1. But the men, who have usually used their family's life savings to get here, are mostly left alone
但警察對大多數通常傾其家庭的生活積蓄來這裏闖蕩的男人們一般不予以干涉.
點評:
該句的前面是這樣的一個句子:Occasionally, the police bring bulldozers to tear down the shelters. 有時候,警察開來推土機拆除避難所.該句講述了那些到歐洲去的移民在西班牙南部省份的安達盧西亞的樹林裏過着顛沛流離的生活.他們自己用廢棄的東西臨時搭建的破屋經常被警察們拆除.這句中的被動語態"left alone"要給予正確理解,從這句話中還可以側面瞭解西班牙的警察們對窮人的一點同情心.
2. Some drift into town to socialize and buy supplies, if they have money.
一些人溜達到城裏去參加社交活動,如果有錢的話,去購買些生活日用品.
點評:
該句中"drift into"原意爲"漂流"的意思,但在此句中則表現出那些移民在晚間百無聊賴,無所事事地在大街上閒逛的特點.該句注重詞義的恰當選擇.
3. But when he arrived there, his uncle's phone rang and rang.
但當他來到這裏,他叔叔的電話就打不通了.
點評:
"rang and rang"是英語中表示電話鈴的象聲詞.在這句中通過該詞的重複使用表現出"無人接聽"的含義.我們在授課中曾講到英語的象聲詞:onomatopoeia,並例舉了很多類似的詞,如:give me a ring, give me a tinkle都表示給某人打電話,再如,a hot pan sizzles滾燙的油鍋發出
4. But I told him he was nothing to me.
但我告訴他,他對我也沒有什麼幫助.
點評:
"nothing to sb."表示"對某人而言什麼都不是或一無是處",但考慮到文章的上下文如果這樣譯就太不客氣了.所以應使用委婉語來表示.
沒有一個人將小草叫"大力士",但是它的力量之大,的確是世所罕見.這種力,是一般人看不見的生命力,只要生命存在,這種力就要顯現,上面的石塊,絲毫不足以阻擋,因爲它是一種"長期抗戰"的力,有彈性,能屈能伸的力,有韌性,不大目的不止的力.種子不落在肥土而落在瓦礫中,有生命力的.種子決不會悲觀和嘆氣,因爲有了阻力纔有磨練.生命開始的一瞬間就帶了鬥爭來的草,纔是堅韌的草,也只有這種草纔可以傲然地對那些玻璃棚中養育着的盆花鬨笑.
參考譯文:
Though the little grass has never been said to be Herculean, the power it shows is matchless in the world. It is an invisible force of life. So long as there is life, the force will show itself. The rock above it is not heavy enough to prevent the seed from growing, because it is a force that keeps growing over a period of time, because it is an elastic force that can shrink and expand, because it is a tenacious force that will not stop growing until it is seed does not choose to fall on fertile land but in debris, instead. The seed with life is never pessimistic or sad, for it has undergone resistance and pressure. The grass that begins to fight its way out right after its birth is strong and tenacious, and only that grass has the right to smile with pride at the potted plants in glassed green houses.
翻譯點評:
Herculean:大力神,古希臘神話人物,如果想不到的話可以用比較口語的beefcake或者masculined guy.不過大家還是要注意,多積累一些這樣的文化、文學類知識儲備,以便在翻譯時能做到信手拈來,傳神出彩.
matchless一句:這句話的翻譯使用了逆向思維,這在英語中很常見,比如:
這事決不可能是他乾的.
應譯成He is the last person to do such a thing.
elastic force:彈力,不會的同學亦可譯成spring force/bounce,實在不會,可以換成strength,當然這就要失分了.
tenacious:持久的,也可換成ever-lasting或者long-lasting.一般像這樣簡單的合成詞在翻譯中往往能派上大用場.
debris:注意,末尾的s是不發音的,但是拼寫的時候千萬不要漏掉.
potted plants:盆栽.一些普通的日常生活中的名詞,大家可能會忽略,翻譯中遇到時才恍然發現不會表達.這一類詞語要多加註意,不要只將注意力集中在專業名詞上面.
