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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:$ M. {! [ C: r: `: A$ `
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1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)/ ~- z5 [7 ^' \
: w T& l1 ^1 p3 z$ u( KWealth 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》)
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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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, }- P+ x4 J1 R7 ?3 v3.[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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$ [! q' _2 q+ s5 s; EWho 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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! s/ o+ g! d' |- U A3 }4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) % a, A( s C( H4 Z) ]9 D4 x/ T1 v
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She lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)
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) {( ~/ ?3 a5 W2 R* \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》)2 G) Y1 B+ x; M/ K- H5 O8 f
5 G7 e F# R& \+ I8 j: [My meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)7 t9 Z" ?4 r3 L
, F5 `6 d) Q8 O, b8 j6.[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》)& K; _- p) `* n1 v" ]& a
( V/ U. ]1 x; V2 i$ RBut 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》), @* t3 @5 q0 t* Q* I4 [' q
4 F) [+ z* _2 V! j' ?2 S$ s5 r1 _You 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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" t: u* S( J1 V) b) H2 L5 K$ `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)
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7 N3 H D2 c- V4 I/ p) @0 M( ~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》)9 C! T$ P: r! d. q- s
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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 ?+ y7 O' { y9 r
% m, c% K/ r. f* Cwith you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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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:
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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。& {: Q+ H- ~) H! P# k+ n* N* Y3 L
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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.* D/ [3 D/ s" M: [. p$ u2 E, E
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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?2 b; q$ G7 q* d) K9 l
8 O# I: z, n. N0 LThis 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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# \: [1 Y6 r0 q+ n$ F5 dthat your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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