蜗 居
2009-12-09
句子：现在国内正在热播电视连续剧《蜗居》。
误译：The TV series “Living in a Snails Shell” is hitting the TV screen in China.
正译：The TV series “A Nutshell of a House” is hitting the TV screen in China.
解释：汉语可以用蜗牛壳比喻窄小的住处，有“蜗居”的说法。英语snail 的意思是a small soft creature with a hard round shell on its back, that moves very slowly，有“行动缓慢”的联想，但与“狭小”无关。这是它与汉语的文化差异。英语习语 slow as a snail具有very slow的意思。at a snails pace 具有very slowly的意思。例如：
1. 我的互联网连接慢如蜗牛。My Internet connection is slow as a snail.
2. 这位老人慢慢地行走。The old man walked along at a snail's pace.
“蜗居”的第一个意思是比喻“狭小的住所”，用作名词。英语可以译为 humble abode, a nutshell of a house。例如：
3. 有空请来蜗居小坐。Please drop in and visit with me in my humble abode when you have time.
4. 奢谈在像我们这样的蜗居里举行晚会是多么荒唐呀！ How absurd it is to talk of giving a party in such a nutshell of a house as ours!
注意，narrow dwelling表示的是“窄”，但是并不一定“小”，因而不一定是“蜗居”。例如：
5. 我的家是一所长条的窄房子，有许多房间，照明也好。My home was a long narrow dwelling with many rooms, and good lighting.
“蜗居”的第二个意思是比喻“住在狭小的住所”，用作动词。英语可以译为to live in a small room, to confine oneself to a small room。例如：
6. 过去他们一家五口人蜗居一间仅10平方米的斗室。In the past, the five people of his family lived in a small room that covered an area of only ten square meters.
7. 这位孤独老人蜗居斗室。This lonely old man confines himself to a small room.▲
（本栏目供稿：王逢鑫教授）
