“He is a bicycle doctor. ” 此句不能译作:"他是个骑单车的医生",因句中的doctor是委婉语(euphemism), 是某种职业的美称,故不作"医生"解,而是表示repair man的涵义, 因此应翻译为"他是个自行车修理工." 委婉语起源于远古,维多利来女王时代中期为其鼎盛时期,在现代英语中, 其出现频率依然颇高,因为人们通过委婉语,可以用温顺悦耳的词语去谈论或叙述一些原来令人不快或逆耳之事物.为此,他们用domestic help, day help或live-in help代替mail或servant(佣人); 以custodian或superintendent替代doorkeeper, caretaker或janitor(看门人或管理人);用She has a tile loose或She has a cylinder missing去代替She is crazy或She is not right in the head(神经失常).
委婉语多如恒河沙数,不胜枚举,在此略举数例,以见一斑:
原 称 委 婉 语
无线电修理工 radio electrician radio doctor
理发师 barber cosmotologist
家庭妇女 housewife household executive
收垃圾工人 garbage collector sanitary engineer
老人 old people senior citizens
再看两个委婉语的例子:
Nowadays many weight-watchers would like to go to the gym.
如今有不少胖人喜欢到健身房去锻炼.
They are the culturally deprived.
他们是没有学识的人. |
。。。。房东太太
