Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why it's called the present!

昨天成历史
明天很神秘
今天称现金(今）
所以是份礼
------------------
海纳百川，有容乃大；壁立千仞，无欲则刚

Embracing every stream, the Ocean becomes the widest span of water on earth;

Lacking the interest occupancy desire, the Rock rised up the precipice for the longest time

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛A very successful lawyer parked his brand-new Lexus in front of his office, ready to show it off to his colleagues.

As he got out, a truck passed too close and completely tore off the door on the driver's side of the Lexus. The counselor immediately grabbed his cell phone, dialed 911, and within minutes a policeman pulled up. Before the officer had a chance to ask any questions, the lawyer started screaming hysterically. His Lexus, which he had just picked up the day before, was now completely ruined and would never be the same, no matter what the body shop did to it.

When the lawyer finally wound down from his ranting and raving, the officer

shook his head in disgust and disbelief. "I can't believe how materialistic

you lawyers are," he said. "You're so focused on your possessions that you don't notice anything else."

"How can you say such a thing?" asked the lawyer.

The cop replied, "Don't you know that your left arm is missing from the elbow down? It must have been torn off when the truck hit you."

The lawyer looked down towards his missing limb and began screaming, "My God! Where's my Rolex?"更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

"A henpecked husband is a domestic animal trained to wash up and dry up, but never to act up."

The man who is afraid to think for himself usually chooses the wrong woman to think for him.

"Marriage brings out the animal in some men, usually the chicken."

A henpecked husband is the only species of worm that's afraid to turn.

"The man who won't admit he's henpecked, probably smokes a big cigar while washing the dishes."

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛树欲静而风不息 2004/2/13
-潇潇-

以前的人说"养儿防老"，可是谁又能保证养个孝顺的儿呢？

读了伊丽莎白 泰勒的关于钱和年龄的名言就总是告诫结要趁年轻多赚点钱，要不老了谷种都没得吃。
"You can be young without money, but you can't be old without money. --Elizabeth Taylor"


"养不教父之过"，孩子一出世父亲就对孩子背负着教养的责任. 父亲教出来的孩子自然有几分像父亲


Like father, like son. －有其父必有其子。

Like mother, like daughter. －有其母必有其女。

take after somebody: to be similar to an older member of your family in appearance or character：相貌或是性格象家庭里年长的成员

Shally really takes after her mother.－Shally 真象她妈妈。

我的美国朋友看了我和妈妈的相片说，"You take after your mother a lot."

同学见到我妈妈兴奋地说，"你和你妈妈象"饼印"一样。"

我只有干笑，真没意思，我已经知道我老了以后的样子了！

"饼印"是广东话，意思是两人象是一个模子做出来的一样。

英文的说法是be the spitting image of somebody：to look exactly like someone else －长得和某人一摸一样

She's the spitting image of her mother.－她长得和她妈妈一摸一样。

the spitting image从 "spit and image"演化出来的，意思是吐口口水照照自己的样子。

中国人说，"撒尿照照自己的样子。" 比较损！

另外一个说子女像父母的短语：be a chip off the old block:(informal)to be very similar to your mother or father in appearance or character

从老木快上掉下来的碎片 －The chip is the same wood as the block. 也就是说孩子和父亲或母亲都是相同料子。


有一句关于孩子和父亲的谚语：The child is the father of the man.－三岁定八十。


father还可以做动词来用。father:(verb)become the father of a child by making a woman pregnant

有一次看西片听到一个句子：I want to father your child. -我想做你孩子的父亲。

真够直接，喷饭！

关于父母的说法有一下几种：

birth father/natural/biological father －生父
birth mother/natural/biological mother -生母

foster father/mother －养父/养母

foster daughter/foster son-养女/养子

adoptive father/mother：养父/养母

adoptive father和foster father的区别在于adoptive father是通过法律合法收养了孩子，foster father只是养着孩子，没有什么法律上的关系。

adopted son/adopted daughter－养子/养女

stepfather/stepmother－继父/继母

stepdaughter/stepson－继女/继子

但是father有时候不是"父亲"的意思：

『Father －神父； founding father－奠基之父； Father Christmas -Santa Claus－圣诞老人』

"生母不及养娘大"， 十月怀胎自然是辛苦，但是将孩子抚养成人则是更加费力的事情。

bring sb up: to look after and influence a child until he or she is grown up
－synonym（同义词）： raise
He was brought up by his grandparents. －他是由祖父母抚养成人的。

He was born and raised in Guangzhou.－他在广州出生长大。

孩子长大结婚后自然有father-in-law（配偶的父亲）和mother-in-law（配偶的母亲）。

"不孝有三，无后为大。" 老人家多数都喜欢抱孙子，可是等孩子生了孩子后，孩子就忙着围着自己的孩子转了，无暇顾及老人家了。

广东俗语："老豆养仔，仔养仔"。 爱总是向下延伸的。


美国人庆祝母亲节和父亲节，中国人比较含蓄，觉得不好意思庆祝。但是买些礼物，或是吃个大餐，老人家都很高兴的。

Mother's Day-the 2nd Sunday of May：母亲节是每年5月的第二个星期天

In 1907 Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia selected the pink carnation as the symbol for Mother's Day.

-1907年费城的Anna Jarvis把粉红色的康乃馨选为母亲节的象征。


Father's Day -the 3rd Sunday of June －父亲节是每年6月的第三个星期天

有些老人和儿子媳妇住在一起，有精力的可以搞搞婆媳斗争。没有精力的可以抱抱孙子，养养鸟。

也有些老人儿女不在身边，自己独居。也有的搬进了nursing home/old people's home －老人院

最凄惨的莫过于露宿街头！

人老了就喜欢唠叨（Old people like to nag),因为他们已经没有未来，只有缅怀过去－the good old days。（往日的 美好时光）

应该给每个老人发一份Bertrand Russell的How To Grow Old

要老年不寂寞要做到几点：
1.Avoid absorption in the past.
2.Do not cling to youth and let your children live their own lives.
3.Develop strong impersonal interests.
4.Do not fear death and embrace your last days.

但是作为年轻人应该多尽子女的责任（filial duty)。


同学给我发了个flash movie，觉得做得顶好，激发了写作的灵感。

http://www.pconline.com.cn/pcedu/carton/mtv/10306/flash/030611ziqin.swf

树欲静而风不息，子欲养而亲不在更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛-摘自潇潇语言实验室- -sarskiller 校编-
Second Fiddle
By Kay Starr

I was playing second fiddle
I was caught in a losing romance
You were also second fiddle
You, too, played the game with no chance
We were losers, we were weepers
They called us birds of a feather
Now we're finders, now we're keepers
Two aching hearts got together
We were playing second fiddle
Then we met and gave love a new start
No more playing second fiddle
Now that we're first in each other's heart

fiddle=violin-小提琴

play second fiddle: to take a less important and subordinate role to someone or something in a way often considered demeaning: 意思是扮演第二小提琴手的角色，处于次要位置。
This means that both "I" and "you" were somebody else's 第二位情人, i.e., "We were (both) playing second fiddle", and that was why "We were losers, we were weepers". Then the two met (found each other), and "Two aching hearts got together" to start a new love, and became "first in each other's heart".

“I” played second fiddle in my life, so did “You” in your life. We share the same story. “Finders keepers, losers weepers” is just a play of cliché, and doesn’t necessarily carry the dubious ethical merit in this song. It means we’ve found each other, our true love and we’ll keep each other for our own.

英文中有"fiddle while Rome burns"这个短语: to do something trivial and irresponsible in the midst of an emergency; －意思是发生紧急情况时却在做一些无关痛痒的事情。（fiddle在这里是动词－拉小提琴）

传说罗马着火时暴君Nero却在拉小提琴，毫不关心自己的国民和帝国。据说火是他自己放了，当然不紧张了。
birds of a feather (flock together):(informal) used to say that two or more people have similar attitudes, beliefs etc -物以类聚，人以群分

-----------------------------------------------------------------
fiddle while Rome burns

To do something trivial and irresponsible in the midst of an emergency; legend has it that while a fire destroyed the city of Rome, the emperor Nero played his violin, thus revealing his total lack of concern for his people and his empire. 1
http://www.bartleby.com/59/4/fiddlewhiler.html

Nero


(NEER-oh) An ancient Roman emperor, famed for his cruelty. He had his mother and wife killed and kicked his mistress to death while she was pregnant. Nero also persecuted Christians, blaming them for a great fire in Rome. According to tradition, he put the Apostles Peter and Paul to death. 1
‡ A famous legend holds that Nero caused the great fire of Rome himself and played a violin while watching it. To say that someone is “fiddling while Rome burns” is to say that the person is indifferent to catastrophe.

http://www.bartleby.com/59/9/nero.html

我是在The New Oxford Dictionary of English看到fiddle while Rome burns，但是它没有说明fiddle是什么意思。后来在Oxford Idioms Dictionary for Learners of English发现了这个短语的origin：This phrase refers to the Roman emperor Nero, who fiddled(=played the violin) during the burning of Rome in AD 64.
-------------------------------------------------------------更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛潇潇语言实验室－渔网丝袜

今天回到公司看见公司的前台接待(receptionist)穿着一对渔网丝袜(fishnet stockings),一条超短裙(mini-skirt),和一双长靴子(boots)我告诉她外国的妓女（prostitute/hooker)常穿渔网丝袜，她说这是中国。既然这样，她喜欢穿什么就什么吧。She can wear whatever she likes.

后来我的夏威夷同事见到我就对我招手，"Come here, let me teach you one word. Do you know fishnet stockings"?

Xiaoxiao: "Yeah, are you talking about the receptionist?"

Hawaiian girl: "Yeah, we call fishnet stockings "hooker's stockings."

Xiaoxiao: "I told her so, but she said "This is China"."

Hawaiian girl: "It's the same everywhere - in London, the US, and Australia, also in Guangzhou. The "massage girls" outside the Garden Hotel wear fishnet stockings too. Last night I saw five or six of them wearing fishnet stockings of different colors； It's their "official uniform". If she thinks "This is China", it's ignorance.(无知）。It's not fashion."

我的外国同事告诉我在广州的五星级宾馆(five-star hotel)花园酒店外面常有一些妓女出没，一见到鬼佬就用变音的英语说 "massage"(按摩）。

听说以前的一个加拿大同事晚上经过花园酒店外面给一个hooker相中，那个hooker一开口就说，" You f**k me." 我的同事摇摇头，然后那个hooker说，"那I f**k you." 追在我同事后面，吓得我的同事拼命跑。 *LOL*

现在妓女的英文水平真是不可小觑。*LOL*

正经女孩若不想给别人误会，最好不要穿fishnet stockings。

我们还谈到Pretty Woman里面的妓女Vivian的衣着，想紧身衣服，超短裙(mini-skirt)靴子（boots）都是妓女比较喜欢的穿的东西。

从Pretty Woman的剧本里找到一段描写Vivian的话:"She is wearing tiny shorts(非常小的短裤）, a tight（紧身的） tube top, thigh (大腿） high boots. She stares at herself, not really liking what she sees."

tube top: (American English informal) a piece of women's clothing that goes around your chest and back to cover your breasts but does not cover your shoulders or stomach - 只覆盖胸部，露肩露肚子的女上衣。

本着认真研究的学术精神，我又向我的Los Angeles的朋友请教了fishnet stockings的问题。

Xiaoxiao: "My co-worker(同事) said fishnet stockings are hooker's stockings. Is it true?"

L.A.: "fishnet stockings...they have different styles. Well, hookers do wear them I guess, but hookers also wear lingerie（女内衣） and other things. So it's not just for hookers

Xiaoxiao: "What's the typical hooker image?

LA: "well...I guess it varies and sometimes, you might mistake some of the women walking around Los Angeles for hookers, the way they dress. but generally, lots of makeup（化妆很浓）...slutty（淫荡的） clothes that are very tight（紧身的） and very revealing（暴露的）,lots of really gaudy（鲜艳俗气的） colors, and generally...not very attractive women.

Xiaoxiao: "But some hookers are good-looking."

LA: "Well, no...hookers usually aren't good-looking. Call girls, escorts...they are often very good-looking. usually they're also strippers.（脱衣女郎）"

Xiaoxiao: how come hookers aren't good-looking while call girls can be very good-looking?

LA: Hookers are "street walkers" - call girls (应召女郎） and escorts usually go through an agency. Hookers make very little money, escorts and call girls charge hundreds per hour.
Basically the idea is, a hooker is just a "quickie" and a call girl is for the "fantasy".

Xiaoxiao: what does "fantasy" mean here?

LA: well, like pretending stuff. You know, the "naughty nurse" or "little princess" or whatever...or just a beautiful woman. The hookers are just there to do your business and go.

Xiaoxiao: so more services aside from sex ? oh, does "little princess" have a derogatory meaning?

LA: No, I'm just saying they're characters(角色） you can get her to play, etc... whatever you have in mind.

Xiaoxiao: Can you tell me more words about prostitution?

LA: there are actually a ton of slang terms used in that profession too. Whores, hookers, tricks, Johns, pimps（姑爷仔）, etc...

Xiaoxiao: John?

LA: "John" is the customer...the guy. "turning tricks" is used to say "serving customers"

Xiaoxiao: But why is the customer called John?

LA: No idea. You know, I'm not exactly an expert in the area of prostitution I just know what I've seen on TV...hehe

访问最后，我的朋友郑重其事地告诉我他不是这方面的专家，他都是从电视上看来的。*LOL*

下面解析一下相关的词汇。

john：有两个很不好的意思：1.toilet －厕所 2.the customer of a prostitute －嫖客

叫John的男生快的改名喔! hoho. ^___^

escort(American English a prostitute), especially one who goes to social events or on trips with the person who pays them. -陪同客人参加社交出游的妓女

妓女的说法还有很多，比如：sex worker/working girl/women of the night/ladies of the night.

Prostitution is also called "the world's oldest profession." -卖淫这行当是世界上最古老的职业。

想想我们中国几乎每部古装片都有"青楼女子"就知道此话不假了。

"stripper: someone whose job is to take off their clothes in a sexually exciting way in order to entertain people " - 脱衣舞女

"striptease: a performance in which someone takes off their clothes in a sexually exciting way－脱衣舞

strip joint: （informal） a strip club －表演脱衣舞的地方

quickie:(noun)a sexual act that you do quickly - used humorously - 很快完成的性交

whore: 1.taboo an offensive word for a woman who has many sexual partners. Do not use this word.－荡妇 （这是朗文字典的定义。作为字典明文规定"不要使用这个单词"，我觉得奇怪。）
2 a female prostitute －妓女
whore也可以用作动词，有两个意思1。卖淫 2。嫖娼

courtesan: a woman who had sex with rich or important men for money in the past -courtesan就是所谓的给有钱男人包起来的高级妓女，象茶花女也属于courtesan

call girl: a prostitute who arranges by telephone to meet men －应召女郎

pimp：a man who controls prostitutes, especially by finding customers for them, and takes some of the money that they earn －控制妓女团伙的头目，香港电视把这种男人称为"姑爷仔"。

以前看过一篇文章，说的是一个外国人到了上海看见很多穿这长靴和超短裙的女孩，以为是进入了巨大的红灯区 －red-light district: the area of a town or city where there are many prostitutes。

上海这样的大都市当然不会是巨大的红灯区，不过听说上海的某些女孩子很势利，贪钱。这种女孩多数嫁了日本男人或是很有钱的中国老男人。

上海女生不要拿转头砸我啊，我是说"某些女孩"而已。而且这是我听一个上海男生说得。不要怪我啊。

想这种"淘金女郎"英文中叫做 "gold digger"：an attractive woman who uses her looks to get money from rich men－以美色从有钱人获取钱财的女人

不过gold digger没有妓女的意思。

象那种用钱买来年轻貌美的女孩的老头英文中叫做"Sugar Daddy": an older man who gives a young person presents and money in return for their company and often for sex

dirty old man -老淫虫

gigolo: a man who is paid by a rich woman, especially an older woman, to have sex with her -男妓

有一次，我的加拿大同事跑来问我广东话"金鱼佬"是什么意思，有小朋友欺负他给他起了这个花名。

"Well, a goldfish guy, a guy who's sexually interested in children; it's something like a child molester."

child molester: a person who tries to have sex with children

paedophile: a person, especially a man, who's sexually interested in children - 有恋童癖的人

最近美国歌星Michael Jackson就被怀疑是 child molester/paedophile.

他自己当然是打死都部承认了。

这是一个来自新闻的句子："In his first interview since being arrested for child molestation, the pop superstar has told America's CBS network that he is not a paedophile."更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

To find happiness in your life it does not matter what you do.
What matters is to have the courage to be yourself:
- without it you will always remain unhappy
- with it you will find infinite happiness.

-------------
'Have the courage to be yourself' do award me a lot of happiness, but not enough, if you want more happiness, take challenge and overcome it, that is so happy.

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛1) Love causes tension, Sex alleviates it.
2) The more connections you and your lover make, not just between your bodies, but between your minds, your hearts, and your souls, the more you will strengthen the fabric of your relationship, and the more real moments you will experience together.
3) Love's greatest gift is its ability to make everything it touches sacred.
4) Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible -- it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.
5) Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
6) Wicked men obey from fear; good men, from love.
7) Love is the beauty of the soul.
8) Real love stories never have endings.
9) For a crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love.
10) The sweetest joy, the wildest woe is love.
11) The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one.
12) If you have it [Love], you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have.
13) To try to write love is to confront the muck of language: that region of hysteria where language is both too much and too little, excessive and impoverished.
14) If you say, I love you, then you have already fallen in love with language, which is already a form of break up and infidelity.
15) Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable.
16) Love is the river of life in the world.
17) Love ceases to be a pleasure, when it ceases to be a secret.
18) Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love.
19) Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. [The Song Of Solomon 2:5]
20) We know that we have passed from death into life, because we love... [1 John 3:14]
21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22) Love is said to be blind, but I know some fellows in love who can see twice as much in their sweethearts as I do.
23) Love is the immortal flow of energy that nourishes, extends and preserves. Its eternal goal is life.
24) When first we met we did not guess that Love would prove so hard a master.
25) Love without attachment is light.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

作者：古月 - 1999/11/26 12:04:06 ***

I don't think it's in the dictionary already but in the culture. If you have a sister, you often kiss your sister good night. It's considered a daily routine for Americans, nothing exciting yet quite comforting. As you said, it's mostly used in sports reporting. When no side wins in a match, it's a kiss-your-sister tie, meaning: nothing exciting, an eventless match for both sides. You don't feel thrilled or upset. For some, it's kind of homely comfort, for others, it may be a waste of time, depending on the different levels of expectation. In Chinese, it could be "安慰性," "保个本," "保全面子," "给个台阶," "平安过关," etc.

Gu Yue
-----------
某期Fortune有一篇文章提到苏联的时候，说如今Soviet Union已经成了Soviet Disunion。这个Soviet Disunion怎么翻译才比较生动?
1 苏裂
2 苏解
3 苏恋
4 苏散
5 苏不联
6 苏乱

2 Playboy, girl's toy 3 Ladies prefer gentlemen; but only part of the time 4 Ladies love the gentleman not so gentlemanly 5 Supple thighs favor rough guys 6 A guy not naughty, no gal's fancy

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛色不异空，空不异色；色即是空，空即是色
Form is not separate from Emptiness, Emptiness is not separate from Form;
Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form

All reality makes no difference from a phantom, neither do all phantoms make difference from the real

.空.. Emptiness, impercetibles

色. Form: Our perception of the impercetible. Due to our limited senses,
"form" is only a "distorted" image of reality constructed by our mind from a
limited set of sensory inputs.

相 :Symbolification is the "representations" we made from the "forms" we have in our minds.

==============================
Example: Question: What is the universe really like ?

.空. The actual state of the universe. This is impercetible to us
due to our limited sense of perception.

色 Our perception of the universe as based upon our observation through our
eyes (optical spectrum) and our instruments ( other parts of the electromagnetic
spectrum)

相 Words and expressions of colour, shape, size etc..that we employ to describe
our "perception" of the universe..

An Aside:
In the early days of Quantum Theory, many physicist, including notables like
Oppenheimer, were drawn by the curious parallel between the way the Copenhagen
school of of Quantum Theory interpreted reality and that of Buddhism's. In the Copenhagen
school of interpretation, the state of a system is unknown (imperceptible.空. ) until
a measurement is made. The process of measurement yields a result which is
but one of many possible state the system co-existed in before the measurement was made.
The [(process of measurement)= ( perception 色 )] yields only a "modified"
picture of nature; a picture that is biased by our senses (instruments included).

佛教认为“空”乃天地万物的本体。“色”乃万物本体（空）的瞬息生灭的假象。“空”相当于道教中的“道”，基督教中的非人格化上帝或哲学中的终极实在(Ultimate Reality)，乃“虚无之系，造化之根”，道可道，非常道，却又是万物生成的母本。God created the world, but God is never separate from His creation and is in everyone and everything.

只有在经过修炼达到涅磐(Nirvana)或亲证上帝状态后，人才能体验到色空无异，物我两忘，天人合一的佛的境界或上帝意识。在此之前，于我等深陷红尘，只能从二元角度认识和体验世界的俗人，空即是色等命题至多是在理性上的理解或直觉上的认同，是不为一般哲学意义上的辩证所解释的。因此看起来paradoxical也不足为奇。

另外，用phantom和reality (non-existence)对译“色”“空”在意思上没错。现在，英译佛典多用Form和Emptiness。仅供参考。
用form代色，能够说明问题。好象参照了某家西方哲学。可资参照的哲学肯定不止一家。只要能说明问题，百家争鸣也无妨吧？更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

The term "11th hour" started as a military jargon, in Military operations, the Zeroth hour is the scheduled time for the start of a military operation, especially a combat operation of substantial scope, like D-day.
The 11th hour refers to 1 hr before the Zeroth hour. When you are at the 11 th hour, you are at a critical point before the start (or cancellation) of the operation .Pass that and you are at a point of no return, so to speak.

At the eleventh hour: at the last possible time; just before it's too late. (It's originally from Bible, Matt. 20:1-16.)

In addition, the following keywords can also be used depending on the context: crisis-driven; ad hoc; improvised or improvising; fire-fighting.

Some organizations are crisis-driven.

Their decision-making processes are ad hoc, improvised, and they often resort to fire-fighting.

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛见微知著:
A straw shows which way the wind blows.
From the tiny acorn one sees the mighty oak.
Recognize the whole through observation of the part.
From a tiny drop of water, one sees the mighty ocean.
“穷则思变”:
"Unsatisfied needs motivate" or "poverty motivates change"
Poverty begets the hope for change.
饥不择食
a hungry person can not be picky and choosy for his food
too hungry to choose
"Beggars cannot be choosers," or "Necessity knows no law."
Hungry and choosy don't meet.
没有金钢钻，别揽磁器活
Without critical resources, don't make a commitment.
Don't take on a job without the right tools
without a stone, don't start building a castle.
without a nickle, don't buy a castle.
a deaf man shouldn't go to a concert.
no money, no buy.
Don't take on a job without the right tools.

一不做，二不休：
As well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.
As well be condemned for an affair as for a kiss
Stick to a thing once begun.
Shot for a sheep, (as) shot for a lamb.
苯鸟先飞
The early bird that catches the worm"

后来者居上
The latecomer fares better.
The race is not always to the swift.
"the last shall be the first" or "a come-from-behind victory"更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

What's the difference between a life of comfort and security and a life
of risk and total insecurity?
One is just being like everyone else.
The other is a great thrill, and furthers something unknown and
unlimited that's ever-present.
And that's what living the spiritual life is.

平安舒坦的生活和险象丛生的生活有什么区别呢?
一个是像其他人一样安然从容
另一个是恐惧的发抖，总是感到更多未知和无穷新情况发生
这就是信仰化生存
？？？
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Gossip-mongers, troublemakers 来说是非者，便是是非人
调情
flirt
show amorous looks
送秋波
make eyes at sb
give out a come-hither look
make goo-goo eyes at

Beware of men who tattle, for they are snakes that rattle 多舍的男人，图谋不轨

Finding faults with others with a magnifier while zooming up my own virtue with a microscope.

In addition to burying himeself in volumes of books,a consummate scholar frees himself by traveling great distances and meeting various people
古人修身三要：读万卷书 行万里路　交四方友。
A true scholar balances his studio learning and outdoor practices

In Hungarian:

Szabadság, szerelem!
E ketto kell nekem.
Szerelmemért föláldozom
Az életet,
Szabadságért föláldozom
Szerelmemet.
-----------------
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/petofi.htm

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛纽约时报驻京记者Seth Faison在前天（十一月十四日）的纽约时报上撰文谈论中国成语，文章标题是Not-so-Ancient Chinese Proverb: Glib Truisms Gloss over Reality.

此人学了十多年的中文，自以为是中国通，但还是感到中国成语最头痛。现摘录文中一些中国成语译例：

鹿死谁手：Never know at whose hand a deer will die.

摸着石头过河：Feeling stones while crossing a river.

鳞次栉比：Packed in as tight as teeth of a comb.

一人得道，鸡犬升天：When one man finds the way, his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
Meaning: When a man is promoted to a position of authority, all his friends and relatives benefit.

八仙过海，各显神通：Eight immortals cross the sea; each shows a saintly passage.
Meaning: Different individuals can achieve the same goal in different ways.

天高皇帝远：The sky is high; the emperor is far away.
Meaning: Far from a central authority, one enjoys relative freedom.

说曹操，曹操到：When you mention Cao Cao, he soon arrives.
Meaning: I was just talking about you!

瓜田李下：Never pull on your shoes in a melon patch; never adjust your cap under a plum tree.
Meaning: Don\\\'t act suspicious if you want to avoid being suspected.

姜太公钓鱼－愿者上钩：Lord Jiang casts a line, a fish wants to be caught.
Meaning: Someone who is trapped willingly.

看来贵坛的古月讲得有道理，这类直译的中国成语，老外还很津津乐道呢：“Chinese wisdom!”

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那钓鱼的姜太公是不是汉英的渔夫？Lord Jiang casts a line, a fish wants to be caught. Meaning: Someone who is
作者：trapped willingly - 1999/11/16 20:09:52 ***
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是“孤舟蓑笠渔翁，独钓一片雪白”的渔夫先生:-)
作者：Mrs Geoff - 1999/11/16 21:38:14 ***

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So you\\\'re the first to be caught, or willingly trapped:-)
作者：-:0 - 1999/11/16 21:45:59 ***
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Both!
作者：Mrs Geoff - 1999/11/17 01:01:44 ***
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请问，那位高手能把文中的“Glib Truisms Gloss over Reality”译成中文？
作者：一时没词了 - 1999/11/16 22:44:22 ***
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“妙语连珠粉饰太平”，如何？
作者：砖头 - 1999/11/16 23:15:16 ***
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“舌灿莲花(油嘴滑舌)，把死的说成活的。”
作者：有这么点意思 - 1999/11/17 07:47:54 ***

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You mean \\\"A glib tongue can resurrect the dead\\\"? Good!
作者：砖头 - 1999/11/17 13:02:20 ***

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“鳞次栉比”的意思在英文里一般用bristling表示
作者：砖头 - 1999/11/16 22:50:17 ***

鳞次栉比的高楼大厦：bristling high-rises

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proverbs for \\\"摸着石头过河\\\"
作者：yuki - 1999/11/16 23:22:03 ***


Look before you leap.
Forewarned, forarmed.
When in doubt, do nowt.
Good watch prevents misfortune.
Hear twice before you speak once.
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Do they all carry the meaning of \\\"blazing a trail\\\"?
作者：not-sure - 1999/11/16 23:52:45 ***

\\\"Feeling stones while crossing a river,\\\" imho, essentialy means to do something for the first time without any prior experience or expertise. So \\\"blazing a trail\\\" would be its closest synonym. All the proverbs you\\\'ve offered, on the other hand, seem to empathize cautiousness which might be only a byproduct of the original Chinese saying.

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play by ear:
作者：Leroi - 1999/11/17 02:56:32 ***

perform step by step according to results(OED);
act in a situation as seems best while it is developing, rather than in accordance with some plan(Webster\\\'s).

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So it has been entered in those dictionaries already? Interesting!
作者：not-sure - 1999/11/17 09:06:05 ***

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Crossing a river by feeling the stones
作者：野草 - 1999/11/17 10:30:52 ***

“摸着石头过河”，非常形象，不论中国人外国人，只要曾光脚丫
tang(足+尚)水过河的，一般都不难体会其中的感觉：吃不准哪深哪 浅，只有靠脚探摸，有确实牢靠的石头好下脚时才踩下去，接着再往前挪步。国内讲改革开放，常说它表示“路得往前走，但因为没走过，只好一步一步探索。”怎么译？我以为最好保留特色直译。
“Feeling stones whilecrossing ariver”，是该洋“中国通” 的译文，尽管体现了其汉语理解不太够火候，却足以表明“摸着石头 过河”不用脚注直译也可使人明白无误。可惜译文不够好，恐怕会令 人误解为：“过河的时候感(摸)到有石头”。如改为 “Crossing a river by feeling the stones” 意思大概就准确了。

Leroi君提出的 play it by ear， 意思有点象，说的是边干边改进 ，根据实际效果随时调整。但远不及过河形象，再说它源于音乐家作曲的improvisation，普罗大众恐怕不易体会，邓大人也不会用这种 阳春白雪的语言号召全国人民跟他走改革路。

至于trail-blazing，只强调了“开拓先锋”性，不准确。其它过于 强调“三思后行”的一类英语成语俗话，还没见一个可同“摸着石头过河”比美的。我还是喜欢光脚丫过河，摸到了石头心踏实。

一家之言，欢迎批评。

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Exactly! That\\\'s what was on my lips as well.
作者：砖头 - 1999/11/17 10:52:31 ***

\\\"Crossing a river while feeling the stones\\\" has a much clearer focus than \\\"Feeling the stones while crossing a river.\\\"

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Crossing/Fording/Wading the river
作者：Leroi - 1999/11/17 15:11:25 ***

\\\"Crossing ...\\\"不甚妥，因为 这不仅指“光着脚丫”[足+堂]过去，坐船过去或做汽车火车从大桥上风驰而过也都行，又哪儿能“摸着石头”过去？用 fording ... 可表明过的是浅水，但坐在汽/卡车里或骑在牛/马/驼背上照样可以 ford. Wading ...如何？

另者，play be ear 原义指不看或不会看乐谱而弹/吹奏乐器，与阳春白雪无关。西洋古典音乐中有“即兴曲”(impromptu)， 本来也许是作曲家灵感汹涌随意发挥的即席创作，事后再记录下来发表的。Improvisation 或 extemporisation 都指没事先计划安排的活动，如演奏，演戏，演讲等。在一般口语或不太正式的书面语里，play by ear 是可以用来翻译“摸着石头过河”的。

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说说曹操 比 DEVIL
作者：野草 - 1999/11/17 14:10:11 ***

没拜读过原文，但相信该文作者对汉语成语俗话之丰富多采肯定是既叹服又头疼。所举例子，本人猜想，与其说是作者试图准确翻译，不如说是作介绍性的释译，可以说明洋人一旦稍知汉语原文的奥妙时的津津乐道，却尚不足以其作佳译而一概推崇模仿。说曹操那一条就是典型例子。

我就不信作者以后(哪怕在中国的正经场合)说英文也要用When you mention Cao Cao， he soon arrives。其实英语里有现成 的 Talk of the devil (and he is bound to appear)，和它一模 一样，干嘛偏要说“曹操”呢？保持文化特色？效果恐怕适得其反。洋人有谁知道曹操？就连咱这些所谓的炎黄子孙，又有几个真能准确道出“曹操到”的典故？对中国绝大多数说“说曹操，曹操到”的人来说，“曹操”无非是个虚的历史人物，谁都不知其模样，其实就和 devil 对洋人差不多。 真的要说 CaoCao，可别忘了它那发音，洋人 听到的、联想到的，可就不是曹操或鬼了，而很可能是chow-chow， 是狗儿狗食什么的，更糟了。所以，遇到该用“说曹操，曹操到”的时候，说Talk of the devil 最好。
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对，“碰到直译影响理解的，宜用意译”，此乃又一例。
作者：古月 - 1999/11/17 17:02:07 ***

其实口译时，Faison给的解释“I was just talking about you!”已经够好了。还免得当事人忌讳“Devil”。
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精辟!泛化民族色彩过浓 时代地域特征过强的形象的又一范例 谢谢!
作者：xd - 1999/11/17 20:12:08 ***

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Idiom translation
作者：Fanghuzhai - 1999/11/18 22:02:12 ***

Sorry no Chinese input method today.

In idiom translation, there is a tendency to find English equivalent idioms, equivalent in referential meaning rather than in the image. The reason is that the target text must be idiomatically English, therefore, literal translation of Chinese idioms are often considered non-idiomatic.

But of course there is another view that says literal translation can introduce Chinese culture to the world.

Both are justified to some extent. Of course in practice, it depends on if the translation makes sense and causes no misunderstanding.

I prefer literal translation more to the replacement method as long as the translation conveys a vivid image and the referential meaning is not distorted. Many of the examples here are OK to me.

Indeed om discussing translation, we can hardly reach an agreement concerning idiom translation. But one thing that I would like to mention here is that recently I thumbed some books on translation studies and have come across a new idea that says we should not think translation as a way to \\\"faithfully\\\" render the souce text. This idea actually echos my idea in the 80 when I was a postgraduate school student in China and was considering translation as my thesis topic. I had the idea that translation is not a theory about \\\"faithfulness\\\" but one about \\\"unfaithfullness\\\". It is about how meaning, image, discourse etc get transformed in circulation across language boundaries. I dropped the plan and wrote on syntax instead, because I felt it was difficult to explain clearly the problems of translation.

(not spell checked, too busy)
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I know you\\\'d agree with me in view of your past performance. Thanks!
作者：古月 - 1999/11/18 23:30:43 ***
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I have often heard people use the term \\\"Halo Effect\\\", I wonder if that is a good translation for \\\"一人得道，鸡犬升天：\\\"
作者：ds - 1999/11/19 21:54:51 ***更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net