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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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1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)
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' N5 s$ E8 s& r9 f& E: TWealth 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》) # [; a! [" i$ r' M# D
1 u6 i6 _% |5 b! {9 t' g2 KIt‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译) 6 X; }7 e; a' _% W
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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》)
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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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+ m1 e7 l0 S( X9 W1 K% a1 R8 @4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) 9 c9 C: ^1 C, p7 M
m/ q! ]! o3 D% ~* }; b- Q% g$ Z# wShe lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译) B2 Q$ z Q# I: _1 b2 P9 C
7 L6 g# `7 x* [4 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》)' z! b. [' ~( Z7 v
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My meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)1 g# N$ } m+ e4 m N' u
: B% T9 }* p) `6 D% _$ H/ d6.[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)
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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》)+ V. V6 Q* s; [
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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. d% h, p% d9 Y
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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)7 M! u/ ^8 p" k: ?6 v( C3 f
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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》)2 J) U" _- C/ ^7 F$ p. X
+ J m0 f. }. d& e8 D8 IMiss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love- ?# [$ O- r$ C! {& ?0 D
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with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)3 v& y7 s. _1 I. |) ?
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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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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:0 b) g# `- _5 P! e9 l! I! G) M
1 c$ a4 [% H. {2 P/ f9.[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。6 b- L! p! h8 Z" c, b1 J
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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 T3 E9 z: s8 c5 D# R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 X4 B$ x' f. M+ v* d4 P) N
5 `- j6 C( |$ g! ~0 ~% n& Othat your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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