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網上流傳這樣的一段話,據說來自英國哈里王子的facebook網頁 http://www.facebook.com/princeharryfanspage,引述他祖母講的:
“The world is not the most pleasant place. Eventually, your parents leave you and nobody is going to go out of their way to protect you unconditionally. You need to learn to stand up for yourself and what you believe and sometimes, pardon my language, kick some ass.”
網民朋友提供的譯文:
「這個世界註定不是最宜人的地方。最終,你的父母會離開你,沒有人會無條件地保護你。你需要學會堅守自己的信金念,有時甚至要,請原諒我的粗俗,同人玩鋪勁!」
這位英女皇從來出言謹慎謹,大方得體,從未聞會講粗話,所以網民紛紛爭論此段引述有多可信──其中有人指出這是美式拼法,若英國人講會用”kick the arse”,所以不可信。(但是哈里王子習慣了美式拼法也並非全無可能?)
話說回來,網民那個中譯版本只可以說是未受過訓練的又不熟諗市場運作的工夫。
翻譯,通常譯的不是字不是句,而是訊息的本義(譯意莫譯詞)。﹝註﹞*
此譯文示範了行外人英譯中時最易犯的一個毛病:字譯照搬委婉說法(英國人尤好此道),首句not… pleasant的「真意」該是「可怕/可憎/糟糕/好麻煩」—-
• Pleasant: good, great, enjoyable, happy, attractive, friendly, delightful, pleasing, wonderful, easy to like, cool, acceptable
• Unpleasant: bad, disagreeable, distastful, nasty, obnoxious, poisonous, repulsive, unlovely, unlikable, undesirable, objectionable, troublesome
恐怕還是「好乞人憎」、「殺戮戰場」、「一點也不好玩」,才合格過關
另一個費思量的詞就是引起哄動的那個”kick…ass” ,它的一般意思是to punish someone or to defeat someone with a lot of force 。翻譯的功力在於 (1) 正確評估此詞在原先的溝通事件使用時有多鄙俗; (2) 明智決定譯文最適宜表達得有多鄙俗; (3) 在譯文語中找到或創造能達到此效果的說法。
究竟下筆翻譯時實際怎樣措辭,始終還是決定於譯文在甚麼地方為了甚麼目的而發表。舉例:
即使女皇講了這樣的話,應該是宮內私下與人非常親切無拘束的語境。這樣譯或可保留那種親密語氣(intimate register):
「呢個世界好衰好慘嘅。連你阿爸阿媽都終有一日丟低你,冇人會無條件出盡八寶保護你。你要學識保衛自己和所相信的事情,有時,俗D講,要同人死過、砌低佢。」
若是正式發表作為報導的一部分,例如新聞稿,想行文比較規範、稍為保存為君的尊嚴,不妨這樣講:
「這個世界糟透了。到頭來雙親離你而去,再不會有人無條件用盡辦法保護你。你要學得保衛自己和所相信的事情,有時,恕我講得爛一點,不惜踢人家屁股。」
*有例外,譬如法律文本,或者搞笑文字。
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