短文翻譯 J.B. Priestley's Delight - G … - 翻譯

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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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All Comments

David avatarDavid2009-12-31
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
Joseph avatarJoseph2010-01-03
風格的掌握。有不是譯得好不好,而是對原文解讀得對不對。
Rebecca avatarRebecca2010-01-04
一個常犯的錯誤是「先入為主」,自己的印象取代了原文,
Caitlin avatarCaitlin2010-01-05
比方第一段一開始原文明明是especially,中譯卻是「專門」
Franklin avatarFranklin2010-01-10
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
Gilbert avatarGilbert2010-01-12
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
Mia avatarMia2010-01-14
I manage...也解錯了(解錯才會譯錯),這句話沒有「看似」
Margaret avatarMargaret2010-01-18
的意思,而是反話,就好像說:他和大象一樣「瘦」
Ethan avatarEthan2010-01-22
因此建議不要急著表面通順化,先把原文讀對才是正道
Emily avatarEmily2010-01-24
也許話有些直,加油哦
Anthony avatarAnthony2010-01-25
英文裡as much as常是一種表達as less as的微妙說法,
Cara avatarCara2010-01-29
as good as也常是as bad as的意思。稱tenor大概跟女人被稱
Hamiltion avatarHamiltion2010-02-01
diva一樣。愛爾蘭人喜歡酗酒,這已成刻板印象…
Todd Johnson avatarTodd Johnson2010-02-04
sorry,沒看到你愛爾蘭人那邊有加註…
Heather avatarHeather2010-02-07
in a position/in no position 表 能/不能
Zora avatarZora2010-02-07
"換帽子"應是你刻意譯成"換鞋子",比較符合此時社會常情。
Megan avatarMegan2010-02-12
對傳統歐洲仕女,帽子往往是整體服飾畫龍點睛之處,所以
Jacob avatarJacob2010-02-14
爭奇鬥豔無所不有,所以會有millinery這一行。
Sarah avatarSarah2010-02-18
謝謝兩位朋友的提醒。amorch提到的millinery
Agnes avatarAgnes2010-02-21
讓我多學了一個單字。謝謝。