用英文講 #我大聲不等於我冇禮貌
“I may be loud but it doesn't mean that I'm being uncivil”
————————-
《我大聲不等於我沒禮貌》
//近年香港人有一句口頭禪:我大聲不等於我沒禮貌,似曾相識?這句話其實出自周潤發《監獄風雲》的經典對白。
//用英文表達,要稍加推敲。若純粹直譯:我大聲,是I'm being loud;不等於 does not equate;而我沒禮貌,就是 I'm being impolite 。
//把句子串起來:I am being loud does not equate I'm being impolite?聽上去不大對,是吧。即使對方也會明白,但這句子會給視為 Chinglish 中式英文,或 me no like 一類的洋涇濱英語 pidgin English,即流於字對字直譯、令洋人發笑的英語。
//我大聲不等於我冇禮貌,最好的英文對等句子,應該是:I may be loud but it doesn't mean that I'm being uncivil.
一開口說 I may be,要表達的是當事人自覺不算聲浪大,但對方既然認為如此,也就順着對方意思來自辯。
//中間加了but,隨後不用 doesn't equate,因為 equate 這個字用在此處並不自然,改為 it doesn't mean 較佳;最後的沒禮貌,固然可以保留 impolite,也可以考慮用 rude 粗暴無禮,但為了要提升禮數的層次,改用聽上去比較高深的 uncivil 。
//- I may be loud but it doesn't mean I'm being uncivil,譯回中文,是「我也許算是大聲但不等於我禮數不周」。
//而批評人說話大聲,一般可用 strident 聒噪、piercing 刺耳一類的形容詞。要更繪影繪聲,可考慮以下例句:
//- He was screaming his head off. 他大聲地叫,像頭都要掉下來了。
- His loud voice punctured the air like a knife. 他的聲音大得像一把刀刮過空氣。
當然,說話細聲也不一定是好事,可以給形容為 mutter 咕噥、mumble 蚊滋也似的嘰哩咕嚕。
//有一種細語,更屬於令人討厭的類別,就是 stage whisper。
//Whisper 耳語,但加了 stage 舞台,都猜到了吧:a loud whisper by an actor that is audible to the spectators for dramatic effect but is not supposed to be heard by the other actors,台上演員大聲「耳語」,好讓台下觀衆聽到,但這是戲劇效果,按劇本其他演員是聽不到的。
換言之,舞台耳語即大聲耳語 audible whisper,故意給人聽見的自言自語。
//- “The food is awful here," he stage whispered. 「這裏的食物難吃極了,」他壓着嗓子卻響亮地耳語道。//
Search