4,“为人作事”采用意译的方法,译为conduct oneself(即为人处世)
5,“一老就觉得自己不行”意即“因为年迈就觉得自己一无是处”译为Calling yourself a good-for-nothing on account of age
综述:在不偏离原文的基础上适当扩充。
整个民族如此,那是我们一种自馁精神,对民族兴衰大有关系。欧美人之成大事业总在晚年,恰与我们的观点相反。最近有两个老人的行为,值得借鉴,正可给我们打一针兴奋剂。第一是美国务卿赫尔,以七十二岁之年,飞莫斯科开那全球注意的三国会议。第二是前英国首相劳合·乔治,八十一岁结婚。这可以证明他们的生命力强,也可以证明他们精神毫不衰老。老了还活泼的干,不必退休去等死,这人生才有意味,才没枉过“吾生也有涯”的岁月。
The same is true of a nation. Self-confidence has a lot to do with its rise and fall. Unlike us Chinese, Westerners usually go in for great undertakings in late life. The recent cases of two Western senior politicians set a good example for us and serve to give us a shot in the arm. One was 72-year-old US secretary of state Cordell Hull, who went to Moscow to attend the 3-power conference in the limelight of the world. The other was former British prime minister Lloyd George, who got married at the age of 81. Their activities afforded proof of their vitality and youthful spirit. The way to live a meaningful life and fully utilize the transient days of one’s life is by continuing to work vigorously in old age rather than retire.
要点:
1,“自馁”即“丧失勇气和信心”,译者并没有将“自馁精神”直接译作losing confidence,而是转换角度,将整句话处理为“信心对民族兴衰有很大关系”。
2,“正可给我们打一针兴奋剂”译为serve to give us a shot in the arm,其中“to give us a shot in the arm”意为“给某人打气(或刺激,鼓励等)”
3,“证明”此处译为afford proof of
4,“老了还活泼的干,不必退休去等死,这人生才有意味,才没枉过“吾生也有涯”的岁月。”可看做是一个“事实+评论”句,按英文的“先评论后事实”的行文顺序进行组织,译为The way to live a meaningful life and fully utilize the transient days of one’s life is by continuing to work vigorously in old age rather than retire.
5,“没枉过‘吾生也有涯’的岁月”意即“没有浪费短暂的一生”从正面译为fully utilize the transient days of one’s life
综述:注意倒数第二点“事实与评论的关系”。
现在我国的事业,多半在四五十岁的中年人手上。中年人干吧,我们的前途还遥远着呢!
Our national cause now rests, for the most part, on the shoulders of our middle-aged men—men in their forties or fifties. Middle-aged fellow countrymen, roll up your sleeves to strive for our distant goal!
要点:
1,“在…手上”=rest on the shoulder of
2,“中年人干吧”译为Middle-aged fellow countrymen, roll up your sleeves,其中roll up your
sleeves意即“大干一场”
综述:本篇篇幅很短,但文学性稍强,尤其是四字词和古文的穿插,译起来需要一番功夫~