英文原文:
Between fire and food and pickpockets, she just couldn't feel at ease at all in the big city.
错误译文:
介于火、食物和小偷之间,在大城市里她完全无法感到心情舒畅。
正确译文:
Every day he takes tonics to tone up his body.
翻译加油站:
我想译者本人也不会满意自己的翻译,英语的介词看似简单,但因有许多习惯用法而不好译。比如between就不止表示“在……之间”的意思,如:We bought a car between us是“两个人合伙买了一辆车”的意思,而Between ourselves, I don't think much of him是“咱们私下说说,我觉得他不怎么样”。翻译既要说清楚意思、措辞又要符合汉语习惯。
在本句里between用于表示(几重)原因。我们先来考虑一下这一句的意思。主句的意思比较好理解,需要仔细考虑的是,she为什么couldn't feel at ease。Between引出了三个原因:
第一个原因是fire,应该不是一般泛指的“火”,让人害怕的只能是“火灾/失火”,翻译时可以加上一个“怕”字,即“怕失火”;第三个原因相对好理解,可译为“怕遇到小偷/扒手”;对于第二个原因food,则要动一下脑筋,因为不会有人“怕食物”,从句中的big city可以使我们想到其意思,即(来自乡下的人)觉得(城里)东西吃不惯,可以译为“吃不惯城里的东西”。综上所述,全句可译为:因为怕失火,嫌(城里)东西吃不惯,又怕遇到扒手,所以她在(这个)城市里根本就安不下心来/一点也不自在。
其实,这样的用法在英语里很常见,请看下面例句,并琢磨提供的译文有什么地方可取。
Ross knew between the dark and the rain and the wind, it would be difficult for him to get there on time. 罗斯知道,天这么黑,而且风雨交加,很难及时赶到那儿。
Between my shock of red hair and my lanky six-foot frame, I probably appeared to be even younger than my 28 years. 我那一头乱蓬蓬的红头发,加上1米8瘦高的身材,看上去甚至不到28岁。