台灣俗語的智慧(21)

台灣俗語的智慧(21)

1.     歹子飼老父 (爸) (Pronounced as: pai kiahn chi lao pei)

這是似非而是 (paradox) 的哲理 -年青時不長進的孩子，後來『浪子回頭』努力向上，又飼養老父

意譯：A bad boy when young ends up a good one, feeding his old dad.

2.     槌仔痕快過，言語喔燁 (Pronounced as: tsui ah hun kuai gui, gian gu oh hua)

註: 槌仔(小木棍) a stick or rod for smiting one for committing an error用來體罸的小木棍 ；痕, 即傷痕，喔=慢， 燁= 熄滅

直譯：The smitten scar left on the skin may disappear easily but the bad curse or language used on one is hardly forgotten.

意譯: A bad language used is deeply rooted in mind. 故古訓：『傷心之語毒於陰泉』，又『責善切忌盡言，處世須有春風』皆為處世之誡語。

3.     吃乎肥肥假乎捶捶(Pronounced as: chia ho pui pui, geh ho tui tui)

註：捶捶, dummy, stupid ；肥肥=胖；此為通俗的押韻台語。台灣人以為『胖即為笨』，故有『大摳不離呆』(讀成：tua koh but ri tai) 之語- 意為胖子因動作遲鈍即為呆子，真實性八九不離十，故另有「大摳呆』(大胖子)

直譯：吃得胖胖，裝得傻傻

One eats too much to be a fat guy, pretending to be a fool.

意譯: Irresponsibility.(不負任的人=Irresponsible idiots)

4.     吃人一斤還人四兩 (Pronounced as:jiah ran jit gin h’n ran shi liun)

直譯: One returns four ounces of meat for one pound served.

意譯: doing something in return for what one has received from others. Being grateful. (知恩圖報) –

Returning a compliment is important.

5.    袂前好額先驚著賊偷 (Pronounced as: buei jing ho giah, xin kian tio tsat tao)

直譯：Before becoming rich, one is worried about his riches being stolen.

意譯: One is too cautious (or stingy) about one’s wealth not yet uncertain to come.

  註:好額= 致富 = become rich;著賊偷=遇窃賊

6.    甘蔗好吃, 袂凍双頭甜 (Pronounced as:gam jia ho jiah buei tan shang tao t’n)

直譯：A sugar cane cannot be sweet at both ends.

意譯: One cannot get a fruitful result from both sides.

故漢文說「倒吃甘蔗」-含漸入佳境之義:By working hard, one finds a pursuit more and more fruitful.

 甘蔗頭甜尾淡(尚難全甜)

【另註】：本俚語之英譯，經苦思良久，終悟出其道。其實含有英文“Nothing is perfect.” 之義。台灣話講到『洛洛長(冗長) 』英文三個字即可傳神，但台語用吃甘蔗的隱喻(metaphor)- 亦有其妙處，雖嚕囌一點，但頗具聯想之功。本句台語以婉轉之詞告誡為人處世之理-『物忌全勝』以免招怨，字簡意深。

7.     飼老鼠咬布袋(Pronounced as: chih niao chih kat boh tee)

註：布袋: sacks, 麻袋

直譯:People feed a mouse only to suffer from the damage it causes.

意譯: A benefactor receives harm done by a beneficiary, on the contrary.

8.   查某囡仔，韭菜命 (Pronounced as cha-bo-gin-a, ku-chhai-mia.) 

註：查某囡仔: 女孩子，查甫囝仔= 男孩，韭菜= leeks

直譯: Girls’ life is just like those of leeks.

意譯: Girls have more durability for life, anti-pressure or anti-poverty than boys.

(女孩子的生命力，就像台灣韭菜一般的強韌。昔時台灣社會重男輕女，對女兒照顧較少，但她們韌性強也都能順應環境長大成人)。 

 韌命的韭菜

9.查某人菜子命 (Pronounced as Cha-bo-lang chai-chi-mia.)

註：查某人= female, women, 菜子= 種子, seed

直譯: The destiny of a woman is just like that of a seed. When planted in rich soil, it flourishes. While in poor soil, it withers or dies.

意譯: When born of a rich family, a girl becomes wealthy and noble. While in a poor family, she becomes less fortunate, or otherwise.

9.    早死早超生，慢死著愮悻 (Pronounced as Chah-si chah thia-sian,man-si tio hiau-hian.)

註：愮悻：形容或感歎不順或不幸之人、事、物。= miserable, wretched. 為『窮極無孤或病入膏肓之人所言』，含『何其淒殘』之嘆。

意譯: Lucky are those who die earlier; those who suffer longer most are pitiable and miserable. 或

To die earlier is a blessing; to die later is a torture.

【類似諺語】:

先死先佔埔，慢死坮無路 (Pronounced as xing si xing jam poh, mai si tai boh loh)

早起的鳥有蟲吃

註：埔=墓仔埔=墳墓=graveyard, 坮=bury, 無路= no space

直譯: Those who die earlier have priority to occupy a cemetery yard; those who die later have no place to be buried.

意譯: The early bird catches the worms. -捷足先登

09/12/2015

Justin Lai (賴正雄) 編譯