论“圈子”
文/王逢鑫1
在当代社会，人群中存在各种各样的圈子。“朋友圈”就是一例，现已成为国人最重要的网络社交平台。“圈”的原义是指一种“环状物”。“圈子”或“圈”的比喻意义是“具有相同爱好、兴趣或者为了某个特定目的而联系在一起的人群”，英语可以译为circle。例如：
1. You can refer to a group of people as a circle when they meet each other regularly because they are friends or because they belong to the same profession or share the same interests. 假若一群人因为是朋友或因为属于相同专业或拥有相同兴趣而定期聚会，可以称这群人为一个“圈子”。
2. The white-collar workers of the company shut the newcomer from their circle. 这个公司的白领们把新人排除在他们的圈子之外。
“家庭圈子”或“亲属圈子”，英语可以译为family circle。例如：
3. The young woman can be unbent only in her family circle. 这个年轻女子只有在家庭圈子里才能轻松自如。
“朋友圈”，英语可以译为circle of friends。例如：
4. You can expand your circle of friends if you often go out to take part in social activities. 经常出去参加社交活动，就能扩大自己的朋友圈。
“社交圈”，英语可以译为social circle、circle of society、social group。例如:
5. He has got some reputation in his social circle. 他在他的社交圈里已经有点儿名声了。
“读者圈”，英语可以译为circle of readers、reading circle。例如：
6. The writer’s new novel has reached a wide circle of readers.这位作家的新小说已拥有广泛的读者圈。
“娱乐圈”，英语可以译为entertainment circle。例如：
7. The entertainment circle is a complicate human society, which is very suitable for his character. 娱乐圈是一个江湖，非常适合他的性格。
“圈子”或“圈”在表示“职业或工作相同的一些社会成员的总体”时，亦作“界”，英语可以译为circles。“圈”与“界”的细微区别在于：前者隐含非正式、从个体考虑和属于口语等意思；后者隐含正式、从总体考虑和属于书面语等意思。例如：
8. The scientist is well known in the academic circles. 这位科学家在学术圈/界很有名。
9. The newspaper has as many as two million readers in political and business circles. 这家报纸在政商圈/界的读者多达200万。
ring的原义是“an object in the shape of a circle with a large hole in the middle”，即“环状物”，其比喻意义是“a group of people who work together, often dishonestly, secretly or illegally in business or crime for their own advantage”或“a combination of people for some selfish or unlawful purpose”，相当于“帮”“团伙”，或带有贬义的“圈”。例如：
10. In April, 62 alleged members of the telecom fraud ring that had been operating in Uganda, including 10 from Taiwan, were brought back to the Chinese mainland. 四月，一直在乌干达活动的电信诈骗团伙的62名涉嫌成员被押回中国大陆，其中10名来自中国台湾。
11. The officer was suspected of involvement in an international drug ring. 那个官员被怀疑卷入了一个国际贩毒团伙。
12. The auctioneers organized a secret ring to control the sales. 这些拍卖商组织了一个秘密团伙来操纵拍卖。
loop 的原义是 a shape like a circle made by a line curving right round and crossing itself，即“环状物”，也有“圈子”的比喻意义。to be in the loop的意思是 to be part of a group of people that is dealing with sth important，即“属于（处理要务的）圈内人”；to be out of the loop即“属于圈外人”。例如：
13. A lot of people want to be in the loop on this operation. 许多人都想在这次行动中成为圈内人。
14. He told me what had happened in the office. It made me feel in the loop. 他告诉了我办公室里所发生的事。这让我觉得自己是圈内人。
15. Tom has gradually been cut out of the loop on legal affairs.汤姆已逐渐被排挤出法律事务的圈子。
to keep sb in the loop 的意思是“使某人成为圈内人”。例如：
16. As I am sure to keep you in the loop, I’ll give you a daily update on our progress. 我保证让你成为圈内人，所以会每天向你报告最新进展。
注释：
1. 王逢鑫，北京大学外国语学院英语系教授、博士生导师。