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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; E; |/ h! N
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1.富贵功名,前缘分定。(《西游记》)* u( [# j; E- s2 N. Q+ L4 Z# o
) I9 {# E% L t" G4 Z' U0 Z- [* kWealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译)8 m3 V3 K8 B, U7 O( U9 \
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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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) y1 z1 D3 M5 [It‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."(杨宪益、戴乃迭 译) 8 t" ^1 `0 E. q, J& x& w9 C" k5 M
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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》)4 Y2 w; H% N- A8 l. Y) C; r
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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)8 X9 N2 X: Y- T! l/ m0 v3 A3 Z
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4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》) % }$ V$ \9 V/ Y+ v: G! A2 F, ?
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She lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)
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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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7 ^( T2 N$ h" |2 zMy meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 译)# T4 R! M# u" Z, e) d1 `# N
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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》): V+ u- a3 [- ^1 E. W6 F9 Z
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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》)6 \" x4 M6 F: r8 X! t) b5 M8 F3 U7 _
0 U. w: ^( ]5 _2 J% h! p, }% VYou 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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5 I3 N4 w4 F- a1 Msuch blessings. If we are linked by the ties of destiny, we will meet again in the next life. (D.C. & V. H Mair 译)& h/ B: o4 N& x' j' F1 ]
% E+ N9 ~! h1 ?, f/ x% T8.[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》)
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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 love* P g w- s! T0 ?8 u, v
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with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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5 z! Q3 `0 P3 F4 ~$ a1 t3 R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。8 x1 f- e8 x2 S8 r+ x
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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:! Q" O8 f6 ? x
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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。
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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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, S8 L1 ^8 n% n+ B7 h' P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:' O, ]/ v, ?- p/ k. V# D8 d
9 n. q d8 f/ ^$ V- U# S11.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?- Z+ x% ^8 I9 T: F
: s) v! d& F" Y& 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* i, X# P) f3 ^* S! I
; R$ r+ r8 v" w0 }! ^6 ]that your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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