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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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( s. M0 g/ I: D Z1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)/ n+ \: ] Q% m0 Q7 z7 u5 [; Q
0 c1 X, B4 R, k' k% O0 tWealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)* Y% r% K7 G$ M$ b2 g
$ J6 G0 u# s8 c* e3 @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》)
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, k& w G# e, y6 QIt‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译) , Q% i/ R% y1 @' R( f9 X
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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》)* z9 Y8 @: C4 h2 @+ n; Q
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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)( ^- G; E' W ^: W5 b! R3 O( l
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4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) $ d$ y- k) m) q2 k% e
8 ^9 v3 u/ [, M' T1 p3 rShe lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)$ x4 Z/ h+ w- m7 ~; O, J
9 P1 O; k. r: u( L' l2 @, E1 A6 n5.[刘备送别徐庶时说]备分浅缘薄,不能与先生相聚。(《三国演义》)! y! @! Z! k4 B0 |- D
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My meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)6 I" k C' i; ^$ Q6 t
0 `9 x( o1 `) @5 ~( C6.[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)- C& Z0 n/ `) u2 b8 M. |! C4 f5 p
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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》)5 N9 _ [& D# }, t9 E
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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 me5 S2 j- _8 e% @: A
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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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) f: M" g+ a6 e# O5 z9 wMiss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love1 z0 P/ p$ D) h7 g: a Y% v, m; C- t
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with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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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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+ r" _ S/ f7 [& Q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:' O3 O2 Q; e3 O; ~% U
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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。" V6 f( i4 s, Z; e
% `, P$ ^1 U# \3 I5 ], \4 hYour talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. But I have not had the honour of being presented to you.
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; P8 \' R: {; R; F. @' `7 \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:
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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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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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- D# q" M1 t! ^5 z7 r1 jthat your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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