惡馬惡人騎? (4)

台灣俗語的智慧(4)

B. 龍蛇雜處

直譯：Dragons and snakes are living together. (龍屬尊貴，蛇屬低賤)。-龍蛇生活在一起

意譯：

a. A place is full of noble and humble people living together.(充滿高貴與低賤人雜居之地)

b.It is not a clean, neat or upper-class place. (比喻非清潔、乾凈或高級之處)

c.It is a place inhabited by people with much difference in class. (住有人們階級懸殊的地方)

7) 馬 (horse)

Ａ. 惡馬惡人騎 (胭脂馬遇到關老爺)

註：『惡』字在台語中並非全指不好或壞(bad)，它也可指很凶(tough) 、strict，stern，harsh嚴格的、脾氣不好(bad-tempered)或難纒的人。故此處把惡馬譯成a bad horse，把惡人譯成a bad person顯然不當。

直譯：

a. An untamed /wild but nice horse must be ridden by a wilder and stronger guy just like “Yan-Tze Horse” by Gen. Kuan.

一匹未馴服的良駒必須由一位更狂野的壯士，正如胭脂馬由關羽來騎。

b. Only a stronger and wilder person can handle an untamed, wild but nice horse. It is true with “Yan-Tze Horse”, which can be managed only by Gen. Kuan.

只有更强壯與狂野的人，才能駕馭野馬良駒。同理只有關將軍方能控制得了胭脂馬。

*(untamed a.未被馴服的，未必是不好的。「胭脂馬」是三國演義中關雲長所騎的名馬，他是受肯定的正派大將軍絕非壞人。)

意譯：

A vicious guy (a hard nut to crack) must need a more powerful one to take care of or control 『惡人須惡人治』，如難馴之『胭脂馬』名駒，遇到關羽就被馴服了.

B. 坐 (立) 高山看馬相踢 (漢語-坐山觀虎鬥)

直譯：Standing on the hill, one watches two horses kicking each other down there. 站立山上，觀看馬匹互鬥

意譯：being an outsider or onlooker, not getting involved in a business which is not his concern (作旁觀者)- 即不参與與己不相關之事 (比較: Mind your own concerns. 別管閑事)

 

C. 馬無吃險草袜肥，(人無橫財袜無富)

直譯：Horses won’t get strong and husky without eating grass  hardly accessible, just like people will not become rich without quick and easy money.馬匹不吃『不易吃得到』的草，就不會長壯，如同沒有獲得橫財，人就難以致富。-鼓勵「冒險致富」。

註：「險草」不可譯為dangerous grass，其本意為長在水邊或山涯邊處，不易吃得到(not accessible) 之草。「袜肥」=不會長胖，但不可譯為fat，而該譯為「壯」(strong or husky) 。中文的「橫財」不可譯為crossed money，因橫財也者乃迅速易得之財。應譯為：

quick and easy money如中了樂透彩券，從天上掉下的。其相對為『血汗錢』(辛苦賺得)，但不可譯為blood and sweat money，應譯為：hard-earned money= money which is earned by working hard。另外『不義之財』應譯為ill-gotten money (= money which is gotten in an evil or ill way).

意譯： No risk no profit. 『沒有經過風險與機運的人不會成就大業」。本句乃鼓勵要有冒險精神才能成大事業。

【比較】：High risk, high profit (高風險高利潤)；Zero risk, zero profit. (零風險零利潤)- 如把錢存銀行等屬之。

8) 羊 (goat, sheep, lamb)

宰豬屠羊

直譯：

a.For the purpose of worshipping gods, people kill swine and goats(為拜諸神而屠宰豬羊)

b. killing swine and goats for sacrifice (屠殺豬羊作祭祀用) (sacrifice v. 犧牲，n. 牲禮)

意譯：to hold a solemn ceremony, worshipping gods, goddesses to celebrate or show gratitude for something granted. (舉行一項莊嚴儀式以慶祝或酬謝神明) 『表示虔誠與莊嚴』

9) 猴 (money)

A. 仙拼仙害死猴齊天

意譯：During the struggle between two powers, a rather small third party becomes the victim. (猴子有齊天大聖之尊稱)- 『在兩權相争中，處於弱勢的第三者成為受害人』。(victim n.)

B. 猴脚猴手

直譯：with hands and feet of a monkey 有猴子的手脚

意譯：(used as a metaphor to describe) a person who is very skillful or clever in doing something 用以比喻某人手腳的靈活。比較: She has a light hand with pastry. 她擅長麵食。

 

C. 殺雞儆猴

直譯：You have to kill a chicken to frighten a monkey. (have to….to+v. 是一重要句型)

意譯：Making an example of someone(懲罰一個人來警告其他人) (example n.榜樣，follow the ~ of someone模仿..)

Justin Lai, 06/29/2013

AACHW13

jlai77168@gmail.com