Random Thoughts（Excerpt）黄药眠Huang Yaomian🔥背景知识：黄药眠（1903-1987），作家、教授、文艺批评家。原名黄访、黄恍，广州梅县人。解放前从事教师、编辑、记者等工作，出版有小说、诗歌、散文等专集。解放后任中国文学艺术联合会副秘书长、民盟中央委员、北京师范大学中文系教授等职，著有多种散文集。他写的《杂感集》是一组格言式的杂文，三言两语，寓意深刻，发人深思。拂晓前的灯光，尽管明亮，但怎能同刚出来的磅礴的晨曦争胜呢？Predawn lamplight, bright as it is, can never outshine the majestic rising sun.🎈这是一个反问句，对于反问句通常有三种译法：否定句、一般疑问句或者特殊疑问句。此处的反问句意在表达否定的观点，因此译为否定句。🎈bright as it is：as引导让步状语从句时，必须用倒装结构。这种倒装通常是把从句中的表语、状语或者谓语动词放在句首。🎈「争胜」此处译为outshine，他除了有「胜过」的意思外，还具有「比…闪亮」的含义，较outdo更适合。金刚石虽然能发出闪灼的亮光，可是没有热。Diamond glitters but gives off no heat.🎈「没有热」即「不会发出热量」译为give off no heat,其中give off意为「发出放出」时，主要指热量。爱夸耀过去成绩的人，大概对于未来已没有多大的兴趣了吧！He who is given to bragging about his past achievements must have lost interest in his own future.🎈此处he表示泛指。也可用those who…结构。🎈be given to意为「爱好」或「有…的习惯」🎈常用来表示夸耀的词还有boast, crow, gloat, swagger等等。燃烧着的木柴是决不懊悔它自己之成为灰烬的。Firewood, while burning, never regrets having itself reduced to ashes.🎈while burning：主从句主语一致，且从句有be，则while后可省略主语和be。🎈have itself reduced to=be reduced to，意为「使陷入（更坏的）境地，使沦落或使陷入窘境」，这种用法很普遍请注意。更多的事前考虑，就可以有更少的事后追悔。More thinking beforehand, less after-the-event remorse.🎈after-the-event意为「事后」，如be wise after the event意即「事后聪明，马后炮」，注意本句「事前」「事后」的译法。🎈有的名词性短语带上成句的语调，独立应用时，就是非主谓句。让偏见守着心灵，那么真理的声音就难于流进他的耳朵里了。A prejudiced mind keeps the voice of truth from entering the ear.🎈格言的一大特色便是简洁，因此译者翻译时整合意思，译为一句即「怀有偏见的心灵听不到真理之音」🎈另外，请注意选词偏见守着心灵（prejudiced mind）、真理的声音（the voice of truth）、流进（entering）谦虚的工作者常易取得热情的支持，浮夸的工作者则常受到冷淡的对待。Modesty will win warm support; boastfulness will be cold shouldered.🎈「谦虚的工作者」译为（谦虚）modesty ，「浮夸的工作者」译为浮夸/吹嘘（boastfulness），请注意这种转换。 🎈cold shoulder是英文俚语，单独使用意为「不搭理，看不上，对…冷淡」，如：She cold – shouldered her ex-fiancé. (她看不上她从前的未婚夫.)。我们最常见的就是give sb a cold shoulder，此处的be cold shouldered使用被动语态，意为「遭受冷遇」。这类对照句式，在英译的句式及选词的时候注意呼应。陀螺尽管转得勤，但就是没有前进！A top makes no headway no matter how hard it spins.🎈将两句用no matter how连接，不仅精简了句子，还凸显了两句的逻辑关系。🎈英文习惯把结果及重要信息展示在句首，请注意体会中英语言习惯。你出生入死得来的荣誉，也许会在衣香鬓影的欢乐的华筵中欢笑掉。The honor you have gained by going through fire and water may be lost amidst gay laughter at a joyous grand banquet graced by gorgeously dressed women.🎈「出生入死」译为going through fire and water，此外going through fire and water也常做「赴汤蹈火」讲。🎈「衣香鬓影的欢乐的华筵」中的「衣香鬓影」可理解为「衣着华丽的美女云集」，「华筵」即「华丽的筵席」，因此这个短语译为a joyous grand banquet graced by gorgeously dressed women. 其中，to grace意为「使增色」是译者根据上下文的增译部分。欢笑掉的东西，难道能用眼泪哭得回来么？Can that which is lost in the midst of the gay laughter be regained by tears of regret?🎈Can that which is lost in…：which引导限制性定语从句，先行词是that。且此种情况下，只能用which引导。🎈「欢笑掉的」即「迷失在欢乐中的」，译为is lost in the midst of the gay laughter。🎈tears of regret意为「悔恨的泪水」，of regret为增译成分，起到补充说明的作用。宁可预告少而贡献多，切勿先作许多诺言，而最后只能拿出半杯凉水。Few promises and more contributions, rather than more promises and few contributions.🎈「预告」这里正确的理解是「事前的许诺」，译为promises。切勿不求理解，望文生义译为prediction或foretelling，这是翻译的大忌。🎈「最后只能拿出半杯凉水」这里应该理解为「贡献很少」，所以译为few contributions。🎈同前文一样，有的名词性短语带上成句的语调，独立应用时就是非主谓句。你单纯，因为你除了为无产阶级和劳动人民而奋斗终身以外，便没有任何别的要求和欲望。You are simple because you have no wants apart from dedicating your life to the welfare of the proletariat and the working people. 🎈「要求和欲望」译为wants，复数名词，指「想要的东西」，干净利落。🎈献身、把（时间、精力等）用于… dedicate…to…例句But you decide to dedicate your entire day to finish it.但是你决定要花一整天来完成它。你复杂，因为你对于敌人的阴谋诡计、威胁恫吓、利诱和美人计，都能一一予以识破，加以反击，获得胜利。You are complicated because you can defeat your enemy by seeing through one by one his plots, threats, lures and sex-traps.🎈这一句译文通过…because you can defeat…by…by…的结构表达,这样的句式转换值得学习。🎈「一一予以识破，加以反击，获得胜利」本句话有三个动词，主要动词为「反击」译为defeat(既有「反击」又有「战胜」之意)，而「识破」是「反击并取得胜利」的方式，译为by引导的方式状语即可。🎈识破、看穿see through例句I saw through your little ruse from the start.从一开始我就看穿了你的小计谋。逃跑必然会引起追击，让子弹从背后射进去是可耻的。Running away will inevitably result in the pursuit and attack of the enemy; it is disgraceful to be hit in the back by a bullet.🎈of the enemy是译者根据上下文的增译，句意更明确。🎈「可耻的」译作disgraceful 嫉妒别人的才能，也许正好说明自己的无能。Showing jealousy of other people’s abilities is clear proof of your own incompetence.🎈「说明」译为be clear proof of，是个比较新颖的译法。除了记住这个表达以外，我们要学会这种以be+名词的结构代替动词的译法，以增强句子的灵活性。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.🎈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。其中over表示位置，「波浪」要覆于海面之上，才能与海面下的海水有所区分，称为「浪」🎈「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。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. 🎈「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，也可译为indulge in womanizing。其中womanize意即「使柔弱，玩女人; （男人）沉迷女色」🎈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应理解为「边抽烟边闲谈」，用amidst连接。🎈本段出现的trifle away意为「浪费」，与fritter away同义，其它表示「浪费」的还有idle。这些人不知道浪费时间，就等于浪费生命。They don’t know that wasting time means wasting life.🎈此处「浪费」译作waste，与前文出现的表达都不同，体现了表达的多样性。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.🎈whom引导定语从句，在从句中作宾语。🎈「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。🎈（与某人）很熟译为be well acquainted with sb。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.🎈「一下子就认出他是同志」译为are immediately found to be real comrades。其中，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?🎈「以毒攻毒」译为combating poison with poison。🎈…,don’t they?是反义疑问句。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.🎈「锤子在后面不断督促」译为repeated hammering from behind，其中hammering一语双关，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.🎈「值得称赞的地方」应理解为「值得称赞的方面」，译为aspects worthy of our praise。🎈though puerile是though they are puerile的省略。又，puerile可用于指人或物，是「幼稚愚钝」的意思。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.🎈「受到冷遇」第二次出现，前文译为be cold shouldered。此处译为feel left out in the cold，其实还可以译为feel they are given a cold reception。🎈轮到某人…… it’s one’s turn to…因为交响乐团是一个整体。It is because a symphony orchestra is a whole.🎈「是一个整体」译作is a whole。在某些文本中遇到「从整体来看/作为一个整体…」，我们可将其译作As a whole, …无私的人，总希望从自己手里能给人们散布出更多的幸福。A selfless man always thinks of handing out more happiness to others.🎈「散布」这里更侧重「给予」之意，译为handing out。hand out的意思是「分发，散发，给与」🎈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。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.🎈「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。🎈「预支」这里应理解为「提前享受或享乐」，译为enjoy in advance 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?🎈「去计较」译作bother about…（为不必要的事去担忧或积虑），翻译实践中根据上下文语境去选词很重要。🎈计算（数量或成本）figure out例句Have you figured out how much the trip will cost?旅行要花多少费用你算出来没有？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.🎈「我不愿…我宁愿…」用I hate to…I would rather…，请注意从整体句式上把握。🎈「浅」译为shallow，除了（水）浅还可以是 （认知）肤浅或空洞，请注意学习这样的用词。🎈「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。其中，indulge in指「沉湎于，沉溺于」例句Everyone should indulge in fantasy on occasion.每个人都应偶尔沉浸在想象之中。🎈along with表示「与…一道(又), 连同…一起, 随同…一起」。例句A bill came along with the package.清单与包裹一并到达。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.🎈「看」译为behold，与see相比更强烈地暗示对已被看见的某物的意识而非仅肉眼所见。🎈「挺拔遒劲」即「直直的，够力稳固的」，译为straight and sturdy。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。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. 🎈原文中的「拉」「揪」「牵」，请注意英译的动词选择pulling，dragging，led，作为翻译的准备对词汇深度及广度的掌握都很重要。牵牛就得牵在牛鼻子上。A cow is to be led by the nose.🔥必背词汇outshine v.比…更优秀，比…更出色，胜过英义If you outshine someone at a particular activity, you are much better at it than they are. 例句Jesse has begun to outshine me in sports.杰西在体育方面开始超过我。majestic sdj. 壮丽的，庄严的，雄伟的英义If you describe something or someone as majestic, you think they are very beautiful, dignified, and impressive.例句a majestic castle/river/view雄伟的城堡；壮丽的河流/景色brag v.吹嘘，夸耀英义If you brag, you say in a very proud way that you have something or have done something. 例句He’s always bragging about his prowess as a cricketer.他总是吹嘘自己板球球技的高超。remorse un.懊悔，自责，悔恨英义Remorse is a strong feeling of sadness and regret about something wrong that you have done.例句He was full of remorse.他充满了悔恨。prejudiced adj.心怀偏见的，有成见的，偏爱的英义A person who is prejudiced against someone has an unreasonable dislike of them. A person who is prejudiced in favour of someone has an unreasonable preference for them.例句Some landlords and landladies are racially prejudiced.一些房东有种族偏见。top n.陀螺英义a child’s toy that spins on a point when it is turned round very quickly by hand or by a string.例句Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top.包裹里面的东西好像是小型的陀螺。grace v.给…增光，使生辉英义If you say that someone important will grace an event or an organization, you mean that they have agreed to be present at the event or to be part of the organization.例句He had been invited to grace a function at the evening college.他应邀为这所夜校的活动捧场。🔥重点表达拂晓 Predawn磅礴的 majestic争胜 outshine发出（亮光）glitter发出（热量）give off爱好… be given to…夸耀… brag about…木柴Firewood灰烬ashes事前 beforehand事后after-the-event偏见守着心灵prejudiced mind真理的声音the voice of truth流进 entering偏见守着心灵prejudiced mind真理的声音the voice of truth流进 entering浮夸 boastfulness 受到冷淡的对待 be cold shouldered陀螺 top没有前进 make no headway出生入死 going through fire and water衣香鬓影 gorgeously dressed （women）华筵 joyous grand banquet…为之增色 be graced by…欢笑 the gay laughter哭回来regained by tears of regret诺言 promises 贡献contributions.无产阶级 proletariat劳动人民 working people要求和欲望 wants阴谋诡计 plots利诱 lures 美人计 sex-traps识破 seeing through可耻的 disgraceful正好说明… clear proof of…无能 incompetence不值一提 nothing at all to…汪洋大海轩然大波 wild waves over a boundless sea浪费（时间） fool away 拈花惹草 womanize闲谈 chit-chat浪费（时间） trifle away一下子 immediately以毒攻毒 combating poison with poison不断督促 repeated hammering钉进墙里 be driven into a wall值得称赞的地方 aspects worthy of our praise受到冷遇 feel left out in the cold是一个整体 is a whole靠过去的老本 rest on their laurels预支 enjoy in advance去计较… bother about…孤芳自赏 indulge in admiring oneself for… 滚滚东流 surge eastward看 behold挺拔遒劲 straight and sturdy🔥复盘测试拂晓 磅礴的争胜 发出（亮光）发出（热量）爱好… 夸耀… 木柴灰烬事前事后偏见守着心灵 真理的声音 流进 浮夸 受到冷淡的对待 陀螺 没有前进 出生入死 衣香鬓影 华筵 …为之增色 欢笑 哭回来 诺言 贡献.无产阶级 劳动人民 要求和欲望 阴谋诡计 利诱 美人计 识破 可耻的 正好说明… 无能 不值一提 汪洋大海轩然大波 浪费（时间） 拈花惹草 闲谈 浪费（时间） 始终陌生 （与某人）很熟 一下子以毒攻毒 不断督促 钉进墙里 值得称赞的地方 受到冷遇 是一个整体 靠过去的老本 预支 去计较… 孤芳自赏 滚滚东流 看 挺拔遒劲 🔥表达对比「依靠、靠、凭借」有几种表达？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. 清贫，洁白朴素的生活，正是人们革命者（能够）战胜许多困难的地方！ To remain honest though poor, to live a clean and simple life—that is what we revolutionaries count on to overcome innumerable difficulties!至少她是我能（依靠）的盟友。At least she’s an ally I can rely on.他曾（凭借）经典电影《玫瑰人生》大获成功。 You may remember he had a huge hit with La Vie En Rose.
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爱是一颗心遇到另一颗心（出处+配图） 
