百人百譯中國文化名言2020/5/21總395期
老虎屁股摸不得。— 漢語俗語 (鬱序新推薦)
(投票結果。投票時譯者匿名。)
★ from 10 native(near) speakers of English
(Rose, Akoto, Maurice, Samir, Mark, Estella, Michael, Shan,Francess, Brandon)
● from 5 Chinese-English bilinguals
(高帆、楊紅東、姜是是、梁穎萍、張碩)
本期得票較高得譯文有:09. (Ken 譯)、 10.(葉如鋼譯)、13.(鐵冰譯)、18. (馮雷譯1)、 28.(艾朝陽譯2)、31. (馮雷譯2)
Don't play with fire. (Ken 譯) ★★★●(中外4票)
【譯者簡介】樊功生,英文名Ken. 畢業於中國科技大學數學本科,美國哥倫比亞大學數學博士,現從事資產管理工作,住香港。酷愛中英詩詞和文學。
A tiger will jump on you even if you merely touch its butt.(葉如鋼譯)★★●●(中外4票)
【譯者簡介】葉如鋼, 數學家、詩人、翻譯家。美國加州大學聖巴巴拉分校終身教授,中國科學技術大學長江講座教授。曾任德國波鴻大學終身教授。翻譯過英語、德語、法語、義大利語、西班牙語和瑞典語詩歌。詩作風格多樣。著有詩劇/史詩作品《九大行星》和《致命華麗西娜之生死九章》,開闢了多方位詩歌寫作的新方向。「第三隻眼之詩人沙龍」和「葉如鋼翻譯交流平臺」創辦人和主持人。
【翻譯心得】「老虎屁股摸不得」,這句俗語在現代漢語裡常見使用。按照我的閱讀體會,人們通常使用它來比喻和批評不能接受任何批評的人。你只要一說他,他就會惱火,甚至暴怒。(雖然我在某些場合也會遇到這樣容易情緒激動的朋友,卻從不使用這個俗語。)百度上的解釋是「比喻自以為了不起,不容他人觸犯 」。 這句俗語也可以用來提醒或建議別去招惹某個受不得批評的人。但它和「別去摸老虎屁股」的用意還是不同的。(「別去摸老虎屁股」也不是一句常用語。) 基於這個理解,我覺得這句俗語並不是格言,但把它引申為一句格言也未嘗不可。 怎樣把這句比喻性俗語翻譯成英文呢? 很容易想到 「Don't touch a tiger's butt」。 這接近直譯, 但原文並非一個祈使句。較忠實的直譯似乎可以寫成「A tiger's butt may not be touched」。這樣翻譯似乎也可行。 我採用了描寫式意譯來表達這句俗語, 試圖寫得生動和容易領會些: A tiger will jump on you, even if you merely touch its butt。 這裡使用了較有口語感的動詞短語 jump on。 翻譯格言和俗語時, 我通常嘗試口語化些。 我的第二個譯「Don't even think of touching a tiger's butt」, 自己還挺喜歡的, 但評委們都未支持。(葉如鋼)
01. As the lion can not be bearded in its den, someone thinks he’s also unchallengeable. (張曉陽)●●
02.Someone is easy to be provoked, as if a tiger whose buttocks no one dares to touch.(鬱序新 譯)
03. Don't touch a tiger's arse if you are not a daredevil.(石愛偉譯)
04. Touch not a tiger's butt. (倪慶行譯) ★
05. Don't beard the Lion.(任誠剛 譯)●
06.Never pat the tiger on the ass; it may turn around and attack you. Whoever is oversensitive to criticism is such a tiger.(王昌玲譯)★
07.Those who behave like tigers are untouchable. (楊中仁 譯) ★
08. He who thinks too much of himself can't be provoked. (王成傑譯)
09.Don't play with fire. (Ken 譯) ★★★●
10.A tiger will jump on you even if you merely touch its butt.(葉如鋼譯)★★●●
11.Don’t touch a tiger’s ass otherwise severe consequences will arise.(王婷)●●
12. How dare you touch a tiger's hindquarters. (馬金龍譯)
13. Never harass any provokable ass.(鐵冰譯)★★●
14. A tiger bites. Never risk to touch its buttocks! (李慧譯) ●●
15. Don't kick the tiger『s ass.(艾朝陽 譯)
16. Kiss not a tiger’s ass; Touch not a bully’s butt. (王紹昌譯)●
17. Don't enrage a tiger. (蘭若譯) ★●
18. Let the sleeping tiger lie! (馮雷譯) ★●●
19. When walking after a tiger, follow it but do not touch it.(莫山譯) ●
20. You are catching your death if you dare to touch a tiger slightly.(楊秀波譯)
21. Do not touch the buttocks of a tiger.(王毅 譯1引用)★
22. Do not touch the backside of a tiger, or you may put yourself in danger. (閆曉宇 譯1) ●●
23. To touch a tiger's ass is to court death.(丁如偉譯)
24. Someone is very annoying like a tiger whose backsides no one dares to touch.(鬱序新 譯2)
25. Don't ridicule a vainglorious and self-conceited man, or you will incur his ruthless revenge.(石愛偉譯2)★
26. Don't pat a tiger on the ass —don’t go looking for trouble.(任誠剛 譯2)●●
27. To provoke a conceited person is to beard a lion. (王成傑譯2) ★★
28. Don't tickle the tiger.(艾朝陽 譯2)★★★
29. Don't even think of touching a tiger's butt.(葉如鋼譯2)
30. A tiger’s ass is simply unkissable; A bully’s butt is merely untouchable.(王紹昌譯2)
31.Don't touch a tiger's backside to stir up trouble! (馮雷譯2) ★★★★★★
32. Never offend a VIP.(楊秀波譯2)
33. As a lion is not to be bearded, someone is not to be provoked.(王毅譯2)●
34. If you dare to advise the conceited person, you may suffer from their immediate self-justification. (閆曉宇 譯2)
35, Life is like walking after a tiger which will bite you if being offended.(莫山譯2)