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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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& i" x% H7 k% i o( o s5 V+ ^Wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 译), H. V0 W' ]$ I4 ?2 \
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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》) ! L9 |% M8 e! @4 t2 G+ ^. b
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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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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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$ T: c0 \0 `( f) A i6 _4.她无缘,小生薄命。 (《西厢记》)
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9 { {4 I7 P9 cShe lacks the karma; I‘m out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema 译)
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2 ?% g# Y6 X0 u, ~6 t5.[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)
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* W: s; s" [) v+ X# x/ H g: B; i6.[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》)9 \/ f1 {2 y/ u: V7 ~2 D0 \) f
: _' ?0 [4 w3 D' \$ S1 d0 m0 Y Z D. B2 ]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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3 ]; I" }. M6 v: u% Y) i7.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》)9 l- w: P4 \3 W7 S' Q
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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, n% |! H) a& w- J7 v5 p" c4 H
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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)
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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》)$ l) {. w$ D& @2 x: T* e" O
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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
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with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 译)
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9 p8 Z4 ?0 n8 |8 x B3 F: p2 \) v: m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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8 L( y- c: c- ]+ m1 n T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:; B; v, i' [% P% V' }" ]# }
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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。' z& t+ a% Y. ?! y# b
: i$ w% K! t9 B. Y5 Z* W- `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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+ r9 C! F( N, y: ]# |2 x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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- p A0 U' R9 b/ Y% b) e11.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?! ?( G! m( }& \$ |/ ^
5 D& r. b( ]6 \+ A/ s" |# R1 ~7 A4 L3 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 seems9 d6 z2 p4 B4 ? z2 r
* |" i* g2 O4 J9 I: c% h; {that your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s. (林语堂 译) |
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