孙俪凭借电视剧《后宫·甄嬛传》(The Back Palace: Legend of Zhen Huan)入围第41届国际艾美奖(The International Emmy Award)“最佳女主角”提名,正如网友们引用甄嬛语说的那样,“娘娘威武!”尽管最终未能捧得桂冠,但问题是,在中国十分流行的“甄嬛体”该如何翻译成英文?《中国日报》电影评论人周黎明尝试着翻译了几句,并提出了一些观点。
小主:Your ladyship,雨露:Royal honeydew,娘娘:Your royal highne,奴才:Your unworthy servant。
如果说名称的翻译还比较容易,且可以带有一定规划性,台词的翻译可能更关乎技巧和文化习惯。
比如甄嬛所说的:“再冷也不能拿别人的血来暖自己。”周黎明翻译为:“No matter how ruthless, you shouldn’t use another person’s blood to warm yourself.”
华妃常说的“贱人就是矫情”,在周黎明看来,就应该简单的译为,“That bitch!”周黎明说:“每句台词我们都考虑了多种翻译,‘贱人就是矫情’有七八种。网友关注‘矫情’的英文说法,如pretentious、bitchy等。但That bitch is bitchy乃叠床架屋,重复主宾语。好的台词应简洁有力,留有潜台词。正因各种形容词多半重复bitch之意,我们认为That bitch或What a bitch远胜啰嗦而低级的中英对应。”
本着这样的原则,周黎明还例举了一些经典台词的翻译:“娘娘容不容得下臣妾,是娘娘的气度。能不能让娘娘容得下,是嫔妾的本事。”(甄嬛)
Whether you can tolerate me depends on your generosity. Whether I can be tolerated is up to me.
“在这后宫中想要升就必须猜得中皇上的心思。若想要活,就要猜得中其他女人的心思。”(甄嬛)
To rise, you need to know the Emperor’s mind. To survive, you need to guess the other women’s mind.
“以色事人,能得几时好?”(甄嬛)
One who savors seduction, won’t last.
“在这宫里,有利用价值的人才能活下去。要安于被人利用,才有机会去利用别人。”(浣碧)
In the palace, if you have ability, you survive. If you survive being used, then you will have the chance to take advantage of others.
“别人帮你,那是情分。不帮你,那是本分。”(甄嬛)
You are blessed if others help you, but they are not obliged to.
“不偏爱,懂节制,方得长久。”(皇后)
No favoritism, no excesses, one will last.
“这会咬人的狗,不叫。”(曹贵人)
A barking dog never bites.
“愿逆风如解意,容易莫摧残。”(甄嬛)
May the gale that rushes into the blossom caress her and never let her be broken.
“愿得一心人,白首不相离。”(甄嬛)
Win a heart so dear till death, keeps near.
“宁可枝头抱香死,不曾吹落北风中。”(沈眉庄)
Tis better to die with fragrance on a twig than be blown into a gust like a fig.
宁海
(卢晓峰摘自《经济观察报》)
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