網絡語言常用夸張的說法,現在流行“坑爹”一詞。“坑爹”的意思,泛指“坑人”或“騙人”,連父親老子都敢騙,可見害人程度之深。如果說話人自己被騙,一氣之下說出“坑爹”,意思就是“坑我”。說句占便宜的話,以解心頭之恨。英語可以譯為 cheating, deceiving me, just like kidding your father,例如:
1. 這樣做,不是明擺著坑爹嗎?Doing so is obviously cheating, isn’t it?
2. 你賣給我的這件衣服質量這么差,不是明顯坑爹嗎? You sold me such an inferior coat. Obviously, you are deceiving me.
3. 你連我都敢蒙,簡直就是坑爹。You even dared to deceive me. It is just like kidding your father.
“坑”的原義是“地面凹下去的地方”,可能是自然形成的,也可能是人為造成的。英語可以譯為 hole, pit, hollow, puddle,例如:
4. 炸彈在地面上炸了一個大坑。The bomb left a big hole/ blew a huge hole in the ground.
5. 這些廢料被傾倒進這個深坑。The waste materials were dumped into the deep pit.
6. 這匹白馬一躍跳過道路上的一個坑。The white horse took a great leap over a hollow in the road.
7. 豬喜歡在泥坑里濺水花。Pigs love splashing in the muddy puddles.
“一個蘿卜一個坑”,比喻每人都有一個位置,沒有多余。我們有如下譯法:
8. Each radish grows in its own hole. (直譯)
9. Each has his own work to do. (意譯)
10. There is nobody to spare. (意譯)
比較上面三種譯法,我們可以看出:如果直譯,英美人可能不解其義;如果譯出比喻意義,原來的韻味就沒有了。由于語言和文化差異,翻譯俗語是件非常困難的事情。