“党员也是普通人”,如此翻译令英国读者笑着唱起来
分享一句最近偶遇的英文翻译:
The CPC members are just common people.
广大党员也只是普通人。
从语法上看,这句话似乎没什么问题。但是,这句英文让几位英国读者不约而同地唱了起来。
唱的是英文经典歌曲Common People,不知各位是否听过?
部分歌词如下:
She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge
She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College
...
She told me that her dad was loaded
(“loaded”是英文俚语,意思是“rich”)
......
I wanna live like common people
I wanna do whatever common people do
Wanna sleep with common people
I wanna sleep with common people
Like you
Oh what else could I do
......
歌词讲的是一位富家女想体验“普通人”的生活,整首歌讽刺了那些想装作“普通人”的富人。
旧时西方贵族说“common people”,多半有鄙视群众“vulgar”, “un-refined”之意。在现代英文中,“common people”用的越来越少了。这个词很容易有意无意地露出“贬义”的弦外音(connotation),有拉阶级对立之嫌。
实践中,尤其是在书面语中,表达中性意义上的“普通人”可选用文化包袱较轻且更中立的“ordinary”。比如,拜登曾这样鼓励“普通人”:
Common People这首歌在英国可以说家喻户晓,"common people" 一词很容易触发联想。用一位英国专家的话说:
If you hear the words "common people" (and you're old enough to remember), you'll probably think of that song.
因此,这句“The CPC members are just common people.”令英国读者笑着唱起了歌,也就不难理解了。
不少西方读者一听“(共产党)党员(Party members)”二字,脑海中很容易浮现小说《1984》里的党员形象。这是一种亟需破除的误解。在“笑果”上,“Party members”与“common people”的组合便无异于“double kill”,诸位可细品。
我们常说,讲好中国故事,首先是讲好普通中国人的故事。讲好党员的故事自然是题中之义。工欲善其事必先利其器。国际传播实践就是一个“练兵场”,语言水平、翻译能力、跨文化意识等诸般“利器”在实践中不断得到锤炼。
语言应用最忌“悬空”,不关注实践,不关注文化,恐怕会经常掉坑里。“Common People”,一个词,一首歌,一个警示。
戏说中外