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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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Wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)
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7 n9 u& P( ]5 A1 o2.[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》) r. `3 l9 `& o, R4 G: m5 q
& Q' j& ]4 r0 x& {$ M/ E& \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》)
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! a, S& ?: J! b9 PWho 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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8 s- @% [6 w2 ]& Y7 J4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) ! l9 {- I& F$ m z3 C$ B& Y& |7 u
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She lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)7 Y. N1 w+ P$ T
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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》)
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My meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)0 S. {' J$ p8 a5 @$ E
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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》)
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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》)$ Q$ S s2 E% `# R2 I
. J5 P! |' J1 s& s; PYou are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other‘s music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me
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9 g1 H/ t1 X* ^) _4 g$ `8 _8 Zsuch 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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: P; a+ Q3 {/ N8.[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》)% @8 d- Q5 V% n9 ]& O" Y3 s E
. ?" I" O: g& z9 c$ `Miss Wo-Ni-Ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl To the eyebrows." I hope some other lucky guy falls in love
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with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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3 w9 y7 ^. [5 {" H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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$ C! b, A( I. a- [7 c/ O M/ ~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:/ c8 _" r* M- X. v$ Y! t
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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。( B6 }$ g! Y0 V4 ]
. v$ d4 a; \! T1 K9 ?; q& WYour talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. But I have not had the honour of being presented to you.4 Y1 Z+ F1 k& c& N. b; {7 W% [" u2 B
. p' N( A8 g5 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:& h: X+ L l1 i: Z& f: 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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6 p/ g0 n1 X9 ~& h* }1 V) SThis 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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that your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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