改革開放30周年流行語固定英文譯法
改革開放的30年間,我們的生活里涌現(xiàn)出非常多的流行詞語。這些流行語,無不反映出社會的變遷和沖擊人們生活的新事物、新事件、新觀念。比如上世紀七八十年代的“老三件”、“喇叭褲”,八九十年代的“萬元戶”、“下!,九十年代的“下崗再就業(yè)”、“BP機”、“大哥大”,再到如今的“上網(wǎng)”、“博客”、“互動”乃至“山寨”等等。
在目前舉國上下紀念改革開放30周年之際,這些過去30年中的流行語也引起了廣泛關注。流行語的英譯難度不小,比如說目前正流行的“山寨”。幸運的是,在我國翻譯界的共同努力下,過去30年的不少流行語已確定了基本固定的英譯。
30年流行語固定英文譯法:
“倒爺”:profiteer或wheeler-dealer
“五好家庭”:Five Virtues Family
“萬元戶”:ten-thousand-yuan household
“大哥大”:GSM mobile telephone
“喇叭褲”:bell-bottomed trousers
“交誼舞”:ballroom dancing
“蛤蟆鏡”:goggles
“菜籃子工程”:Non-Staple Food Project
“鐵飯碗”:Iron Rice Bowl
“高考移民”:NCEE migrant(National College Entrance Examination migrant)
“選秀”:talent show /talent-search show
“保持黨員先進性教育”:Campaign to Educate Party Members to Preserve Their Vanguard Nature
“抓大放小”:Restructuring Major Enterprises and Relaxing Control over Small Ones
“‘三農(nóng)’問題”:Issues of agriculture, farmer and rural area
“小康社會”:a moderately prosperous society
至于當前正流行的“山寨”應該怎么譯,目前似乎尚無確定的說法。所謂“山寨”,其核心含義就是名牌產(chǎn)品的冒牌。根據(jù)一些在華外國友人對目前正在走紅的“山寨”現(xiàn)象所進行的評論,“山寨”在英語中大致可以表達為rip-off world class brands。由于“山寨”產(chǎn)品大多質(zhì)量較差,因此又有人稱其為something is kind of a poorly done, low-class approximation of another thing。
當然,在不少網(wǎng)站上,shanzhai products和shanzhai culture這樣的表達已經(jīng)涌現(xiàn)。在中國國際廣播電臺的英文網(wǎng)站上,就有一個關于“‘Shanzhai’Culture”的詳細解釋,其中的一些關鍵句子包括'Shanzhai' products are low-cost products which unfairly challenge the original companies. They are also often of poor quality. But 'shanzhai' culture such as 'shanzhai' MTV, most of which are significantly different from the originals, are just good entertainment and useful supplements for mainstream culture以及'Shanzhai' products are manufactured without approval from the authorities, saving hundreds of thousands of yuan in license fees. They are packaged similar to genuine products to flood the market with low prices(http://english.cri.cn/4026/2008/12/08/1241s430772.htm)。
改革開放以來,反映當代西方文化的名詞術語大量涌入漢語之中,有相當一部分詞匯還曾經(jīng)是各個時代的流行語。
外來語流行詞匯:
clone:“克隆”laptop computer:“手提電腦”
netizen:“網(wǎng)民”
talk show:“脫口秀”
GM food(genetically modified food):“轉基因食物”
avian inflenza/avian flu/bird flu:“禽流感”
headhunting:“獵頭”
DINK family (Double Income No Kids family):“丁克家庭”
soft landing:“軟著陸”
IELTS (International English Language Testing System):“雅思”
shopping mall:“購物城”
reality show:“真人秀”
Viagra:“偉哥”
subprime loan/lending/mortgage/mortgage loan crisis:“次貸危機”