翻译备考 | 关键词汉译英 | 001 | "折腾" 与“不折腾”

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折腾

汉语关键词

折腾、不折腾、被折腾

英语关键词:

flip-flop, toss and turn, toss about, about, cause physical or mental suffering, get sb down, plague, torment, be hard hit, suffer, struggle, get sidetracked，not get sidetracked

句子

中国股市稳健发展需要不折腾。

误译

The steady development of China’s stock should not flip-flop.

正译

The steady development of China’s stock market requires that we should not get sidetracked.

解释

to flip-flop 的意思是 to suddenly change one’s position or opinion on a political issue, 指"突然改变政治立场或观点"，与股市无关。例如：

1.这个政客被指责在若干重大问题上出尔反尔。

The politician was accused of flip-flopping on several major issues.

"折腾”的第一个意思是"翻过来倒过去”。英语可以译为totoss and turn, to toss about 例如：

2. 他折腾了大半夜，睡不着觉。

He tossed and turned restlessly for most of the night, unable to go to sleep.

3. 你凑合着睡一会儿。别来回折腾了。

Just try to get off to sleep for a while. Don’t toss and turn restlessly.

4. 他躺在床上，折腾了一宿。

Lying in bed, he tossed about all night.

"折腾”的第二个意思是“反复做某事”，也可以说“瞎折腾"。英语可以译为 to fool around, to muck around, to mess about. 例如：

5. 别瞎折腾了。你会摔个狗啃泥的。

Stop fooling around! You could bite the dust.

6. 谁在折腾这个手机？它已经坏了。

Who’s been mucking the mobile phone around? It is already damaged.

7. 别瞎折腾了，先干完你的工作。

Stop messing about ——finish your work first.

“折腾”的第三个意思是"折磨”。英语动词可以译为to cause physical or mental suffering, to get sb down, to plague;名词译为 torment 被折腾”，可以译为to be hard hit, to suffer。例如：

8. 慢性病真是折腾人。

1) A chronic disease can cause physical or mental suffering.

2) A chromic disease can be such a torment.

9. 牙痛折腾死我了！

A toothache has got me down.

10. 化脓的伤口已经折腾我好几天了。

The festering wound has plagued me for several days.

11. 你这一整天净用这样傻里傻气的问题来折腾我！

You’ve been plaguing me with such silly questions all day!

12. 附近工地的噪声可把小区的居民折腾苦了。

The noises from the nearby construction site have badly plagued the inhabitants of this residential area.

13. 这些年我们为了钱，被折腾得够呛。

We’ve been really hard hit for money these years,

14. 你知道我心里在怎样折腾。

You know how my mind is suffering!

15. 我太老了，经不起这种折腾了。

I am too old to stand the torment.

16. 她说她再经不起折腾了。

She said she couldn’t stand the torment any more.

17. 他不得不忍受精神紧张、抑郁和焦虑的折腾。

He had to endure the torment caused by stress, depression and anxiety,

“折腾”的第四个意思是“挣扎”或"奋斗”。英语可以译为to struggle。例如：

18. 人的一辈子啊，其实就是为了生活而折腾，也同时被生活所折腾。

In his lifetime, a person is actually struggling for survival and is plagued by life at the same time.

“不折腾”的意思很微妙，有"不乱做，不瞎搞，不翻来覆去，不做无用之功，不没事找事，不走岔路’等含义，很难在英语中找到对应词。这里姑且利用《中国曰报》的译法not to get sidetracked。例如：

19.我们必须不动摇、不懈怠、不折腾，坚定不移地推进改革开放，坚定不移地走中国特色社会主义道路。

We must not sway back and forth relax our efforts or get sidetracked, but firmly push forward the reform and opening-up as well as adhere to socialism with Chinese characteristics.

to get sidetracked的意思为to get off track,即“脱离正常的路径"，有“折腾”的含义。在下面的原文中，to get sidetracked可以译为"折腾”：

20. The boys get sidetracked more while the girls are more confident.

男孩子们比较爱折腾，而女孩子们比较自信。

21. Hedoes not let himself get sidetracked by fads and trends.

他不让自己受时髦和时尚东西的折腾。

22. Ialways get sidetracked. Sometimes we get going for a while and then something —a hubby on a business trip, asick child or unexpected houseguests gets us off track.

我总是被折腾。有时候，我们刚干了一会儿事情，接着有件事——出差途中的丈夫、生病的孩子、或者家里的不速之客——把我们折腾一番。

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