原文:
大多數學生瞧一下批的分數,就把卷子扔了,老師白改得頭痛。那些學生雖然外國文不好,卷子上寫的外國名字很神氣。(錢鐘書 - 《圍城》 )
翻譯關鍵詞:卷子,白(費事),不好,神氣
譯文:
Most of the students took a look at their score, then threw away the assignment. The headache he had gotten from correcting them was all in vain. Despite their poor command of English, the students had impressive foreign names.(美 Jeanne Kelly, Nathan K.Mao <譯> –Fortress Besieged)
翻譯筆記:
卷子
這里說的“卷子”可不是指考試卷,它在這里指的是作業(yè),所以我們只要譯為assignment(被指定的功課)即可。當然,用homework或paper也是可以的。如:
改作業(yè) correct students' papers; correct homework等
做作業(yè) do one's assignment; do homework等
在assignment后面接in時,可以寫作an assignment in physics這樣的格式。
白(費事)
原文說“白改得頭痛”,意思就是“白費事,白費勁,徒勞”,用于表達“白……”我們通??梢赃x擇in vain,如:
我們白干了一場。
All our work was in vain.
這些勇士沒有白死。
The deaths of these brave men were not in vain.
聯想記憶提醒咱們學過一個短語“竹籃打水一場空”,趕快把新學的對等的英語短語用上,就是all in vain。
不好
我們來檢查一下自己的active vocabulary有多少,這個“不好”除了not good at; bad at還有什么表達呢?還記得我們首次跟老外對話時害羞地說出My English is very poor嗎?這里的譯文用了poor command of,但是要注意這里的command指“應用能力”,不指“知識”,是說學生掌握外國語的能力。當然,如果是好,我們就可以說成a good command of。如:
他的法語口語很熟練。
He has (a) good command of spoken French.
神氣
我們首先來認識一下中文里的“神氣”,通常包含了一個名詞釋義和兩個形容詞釋義。
(1)名詞:神情;神態(tài) expression; air; manner等,如:
臉上顯出得意的神氣 have an air of complacency
他說話的神氣特別像他爸爸。
He is very much like his father in the way he speaks.
(2)形容詞:有精神,有氣魄 vigorous; impressive; spirited等,如:
小明帶上紅領巾多神氣。
Xiaoming looks quite impressive with his red scarf on.
(注意,這個就是咱們今天所看這段譯文里的用法了。)
(3)形容詞:驕傲;得意 putting on airs; cocky; overweening等,如:
呵!他倒神氣起來了。
Hump! What airs he gives himself!
你神氣什么?
What makes you think you're so wonderful? or
You've got nothing to be cocky about.
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(來源:滬江英語 編輯:Rosy)