 鲜花( 1)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
缘分”是所谓命中注定的人与人遇合的机缘。英译“缘分”(亦作“天缘”)以及“有缘”、“无缘”常用的英文词有fate, luck, lot, destiny 等。请看几个例子:# }6 u, s( c* D9 M1 w, L. v" w6 O
: v/ V- j7 l1 N! K/ @0 }, g
1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)) G- |' q, Q. y8 b
* e( t8 z% P7 C0 q5 N! XWealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)7 ?: T( V5 O) l) ^9 l
" V( s$ b& V; m) n2.[宝玉问香菱为何薛蟠相亲定下了金桂,香菱笑道] 一则是天缘,二来是“情人眼里出西施”(《红楼梦》) : V2 @ @* x1 A% `. x
: l6 O8 p% F+ o# {It‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译)
. W d# f, K/ k% W, P1 Q; }( {( x \# L3 @, S6 }4 u2 K: x0 e
3.[王婆为了撮合西门庆和潘金莲,故意问前者是不是妻子死后,没有别的女人他中意的。西门庆争辩说]做甚么了便没?只恨我夫妻缘分上薄,自不撞着!(《水浒》)2 [/ C; L( E% r# U
4 K3 B- l. [% k; s3 A9 v2 h( X
Who says there isn‘t? It‘s just that my marriage luck has been bad. I‘ve never met the right one. (S. Shapiro 译)" K" G; d( q0 n3 Q$ C N3 p/ b& s
7 d- F7 o5 ]9 O, }, D
4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》)
/ X* S5 O1 ?& p& l! m
( ~2 Z$ `$ U2 Y3 q4 s9 t/ A9 XShe lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)% @9 }) f9 E7 I# a
& |0 g7 x* F+ ^9 z# i3 j t$ a
5.[刘备送别徐庶时说]备分浅缘薄,不能与先生相聚。(《三国演义》)0 Q! ?! q6 q7 v: \4 \- X z3 @
" O( b7 v& a/ V0 a* k9 `+ r: vMy meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)
2 T! O! q- [) L, z$ W( u2 M* P
% A# T7 B( F+ U) A6.[杜慎卿向季苇萧诉说自己没有知心朋友]只为缘悭分浅,遇不着一个知己,所以对月伤怀,临风洒泪!(《儒林外史》)
2 t) I, j! [& ~8 ?5 J
5 Y5 u! ?: \6 P) LBut I have not been lucky enough to find a true friend, and that is why I so often give way to melancholy! (杨宪益、戴乃迭 译)
/ {& r# d) q7 f3 N7 v/ C! n) K6 F' t5 q. T6 ^ x' |6 m
7.君琴瑟之好,自相知音;薄命人乌有此福。如有缘,再世可相聚耳。(《聊斋.宦娘》)0 b; o; Z4 H! @
' S, e5 K% k! p/ }, U3 XYou are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other‘s music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me
: U/ b$ W! H5 f& C% a5 O/ z1 E: d6 N" F
such blessings. If we are linked by the ties of destiny, we will meet again in the next life. (D.C. & V. H Mair 译)% f a& _. a+ l# K z6 Z0 C
) S$ G; k( c! E& f' ]5 H$ [8.[方鸿渐看不中张小姐,心中暗说]“我你他”小姐,咱们没有“举碗[案]齐眉”的缘分,希望另有好运气的人来爱上您。 (《围城》)! J* q! d" y: f/ t4 _$ M
; _" H y! K( E3 X8 U" }. nMiss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love# q1 f: o9 D) p4 Q5 z- P
) i3 \$ Y+ i* ]& c/ o* K& E9 B
with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)$ v; |& ]) v3 o, z
9 m4 D6 i" s1 Q7 J
可以看出,以上句子里的中心词都含有“命运”的意识,英译亦然。《围城》一例所mean,据New World Dictionary 等词典的解释也有 to destine or seem to destine 的意思,颇为妥帖。
; M, O! R( `* L, N# V4 ?+ A$ {7 m- W0 D
然而,“缘分”等词和命运的关联在有的用法里变得淡化了,甚至完全消失了。它只是泛指一种机遇或者机会。所以M. Roberts翻译《三国演义》的以下两句,用的词语和上边英译句子中的相应部分不同:9 N: p; X8 V: y) [
% M2 N& u- Z O0 A; s
9.[刘备二顾草芦时误认诸葛均为为诸葛亮,说]备久慕先生,无缘拜会。; j2 w0 ?! k" a$ c! F T
/ ~! b: v; o$ a' ~/ y7 yYour talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. But I have not had the honour of being presented to you.
4 w4 `/ ?) K! H3 |8 @
6 y( [7 d+ _" Z! _不仅如此,这种机遇还可以发生在人和事物之间。体育报道里说的“无缘(进入)决赛(be barred from entering the finals; be disqualified for the finals) 即其一例。《浮生六记》的作者沈复(字三白)因妻子陈芸喜欢李白和白居易的诗,就跟她说:* K/ U* a0 m8 G8 U+ T4 e O; q
# ~: k2 _. Z& M8 l% h
11.异哉!李太白是知己,白乐天是启蒙师,余适逢字三白,为卿婿;卿与“白”字何其有缘耶?
4 ^6 e# H0 p" Y# J9 s" E
* \ w2 e/ p2 mThis is very strange. So LiBai is your bosom friend, Bai Juyi is your first tutor and yours band‘s literary name is Sanbai. It seems
3 y: }& |' W4 @: Z2 b$ G& S' ^- r
& k: @6 G( A; I( }: U* i$ {: Z0 Othat your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
|