厉害了，我的国！
文/王逢鑫
2017年春节期间，中央电视台《新闻联播》推出特别节目“厉害了，我的国”，表达了我国人民的自豪感。“厉害”是个口语常用的多义词，可以用作形容词、副词和名词，在不同语境中有不同的含义，无法在英语中找到一个固定的对应词。因此，“厉害”是一个较难翻译的词，要视具体语境而定。
作为形容词，“厉害”的第一个意思是“凶猛的”，英语译为fierce。例如：
1. 老虎非常厉害，通常被认为是“百兽之王”。As the tiger is very fierce, it is usually considered as the king of all animals.
作为形容词，“厉害”的第二个意思是“强有力的”，英语译为powerful。例如：
2. 许多网民异口同声地说：“厉害了，我的国！”Many netizens said with one voice, “You’ve become powerful, my motherland!”
作为形容词，“厉害”的第三个意思是“繁荣的”，英语译为prosperous。例如：
3. 当他回到阔别许久的故乡，发现这个城市发生了巨大变化，便情不自禁地欢呼道：“厉害了，我的家！”When he returned to his hometown from which he had long been away, and found great changes had taken place in this city, he couldn’t control his feelings and cheered up, “You’ve become prosperous, my hometown!”
作为形容词，“厉害”的第四个意思是“优秀”，英语译为outstanding。例如：
4. 这名女生是全校的学霸，样样功课都厉害。The girl student is a Straight-A student in her school, being outstanding in all the subjects.
作为形容词，“厉害”的第五个意思是“尖刻”，英语译为sharp、as sharp as a razor。例如：
5. 她那张嘴真厉害，事事不饶人。She has got a sharp tongue, being lenient to nobody in all things.
作为形容词，“厉害”的第六个意思是“毁灭性的”，英语译为devastating。例如：
6. 他下了一着妙棋，十分厉害，他的对手发现难以应付。He made a clever move which was so devastating that his opponent found it hard to deal with.
作为形容词，“厉害”的第七个意思是“严厉”，英语译为stern。例如：
7. 这位老师很厉害，学生们都怕他。As the teacher is very stern, his students all fear him.
作为副词，“厉害”的第一个意思是“剧烈”，英语译为violently。例如：
8. 他刚跑完马拉松，心跳得厉害。As he has just finished a marathon, his heart is beating violently.
作为副词，“厉害”的第二个意思是“程度严重”，英语译为seriously、severely、badly、terribly、sharply、heavily等。例如：
9. 虽然今天病得很厉害，他还是去上班了。Although he is seriously/badly ill today, he has gone to work.
10. 这个官员因玩忽失职而被批评得很厉害。The official was severely criticized for his neglect of duty.
11. 这座古庙里的几尊佛像都风化得很厉害。The several Buddha statues in this ancient temple have all badly weathered.
12. 这位老人中风了，嘴歪得厉害。As the old man got a stroke, his mouth became badly crooked.
13. 看样子老师忙得厉害，没有时间回答我们的问题。It looks just as if our teacher is terribly busy and has no time to answer our questions.
14. 这所房子的屋顶倾斜得厉害。The roof of the house became sharply pitched.
15. 他这一跤摔得很厉害，半天爬不起来。He fell down so heavily that he failed to get up and lay on the ground for a long time.
作为副词，“厉害”的第三个意思是“让人难以忍受”，英语译为unbearably。例如：
16. 这对夫妇正在非洲自由行，感到那里天热得厉害。This couple are making a self-guided tour in Africa, and they feel that the weather is unbearably hot there.
作为名词，“厉害”等同于“利害”，其英语的字面意思是 good and harm、merit and demerit或advantage and disadvantage。“厉害”作为名词的第一个意思是在权衡利弊时强调或偏重负面含义，即“事态的严重性”，英语译为seriousness of the matter。例如：
17. 你还年轻，不知道其中的厉害。As you are still young, you are ignorant of the seriousness of the matter.
作为名词，“厉害”还用于“给点厉害瞧瞧”（亦作“给点颜色看看”）的说法中，其意思是“严厉教训”，英语译为good lesson。例如：
18. 学生们决定给这个校霸一点儿厉害瞧瞧。The students decided to teach the school bully a good lesson.
随着2017年CCTV春节特别节目“厉害了，我的国”的推出，网络上出现了“厉害了，我的家”“厉害了，我的哥”“厉害了，我的姐”等热词。如何翻译“厉害了，我的……”，是个有趣的话题。在这里，“了”有宣告新事物或新气象出现的含义，即announcing news。英语的现在完成时，正好有announcing news的功能。“厉害了，我的……”的这种句式可以译成现在完成时。至于“厉害”一词，要看“谁”变厉害了。“国”厉害了，是“强大了”（to become powerful）；“家乡”厉害了，是“繁荣了”（to become prosperous），都有“赞扬”的含义。还要看“干了什么”，如果是“干了好事”，就是变得“出名了”（to become famous），从正面“赞扬”；如果是“干了坏事”或“干了错事”，就是变得“臭名远扬”（to become notorious），有“批评”的含义。例如：
19. 一位朋友在赞扬这个年轻人跳入河中救起一个小男孩时说：“厉害了！我的哥。”When one of his friends praised the young man for his jumping into the river to save a little boy, he said, “You’ve become famous, my brother!”
20. 一位公司同事在批评这个中年人酒后驾车时说：“厉害了！我的哥。”When one of his colleagues in the company criticized the middle-aged man for his drink-driving, he said, “You’ve become notorious, my brother!”
“厉害了”还有一种句式，是后面跟一个句子，表示“难以置信”的意思。英语译为incredible。例如：
21. 我最近读了一篇关于少年科学家的新闻报道，说的是：“厉害了！这位高中生设计了一个微型卫星，后被成功送入太空。”I have recently read a news report about a juvenile scientist, which says, “It is incredible that a high-school student designed a tiny satellite which was later sent into the space successfully.”