails like a worn-out broom.🎈原文是一句短语，译文..so…that…（太…以至于…）这样的句式准确译出精髓。🎈「肋骨历历可数」应理解为「骆驼瘦得条条肋骨都清晰可见」，译作They were so skinny that their ribs showed through distinctly。其中，Skinny是「很瘦的，皮包骨的（形容词）」，ribs showed through distinctly（肋骨清晰可见）🎈worn-out是「破旧不堪」或「疲惫不堪的」，如worn-out sack已磨损的口袋。驼峰只剩下了干皮，像是一只麻袋搭在背上。Nothing remained of their humps but the dried-up skin resting on their backs like a gunnysack. 🎈「只剩下了干皮」译作Nothing (of their humps) remained but the dried-up skin，nothing…but…结构起强调作用。🎈resting on their backs like a gunnysack作skin的后置定语。骆驼为什么落到这悲惨地步呢？难道“沙漠之舟”的雄姿即不过如是么？ O how did they get into such a pitiful plight? O where was the majestic appearance of the “ships of the desert”?🎈「悲惨地步」理解为「可怜及凄惨的境地」，译作a pitiful plight，plight是「困境」🎈「雄姿」译作majestic appearance，majestic是指「壮丽的，宏伟的，让人有崇敬感的」，appearance是「外貌或外表」我心目中的骆驼不是这样的。That, however, is not what a camel looks like in my mind’s eye.🎈「心目中」这里译作in my mind’s eye，是一种惯用表达。儿时在家乡，一听见大铜铃玎玎珰珰就知道送煤的骆驼队来了，往往夺门出视。In my childhood, the jingling of big bronze camel bells in my home town would always send me rushing outdoors to see a caravan arriving with a load of coal.🎈jingling指（金属撞击发出的）叮当声。（某句歌词：叮叮当 叮叮当 铃儿响叮当……Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way …）🎈使进入(某种状态) send sb. into…/send sb. V-ing/send sb. adj.一根细绳穿系着好几只骆驼，有时是十只八只的，一顺地立在路边。The camels, sometimes numbering about ten, would stand roped up in a line, one after another, by the road. 🎈「有时是十只八只的」译作sometimes numbering about ten，作补充语对camel进一步说明。其中，注意number此处作动词「总计…（多少个）」。又，「十只八只」英文并无这样的习惯表达，所以仅译作about ten🎈「一顺地立在路边」结合上下文应理解为「这些骆驼由绳子系成一排，有秩序地一个个紧挨着站在路边」，译作stand roped up in a line, one after another, by the road。Roped up in a line这里是分词短语，由绳子系着成一排。满脸煤污的煤商一声吆喝，骆驼便乖乖地跪下来给人卸货，嘴角往往流着白沫，口里不住地嚼——反刍。At the loud call of the coal trader, whose face was smeared all over with coal dust, the camels would submissively kneel down, ready to be unloaded. Foaming at the mouth, they kept chewing the cud.🎈「吆喝」译作loud call，「乖乖地」译作submissively（顺从地）。🎈would + 动词原形可以表过去经常做的事情。巴金《木匠老陈》我还记得我每天到学堂去总要走过的木匠老陈的铺子。I still can recall how every day on my way to school I would invariably walk past Carpenter Lao Chen’s shop.🎈「反刍」是指「牛、羊、鹿、骆驼等动物把粗嚼后咽下去的食物再反回到嘴里细嚼」，译作chewing the cud，cud是反刍的食物。有时还跟着一只小骆驼，几乎用跑步在后面追随着。Sometimes, close at their heels was a calf trying ever so hard to catch up at a quickened pace. 🎈Try so hard to(努力地，拼命地)原文中并未出现对应的字眼，但原句隐含有这样的信息或感情色彩，所以译文根据需要增译。面对着这样庞大而温驯的驮兽，我们不能不惊异地欣赏。These heavily-built, docile pack animals were just amazing and adorable.🎈原文的「我们不能不惊异地欣赏」并未单独译出，而是隐含在amazing，adorable这样的表达中。🎈pack animal指驮兽、驮畜（如马、驴等）是亚热带的气候不适于骆驼居住。Camels do not adapt to the climate of subtropical zones.🎈亚热带subtropical zones🎈适应……adapt to…例句Yulan magnolia can adapt to a variety of soils.玉兰花能适应各种土壤。非洲北部的国家有骆驼兵团，在沙漠中驰骋，以骁勇善战著名，不过那骆驼是单峰骆驼， 不是我们所说的双峰骆驼。Northern African countries are known for their brave military camel corps in the deserts, but the camels involved are one-humped dromedaries, not the two-humped Bactrian camels as we are familiar with.🎈「以…著名」译作be known for…🎈「骁勇善战」译作brave，毕竟是两种不同语言中英词汇无法做到语义、语言色彩都完全对等，翻译实践的任务是尽可能缩小两者的距离。🎈「我们所说的」即「我们平常所熟悉的」，译作as we are familiar with。此处as语法功能相当于that。动物园的那一双骆驼不久就不见了，标本室也没有空间容纳它们。我从此也不大常去动物园了。The two camels soon disappeared from the zoo, and the specimen room did not have room enough to exhibit them. So, from then on, I seldom visited the zoo.🎈标本室the specimen roomthe waiting room of XX station候车厅the changing room更衣室the fitting room试衣间the dining room餐厅the guest room客厅🎈did not have room enough to exhibit them：enough to exhibit them作room的后置定语。当然，此处完全可译作the specimen room did not have enough room to exhibit them。又，第一个room表示房间，可数；第二个room指空间，不可数。🎈So是增译成分，补充出逻辑关系，使上下文更衔接。我常想：公文书里罢黜一个人的时候常用“人地不宜”四字，总算是一个比较体面的下台的借口。I understand “failed acclimatization” is a face-saving excuse commonly used in officialese to refer to someone’s removal from a position.🎈「公文书」这里是指公函中常出现的字眼或表达，译作officialese（公函用语）🎈「罢黜」指「罢免或卸任某官职」，译作removal from a position🎈「人地不宜」即「无从适应（情况或环境）」，译作failed acclimatization（无法适应环境）🎈「体面的」下台借口这里译作face-saving（保全面子的）这骆驼之黯然消逝，也许就是类似“人地不宜”之故罢？Now the dismal fadeaway of the two camels must be for some similar reasons.🎈「黯然消逝」译作dismal fadeaway，dismal是「凄凉、惨淡或沉闷的」🎈此句是反问语气，译时可直接处理为肯定形式，是常用的翻译策略之一。生长在北方大地之上的巨兽，如何能局促在这样的小小圈子里，如何能耐得住这炎方的郁蒸？How could the two big animals born and brought up in the vast northern plains of China long survive confinement in a small place like the zoo? How could they endure the sweltering heat?🎈how could表「岂能……」🎈「生长」译作brought up，bring up固定短语指「养育或抚养」如bring up a child养育一个孩子。🎈「炎方的郁蒸」即「酷热难受的气候」，译作the sweltering heat，sweltering是「酷热难耐的」意思。🎈结构划分：How could the two big animals (born and brought up in the vast northern plains of China） long survive confinement (in a small place like the zoo)。其中，born and brought up in the vast northern plains of China是animals的修饰成分；long作副词，表示「长时间地、长久地」，是增译成分，更加凸显骆驼生活的凄惨；survive是谓语动词。它们当然要憔悴，要悒悒，要萎顿以死。 Of course, consequently they pined away with weariness and spent their days moping around until they died.🎈consequently是增译成分，点明「生活之惨」和「悒悒不乐」之间的逻辑关系。🎈「要憔悴，要悒悒，要萎顿以死」英译时本句调整为憔悴(pined away)作谓语动词，悒悒(weariness)及萎顿(moping)作分词，这种处理方式值得学习。又，悒悒的意思是忧郁，愁闷。我想它们看着身上的毛一块块地脱落，真的要变成为“有板无毛”的状态，蕉风椰雨，晨夕对泣，心里多么凄凉！真不知是什么人恶作剧，把它们运到此间，使得它们尝受这一段酸辛，使得我们也感叹！How sad they must have been over their thinning hair! Who is to blame for having mischievously brought them to Taipei to undergo untold sufferings? They certainly deserve our deep sympathies!🎈How sad they must have been over their thinning hair! ：must表示推测，且只用在肯定句中；否定句和疑问句中用can’t/couldn’t和can/could.形式主要有must be/do sth.(对现在的推测)，must be doing sth.(对现在正在进行的推测)，must have done(对过去的推测).over引导原因，即因「毛成块掉落」而伤心。🎈我想它们看着身上的毛一块块地脱落，真的要变成为‘有板无毛’的状态译作thinning hair，「蕉风椰雨，晨夕对泣，心里多么凄凉」则通过感叹句式How sad…来传达。中文看起来像炫技的表达其实都在表达同一层含义，合并译出即可。🎈对……应负责任；应该为某事负责be to blame for…例句Beer is also blamed for yobbish behavior.啤酒会产生暴力事件。🎈「尝受这一段酸辛」译作undergo untold sufferings，untold是「无法言语的（用于强调事情的糟糕状况）」其实，骆驼不仅是在这炎蒸之地难以生存，就是在北方大陆其命运也是在日趋于衰微。In fact, camels find it difficult to subsist not only in this hot region, but also in the northern plains of China.🎈「find sth.+形容词」英语固定搭配是「觉得/感到..」的意思，如本段的find it difficult to…(感到…很困难)。 🎈「其命运也是在日趋于衰微」略译，前半句已经传达了类似的意思，所以后半句仅用but also…来表示。在运输事业机械化的时代，谁还肯牵着一串串的骆驼招摇过市？Nowadays, with the introduction of mechanized transportation, nobody will ever drive a drove of camels, all strung together, through the open street.🎈introduction表示「引入」，更为准确地交代时代背景。🎈「一串串（骆驼）」译作a drove of，固定搭配指「一群（动物）」🎈同前文出现的一样，此处「谁还肯牵着一串串的骆驼招摇过市？」译时处理为陈述句式。🎈all是camel的同位语，此处all strung together对camel的状态进一步补充描述。🎈「招摇过市」译作through the open street。沙漠地带该是骆驼的用武之地了，但现在沙漠里听说也有了现代的交通工具。Camels used to play a useful role as “ships of the desert”, but now, I hear, they have been largely replaced by modern means of transport.🎈「用武之地」并未按照字面直译，而是通过概念转换译为play a useful role as…（…的重要角色），值得学习。🎈means是「手段或方式、方法」，这里具体是指现代的交通方式。骆驼是驯兽，自己不复能在野外繁殖谋生。As tame animals, they are unable to live all by themselves in a wild state.🎈「驯兽」译作tame animals，通常是指能够驯服并为人类服务的动物。🎈野生状态in a wild state例句In their wild state, they feed on the leaves of a gum-bearing tree peculiar to warm climates.野生状态的长颈鹿吃含树胶的树叶，这种树是气候温暖的地方特有的。等到为人类服务的机会完全消灭的时候，我不知道它将如何繁衍下去。I wonder if they can still manage to live and breed once they cease to be at man’s service.🎈这句英译用I wonder if…表达了对骆驼未来前途的担忧，if这里是「是否」不确定的或疑虑的表达。🎈「等到为人类服务的机会完全消灭的时候」即「不为人类服务、停止为人类服务的时候」，译作cease to be at man’s service。最悲惨的是，大家都讥笑它是兽类中最蠢的当中的一个：因为它只会消极地忍耐。Sad to say, people all sneeringly call them one of the most stupid categories of animals because all they can do is submit and endure passively.🎈Submit（屈从）是根据情景有必要的增译，使得意思表达更充分，充分体现了骆驼对自己命运的无奈。🎈「消极地忍耐」译作endure passively，passively是「消极的，被动的」Q: all they can do is submit and endure passively这里是不是漏打了to，不应该是to use或者using吗？🎈句子就是主系表结构 all（主语） is（系动词）submit…（无to不定式作表语）。另外还有句口诀可以概括这个用法：前有do后无to。给它背上驮五磅的重载，它会跪下来承受。They kneel down obediently to be loaded with heavy weights.🎈「五磅」这里并没有直译为five pounds，而是用heavy weights（重载）来表达。它肯食用大多数哺乳动物所拒绝食用的荆棘苦草，它肯饮用带盐味的脏水。They exist on low-grade diets, such as tape grass, thistles and thorns, which most mammals refuse to eat. They drink saltish filthy water.🎈这一句增译了句首总起They exist on low-grade diets（他们的饮食没啥讲究…），然后再用such as进行分述。 🎈「脏水」译作filthy water。它奔走三天三夜可以不喝水，并不是因为它的肚子里储藏着水，是因为它在体内由于脂肪氧化而制造出水。They trek for three days and nights without drinking any water, not because they have water stored in their stomachs, but because the fat inside their bodies produce water through oxidation.🎈「奔走」这里并没有简单译为walk，而是根据上下文选择了更精准的trek(艰苦跋涉)。🎈have water stored in their stomachs是have…done结构。🎈脂肪氧化而制造出水：脂肪氧化一般指脂肪酸氧化。脂肪酸氧化，fatty acid oxidation，是指油脂水解产生的甘油和脂肪酸在供氧充足的条件下，可氧化分解生成二氧化碳CO2和水H2O，并释放出大量能量供机体利用。它的驼峰据说是美味，我虽未尝过，可是想想熊掌的味道，大概也不过尔尔。The hump is considered a delicacy. I have never eaten it, but, I think, it must taste no better than a bear’s paw.🎈「不过尔尔」即「不过这样罢了」，此处灵活译作no better than。像这样的动物若是从地面上消逝，可能不至于引起多少人惋惜。While probably few people now bemoan the possible extinction of camels.🎈「若是从地面上消逝」译为名词性短语the possible extinction of…，类似这种词性转换很普遍，值得学习。尤其是在如今这个世界，大家所最欢喜豢养的乃是善伺人意的哈巴狗，Pekingese, which are good at playing up to man, have become a pet with all.🎈「善伺人意」译作are good at playing up to man。其中play up to…固定搭配「迎合…，讨好…」🎈「哈巴狗」是Pekingese。像骆驼这样的“任重而道远”的家伙，恐怕只好由它一声不响地从这世界舞台上退下去罢！O if only we could do something to prevent this useful animal from its silent withdrawal from the world stage!🎈‘任重而道远’的家伙并未照字面直译，而是译为useful animal。🎈withdrawal from是退出（某活动或组织）🔥必背词汇command v.居高临下，俯瞰，清楚地看到英义If a place commands a view, especially an impressive one, you can see the view clearly from that place. If a person commands a view of something, they can see it clearly from where they are.例句The house commanded some splendid views of Delaware Bay.从这座房子可以俯瞰到特拉华湾壮丽的景致。onlooker cn.旁观者英义An onlooker is someone who watches an event take place but does not take part in it.例句A handful of onlookers stand in the field watching.少数几个旁观者站在现场观看。meander v.(河流、道路)蜿蜒而行，迂回曲折英义If a river or road meanders, it has a lot of bends, rather than going in a straight line from one place to another.例句We crossed a small iron bridge over a meandering stream.我们穿过架在蜿蜒小河上的一座小铁桥。somersault cn.筋斗，跟头英义If someone or something does a somersault, they turn over completely in the air.例句backward somersault 倒毛跟斗，倒筋斗跳，后空翻🔥重点表达凭窗远眺commanding a pleasant distant view from the window一片釉绿的田畴farmlands with fresh green vegetation小川蜿蜒其间meandering streams跳火圈jumping through a fiery hoop作算学doing easy sums翻筋斗turning a somersault怀着…的心情 with a…state of mind冷冷清清的 few onlookers（毛发）脱落 falling off 喘气gasping for breath下巴垂着chin drooping（泪）汪汪的眼睛 watery eyes肋骨历历可数ribs showed through distinctly破旧的worn-out悲惨地步a pitiful plight雄姿majestic appearance心目中in my mind’s eye十只八只numbering about ten吆喝loud call乖乖地submissively庞大heavily-built以…著名be known for…骁勇善战brave我们所说的as we are familiar with罢黜removal from a position人地不宜failed acclimatization黯然消逝dismal fadeaway炎方的郁蒸sweltering heat憔悴pined away悒悒weariness萎顿moping酸辛untold sufferings一群（动物）a drove of…招摇过市 through the open street用武之地 play a useful role as…为人类服务be at man’s service消极地忍耐endure passively脏水filthy water艰苦跋涉trek驼峰hump熊掌bear’s paw善伺人意（are）good at playing up to man🔥复盘测试凭窗远眺 一片釉绿的田畴 小川蜿蜒其间跳火圈 作算学 翻筋斗 怀着…的心情 冷冷清清的 （毛发）脱落 喘气 下巴垂着 （泪）汪汪的眼睛 肋骨历历可数 破旧的 悲惨地步 雄姿 心目中 十只八只 吆喝 乖乖地 庞大以…著名 骁勇善战 我们所说的 罢黜 人地不宜 黯然消逝 炎方的郁蒸憔悴悒悒萎顿酸辛一群（动物）招摇过市 用武之地 为人类服务消极地忍耐脏水 艰苦跋涉驼峰熊掌善伺人意 🔥表达对比「景点、好去处」有几种表达？台北没有什么（好去处）。Few places in Taipei are of much appeal to me……我从前常喜欢到动物园走动走动，其中（两个地方对我有诱惑）。…except the zoo which I used to frequent for its two attractions.另一个（著名的景点）就是长城。Another famous attraction is the Great Wall.水疗和健身中心是放松的（好去处）。SPA and fitness centers are the ideal places to relax.我们会给你找个（好去处）落脚。We’re gonna find you a nice place to live.
帕布莉卡
朗读这篇文章
梁实秋《略谈英文文法》 
爱是一颗心遇到另一颗心（出处+配图） 
