本周文章搜集了几个常见、难翻译的中文语意,并提供相应的英译建议,包含如何结合不同语意来表达意境。
情境一:辛苦了
“辛苦了”一词常见于表达:(1)感谢、(2)勉励、(3)赞赏及(4)同理心。例句如下:
1. 感谢您所做的一切,辛苦了!
I appreciate all that you’ve done. Thank you./ Thanks a lot./ Thanks for everything.
2. 您做得很好,辛苦了!
You’re doing very well. Keep up/ Carry on the good work!
3. 这个活动很成功,辛苦你了!
The event was a success. You nailed it!/ Well done!/ Good job!/ Great effort!
4. 工作上得应付挑剔的客户,真是辛苦了!
Dealing with difficult clients at work must be difficult/ tough/ hard/ tiring.
情境二:加油
“加油”一词一般用来:(1)祝人好运、(2)表达感谢,以及(3)表达鼓励。例句如下:
1. 我们听说你要换工作了,加油!
We heard that you’re starting a new job. Good luck!/ Wish you all the best!
2. 我们已经取得连胜了,加油!
We’re hitting a winning streak. Keep it up./ Hang in there!
3. 我知道你一定能签下合约的,加油!
I know you can win the contract! You got this!/ It’s in the bag!
情境三:敷衍
“敷衍”一词常见的意思是:(1)草草了事、(2)搪塞、打发、(3)不理睬、漠视及(4)例行公事般的敷衍。列句如下:
1. 他不在乎他的工作,只是在敷衍了事。
He didn’t care about his job. He was just phoning it in.
2. 我想要办理新签证,但是使馆人员总是敷衍推托。
I’m trying to get a new visa, but the embassy staff keeps giving me the runaround.
3. 当她试图提出这个议题时,委员会主席试图敷衍过去。
The committee chairman brushed her off when she tried to raise the issue.
4. 他敷衍地亲了她的脸颊便离开了。
He dropped a perfunctory kiss on her cheek and left.
英汉字典中,一般都将“敷衍”直接翻译成“perfunctory”。但根据Merriam-Webster中所提供的英文解释,“perfunctory”的意思为“characterized by routine or superficiality”,并非所有的状况都适用,所以需要正确的判断及注意使用的时机。
情境四:撒娇
由于文化的因素,“撒娇”一词在英文中没有对应的翻译,最直接的翻译方式就是用英文描述:“to get affection/what you want in a cutesy manner”。若是希望更加精确的翻译,可以把撒娇的具体行为描写出来。例句如下:
1. 闹脾气、嘟嘴
她总是透过撒娇来得到她想要的东西。
She always pouts to get what she wants.
2. 生闷气
吵架后,她向男友生闷气。
She sulked over her boyfriend after having a fight with him.
3. 装可爱
她知道如何撒娇来取悦男友。
She knows how to act cute to cheer her boyfriend up.
4. 装无辜
他试着撒娇让女友冷静下来。
He tried to give an innocent look to calm his girlfriend down.
5. 装可怜
每当我女儿向我讨零用钱时,总向我撒娇。
My daughter gives me her puppy eyes whenever she asks me for some money.
6. 表达亲昵
家猫非常会和人撒娇。
Domestic cats are very cuddly and affectionate.
透过以上范例,我们可以发现单一中文词语能够表达多种意涵,很难找到能够囊括所有意涵的英文对等词。遇到这种情况时,比较好的作法就是根据句意做意思的转换(意译),而不要执着于字符上的转换(直译)。
您可以选择意思相近的单词、词组,或是短语来表达语意为自己的英文加分。
例句来源:
Cambridge Dictionary
Merriam-Webster Dictionary