原文:张先生呵呵大笑,一面分付进来的女佣说:“快去跟太太小姐说,客人来了,请她们出来。make it snappy!”说时右手大拇指从中指弹在食指上“啪”的一响。他回过来对鸿渐笑道:“headache是美国话指‘太太’而说,不是‘头痛’!你没到States去过罢!”(钱钟书 - 围城 )
翻译关键词:laughter与laugh,笑的不同方式,snappy与snap
译文:Mr. Chang roared with laughter. At the same time he instructed the maid who entered, “Go and tell my wife and daughter the guest is here. Ask them to come out. Make it snappy!” At this he snapped his fingers. Turning to Hung-chien, he said with a laugh, “’Headache’ is an American expression for ‘wife,’ not ‘pain in head!’ I guess you haven’t been to the States!” (美 Jeanne Kelly, Nathan K.Mao –Fortress Besieged)
翻译笔记:
laughter与laugh
laughter在现代英语里一般只用作抽象名词,所以前面不用a,也没有复数形式。如:
To burst/dissolve into laughter 突然/情不自禁大笑起来
laugh则用作类名词,前面可以加a,也可以用复数形式来表示。如:
to give a laugh 大笑一声
文中的roar with laughter是惯用短语,表示“放声大笑,呵呵大笑”。
此外,a…laughter或a…laugh都可以表示“(一阵)……的笑声”。如:
A short/nervous/hearty laugh(ter) (一阵)短促的/紧张的/开心的笑声
我们可以这样说:Listening to my story, he gave a laugh from time to time, I don’t know how my story caused so much laughter.
笑的不同方式
*cackle 意为讨厌地嘎嘎大笑,尤指高声笑。如:
They all cackled with delight.
他们都高兴得嘎嘎地笑。
*chuckle 意为轻声笑,尤指想到滑稽事时发笑。如:
She chuckled at the memory.
想起这件事她暗自发笑。
*giggle 意为开心、难堪或紧张时发笑。如:
The girls giggled at the joke.
女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
*guffaw 意为哄笑、狂笑、大笑。如:
They all guffawed at his jokes.
他们听了他的笑话都一阵狂笑。
*roar 意为放声大笑,常用为roar with laughter。如:
He looked so funny, we all roared with laughter.
他看上去那么滑稽,我们都哈哈大笑。
*snigger/snicker 意为窃笑、暗笑,尤指对无礼行为或因他人的问题或错误发笑。如:
What are you sniggering at?
你偷偷笑什么呢?
*titter 意为窃笑,尤指紧张或尴尬地笑。如:
That’s enough of your titters, girls!
姑娘们,别再傻笑了!
snappy与snap
snappy是形容词,常用来表示“精练的,简洁的”。如:
A snappy answer 简洁的回答
文章选段中张先生对女佣说,“make it snappy(=look snappy)”。这是一个惯用短语,用于催促,表“赶紧,快点”。
而snap的用法就多了,可做动词、名词、形容词和表感叹。文章选段中的张先生snapped his fingers则是动词用法,指“打榧子,弹指头(捻拇指作响)”。
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