吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮
有没有人可以翻译这篇短文 [1] It has been observed in all ages that the advantages of nature or of fortune have contributed very little to the promotion of happiness; and that those whom the splendour of their rank or the extent of their capacity have placed upon the summits of human life, have not often given any just occasion to envy in those who look up to them from a lower station: whether it be that apparent superiority incites great designs, and great designs are naturally liable to fatal miscarriages; or that the general lot of mankind is misery, and the misfortunes of those whose eminence drew upon them an universal attention have been more carefully recorded, because they were more generally observed, and have in reality been only more conspicuous than those of others, not more frequent, or more severe.我尝试着翻译了一下,不知可否更好的改进? 据观察,无论处在何种年龄段,天性或是财富上的优势对于幸福感的提升并没有多大作用。那些地位显赫、天赋异禀的人已然处于人生巅峰,他们并没有多少机会去羡慕那些本该在底层仰望他们的人:因为无论这种显而易见的优势将促成怎样的宏伟蓝图,它们总是更容易流产;无论世间有多少人在遭受苦难,那些身份显赫之人的苦难总会被更详尽地记载,原因在于他们普遍被广泛关注,且在现实生活中比之他人更受瞩目,而非因为他们经受的苦难更多,抑或更深重。
2016年5月7日 10:53
回答 · 16
1
There are a couple issues with your translation: ages means 时代; ‘have not often given any just occasion to envy in those who look up to them from a lower station’ means that the commoners have not been given reasons to envy great people; 'apparent' means superficial, not obvious; the last sentence is completely mistranslated, because it means 'the other possibility is that people have the misconception that great people fail more often due to selective attention.' These are problems with reading comprehension in English, not with Chinese diction. Your Chinese is actually very good. 历时历代都有人认为优越的品性或者时运的对于幸福的促进没什么作用。身居低位者并没有被给予足够的理由来羡慕那些在地位和才华上都处于人生巅峰的人:或许是因为表面上的优越引诱野心膨胀,而理想更远大,就更容易破灭落空;或许是因为人世间充满苦难, 但是对伟人的 不幸记载更详尽,因为关注的程度更广泛,实际上他们的苦难只是更受瞩目,而非更多,抑或更深重。
2016年5月12日
"That affluence and power, advantages extrinsick and adventitious, and therefore easily separable from those by whom they are possessed, should very often flatter the mind with expectations of felicity which they cannot give, raises no astonishment…" 这段可用这样的口吻: "财富和权势,确实会让人对幸福快乐有所憧憬,但事实上,这些身外物,不仅不能带来幸福快乐,更可以骤然幻灭于一旦; 这一切,我们都知道。"
2016年5月21日
愚见以为,翻译课跟英语课完全是两回事来的,是两种不同的学问,录取要求也不一样。在英语课要求学生做中英翻译,英语不会进步,倒不如让学生专心学英语。我也不赞成在英语课上用汉语。
2016年5月21日
"…and that those whom the splendour of their rank or the extent of their capacity have placed upon the summits of human life, have not often given any just occasion to envy in those who look up to them from a lower station"一段, 这样翻译更贴近原文的意思和口吻,读起来也更地道: "达官贵人的命运,也没有几个是能让一般老百姓羡慕的。"
2016年5月21日
译文读起来不像中文,是常见的毛病。可以考虑采用这样的语气: "自古以来,先天的优势和后天的幸运,不见得会让人更快乐…"
2016年5月21日
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