【大纪元8月6日讯】有时﹐英语里的玩笑和幽默是可以翻译过来的。但大部分时间它们是翻译不了的。比方如下一则﹕
Where do one legged people work?
IHOP!!
如果直译就是﹕
“一条腿的人们在哪儿上班﹖”
“国际大饼连锁餐馆”(或“IHOP”)
这样读起来﹐讲华语的人们就会茫然不知所措。其实﹐IHOP是International House of Pancakes餐馆的简称和他们招牌上的标志。IHOP分开来是“I”和“HOP”﹐或“I Hop”(我单腿跳)。 这里是说﹐一条腿的人们在IHOP工作﹐或者兼指他们因为只有一条腿﹐只能单腿跳的意思。
下面一则“十个最有趣的店面招牌”﹐前五﹑六个大概是跨越文化的﹐后四个可能就不太好翻译了。读者如果能够翻译成中文并保持原汁原味﹐请告诉我们﹐我们会刊登出来与大家分享。不读英语的同胞请见谅。
“十个最有趣的店面招牌”
1。汽车消音器商店﹕“无需事先预约﹐我们听得见您的光临”
(Outside a muffler shop: “No appointment necessary, we hear you coming.”)
2。公司接待员桌上﹕“每来第三个销售人员我们就开枪﹐第二个刚走”
(On a desk in a reception room: “We shoot every 3rd salesman , and the 2nd one just left.” )
3。殡仪馆前院子里﹕“小心点开车﹐我们会等着你的。”
(In the front yard of a funeral home: “Drive carefully, we’ll wait.” )
4。心理咨询办公室﹕“变老是强制性的﹐变聪明是可选项的”
(In a counselors office: “Growing old is mandatory, growing wise is optional. )
5。兽医的等待室里﹕“五分钟就回来﹐坐下﹗别动﹗”
(In a veterinarians waiting room: “Be back in 5 minutes, Sit ! Stay!” )
6。贴在餐馆窗户上﹕“别站在那儿饿着﹐进来吃个够吧”(“吃个够”还有腻了﹐不耐烦的意思﹐译不出来)
(In a restaurant window: “Don’t stand there and be hungry, come on in and get fed up.” )
下面四个似乎翻译不出来﹐只能在英语里理解﹕
7.Outside a hotel: “Help! We need inn-experienced people.”
8.At the electric company: “We would be de-lighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don’t you will be.”
9.On the door of a computer store: “Out for a quick byte.”
10.Inside a bowling alley: “Please be quiet, we need to hear a pin drop.”
(编译﹕童欣)(http://www.dajiyuan.com)
