The Civic Party respects your personal privacy and is committed to maintaining your trust and confidence. We believe in ensuring the security of your personal information. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. The purpose of collecting the information in this form is to complete the purchase concerned and allow the Civic Party to contact you in the future. We are the sole owner of any information we collect. Your personal information is not lent or sold to anyone for any purpose.
04/10/2015
一樣的隊友
每個社會，都有自己「圍內」的一些術語，譬如說，香港人口語話人「潛水」，是說「玩失蹤」不亮相，英文就不可能直譯He’s gone diving，應說He’s keeping a very low profile 之類。
一句近年廣為流傳的話，是「不怕神一般的對手，最怕豬一樣的隊友」，直譯可以係： Fear not god-like opponents, but fear pig-type allies。
但聽上去怪怪的。英文本來就有一句：
With friends like that, who needs enemies?
有這樣的朋友，誰還需要敵人？就不如襲用此話就算，但可加個dumb（蠢）：
With DUMB friends like that, who needs enemies?
雨傘運動期間，常聽到的一句話是：生於亂世，有種責任。用英文道來，亂是chaos、a chaotic state。但原話的亂，並非真指兵荒馬亂，而是說香港的固有價值、珍惜的一切已有搖搖欲墜之象。與人兜轉一番後，最終拍板：
Being born in uncertain times carries certain responsibilities.
近年香港在不同的範疇，發生許多以往會覺得是匪夷所思的情。一句網上流行語： 「荒誕的極致，是人們對荒誕習以為常。」於是在網上英語坊一問，你會點樣用英文講？收回的答案包括：
1. When absurdity is not deemed distorted,it becomes reality.
2. When what’s absurd is taken as the norm, it is the apex of absurdity.
3. The extreme of absurdity takes form when absurdity becomes the norm.
4. The most farcical of farce is when farce becomes the norm.
都是有心思的翻譯。荒誕當然可譯做farce 鬧劇，但在這裏似乎用absurdity 更好。第1 句的問題，是過了丁點火位，多加了「現實」這回事。其餘三句，都是好的，不過有點累贅。
也有英文人來試譯： If absurdity becomes commonplace, it loses its meaning. 但這句譯回中文， 「若荒誕變得普遍，就失了原本的意義」，就要擔心，聽起來好似語帶遺憾，沒有了原句的警醒味道。
考量過後，也許最簡單清楚，是這樣說：
Absurdity peaks when people take it for granted.
另一句惹人深思的話：成熟就是少一分自以為是，多一份自知之明。英文可如以下這樣講？
1. Maturity – less pride and more self-awareness.
2. Maturity is being less self-centred, more self-aware.
以上兩句都有少許不對。自以為是係being self-assuming， 跟pride 驕傲、being self-centred 自我中心， 都不大一樣。而自知之明，譯self-understanding 比self-aware 應該更好：
To be mature is to become less self-assuming, more self-understanding.