台灣俗語- 『雞』(5)

Justin Lai 翻譯文選

題目：台灣俗語的智慧(5)

【與鷄有關的俗語】：

*鷄不是很大的生肖但相關俗語不少

 

10) 鷄 (rooster公雞；hen母雞；chicken小雞；turkey火鷄；pheasant山雞)

A. 雞仔腸鳥仔肚

直譯：person with small intestines of chickens and stomachs of birds.(intestines腸=bowels)

意譯：person with a narrow mind；a narrow-minded person-比喻：『心胸狹獈的人』

B. 偷掠雞也著一把米

直譯：To steal a bird, you need a handful of rice as bait. 即使要偷一隻鷄也要有本錢(沒有不勞而獲的。(bait n. 餌；a handful of + n. 滿手的)

【比較】：『偷鷄不著蝕把米』(One loses a handful of rice in failing to steal a bird.)

意譯：For a venture, you need some capital. 你需點資金才能冒險獲利。

【比較】：『不入虎穴焉得虎子』(Nothing venture, nothing have.)

C. 生鷄蛋無，放雞屎有

直譯：When one comes, one does not lay eggs, but with chicken shit.

意譯：causing (bringing) trouble? yes；bringing profit? No. (egg蛋是好處；shit是排泄物)

(意謂諷刺某人總是帶給人麻煩，而不曾帶來好處)

D.押鷄不成孵

直譯：To force a hen to incubate/hatch does not make for a successful incubation. 强押母鷄孵蛋是

無效的(incubate v= hatch孵蛋) (make for …有助於)

意譯：It is difficult and futile to force someone to do something serious and fruitful. 逼人專心做正

經且有成果的事是徒勞無功。(futile a. 無效的；fruitful a. 有成果的)

E. 大隻鷄慢啼

直譯：Not until a rooster gets older does he begins to croaks. (croak v. 啼叫)

意譯：

a.One may have a bigger achievement when getting older『大器完成』年紀大一點，成就大一點。

b.One may not achieve in something until he is mature with age. 『直到年歲成熱才有成就』

E. 蒙面的火鷄

直譯： -masked turkeys unknowingly waiting to be killed for food (為減少抵抗的麻煩，殺火鷄前先蒙其面。這是台灣中部人的慣用語。南部人則用『蓋頭鰻』表示相同意義。要宰殺鰻魚前先用臉盆蓋住，防其溜跑)

意譯：innocent victims to be-即將成為無辜的受害人還不知死活(待宰的羔羊)

F. 草螟仔弄鷄公

直譯：a grasshopper is provoking or teasing a rooster (弄=戲弄故用tease, provoke v.挑釁)

意譯：a weaker party is bluffing at or trying to bully a stronger one (bluff v. 虛張聲勢，bully v.覇凌，a party當事者的一方)

註：『肚猴嚇鷄』-為類似意義之用法。肚猴乃似蟋蟀類的蟲。

G. 錯把鷄毛當令箭

直譯：mistaking a chicken feather for an order with an arrow

意譯：To bluff a person, one uses an unauthorized or fake order from the superior. 使用假冒上級命令來嚇唬他人. (unauthorized非授權的；fake假的)

H. 鷄屎落土，也有三寸煙

直譯：when chicken shit falls, a little air comes from the ground. (煙不宜譯為smoke，而指有形的氣)

意譯：Be grateful for even a small favor done to you. 有一點小恩也要心存一點感激 (grateful= thankful感激的)

I. 斬鷄頭 (是台灣習俗，是俗語)

直譯：cutting the head of a chicken (斬斷鷄頭發重誓)

意譯：At a solemn oath, in which the accused one claims that one is innocent of something, the two parties agree to gather in front of gods of a local temple, cutting the head of a chicken to prove innocence. They beg the gods to bear witness to the oath在莊嚴的發誓中，被指控的一方為聲明自己清白，與另一造在廟宇神明之前(請神明作證)，砍斷鷄頭以表明心跡。

註: solemn a. 莊重的； oath n. 誓言； accused a. 被控的； claim v. 聲明； innocent a. 無辜的； bear witness to …見證某事

Justin Lai, 07/06/2013

Jlai77168@gmail.com

chiayihienglish@gmail.com

 

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