Re: [請益]短文翻譯 J.B. Priestley's Delight - G …

[Ailbert (艾柏特)]

修了很多次，這是我最後的定稿，希望大家給點意見。

這次我一樣分段，原文放在前面，後面是我的翻譯。



Giving advice, especially when I am in no position to give it and hardly know
what I am talking about. I manage my own affairs with as much care and steady
attention and skill as – let us say – a drunken Irish tenor.

我專門在沒有立場或不知所云時，給別人意見。我處理自身的事務，就像喝得爛醉的愛爾
蘭男高音一樣，看似小心謹慎、沉著專注且手法幹練，但卻左支右絀。(*註1)

*註1 drunken Irish tenor: A drunken singer is not in control of himself.
     Priestley is suggesting that he manages his own affairs badly.
______________________________________________________________________________

I swing violently from enthusiasm to disgust. I change policies as a woman
changes hats. I am here today and gone tomorrow. When I am doing one job, I
wish I were doing another. I base my judgments on anything – or nothing.

我一下熱情洋溢，一下又憤恨不平，搖擺不定：改變想法就像女人換鞋子一樣快；今天還
在這裡，明日已然離去；工作的同時，心裡卻想著另一個；我的判斷立基於一切事物，也
可能毫無根據。
______________________________________________________________________________

I have never the least notion what I shall be doing or where I shall be in
six months time. Instead of holding one thing steadily, I try to juggle with
six. I cannot plan, and if I could I would never stick to the plan. I am a
pessimist in the morning and an optimist at night, am defeated on Tuesday and
insufferably victorious by Friday.

我從沒想過六個月後我該做什麼或我會在哪。我試著兼顧六件事，而不是穩當處理一件。
我不會計畫，就算會，我也從不照計畫走。早上，我是個悲觀者，晚上，我是個樂觀者。
星期二，我垂頭喪氣，到星期五前，我又春風得意。
______________________________________________________________________________

But because I am heavy, have a deep voice and smoke a pipe, few people
realize that I am a flibbertigibbet on a weathercock. So my advice is asked.
And then ten minutes or so, I can make Polonius look a trifler. I settle deep
in my chair, two hundred pounds of portentousness, and with some first-rate
character touches in the voice and business with pipe, I begin:
"Well, I must say that in your place -” And inside I am bubbling with delight.

但因為我長得很胖，有個低沉的聲音又叼根煙斗，幾乎沒有人意識到我是隻風向雞。所以
別人常來諮詢我的意見。過了十分鐘左右，我可以把波洛尼厄斯(*註2)這個善於提供建議
的角色，變成一個無足輕重的人。我兩百磅的體重，穩當當的坐在椅子上，叼根煙斗，帶
點上流性格的語調提供中肯的建議(*註3)，告訴他：「嗯，站在你的立場，我必須說
……」

*註2 Polonius: a character in SHakespeare's Hamlet, noted for giving advice.
*註3 two hundred pounds of portentous...: In other words, a large man(two
     hundred pounds) using an impressive voice and using impressive gestures
     with his pipe(some first-grade character touches) gives
     grave(portentous) advice.
     This is a humorous description of the author's prose.




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◆ From: 111.252.84.29
→ usread:在下還是認為，翻譯的問題，其實多半還是出在對原文文義與
→ usread:風格的掌握。有不是譯得好不好，而是對原文解讀得對不對。
→ usread:一個常犯的錯誤是「先入為主」，自己的印象取代了原文，
→ usread:比方第一段一開始原文明明是especially，中譯卻是「專門」
→ usread:一詞之差差之重，不只是字面的強度而已，卻把作者的意向完
→ usread:全改變了，變成作者本身主動地喜歡如此如此。接下來第二句
→ usread:I manage...也解錯了（解錯才會譯錯），這句話沒有「看似」
→ usread:的意思，而是反話，就好像說：他和大象一樣「瘦」
→ usread:因此建議不要急著表面通順化，先把原文讀對才是正道
→ usread:也許話有些直，加油哦
推 amorch:英文裡as much as常是一種表達as less as的微妙說法，
→ amorch:as good as也常是as bad as的意思。稱tenor大概跟女人被稱
→ amorch:diva一樣。愛爾蘭人喜歡酗酒，這已成刻板印象…
→ amorch:sorry，沒看到你愛爾蘭人那邊有加註…
→ amorch:in a position/in no position 表 能/不能
→ amorch:"換帽子"應是你刻意譯成"換鞋子"，比較符合此時社會常情。
→ amorch:對傳統歐洲仕女，帽子往往是整體服飾畫龍點睛之處，所以
→ amorch:爭奇鬥豔無所不有，所以會有millinery這一行。
→ Ailbert:謝謝兩位朋友的提醒。amorch提到的millinery
→ Ailbert:讓我多學了一個單字。謝謝。
※ 編輯: Ailbert         來自: 220.131.215.115      (12/27 20:49)