台灣俗語的智慧(20)

台灣俗語的智慧(20)

1.    黑矸仔貯豆油- (Pronounced as: oh kan ah teh tao you) (無地看) 把黑色醬油裝在黑瓶子內-比喻事情「不透明」，或某人的才能或條件有『深藏不露』之意。(台語「貯」乃「裝」之意。本句含有『意想不到』與略帶諷刺之意。

直譯：black soy sauce in the black bottle

意譯(figuratively) qualities , talents or achievements are invisible or not transparent. (看不見的才能或成就)

【比較】：『Diam Diam, 吃三碗公 (chia sa’n wang kong)』

-外表普通的人，竟有那麽大的食量，或有出奇的表現，令人刮目相看。(Diam Diam-台語，靜靜的,speechless)

  

a.     直譯-It is astonishing that a silent someone has such a good appetite. 想不到某人食量這麽好。

b.     意譯-Someone’s capability/achievement/wrongdoing is beyond expectation 某人的能力、成就或壞事超出意外。

比較：Still waters run deep. 靜水深流 (大智若愚)

2.  生命帶骨，先削未落-(Pronounced as:seng miahn duah kut，sen xiah beh lut) 與生帶來的命運，無法改變

an unalterable fate or destiny/ one is destined for something undesirably bad -多半婉惜無法改變的壞命運-根深蒂固。(落唸成「luh」與骨押韻) 先削未落，無論如何刀削也刮不掉- However you cut, it(the fate) won’t come off.

3.     叫你舉犁，你要拿耙：(Pronounced as:gio lih giah leh, lih beh ning peh)犂與耙均為農具，含故意唱反調之義 being against or not in favor of someone on purpose

4.     人情較薄過一張紙 (Pronounced as:rin jing kah boh gui jit diun zhao)

直譯：Favor done to others is as thin as a piece of paper

意譯：It is hard to expect something in return for a favor done. 以上為抱怨詞 (怨嘆)

5.     掠賊在贜、捉奸在床：(Pronounced as: riah zhat zhai zheng; riah kang zhai cheng) 物証或人証為直接定罪的條件

直譯：A stolen goods decides a theft; adultery must be caught in the very act.

意譯：Evidence is a key factor whether in identifying a thief with his stolen property or in catching one in the very act of committing adultery. (贜與床押韻)

6.     新例無設，舊例無滅(Pronounced as:xin reh boh sek; guh reh boh beh) 未創新習俗前不毁掉舊習俗(設與滅押韻)

Do not abolish old practices until new ones are established or created.

             

7.     漲死好膽，餓死無膽(Pronounced as:tiun see hoh tang; goh see boh tang)

Those bold or greedy gain too much, while cowards are starved to death.

比較：High risk, high profit. 高風險，高利潤

8.     早來早死、慢來慢死、沒來富死(Pronounced as:zhat rai zhat see; bang rai bang see; boh rai puh see)

Those who come earliest die (perish) early; those who come later die later; those not coming become richest or make a killing)- referring to a venture

9.  有人成子，無人賣子(Pronounced as:ooh ran chang kianh; boh ran beh kianh) (有錢人使兒子，有錢、有身分、有地位。無錢人則賣子求生) 此處「成」應唸成〔tNahH〕，乃漢語〔tNGH〕的轉音。

The wealthy people give more to their sons or daughters when married; whereas the poor ones have to sell their children to keep themselves alive.

10. 人袂凍掛無事牌 (Pronounced as:ran beh tang kuah boh suh pai)
指人有旦夕禍福，而這些旦夕禍福也不是自己所能預知的，因此也就有『戒慎恐懼』的必要

Beware of something unexpected to happen, either good fortune or bad luck.

11.  死皇帝卡輸一位活乞食(Pronounced as: see hong teh kah su jit eeh wah kit chia)

A dead emperor is not worth a beggar alive

12.  巧的吃戇的，戇的吃天公 (Pronounced as:kiao eeh chia gong eeh, gong eeh chia t’ng gong)

聰明人佔笨的人便宜；笨的人只好聽天由命

The clever take advantage of the foolish while the foolish cannot but resign themselves to fate

Justin Lai編譯

08/15/2015