學英語,真是件很不容易的事兒。
但和中文的「魔鬼級難度」比起來,英語已經非常溫柔了……
在國外的網站上,你常常可以看到類似於「中國最搞笑的英文翻譯」之類的文章。
戳進去就是一陣嘻嘻哈哈呵呵噠……
看著這些 「f*ck vegetables」 「roasted husband」 「racist park」,主頁君的內心十分平靜……
這種讓老外笑掉大牙的中式翻譯,見多了還挺讓人臉紅的。不過話說回來……你以為這種囧雷囧雷的翻譯只有中國才有嗎?
如果去國外旅遊,你可能就會發現,老外要強行尬翻起中文來,那殺傷力可大多了……
昨天,微博上就出現了莫斯科某公園的中文翻譯:
@環球雜誌:
【莫斯科新地標出現"神翻譯" 中國遊客寬容對待】扎裡亞季耶公園是俄羅斯首都莫斯科市中心新建成的一座大型休閒公園。為了方便中國遊客,公園裡的標誌牌上也印上了中文。但是這個翻譯卻……紅場被寫成了「紅腸」、「教會會館」被翻譯成了「重男輕女的農莊」、自然保護中心則成為「受保護的大使館」……
▲「重男輕女的農莊」
▲「受保護的大使館」
▲「紅腸」
這這這……這到底是谷歌的機翻在忽悠人,還是輸入法在鬧脾氣?
看著這些神一樣的翻譯,網友們也是哭笑不得……
@阿秀的貓它養魚:紅腸。。。絕壁是搜狗輸入法搞得事情。
@Dangkohyang:讓我們紅腸作伴活的瀟瀟灑灑
@vv喃喃17:就不會找正兒八經的翻譯嗎
就是啊,找個活人來翻譯有那麼難嗎……
這種謎一樣的中文翻譯國外還有不少。
比如這個嚇人的湯……
經驗豐富的豬肉……(「seasoned (調味的/風乾的)」是怎麼翻譯成「經驗豐富的」的 )
大概能懂牌子上的意思,但是這表達也太彆扭了點……
下面這個,從英文到中文都充滿槽點……
▲「繼續拉動手柄,直到閃爍你的廢話」「Continue to pull the lever until flash your bullshit」
下面這位,雖然詞不達意,但文學造詣還不錯哈?
這個酒還是飲料啥的,估計是別想賣給中國人了……
雞:…………
下面這個菜單乍一看沒毛病,但是仔細一瞧,那個「清蒸醬油」是什麼鬼……
老闆你漏了個「魚」字沒寫你造嗎
仔細看下面這張酒店告示,你會感受到啥叫中文比英文還難看懂……
上天吧!空心菜!
這個「空心菜上天」的英文翻譯也很奇怪:show originally flying vegetables (morning glory) – 這乍一看真的要上天了啊喂!
再來圍觀幾張迷之翻譯……
(以下圖片via公號@最英國)
這翻譯……感覺一頓飯我能吃出壯士一去兮不復還的感覺來
上面這些漏洞百出的翻譯,的確只能怪人家太不走心了。
▲這是菜名……
是有多偷懶,才會完全依賴傻乎乎的機器翻譯(用「傻乎乎」翻譯還算抬舉機器了哼)?哪怕不花錢請人來翻,就去Quora、Yahoo Answers或者某個學中文論壇上去發發帖,也不至於會把「紅場」翻成「紅腸」,把「教會會館」翻成「重男輕女的農莊」啊!
雖然前面說到的翻譯大多傻出天際,但在許多真正學習中文的老外心中,的確有一些中文詞是沒有辦法翻譯的。
說起「無法翻譯的中文詞」,主頁君在以前的文章裡有舉過幾個例子。
比如「江南」,又比如「江湖」——這些詞無論含義還是語境都徹底脫胎於中國文化,它們的意向過於東方,只可意會難以言傳。
但是,除了這些老外完全get不到點的純中式詞彙以外,依然存在著這樣一些中文詞——歪果仁能夠明白它們的意思,但就是翻譯不出來。
比如下面幾篇文章……
▲10 Chinese words with no English equivalent (via tutorming.com)
▲5 Chinese phrases I wish we had in English (via The Seattle Globalist)
▲10 Chinese Words You Can't Translate Into English (via theculturetrip.com)
▲Five Beautiful Chinese Words That Cannot Be Translated Into English (via languageoasis.com)
主頁君掃了下這幾篇文章,發現有這麼幾個詞是被他們都頻繁提起的……
1. 吹牛
In English, someone who is 「full of hot air」 is a rhetorician of the worst kind. They spew empty promises, or outright lies, and talk mostly so they can take pleasure in the sound of their own voice.
吹牛 means to brag or boast—to attempt to inflate one’s importance or exaggerate one’s accomplishments. But why is the hot air in this instance being funneled into a cow?
修、修辭手法而已嘛……不要那麼軸啊。(咦,「軸」又怎麼翻譯呢?)
2. 體貼
Mandarin draws a distinction between the kindness one is expected to demonstrate to strangers, and the consideration shown to loved ones .
體貼 could be literally translated as 「to stick together (as a unit).」 What the word really denotes is the respect and mutual attending to individual needs that allows families not just to function, but to thrive.
主頁君個人喜歡把「體貼」翻譯成「considerate」,但「體貼」明顯比considerate的感覺要更親密一點,曖昧一點,說不清道不明一點……
3. 加油
加油 is an unusual word. You might hear it being shouted by fans cheering their team on to a comeback, or you might find yourself using it while giving a pep talk to a spouse who’s had a bad day. 加油 is an imperative: 「put some more oil in it!」 Or, as we say in English, 「put another log on that fire.」
加油 is a way of encouraging someone both keep their spirits up and to overcome exhaustion by finding and using some last reserve of energy within themselves.
「加油」這個詞,在老外眼裡就真屬於玄學問題的範疇了。
就目前來說,至少在英文裡,沒有任何詞語或句子能準確表達出「加油」的意思來。
4. 審美疲勞
All spoken languages are living languages, and words and phrases are constantly circulating through the vernacular. 審美疲勞 is a recent addition to Mandarin.
審美疲勞 was popularized by a successful comedy by one of China’s more famous film directors, Feng Xiaogang. In Cell Phone (2003), to gaze for too long at something—or someone—beautiful is to belabor it, with the result that one loses one’s appreciation for that phenomenon’s—or that person’s—beauty altogether.
扯這種熱門網詞就有點犯規了啊……如果真要翻網絡用語,估計十個老外能傻掉九個半吧?
5. 莫名其妙
In separate characters, this almost sounds flattering, but taken together, this phrase is like the Chinese 「WTF,」 but more polite. Or more aptly, as my friend put it in Chinglish, 「The way my friend is behaving is really mòmíngqímiào.」 It’s a statement wrapped within a question.
「It’s like, 『Why is this person acting like this?』」
Because they are mòmíngqímiào. Duh.
……「莫名其妙」用 「confusing」 「awkward」這類的委婉形容一下不好嗎!怎麼就「WTF」了呢?!
6. 慢走
Màn zǒu literally means 『walk slowly,』 and it’s a polite phrase used when an elder takes their leave, or when a guest or loved one leaves your house. It’s hard to explain why you would want someone to walk slowly, but it comes with connotations such as 『please take it easy』 or 『have a pleasant journey.』
送客時說一句「慢走啊~」是咱中國人的習慣,雖然我也不知道讓人家「慢走」到底有什麼意思……
7. 見外
Literally, this word means regarding somebody as an outsider or to act like an outsider. However, in authentic Chinese, it denotes the act of treating someone as an outsider who is supposed to be your friend, especially by being too courteous.
Have we any exact word for this act in English?
沒有。
「不要見外~」「你太客氣啦~」這類的中國式客套,西方人是get不來的。放棄吧。
最後,主頁君再分享一個剛才在Bored Panda上看到的圖。
這家餐館的菜單,被老外們奉為了「神一樣的翻譯」……
……這既賣蠢又賣萌的,也是非常不容易了
你覺得哪個中文詞最難翻譯?有沒有中文詞是老外完全無法理解的?歡迎留言分享討論!
文:lanlan
圖:網絡
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