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Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.(精神一到,何事不可为。)
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That is impossible to me. (= It is impossible for me to do that.)(那个我决不能做。)
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再看这个例句:“他父亲一死,他出洋的事便告吹了。”译成英文的 The death of his father has made him impossible to go abroad.便错了,应译作:
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The death of his father had made it impossible for him to go abroad.
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英文疑难详解 187.“亡羊补牢”的英译
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中国成语的“亡羊补牢”,最近中华书局出版的《通用汉英辞典》上译作 Repair the sheepfold after the sheep is stolen.及 too late to mend. 前者是从中文直译成英文的,后者是英文现存的同义语。除此两种译法外,不知是否还有更适合中文的英文成语。
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【解答】出自《战国策》上的“亡羊而补牢,未为迟也”一语,原意指事后的补救,现在一般只截取了上半句的“亡羊补牢”,表示太迟的意思,故《通用英汉辞典》上才会译成 too late to mend 的英文习用句。在美国哈佛大学出版的 Mathews’ Chinese- English Dictionary 上,则翻译了原文的整句: It is not too late to repair the fold after the sheep has strayed——it is never too late to mend.这是说事后再来补救,还不为迟。但一般通俗的用法是多少有点歪曲的,而变成了未免太迟的意思。把这句中文直译出来介绍给说英语的人士,他们就字面看也是可以了解的,无需另加注释。不过在英语中与此类似的隐喻成句,也并不是没有,所不同的是我们说羊,他们说马,即 Lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen. 马已被人偷走了,才来锁马廐的门,当然是太迟了。时代天天在进步,用马作为交通工具,早已落伍,马车已被汽车取而代之了,尤其是在美国,因此这句成语到了美国也就随着时代而有了修正。有人去考察美国的教育,就听到向导者介绍说:
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The school has a sex education class, though this might seem like locking garage after the car has been stolen.(这学校开有一门性教育的课,虽则不免有人讥诮汽车被偷之后,才来锁汽车间。)
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亡羊捕牢一句成语的通俗用法,用英文来表现时,这也许是最新的合乎时代的说法了。
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英文疑难详解 188.“逆来顺受”的英译
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中国成语有“逆来顺受”一语,意为遭遇逆境也处之泰然。不知英文怎样翻译才对,因查所有的《汉英辞典》都未收有这句?
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【解答】中华书局版《学生成语词汇》中收有这个句子,解释为“遇有横逆之来,只可顺而受之”。人生不如意事常八九,实在不应该遇事忧烦,自寻苦恼,所以要好自为之,逆来顺受,才是道理。英文说 make the best of a bad bargain (或 job)或是 make the best of one’s ill fortune 是说“善处逆境”,能利用不幸的境遇,使之转祸为福。英文解释,可说 bear adverse circumstances in the best possible way,例如:
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We must make the best of a bad bargain.(我们应在不利的情况中尽量往好处做。)
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He who can make the best of a bad job is always happy.(善处逆境的人是常乐的。)
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但英文另有一句成语,似乎更接近中文的“逆来顺受”的说法,那就是 needs must when the devil drives(万不得已遇到恶魔开车也只好屈服),见《英华习语大全》,例如:
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“ What, you are in your tantrums again!” said she.“ Come along, Sir, needs must when the devil drives.”—— C. Reade(“怎么啦,你又发脾气了!”她说。“不要这样吧,最好逆来顺受呀。”)
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句中的 needs 为一个副词,在现代英语中,只能与 must 连用,普通 needs must (do)=cannot help (doing);(is) compelled to do.(必需;万不得已;必不可缺。)这个 needs must 不可与 must needs=must of necessity(必须,必需)混同,后者常含有讥讽的(sarcastic)意思,如:
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He must needs go away just when I wanted him.(正当我要他的时候,他偏偏要离去。)
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至于谚语的 What cannot be cured must be endured.也是逆来顺受的意思,照字面译时,可作“无可救药的事只好忍受”。
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