从“和尚打伞，无法无天”说起
<p>上世纪毛泽东同志在和美国记者埃德加·斯诺的一次谈话中说“我是和尚打伞，无法无天。”据在场同事回来说译文很长，双方似乎都不满意。“和尚打伞”是歇后语,此句重点在“无法无天”，译法很多，如”<span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="law">law</span>./<span word="The">The</span> <span word="law">law</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="apply">apply</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span>./<span word="I">I</span> <span word="am">am</span> <span word="law">law</span>-<span word="defying">defying</span>./<span word="I">I</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="law">law</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="hands">hands</span>.”我认为“<span word="I">I</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="law">law</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="hands">hands</span>.”更贴近原文。</p><p>几年前布什总统访问清华大学，江泽民主席在介绍词中说“一锹挖不出一口井。”我记得当时的译文是“<span word="You">You</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="dig">dig</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="spade">spade</span>.”此译文做口译还过得去，但载入书面文字则不大妥当。首先英文中并无“<span word="dig">dig</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="well">well</span>”这一说法，正确的应是“<span word="sink">sink</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="well">well</span>”；“ 一锹挖不出”，那么“<span word="How">How</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="spades">spades</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="need">need</span>?”。正确的书面译文应是“<span word="You">You</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="sink">sink</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="digging">digging</span>.”即“一锹挖下去出不来一口井”。</p><p>毛泽东在《为女民兵提照》中有一句“不爱红装爱武装”，若直译则必然是形义全失，因此必须找到汉英在表达同一事物是的共同切入点。比如<span word="powder">powder</span>可当作“火药，炸药”讲，也可当作“往…上搽粉”讲。<span word="Face">Face</span>用做动词是“面对，正视”。因此上句可文件中常有“从温饱到小康”，“温饱”只有两个音节，但英译却有十几个音节“<span word="providing">providing</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="clothes">clothes</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="people">people</span>”这是<span word="paraphrasing">paraphrasing</span> 而不是鲁迅名诗“横眉冷对千夫指，俯首甘为孺子牛”的英译真可称得上<span word="Fierce">Fierce</span>-<span word="browsed">browsed</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="defy">defy</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ten">ten</span></p>
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