人们称我为馒头伯,是源自联合报记者王宏舜先生的2010/8/6半版焦点特写. 我的翻译经验始自大学三年级,半瓶醋(smattering)时期.当时受一家出版社委托,把五本 简化的英文名着译成中文,其中包括《莎士比亚故事》,《简爱》,与《蝴蝶梦》.大学毕业 後,主要是中译英与英文写作. 以中译英来说,翻译的目的是让英美人士看得懂,最好有像看中文一样的理解与欣赏或者认 同.但是有些东西无法英译.最显着的是中文的一些文字游戏,例如林太乙女士受联合国委 托英译《镜花缘》,遇到书内下述句子,如何英译: 紫芝道:我说一个「土」字,翻了一个筋斗,变成「干」字.秀英道:我用「由」字,翻个筋斗 ,变成「甲」字. 根本无法做有意义的英译.《镜花缘》有许多部份没有英译,因此,算是节译.即使节译,因 受中文限制也译的不好,不是优美的英美语文.我为编《传世汉英-英汉宝库》阅读林女士 的Flowers in the Mirror时,看不到一半就放弃了.原因是难以找到汉英对照的正确而优 美的例句. 这是我最近在儿子家齐协助下采访译写Success Comes from Solving Problems: 20 Famous Elites Tell Their Stories《成功源自解决疑难:20篇精英成名史》时,定为英汉 对照的原因之一.《成功…》一书的原始资料,绝大部份是中文.由於汉英的语法差异等因 素,假如先写中文,随中文的语法结构再译成英文,会被英美人士认为是怪怪的,不合他们的 语法,或者难以理解.《成功…》的主要目的是把我两个家乡济南商河与台湾台北推介给世 人,当然应以英文优先.於是,我译写《成功…》时,是先写英文後写中文,或者英汉一起写, 中文随英文的习惯语法而调适. 在采访译写《成功…》过程中,也遇到一些某种程度的文字游戏,均已设法克服了.书内比 较有趣或值得再锤炼的词句有以下多处,或许可供初学翻译者参考,并祈请方家指正: *前两周(上课)完全是「鸭子听雷」. In the first two weeks, it was all Greek to me. *…决定「拼下去」. …I decided to fight it out. *「起承转合」introduction, development, transition, and conclusion. *关键时刻让他「辗转难眠」,早白了头. … at some critical moments his role caused him to toss and turn in his sleep and to turn prematurely gray. *玩「双率交易」或「炒汇」. … to initiate its “currency carry trade” or currency speculation … *婚姻有时是两个人「相欠债」(台湾俗语). … marriage means sometimes "owing each other.” *就像兴采可以「跌破大家眼镜」,成功地研发出咖啡纱一样. … just as happened with Singtex, which made everyone’s jaw drop to the floor when we had successfully developed our coffee yarn. *「人要克服困难,不要被困难克服」We should conquer difficulties but not be conquered by them. *遭遇任何难题时要「面对它,接受它,处理它,放下它」. When encountering any difficult problem, one should face it, accept it, deal with it, then let it go; In encountering any difficulty, one should face it, accept it, tackle it, and forget it.何者为优? *用「千手护持,千眼照见」的慈悲与智慧来「关怀众生」. … applying the compassion and wisdom of “protection and support with a thousand hands, and seeing everything clearly in its reflection with a thousand eyes” to show solicitous care for all living creatures. *被「网友称为「仁医」与「德神」. Some “netizens” (that is, online commentators) have referred to him as a “benevolent physician” and a “virtue fanatic.” *「吃饭皇帝大」. Nothing’s bigger than eating. *「大富由天,小富由勤」. Diligence brings small wealth, while fate brings immense fortune. *英国的博士班基本上是「放牛吃草」. PhD programs in the United Kingdom were basically ‘laissez-faire’ [‘letting the cattle graze,’ i.e., leaving students free to work largely on their own] and very hands-off. *诚盼读者能从中受惠,学会「正向思考」,「内省」,「感恩」,「回馈」,「提昇心 性」,「自我疗愈」,以远离病痛. I sincerely hope that readers will benefit from this collection by learning and practicing positive thinking, introspection, appreciation, reciprocation, elevation of the nature of mind, and self-healing so as to keep illness away. *「退一步海阔天空」. Taking one step back makes the entire world seem bright. *这就是《论语》中孔子所说「一以贯之」的效用. This is the effect of ‘one thread which runs through all the matters,’ as said by Confucius in Confucian Analects. *此时可以达到「天人合一」的境界. At this point one could reach the state of harmony with nature. *可以开发出「超觉知」[超感官知觉]等潜能. … could such potentials as extrasensory perception be developed. *也就是「应无所住而生其心.」所谓「真空妙有」就是智慧的本质. This approach would also involve ‘letting your mind function freely, without abiding anywhere or in anything.’ The Buddhist statement that ‘the true void is the mysteriously existing’ would mean the essence of wisdom. *「一代师表」. … a virtuous exemplar for our current generation. *「得天下英才而教育之,莫如教育而得天下之英才」. Teaching students to be outstanding should be favored over admitting outstanding students. *「好高骛远」. To aspire far beyond one’s capabilities; … to bite off at first more than you can chew.何者为优? *「眼高手低」.To have grandiose aims but puny abilities *…儒家之道,例如「正名」,「务实」,「明理」,「重义轻利」,「知所先後」,「道并 行而不悖」,「执两用中」,「守经通权」,「因地制宜」,「因势利导」,「和而不同」, 以及「群而不党」. … the Confucian ones (principles): for example, proper definitions, practicality, rationality, placing justice above one’s own interests, essence and orderliness, tolerance of different viewpoints, analyzing the extremes in search of the optimal, adhering to principles and adapting to one’s environment, adapting measures to suit local conditions, judiciously determining one’s action according to circumstances, reconciling while recognizing differences, and being sociable but not clannish. *…说,「为世间留下美好种子,人生才不会白过」. … said that a person’s life will not be in vain as long as he leaves a good seed in the world. *最终目的是「化繁为简」「离苦得乐」. The ultimate purposes are simplification and exchanging hardship for happiness. *…鼓励政大学生求职时『看远不看近』. ... encouraged students at NCCU to "take the long view” in their job search. *学术界批判我是「伪科学」,「怪力乱神」,「科学神话」. Academia criticized my views as‘pseudoscience, weirdness, or scientific myth. *…以便对事务的「来龙去脉」「一目了然」. … so as to see the ins and outs of an event clearly. *「药补不如食补;食补不如功补」. Dietary nutrition is better than medicine; and qigong nourishment is even better than dietary nutrition. *「礼义廉耻」,国之四维,四维不彰,国乃灭亡. Courtesy, righteousness, incorruption, and a sense of shame are the four preservations of a country; if they are not conspicuous, the country will be annihilated. *他们不用「填鸭式的教育方法」. They did not use the cramming method of teaching like force-feeding ducks.台湾的教学环境目前依然往往是「填鸭式的教 学」. Taiwan’s current educational environment still tends to spoon-feed students. 一直还是走不出「填鸭式的教学方式」. … has not gotten away from the spoon-feeding or duck-stuffing style of teaching. 何者为优? *他儿时「调皮捣蛋」,「辜负父母期望」. As a boy, he was saucy and mischievous. He failed his parents …. *他成功地培养成专注,「心无旁鹜」.并信守珍谚:「有所得必有所失」.He has successfully developed his own capacity for concentration and is no longer distracted by extraneous thoughts. Besides, he maintained a venerable precept: nothing is gained without sacrifice. *「祝您心想事成」. Wish you every success! 敬告版主:您如认为不妥,可删全文或文中任何部份.(抱歉,在板内我不会把关键字用红色 标出来.)谢谢. --

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