狗年话说汉英词典中的“狗”
发布时间:2018年02月23日
发布人:nanyuzi  

狗年话说汉英词典中的


文/肖福寿1


在汉语言中,狗被称为。中华民族的犬文化源远流长,已有八千多年的历史。《说文稽古篇》记载游牧时代,惟犬独多,穴居则畜犬守御,狩猎则携犬自随,因而人必备犬,可见犬早已就与人类朝夕为伍;《本草纲目》云称狗有乌龙白龙之号”,可见犬与四灵有相同的灵性,已被尊奉为图腾;《礼记·曲礼》载凡祭宗庙之礼:牛曰一元大武,豕曰刚鬣,豚曰腯肥,羊曰柔毛,鸡曰翰音,犬曰羹献……”,可见犬已作祭祀之用,为人们降福降祉;《汲冢周书》曰商汤时,四方献,以珠玑玳瑁短狗献,可见犬已用作宠物馈赠,甚至作为贡品进贡;《史记·苏秦列传》言临淄甚富而实,其民无不吹竽鼓瑟,弹琴击筑,斗鸡走狗,六博蹋鞠者,可见犬已作玩赏与陪伴之用。古人甚至将犬升华为一种忠义精神,教育人们要学会甘效犬马之劳,忠于国家,忠于朋友,忠于家人。纪昀《阅微草堂笔记》赞曰:余谓犬之为物,不烦驱策,而警夜不失职,宁忍寒饿,而恋主不他往,天下为僮仆者,实万万不能及。其足使人愧,正不在能语不能语耳。


可以说,狗因可爱、忠诚、勇敢而著称,早已被国人视为一种吉利的动物,一种与人类同甘共苦的宠物。而且,狗还是一种能够预示前兆的动物,故古人常以狗吠的时辰来测吉凶:子时狗吠,则主夫之人,时争闹画;丑时狗吠,则主心中有,忧疑之事;寅时狗吠,则主失得财,帛大吉利;卯时狗吠,则主失雄心,得财利来;辰时狗吠,则主有财喜,大事通吉;巳时狗吠,则主亲人来,及有信至;午时狗吠,则主有酒食,宴会事吉;未时狗吠,则主妻外心,有破财喜;申时狗吠,则主家宅内,小口事凶;酉时狗吠,则主加官禄,有得财吉;戌时狗吠,则主有口舌,招灾事凶;亥时狗吠,则主有官司,词讼随后。


2018年,是中国农历戊戌年,即民间生肖纪年的狗年。在这狗年之际,让我们重新检阅一下汉英词典中与狗相关的种种说法,聊作一种新年之乐吧。

 

本文的语料主要选取自陆谷孙教授主编的《中华汉英大词典》,均为该词典的编纂者自以为迻译尚有特点的与狗有关的表达法,其目的在于与广大读者共享并敦请广大读者质疑与指谬。


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二、与有关的两字表达


这方面的表达,多数为名词,有少量的动词或形容词。在这些名词当中,不少为专有名词,其中包括一些比喻词或詈词。具体请见以下例子:


狗才 worthless person; incompetent person


狗盗 thief


狗命  (1) dog’s life (2)wretched existence


狗屁 rubbish, nonsense (usu of writing): | ~不通 mere trash or rubbish | ~文章 a worthless piece of writing


狗食  (1) dog food (2)useless things: ~盆子a good-for-nothing


狗窝  (1) kennel; doghouse (2)dirty or messy or untidy (room)


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三、与有关的三字表达


这方面的表达,均为名词,不少是专有名词,其中包括一些口语词、比喻词、詈词等。具体请见以下例子:


狗吃屎  dog eating dung; to fall flat on the face; to fall to the ground face down [usu a heavy fall]: 摔了个~ fall flat on the face


狗爬式  dog-paddle [swimming style]


狗脾气 bad disposition


狗腿子 hired thug; lackey; henchman


狗咬狗 (dog-eat-dog ) strife or dogfight [usu among bad people]


狗仔队  paparazzi


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四、与有关的四字表达


这方面的表达,绝大部分为习语,只有少量的一般性表达,其中含有一些贬义性的词语。具体请见以下例子:


狗盗鸡鸣 (1) having little tricks (2) slinkingly; covertly


狗苟蝇营 to seek gains shamelessly


狗急跳墙 (a dog at bay will jump over a wall) to take a desperate action in a critical situation: ~, 人急悬梁 (just as a cornered dog will leap over a wall, so a desperate person will hang himself from a roof beam) desperate people will resort to desperate measures


狗皮膏药  (1) dogskin plaster (2)quack remedies; worthless goods


狗头狗脑  (1) furtive; sneaky: 这家伙~, 来历不明 judging from that guy’s furtive manner, he might be a trouble (2) words used by the older generation to the younger ones to wish them health: 保佑你日后~的, 长命百岁 wish you health and many happy returns


狗头军师 person who likes to give advice, but not very good advice; person who offers bad advice; inept advisor


狗尾续貂 (a dog’s tail attached to a sable) a wretched sequel attached to a fine work; to complete a masterpiece with poor finishing (of literary works)


狗血喷头  also 狗血淋头a stream of abuse; a torrent of abuse


狗仗人势 (like a dog threatening people on the strength of its master’s power) to be a bully with the backing of a powerful person; to take advantage of one’s or sb else’s power to bully people


五、与有关的五字或以上的表达


这方面的表达,绝大部分为习语或俗语,仅有极少的一般性表达。具体请见以下例子:


狗不上前用食喂,马不上套驾鞭打 (if a dog won’t advance toward you, feed it with food; if a horse won’t get into harness, beat it with a whip) different people or situations should be treated with different tactics


狗不嫌家贫 dogs do not shun a poor home


狗都有翘尾巴的时候 (every dog has his time to stick up his tail) every dog will have his day


狗多不怕狼,人多不怕虎 (when dogs are many, they dread no wolves; when people are many, they dread no tigers) there is strength in numbers


狗改不了吃屎 you can’t make a crab walk straight; a leopard never changes its spot; it’s hard to change sb’s bad disposition


狗拿耗子, 多管闲事 (like a dog trying to catch mice) to poke one’s nose into other people’s business; to be a busybody; to be too meddlesome


狗瘦主人羞 (if a dog is thin, its master feels ashamed) a leader feels ashamed when his subordinates misbehave


狗头上搁不住肉骨头 (no meaty bones can be kept on a dog’s head for long) certain people or situations are just hopeless


狗头上长角 (a horn growing on a dog’s head) utter impossibility


狗眼看人低 to be snobbish


狗咬吕洞宾 (a dog snapping at Lǚ Dongbin [the first of the eight immortals]) not to recognize a good person or his good intention; to bite the hand that feeds one


狗嘴吐不出象牙also狗嘴里长不出象牙 (no ivory will come out of a dog’s mouth) no decent words come from the mouth of a bad person; filthy mouth can’t utter decent language; what can you expect from a dog but a bark


的确,汉语中与“狗”有关的表达实在太丰富了,诸如“狗宝”“狗窦”“狗鱼”“狗刨儿”“狗盗鼠窃”“狗走狐淫”“狗咬狗,两嘴毛”等词语的英文翻译,更待我们共同探索。


注释:


1. 南京大学博士,哈佛大学访问学者,现为上海大学教授、英语系主任,主要从事英语语块学、ESL写作以及词典编纂研究。