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15/11/2015
「真理在胸筆在手」，英文？
《明報》前總編輯劉進圖去年初受襲，手術後在病牀上說了一句話： 「真理在胸筆在手，無私無畏即自由」。這句箴言，一度成了瘋傳的金句。一次到醫院探望他，亦央他給我親筆寫下這句話留念。
之後沒特別想過要用英文表達這14 個字，至一日在網上收到大概是來自年輕人的一個半搞笑「跪玻璃」的翻譯要求，方開始認真琢磨，終也只想到直譯：
Truth in my heart, pen in my hand,Freedom from fear or favour.
這句英文，讀起來並不順口。後來另有網上英語老師將之改成：
Freedom : Truth in heart and pen in hand,with no fear and self.
改用self 來代替原句中的「私」，只覺更貼切完整。當然，最好的譯文，也許還該去請教劉進圖本人。
那段日子， 網上流傳一張小火焰的e-banner，上面寫了這麼一段話：「當有一日香港變得同中國大陸一樣，請唔好問點解，因為最後團火，係由你自己吹熄。」那個匹夫有責的信息，躍然紙上。於是主動發問：這個如何用英文道來？收回好些包括以下的答案。
● If one day HK turns into a mere mainland city, don’t you ask why, because you will have to be solely responsible for extinguishing that last spark of hope.
用spark 火花，失了原文一團火之意。
● On the day that Hong Kong darkens to become indistinguishable from China,don’t bother asking around why, for it was you yourself who blew out that last flame of hope.
用flame 比較好，但那個火焰，肯定不只是hope 希望？
● If one day, Hong Kong becomes as dark as China, don’t bother asking why, because you had a part in extinguishing the last flutter of a flame.
…you had a part 你有份，語氣似不夠重；而flutter 飄動，又彷彿不必要地文藝了。
都是好的嘗試，不過是去稍作挑剔。但那一團火，應理解為抗爭resistance 吧，於是將之執拾一下：
The day Hong Kong becomes just like mainland China, don’t ask why, because you’re the one who blew out the last flame of RESISTANCE.
當然不是說我的譯句最好，大家切磋商討罷了。中英翻譯這回事，款式繁多，真的執起來，可以沒完沒了。一樣是網上答問，一次真搔頭抓耳的，是「一件污，兩件穢」，英文怎麼說？
來來去去只想到： Once you get started,there is no going back. 但這個說法固然沒有了污與穢的意境，更像純粹提醒人不要做什麼上了癮，回不了頭。
終又有網上老師Yen Ke Che 代答：Once a sin, twice a routine. 變回中文：一次是犯罪，兩次就成常規了。
嘩！且有少少押韻。這句翻譯之妙，是「一件污，兩件穢」後面，還有一句「三件無所謂」，英文句中的routine，就連「無所謂」一筆，都包攬其中了。