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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:" [* Q/ H$ T# M: _7 A4 |! O
' ?$ J. W9 \! Z; u0 m$ L2 G1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)( {/ T$ U) ]% z$ m! P
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Wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)
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* P W4 t z8 l) e/ ^2.[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》) " E' I3 A, ?& U
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It‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译) ( G* V+ a, M2 w6 {
" v5 G5 b2 r( Z- \# r3.[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》)* v1 c6 r2 q. d8 D; E
) t; N9 v" ]0 D" q2 W; c; UWho says there isn‘t? It‘s just that my marriage luck has been bad. I‘ve never met the right one. (S. Shapiro 译); v' \; x' Z: q8 S# l0 A
8 u9 |1 C, E" i: l7 R+ @: l+ Q4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) " E4 ? I( ?2 d, \$ @
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She lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)
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5 B* f* Y' M3 a. X7 Z5.[刘备送别徐庶时说]备分浅缘薄,不能与先生相聚。(《三国演义》)- R. S( {( ~/ v }
2 U( @; k( f# [) ?7 V6 {" K5 AMy meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译). x2 Z* ]% }! |0 I
5 M' Z1 v9 P/ ~3 k6.[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》)
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4 ]% S0 o: }. EBut 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)2 O* t7 n6 {* M! Q- E7 V7 e
x2 q3 A6 |3 J7 `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》), V; ^- V2 d; Y- H) l9 G% B
: Q4 u1 f# O1 H6 R' ?( @$ t% R" pYou are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other‘s music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me2 I8 H9 T P: t$ d
- k* X' D+ Z4 S5 I0 Osuch blessings. If we are linked by the ties of destiny, we will meet again in the next life. (D.C. & V. H Mair 译)! b$ q: N0 |2 V0 t$ _& g2 W
; k; d% o7 A6 p6 x# a7 G8.[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》)& |8 l4 @% ~8 N% ?
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Miss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love
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( }, r+ H" o+ }" e* X6 ~with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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3 i3 m2 F) P) K" }1 _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。
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& ?3 A3 E9 `7 m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:
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8 ?/ \2 J) p2 o9.[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。3 h1 T$ c0 H) ?/ j$ x7 Q
1 O% ?3 l% a; |2 tYour talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. But I have not had the honour of being presented to you.8 ^& M$ Y6 y4 J0 T" s& c
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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:8 G2 t) ~& t4 C f$ W2 M
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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?7 I: J: Q/ o9 p/ w
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This 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
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$ {0 s: P) Z3 _+ @) |that your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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