男 人




梁實秋的《男人》從自己個人的觀察角度出發,大膽描繪男人的一些典型特點,文字幽默詼諧,俏皮誇張,極盡戲諺之能事.所談男人的一些毛病當然不能一概而論,但男女有別,這些毛病大多非女人所共有。
1) “男人令人首先感到的印象是髒”譯為 what strikes us first or all in men is their uncleanness,其中to strike的意思是“給……以印象”(to give a particular impression)。因此,此句也可譯為The first impression that men give men give us is their uncleanliness。又,譯文用反面詞uncleanliness(不愛清潔)表達,“髒”(filthiness),意思更為確切。
2) “刷洗乾淨潔身自好”意即“很重視整潔”,故譯為make apoint of keeping themselves spick-and-span,其中make apoint of是成語,作“極重視”、極注意”等解。
3) “油頭粉面衣冠楚楚”意即“講究梳妝打扮穿著體面”,故譯為make up heavily and dress respectably,其中to make up是成語,作“梳妝打扮”、“塗脂抹粉”解。
4) “捫虱而談”或“捫虱而言”源於古書,譯 為The addiction to“chatting while cracking body lice with fingernails”,其中addiction to(癖好)為添加的成分,原文雖無其詞而有其意。
5) “不聞夫博奔者乎……”指孔子講的一段話:“飽食終日,無所用心,難矣哉,不有博奔者乎,為之,猶賢乎已。”現結合上下文,僅譯頭兩句即可:those who eat their fill all day without doing any work。
6) “他若是上街買東西”譯為When men go shopping,比when they go out to do some shopping簡潔、地道。
7) “他總不肯多問幾家”譯為 they never bother to shop around,其中to shop around 是成never bother to call at different shops 或they never bother to compare the prices or quality at different shops,文字都欠簡潔、地道。

8) “幾天不見肉,他就喊‘嘴裡要淡出鳥兒來!’”的後半部分不宜直譯,現按“幾天不吃肉,他就怨天怨地”譯為They will complain like bell after a couple of meatless days或A couple of meatless days will make them exceedingly unhappy。
9) “主中饋的是女人,修食譜的是男人。”中的“中饋”原指“酒食”或“飲食”,現引申為“炊事”或“烹調”;“修食譜”本作“撰寫烹調書”解,現引申為“講究飯食的人”或“美食家”。全句的意思是“女人做飯,男人吃飯。”全句譯為do the cooking, men are gourmets。
10) “伊比鳩派”譯自英語Epicurean,本指希臘哲學家伊壁鳩魯(Epicurus)的信徒,引申為“享樂主義者”。
11) “下一世要繼續努力”,意即“必須在下一世尋找彌補”,故譯為had to make up for it after they were reborn。
12) “群居終日,言不及義”也是孔子說的話,直譯欠利落,且無必要,現按“閒聊天”的意思譯為idle gossip,
13) “你們家每月開銷多少?”譯為what are your family expenses like?,如逐字直譯為How much does your family pay for its monthly expenditure?就不太像口語。
14) “最後不談到女人身上便不會散場”意即“不談女人決不罷休”,現譯為They, as a rule,will never call it a day until their conversation has covered something about women,其中to call it a day為成語,作“收工”或“罷休”解。
(張培基 譯註)

※本文作者:佚名※