很多中国电影名的英文 霸王别姬
原译:Farewell My Concubine 重译:Love on and off the Stage
A story about an affair? The original title is from a tragic history allusion. It is used to symbolize the effect of China's political turmoil during the mid-20th century on the lives of two Peking opera stars and a woman who comes between them. "Love on and off the Stage" sounds better.
“永别了我的嫔妃”,够赤裸裸……
片名出自中国的一个带有悲剧色彩的历史典故,这里一方面指两位京剧伶人精彩的演出,也暗含了两个人半个世纪的悲欢离合。
卧虎藏龙
原译:Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 重译:Sword in Mind
A fiction movie?
卧虎藏龙 is a Chinese idiom, which refers to hidden geniuses. And this movie is about two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically skilled, adolescent nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroad in her life. How about "Sword in Mind"?
不了解的会以为是龙虎大战一类的魔幻片吧……
虽然字面意思是对的,不过深度和文化完全没有体现出来。卧虎藏龙代指隐藏着未被发现的人才或隐藏不露的人才,而在影片中却暗指了江湖的复杂和人心的险恶。
孔雀
原译:Peacock 重译:Flightless Bird
Reminds me of the documentary—"Animal World"...
Peacock is a symbol in this movie. Peacocks have beautiful feathers but don't fly. So do many people. This is exaggerated at the transition time of starting to implement reform and open policy in China. So "Flightless Bird " is a much more appropriate choice.
《动物世界》即视感,请脑补赵忠祥老师富有磁性的嗓音…… 孔雀只是一个象征。它有着美丽的羽毛,却不能飞。很多有才华的人也会被生活的担子所累,困在现实中,无法施展自己的理想。人生是个笼子,每个人都被关在里面。别人观赏我们,我们也观赏别人,同时我们也观赏自己。
饮食男女
原译:Drink Eat Man Woman 重译:Cook My Own Life What the heck is it?!
This movie realistically reflects the generational gap between traditional and modern Chinese cultures in a gentle style. The movie focuses on the family of a retired chief and his three daughters, as well as his relationship with neighbors. Since it tells a family story, it could be named "Cook My Own Life".
原来直译可以到如此地步……,照这么说,吃饭就应该叫Eat Rice
饮食是生活中不可或缺的一部分,这里既写出了主人公厨师的身份,也暗喻了家庭生活中几代人中的关系和冲突。
上一篇: 从中文书名的英译谈起(3)
下一篇: 说几个英语表达背后的故事