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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:" S5 o# v) v# ?1 F1 K+ y
, R& _4 ~! X2 f1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)
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Wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)
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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》) 7 ?" V' X. j" [% D3 l9 |. }6 v, Y
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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》)2 _) M) Q' d/ x3 D- A3 T
! t7 N3 X Q( {! S/ O) a. x+ FWho 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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, P( \' M: w" U; i8 {( o4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》)
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; [! z( P$ {# F; y8 PShe lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)! R, z8 u, e" r5 o- K3 I1 K
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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》)1 o# y& o4 V. ]& @; V- X
) y" U9 @ i& @ m# M* ~3 zMy meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译). q; B. |" T0 j* O8 O; n
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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》)2 e, `! y. g. j# x$ L$ \
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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)
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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》)
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& n; i% v& R5 {You are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other‘s music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me+ P% C( _ d9 ]7 Y, L
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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): N+ V" [) F& E0 S+ j
) L. J. J& `! J( {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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Miss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love9 @ E3 `! u+ M" G8 P: w
: b- Y! j+ K1 X4 @; Wwith you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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$ }/ L3 q) { l- u! G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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2 b* O; N4 P3 U) {4 i4 U- L3 ~# y& s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:* c6 U2 t5 _) `: A) g3 q6 l- @
3 D; m% G5 h8 T. g' D' t6 f6 n9.[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.
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9 p7 o+ |+ G# b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:" g0 z3 x; k, w3 b2 H
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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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" k; F8 T- Q5 S: q3 O- w8 J: sthat your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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