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请网友跟我一起做功课

发表于 : 周六 4月 10, 2010 10:37 pm
royl
请网友跟我一起做功课

以下是一首鼓励世人的诗, 名为"别放弃". 作者是Edgar Albert Guest, 一位在英国出生的美国诗人. 如果您对Mr. Guest的生平有兴趣的话, 请点击以下的URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Guest.

我以这首诗的翻译工作过程与网友共享. 在工作开始之前, 先跟网友报告一下我手边的两件工具: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary(韦氏英文字典软件), 笔者写的英语成语电子书.

Don't Quit 别放弃

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
情势时而不顺利乃意中之事,
when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
当你迈着沉重步伐举步维艰时,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
当资金匮乏却债台高筑时,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
当你想要微笑却不得不叹息时,
when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must,
当忧心忡忡沉重地压住你–喘口气, 如必要的话,
but don't you quit.
但你别放弃.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
命运由于起伏多变而古怪反常,
as everyone of us sometimes learns,
尽管大家有时还可以学习到, (意指有时我们也没了解到命运多变性质)
and many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.
因此, 许多人却转身退缩虽然他如果坚持到底他可能成功.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow.
别放弃尽管进步缓慢–你可能再出一击就成功.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;
经常真实目标比一个摇摇欲坠的人想像中还更接近;
often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup;
经常奋战者已认输尽管他本可夺得胜者之杯;
and he learned too late when the night came down,
当夜幕低垂时, 他得知事实已经太迟,
how close he was to the golden crown.
也就是, 当初他距离黄金冠冕只有咫尺之遥.

Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
成功是失败的背面–疑云的一线曙光,
and when you never can tell how close you are,
但是你无法确切预料你距离成功多近,
it may be near when it seems afar;
它也许近在咫尺却似遥不可及;
so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem worst,
所以当你遭到最大的打击时, 你更要坚持下去–也就是最艰苦的状况下,
you must not quit.
你绝对要挺住.
- Edgar A. Guest

工作过程与解析:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, 情势时而不顺利乃意中之事,
这里面第一个要厘清的是"When things go wrong"里的things. 这个things到底是什么意义? 我们都知道thing有许多的解释, 可是使用复数时它就具有"state of affairs"(出自韦氏字典), 也就是情势或势态的意义.

再看什么是"go wrong"? 作为关键字的"wrong"有许多解释, 在此我们可以解释为"not in accordance with one's expectations"(出自韦氏字典), 不顺利, 不顺心. "go wrong "在此就可以变成"become unsatisfactory"(出自韦氏字典), 也就是说, 情势有时发展不顺心.

我要问网友一个问题: 我们都知道形容词修饰名词与代名词, 但它可不可以修饰某种动词? 如果是的话, 是什么样的动词? 答案是: linking verbs, 连接动词. 连接动词基本的功能是把主语(subject)与谓语(predicate)连接起来; 如果网友把连接动词当作等号更容易了解. 举个例子: John seems angry, 约翰好像生气了; 我们也可以这么说, John is angry. 从以上例句我们可以把主语, John(约翰)以be动词的is与谓语angry(生气了)连接在一起. 附上连接动词不完全的名单: "be verbs, feel, look, smell, sound, taste, appear, get, go, grow, stay, turn, seem, become, prove, remain, run, stand, seem, turn"

接下来我们看"as they sometimes will"是什么意思? 首先我们要探讨一下"as"在此是什么角色, 是副词? 连接词? 介词? 还是代名词? 依我的意见, "as"在此是conjunction连接词, 指出上述的"情势不顺利有时会发生"是意想得到的.

when the road you're trudging seems all uphill, 当你迈着沉重步伐举步维艰时,
这段话的关键字是"uphill". 从字面看, "uphill"是往上坡(走)的意思; 其实韦氏字典解释为艰辛的(difficult), 吃力的(laborious). 这个一解决, 整段话就迎刃而解: 当你迈着沉重步伐(trudging)有如一步千斤.

when the funds are low and the debts are high, 当资金匮乏却债台高筑时,

and you want to smile but you have to sigh, 当你想要微笑却不得不叹息时,
这段话的关键字是"smile", 我们可以解释成微笑, 我们也可以解释成"to appear pleasant"(出自韦氏字典), 也就是想要表现轻松或愉快. 为了翻译简短, 我还是选择了微笑.

when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must, 当忧心忡忡沉重地压住你–喘口气, 如必要的话,
这段话的关键字是"care". 虽然"care"有许多解释, 在此我们可以解释为"a disquieted state of mixed uncertainty, apprehension, and responsibility"(出自韦氏字典), 也就是忐忑不安, 忧心忡忡, 心情沉重等意思.

but don't you quit. 但你别放弃.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, 命运由于起伏多变而古怪反常,
这段话的关键字是"queer". 虽然"queer"有许多解释, 在此我们可以解释为"eccentric, unconventional"(出自韦氏字典), 古怪的, 反常的. "twists and turns"乃是指命运起伏多变"unexpected turns or developments"(出自韦氏字典).

as everyone of us sometimes learns, 尽管大家有时还可以学习到, (意指有时我们也没了解到命运多变性质)
"as"在此应作为"though", 尽管的解释.

and many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out. 因此, 许多人却转身退缩虽然他如果坚持到底他可能成功.
"many a fellow"可以解释为许多人; "turn about"应与"turn around"同义, 也就是调头, 转身; "stick it out"可以解释为坚持到底.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow. 别放弃尽管进步缓慢–你可能再出一击就成功.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man; 经常真实目标比一个摇摇欲坠的人想像中还更接近;

often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup; 经常奋战者已认输尽管他本可夺得胜者之杯;

and he learned too late when the night came down, 当夜幕低垂时, 他得知事实已经太迟,

how close he was to the golden crown. 也就是, 当初他距离黄金冠冕只有咫尺之遥.

Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, 成功是失败的背面–疑云的一线曙光,
"Success is failure turned inside out", 基本上成功与失败乃一物的两面, 如果我们把一个被套子的表面当为失败, 那么里面就是成功. 如果我们把被套子由里向外翻转(成功出现, 失败消失), 网友就会发现表面就不见了; 也就是说两面只有一面会出现, 但它们只是背对背地如此接近. 有一句成语: "Every cloud has a silver lining", 每个困难总有一线曙光; 可以跟这段话相对应, "the silver tint of the clouds of doubt". 这到底是什么意思呢? 就是指在自我怀疑的云雾中总有一线曙光.

and when you never can tell how close you are, 但是你无法确切预料你距离成功多近,
"you never can tell"应视为"not be able to predict (something) with certainty"是句成语: 谁也无法确切地预料.

it may be near when it seems afar; 它也许近在咫尺却似遥不可及;

so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - it's when things seem worst, 所以当你遭到最大的打击时, 你更要坚持下去–也就是最艰苦的状况下,
"be hardest hit"是遭到最严厉的打击.

you must not quit. 你绝对要挺住.

- Edgar A. Guest

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