「江湖」的英文?

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13/05/2012

「江湖」的英文? 毛孟靜

如果「點心」可以用廣東話音譯DimSum, 「氣功」就以普通話音譯Qi Gong,那「江湖」英文就可以係Gong Woo、Jiang Hu?

不可以,因為江湖一詞,縱是中國文化特色, 確沒有對等的英文用字—— there is simply not an English equivalent —— 但卻在不同情况有不同解釋,不能就用發音代替。江湖也者,要視乎講的是忠是奸,抑或不忠不奸:

正面: fraternity、brotherhood。像「江湖」義氣,是spirit of brotherhood。(當然,若講究性別平等,講sisterhood 都得。)反面: underworld; 即criminal world、gangland、mobsterland, 統稱黑幫。「江湖」人物即a gangster、mobster。

中性:像「人在江湖,身不由己」這句話,英文可說︰

Out there, you’re not your own boss. 「在外頭,你不是自己的老闆。」即要聽令於人。

In this business, you can only follow the mob. 「在這行頭,你只能跟大隊。」這句就兼有「隨波逐流」之意。

也有人玩英文,說「江湖」不就是river lake 嘛!卻是,這個亦未必技術上正確,因為一個講法是, 「江」原指江西, 「湖」是湖南,源頭是指古時兩省的佛家弟子互相參學交流。

回說spirit of brotherhood, 「兄弟精神」,有桃園結義、兄弟幫的意思,但這款西式義氣確也缺乏原裝「江湖」俠客的神髓。

講義氣,也曾考慮過camaraderie 這個字,帶comradeship 「大家同志」的意思。但camaraderie 主要仍是指goodwill and light-hearted rapport among friends,指一班「談得來、拍膊頭老友記之間的融洽」;尤其因為講明是light-hearted、輕鬆的,就顯然未去到彼此之間講義氣的層次。(上面句子中的rapport,是法文,讀ra – por,指融和親善、帶點心意相通。)

也許,純粹要義不容辭地「撐兄弟」,可以用口語一句stick up for, 即係support 「支持」:

Stick up for your friends! It’s a matter of honour! 撐兄弟姊妹!做義氣仔女!

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