美国人眼中的“Chinglish”
在各个英语学习论坛上,经常可以看到有关Chinglish(中式英语)的文章,但一般都是中国人写的。近年网上流行的其中一个经典“名句”就是“Good Good Study, Day Day Up”,你道是啥意思?不正是“好好学习,天天向上”!这哪里是英语,不过死译直译所造成中西语文沟通上的“硬伤”,绝对不足为法。另把“小心滑倒”的警示句,英译为“Slip and fall down carefully”,那更是错译之尤。此外例如“请您带好随身物品”,往往在大陆给“烂”译成为“Please Take Good Personal Luggage”,这是不懂英文的人逐字死跟乱译(建议译为“Please take care of your belongings”),才造成老外们啼笑皆非的局面。
据环球网报道,一篇有关 Chinglish的长文,是由美国人写的,很有意思。这篇长文的标题是《Chinglish 2 English》(从中式英语到标准英语),作者是中国浙江大学的美国外教Chuck Allanson,内容就是Chuck在中国大陆五年任教期间所听到、所看到的各种Chinglish说法。
称《英汉词典》没这两个词
比如Chuck第一次来中国,下飞机后,负责接待他的东北某大学英语系陈老师说:“您刚到,我们吃点饭吧。”“我们要点Chinese dumplings(饺子)和Chinese beancurd(豆腐),您看可以吗?”Chuck以前从未听说过这两种东西,但出于好奇,就说可以。结果饭菜端上来一看,原来就是ravioli(饺子,来自意大利语)和tofu(豆腐,来自日语)。Chuck当时心里暗想,这两种东西,国际上早已经有通用的说法(ravioli和tofu),他们中国人为什么还要用那种生僻的说法呢?以后Chuck跟陈先生混熟了,就问他:“当初你为什么不说ravioli和tofu呢?”陈先生听了大吃一惊,连忙解释说:“我真的不知道这两个词,而且我们的《英汉词典》上也没有这两个词。 ”
于是Chuck开始意识到,中国的英语教师、英语课本,甚至英语词典,肯定存在问题,否则不可能发生这种事情。在中国五年的任教期间,Chuck收集了大量的Chinglish说法,从中挑选出一组最常见的,编写了上面提到的那篇长文。下面就是这些Chinglish说法,其中每行第{1}部分是汉语说法,第{2}部分是Chinglish说法,第{3}部分则是英语的标准说法。
{1}欢迎你到... {2}welcome you to ... {3} welcome to
{1}永远记住你 {2} remember you forever {3} always remember you(没有人能活到forever)
{1}祝你有个... {2} wish you have a ... {3} I wish you a ...
{1}给你 {2} give you {3} here you are.
{1}很喜欢... {2} very like ... {3} like ... very much
{1}黄头髮 {2} yellow hair {3} blond/blonde(西方人可没有yellow hair之说)
{1}厕所 {2} WC {3} Men's Room/Women's Room/Restroom
{1}真遗憾 {2} it's a pity. {3} that's too bad./it's a shame.(it's a pity说法太老)
{1}裤子 {2} trousers {3} pants/slacks/jeans
{1}修理 {2} mend {3} fix/repair
{1}入口 {2} way in {3} entrance
{1}出口 {2} way out {3} exit(way out在口语中是crazy的意思)
{1}勤奋 {2} diligent {3} hardworking/studious/conscientious
{1}应该 {2} should {3} must/shall
{1}火锅 {2} chafing dish {3} hot pot
{1}大厦 {2} mansion {3} center/plaza
{1}马马虎虎 {2} so-so {3} average/fair/all right/not too bad/OK(西方人很少使用so-so)
{1}好吃 {2} delicious {3} good/nice/tasty/appetizing(delicious在中国受到滥用)
{1}尽我最大努力 {2} try my best {3} try/strive(try的本意就是try my best)
{1}有名 {2} famous {3} well-known/renowned/legendary/popular(famous在中国受到滥用)
{1}滑稽 {2} humorous {3} funny/witty/amusing/entertaining
{1}欺骗 {2} to cheat {3} to trick/to play a joke on/to con/to deceive/to rip off
{1}车门 {2} the door of the car {3} the car's door
{1}怎么拼? {2} how to spell? {3} how do you spell?
{1}再见 {2} bye-bye {3} bye/see you/see you later/later(bye-bye有些孩子气)
{1}玩 {2} play {3} go to/do(play在中国受到滥用)
{1}面条 {2} noodles {3} pasta(noodles有些孩子气)
{1}据说 {2} it is said {3} I heard/I read/I was told
{1}等等 {2} and so on {3} etc.
{1}直到现在 {2} till now {3} recently/lately/thus far
{1}农民 {2} peasant {3} farmer.