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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:
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1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)
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& O' A5 X9 M% q: NWealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)" d" {# K8 h* n% [
! @3 U# X0 b, B ?9 F2.[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》)
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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) " c$ l. G( Z/ o* m
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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》)
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Q/ ^: P5 _7 V- F$ S/ OWho says there isn‘t? It‘s just that my marriage luck has been bad. I‘ve never met the right one. (S. Shapiro 译)
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1 U' x+ ^! r% }! f4 m/ O5 O0 G4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》)
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" E, l# @% a. m A7 f% g# C7 MShe lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)
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" m# t6 i; d: v: v, Z5 v1 {9 j5.[刘备送别徐庶时说]备分浅缘薄,不能与先生相聚。(《三国演义》)/ ^ i* U, ^0 }' N8 j& q1 u
' a; m! W$ x0 L2 sMy meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)1 N' i0 D! H5 f5 X& H
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6.[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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But 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)) P: \; ]5 d( t& g
7 _1 T; s+ u( r8 ]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》)
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You are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other‘s music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me+ D5 u! p- s* n+ Q- c, d
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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)( X' f; Z1 }0 E! _0 d
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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》)
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* L" T) H6 j5 p5 h. p# YMiss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love$ B& @: l$ }6 T- }8 ~9 F* l
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/ q8 n/ a4 d. q( \6 |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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l5 j6 ? a" k, p* Y9 A; E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:) U! n6 {' w `$ |1 n i
d! x0 k% O0 U- x$ }+ s+ j; c9.[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。
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Your talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. But I have not had the honour of being presented to you.9 g9 i- m0 k* z% @+ L- u' A
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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:, T/ C/ ^9 R& e/ U/ n5 Y
2 E' u& [8 w+ o" ]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?9 ^/ ^5 d d- p( Q: p; ^( _& F
) N5 S4 S( _; f1 `8 W) JThis 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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/ g; m: |9 @& \% x1 {that your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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