双语加油站●翻译辨误

句子：我国驻联合国代表反对拍卖圆明园流失文物。

误译：Chinas Representative to U.N. is opposed to the auction of the lost relics originated from Yuanmingyuan.

正译：Chinas Representative to U.N. is opposed to the auction of the looted relics originated from Yuanmingyuan.

解释：lost relics的意思是“丢失的文物”。而“流失文物”指的是“历史上被掠夺而目前还未追讨回来的文物，英语应该译为looted relics。

“流失”的第一个意思指“自然界的矿石、土壤自己散失或被水、风力带走，或河水等白白地流掉”。英语可以译为 to run off。例如：

1. 我们正在建造水库蓄积汛期的河水，以免流失。We are building up a reservoir to store the river water accumulated during the flood season, lest it might run off.

“流失”的第二个意思泛指“有用的或贵重的东西流散失去”。英语动词可以译为 to lose。名词可以译为 loss。例如：

2. 市政府已采取有效措施制止国有资产流失。The municipal government has adopted effective measures to prevent the loss of state assets.

“流失”的第三个意思是“被掠夺”的委婉语。英语可以译为 looted。例如：

3. 中国政府通过国际合作成功追回了这些流失文物。Through international cooperation, the Chinese Government succeeded in recovering these looted relics.

“流失”的第四个意思是比喻“人员离开本地或本单位”，即“人才流失”。英语可以译为 brain drain, outflow of talent。例如：

4. 这个亚洲国家因为经济状况恶劣而遭受持续的人才流失。The Asian country suffered from a continual brain drain because of bad economy.

“流失”的第五个意思指“退学”或“辍学”。英语可以译为 to drop out of/ from school。例如：

5. 现在，一些农村学生因贫穷而流失。Nowadays, some students in rural areas have dropped out of school because of poverty. ▲

（本栏目供稿：王逢鑫教授）

流失文物