“算命”怎么翻
原文:鸿渐忍不住道:“我也算过命,今年运气坏得很,各位不怕连累么?”(钱钟书 -《围城》 )
译文:Hung-chien could not help remarking, "I had my fortune told, too. My luck has been terrible this year. Aren't you all afraid of getting involved in my bad luck?" (美 Jeanne Kelly, Nathan K.Mao译 –Fortress Besieged)
翻译笔记:
忍不住
英语中要表示“忍不住”常用cannot help doing sth.;cannot bear,译文在此用的是前者。如:
他看上去那么滑稽,我忍不住大笑起来。
He looked so funny that I couldn't help laughing.
而在表示“不得不;不能避免”时,cannot help doing与cannot help but(后接原型动词)是一样的。如:
I cannot help admiring his courage. = I cannot help but admire his courage.
我不得不赞赏他的勇气。
算命
“算命”常用的表达方式有have sb.'s fortune told; tell sb's fortune; practice fortune-telling。需要注意的是,在fortune-teller(算命先生)和fortune-telling(算命)中,fortune都是用单数形式。tell fortunes(算命)中则必须用复数形式,如:
He claimed that he could tell people's fortunes.
他自称会给人算命。
但tell (him) his fortune,tell (you) your fortune等表达方式里该用单数形式。如译文中的用法一样,我们也可举一例,如:
She had her fortune told.
她请人给她算了命。
注意:在说一个人的“遭遇”、“运气”或“处境”时往往用复数形式。如:
Her fortunes varied but she never lost courage.
她的运气时好时坏,但她从不气馁。
连累
“连累”,即“把某人牵涉(或牵扯)到某事里”,也可以用不同的方法。如implicate;involve;get sb. into sth.。如:
His confession implicated a number of other politicians in the affair.
他的自白供出其他一些政治人物涉及此事。
You have involved me in a great deal of extra work.
你害得我添了一大堆额外的工作。
The incident got many people into trouble.
这件事连累了许多人。