台灣俗語的智慧(6)

 

台灣俗語的智慧(6)

I.廿願做雞頭，嘸做牛尾 (寧為雞頭，不為牛尾)

直譯：One would rather be a chicken’s head than a cow’s tail.

意譯：One would rather be head of a small group than nobody of a big one. 寧做一小群人的頭頭，也不當大團體的小角色。(would rather…..than…寧願…而不願….)

J. 起鷄母皮 -起鷄皮疙瘩

直譯：with the (rough) skin of a hen

意譯：feeling much shocked (terrified) or feeling deeply moved

感到十分害怕或感動

比較：英文用goose flesh(鵝皮) 不表示恐懼，而表示「肉麻」

K. 兩隻鷄母相踏(踩)

直譯：two hens stamping each other (stamp v. 踩踏)

意譯：(figuratively) a trivial/or insignificant matter鷄皮蒜事，不重要的小事 (trivial 微小的；insignificant a. 不起眼的)

例：某人好管閑事，也很無聊，連城裡兩隻鷄母相踏(踩) 的事他都知道。

11) 狗

A. 瘦狗笑主人

直譯：

a. When seeing a skinny dog, people will laugh at his master. (skinny=thin瘦的)

b. A skinny dog makes his master a laughing stock. 瘦狗讓主人成了笑柄。(laughing stock笑柄)

意譯：

a.As the master is poor, he cannot feed his dog with nutritious food. 因主人貧窮，故無力餵養其狗。

b.As the dog is skinny (under nutrition), so is his mater is poor.

如狗主人貪窮，其狗就骨瘦如柴。(under nutrition營養不良)

B. 打狗帶著主人

直譯：When attempting to hit a dog, one has to look at his master.

意譯：When attempting to scold or beat someone, one has to be concerned about who his master is. (one has to take into account who his master is.) 企圖責罵或毆打別人，要先考量他的主了是誰。

C. 狗毋無搖尾，狗公嘸敢來

直譯：Without a bitch’s wagging, the dog wouldn’t dare approach her.

意譯：One ventures to do something bold or aggressive because one is lured to. 因受引誘，人才敢做某件大胆之事。(bold a. 大膽的；aggressive積極的；lure v. 引誘)

D. 黑狗偷吃，白狗受罪

直譯：A black dog steals food while a white one is penalized.

意譯：Someone innocent instead of the guilty one is accused無辜者而非有罪者被控訴。(錯怪他人) guilty a. 有罪的；innocent a. 無辜的；accuse v. 控告)

E. 弄狗相咬

直譯：instigating two dogs to biting each other. (instigate唆使，煽動)

意譯：instigating two parties to hate, fight, or kill each other.

唆使兩造互相仇恨、打鬥或殘殺

F. 做狗虱嘛不敢震動

直譯：Even lice on a dog dare not move a bit. (louse n. 虱母，複數形為lice)

意譯：One dare not move as if a louse were on the body of a dog. (dare not=助動詞)

(figuratively-比喻) It means one is very cautions for fear that one be found, causing oneself to be killed. 不敢動，彷彿棲息於狗身上的跳虱，惟恐惹來大禍。 (for fear that…=lest惟恐)

12) 豬 (boar公的 sow母的 pig小豬，swine豬的總稱)

A. 寵豬舉灶 寵子不孝

直譯：

a. A spoiled boar will damage the cooking stove; a spoiled son will not show filial piety to parents. (spoil v. 寵壞；damage n. 傷害；filial piety 孝順)

b. Spoiled children do not show filial piety just as spoiled swine will do damage to a kitchen.

另註：加州名大學USC= University of California 南加大，被被一名校謔稱為University of Spoiled Children (玩袴子弟大學) 因該校許多學生來自富裕家庭

B. 驚某大丈夫、拍某豬狗牛 –

直譯：It is manly to fear/dread a wife; it is like a beast to beat her. 怕老婆是大丈夫，打太太猶如禽獸。(manly a. 大丈夫的；beast n. 野獸)

C. 豬來窮，狗來富，貓來起大厝

直譯：(In farm houses in old time) When swine come, farmers become poor; when dogs come, they become wealthy; and when cats come, they will be rich enough to build a mansion. (mansion n. 大厦)

【與老鼠到豬有關的12生肖俗語到此告一段落，若有遺漏的俗語尚請讀者補充提供，謝謝】。下周有更精釆俗語。

 

Justin Lai, 07/06/2013

Jlai77168@gmail.com

嘉校友聯誼會

AACHW13