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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:8 Z/ j8 y8 ?" l' W
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1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)) ^& U9 p& U5 F0 g; |
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Wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)
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1 N# q& l) [. e+ T2.[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》) 4 b R# x$ k, O/ Z/ L: M
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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)
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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》); K) ]3 O$ H# ? c+ F
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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)
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4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》)
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She lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)2 R$ `) d n) x. G& @
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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》)& z5 N! h% K/ A( K9 q3 }
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My meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)5 W8 p$ j! o9 e- g. |
6 a6 v9 c! [ j: T6.[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》)5 x# `$ P4 |1 |$ ], ]! |1 `
9 n% x- ]% c$ _( S* [6 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)
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5 s, X- s, D# [9 q8 m. ~' F9 a7.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
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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)
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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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8 _4 [8 x L8 m& [* k! G1 kMiss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love3 Q0 s# {5 K* k; u
9 L7 [6 M) V' n l/ I# Y; lwith you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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& I" y, ]5 w. t, f2 h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。7 m0 M, j2 x1 j, W- f4 r3 g
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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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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。
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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. u1 R! k: O9 k9 ~" P$ u
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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:) Q/ K: w5 v; Y, }! I6 G
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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?
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4 X, a1 @1 u3 [4 E5 d1 u9 IThis 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" X1 s2 e6 H( Q3 f% D) P
7 `/ a: O; y9 R9 ^( nthat your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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