英语中不"吃醋"
<p>原文：<span word="She">She</span> <span word="spoke">spoke</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="touch">touch</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="vinegar">vinegar</span>.</p><p>译文：她说话带着一点醋意。</p><p>辨析：乍一看译文一点不错，还有点文采，但实际上却是错译。此句的关键在于<span word="vinegar">vinegar</span>的隐喻含义。<span word="Vinegar">Vinegar</span>是“醋”不错，但这两个中英文词只有在指那种带酸味的调料(即词的本义)时，意思才是一样的。“说话带点醋意”当然不指说话人嘴里真的带醋味儿，而是隐喻，表示妒忌(即隐含意义<span word="connotative">connotative</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span>)。</p><p>然而，英语中的<span word="vinegar">vinegar</span>的隐含意义不同于汉语“醋”的隐含意义，与嫉妒无关，而是表示“不高兴”或“尖酸刻薄”。因此，原句应译为：她说的有点刻薄。</p><p>不过要注意：<span word="vinegar">vinegar</span>在美语中还有“精力充沛”的意思，如<span word="a">a</span> <span word="kid">kid</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="vinegar">vinegar</span>是“一个活蹦乱跳的小伙子”。反过来，汉语的“吃醋”当然也不能译成<span word="eat">eat</span>/<span word="taste">taste</span> <span word="vinegar">vinegar</span>，而应是<span word="be">be</span> <span word="jealous">jealous</span>。有趣的是，英语文化中把“嫉妒”和<span word="jaundice">jaundice</span>(黄疸)连起来，说某人嫉妒是<span word="bejaundiced">bejaundiced</span>。顺便说一下，形容一个人言谈迂腐、说话酸溜溜的，英语是<span word="pedantic">pedantic</span>或<span word="priggish">priggish</span>;<span word="a">a</span> <span word="sour">sour</span> <span word="fellow">fellow</span>是“一个脾气乖张的人”;<span word="the">the</span> <span word="sweet">sweet</span> <span word="andsour">andsour</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="life">life</span>则指“人生苦乐”。</p><p>与之有关的颜色隐喻，英汉也不一样，汉语中嫉妒别人常说“得了红眼病”，而英语却说<span word="green">green</span>-<span word="eyed">eyed</span>。嫉妒被称为<span word="green">green</span>-<span word="eyed">eyed</span> <span word="monster">monster</span>;莎士比亚把“嫉妒”称为<span word="the">the</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="sickness">sickness</span>。</p>
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