I’m Your Bride Tonight ——Ye Meng🔥背景知识：《今夜，我是你的新娘》描述受传统观念束缚的大龄女子面临婚姻时的矛盾心态，细致入微，饶有风趣。作者是当代知名散文家叶梦（1950- ），女，原名熊梦云，湖南益阳人。她著有多部散文集，如《小溪的梦》、《湘西寻梦》、《灵魂的劫数》、《遍地巫风》等等。昨天你对我说：“我们结婚吧！”十二年来，你第一次说出这句话。Yesterday you said to me, “Let’s get married!” That’s something you’ve said for the first time in twelve years.🎈in+一段时间可以表示在一段时间之内也可以表示在一段时间之后。例句He learned to drive in three weeks.他用了三个星期学会了开车。He will arrive in Beijing in 3 days.他将在3天后到北京。🎈结婚get married不容我回答，你接着说：明天吧！我一天也不能等下去了。明天我们结婚——And you added before I could reply, “How about tomorrow! I can’t wait any longer, not even a single day. Let’s get married tomorrow.”🎈「不容我回答」即「在我回答之前便…」，译作you added before I could reply，借鉴此处before的用法。已经决定了，没有太多的时间容我考虑，容我犹豫。So it was all set. There was little time left for me to weigh and consider.🎈「已经决定了」可译为So it was all set，其中all set常见于口语，作「一切就绪」解。🎈熟词僻义：weigh表示「斟酌、权衡、考虑」这个不可逆转的事实，只需二十多个小时，就要变成现实。The irreversible was to become a fait accompli in a little more than twenty hours.🎈「现实」在此表示「既成事实」，译为fait accompli，原为法语，故用斜体字。🎈the+ adj作名词用，表示某一类。比如the red可以泛指红色的东西或者特指某一个红色事物。一切都是很简单的。不需要酒宴和仪式，不需要通知任何亲友，All would be very simple. No wedding banquet or ceremony. No need to notify friends and relatives.🎈「不需要酒宴和仪式」无需译作No need to hold wedding banquet or ceremony。只需禀告父母，只需要把床铺换上全新的被褥。All I had to do was inform my parents, and put on brand-new bed-clothes.Q: All I had to do was inform my parents是不是漏打了to？不应该是to inform或者informing吗？🎈句子就是主系表结构 All…（主语） was（系动词）inform…（无to不定式作表语）。另外还有句口诀可以概括这个用法：前有do后省to。我以为结婚是个人生命史上十分隆重的事件，我完全没有必要把很多相干与不相干的人请来，像召开“新闻发布会”一样在烟酒糖果之间宣布我们的结合，在漫天酒气中让人来祝贺来摆布来评头品足。To me, marriage is a very solemn matter in one’s life and therefore it is absolutely unnecessary to invite a great many people to the wedding, both related and unrelated, and announce to them our matrimony with cigarettes, wine and sweets like at a news briefing, so that they can indulge in wining, expressing good wishes, chatting about the bride’s appearance and whatnot.🎈评头品足：指轻浮地议论妇女的容貌。今泛指对人对事说长道短，多方挑剔。🎈and/or whatnot表示「这一类的东西;诸如此类的东西」例句The council can send messages or letters or whatnot in Spanish to their constituents.地方议会可以用西班牙文给其选民寄送通知、信件等类似的东西。拓展①等等、诸如此类and the like。例句Many students are also keeping fit through jogging, aerobics, weight training, and the like.很多学生还通过慢跑、有氧体操、负重训练等方式来健身。②像…这样的人或东西the likes of。例句Why would somebody like her want to spend an evening with the likes of me?像她那样的人为什么要跟我这样的人共度一个晚上呢？我没有虚荣心，我不需要显摆不需要张扬，I’m not vain. I don’t want to go in for pomp and celebrate our nuptials in a big way.🎈「我不需要显摆不需要张扬」译为I don’t want to go in for pomp and celebrate our nuptials in a big way，其中用pomp或show表达「显摆」。「张扬」可按「铺张办喜事」译为to celebrate our nuptials in a big way，其中成语in a big way作「铺张地」「大肆炫耀地」解。我不需要任何人认可，也不需要贿赂传统的舆论。I don’t seek the approval of anyone, nor do I try to buy over those holding conventional views on marriage.🎈收买、贿赂 buy over🎈「传统的舆论」意即「习俗的看法」，故泽conventional views，未译 traditional views。结婚是我们个人的事，Marriage is our personal business. 🎈Mind your own business 的意思是「别管他人的闲事」，就是「（我）不用你干涉」，不是「别让他人管你的事」我们完全有权利选择与常规不同的形式。We are fully entitled to go about it in a way of our own choice, unconventional as it may be.🎈entitle sb to do表示「使某人享有权利、使符合资格」，常用被动态。例句Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.人人都有权发表自己的意见。🎈从事、进行go about例句We were simply going about our business when we were pounced upon by these police officers.我们像往常一样正干得好好的，却遭到这些警察的突然袭击。🎈「选择与常规不同的形式」按「以符合自己意愿的、虽不同常规的方式」之意译作in a way of our own choice, unconventional as it may be，句式灵活，值得学习。我不需要任何人参加我的婚礼，安谧和神秘的氛围正是我为这种神圣的生命仪式所作的设计。I don’t expect the presence of many guests at my wedding because tranquility plus an air of mystery is what I design for this once-in-a-lifetime sacred ceremony. 🎈「安谧和神秘的氛围」可译作tranquility plus an air of mystery，也可译作an air of tranquility and mystery。🎈（可能）一生只有一次once in a lifetime一生只会拥有一次的经历a once-in-a-lifetime experience三十五年的生命将要进入另一种样式，三十五的后面需要打一个句号，需要刻一块里程碑。My life, at the end of the thirty-five years, is going to take on a new pattern. It will mark the end of the old phase of my life and the beginning of the new.🎈「进入另一种样式」译作take on a new pattern，其中take on表示「呈现，显出(新面貌或新特点)」🎈「三十五的后面需要打一个句号，需要刻一块里程碑」不宜按字面直译，现译为It will mark the end of the old phase of my life and the beginning of the new，其中the end of the old phase of my life意即「旧生活告一段落」属于我处女的最后一个白天是我一个人静静地待在房里，我悄悄地布置着我的新房，On the last day of my virginity, I stayed indoors alone, quietly decorating my wedding chamber.🎈quietly decorating my wedding chamber作伴随状语。🎈chamber特指（用作某种用途）的房间。如此出的「婚房」译作wedding chamber。又如柔石的《为奴隶的母亲》中「洞房」花烛夜，金榜挂名时。…to spend the first night in the nuptial chamber or to pass a civil service examination.我用我的双手不停地做这做那，以分散我纷乱的思绪。I diverted my mind from a medley of thoughts by keeping my hands busy with this and that.🎈「分散我纷乱的思绪」就是「分散我的注意力，不去胡思乱想」，故译作diverted my mind from a medley of thoughts，其中a medley of thoughts表示「思绪纷乱」喜悦悄悄地在身体里渗透，与之俱来的更多的是恐惧和忧虑，也有一种不可挽冋的悲哀。A joyful feeling came over me stealthily, together with fear and worry, and helpless sorrow too.🎈come over尤指（某种感觉）支配/影响某人。例句As I entered the corridor which led to my room that eerie feeling came over me.走进通往我房间的走廊时，那种怪异恐怖的感觉包围了我。🎈「不可挽回的悲哀」可理解为「因无奈而产生的悲哀」，故译helpless sorrow。又，为保持句式平衡，将「恐惧、忧虑、悲哀」放置在句尾。我好像是一块苍白的画布，将要被涂上各种颜色的图案，I felt like a pale canvas soon to be daubed with a multicoloured pattern.🎈觉得feel like sth例句God, I feel like surgery hippy creep.天啊 我觉得真别扭。🎈soon to be daubed with a multicoloured pattern作canvas的后置定语。我不无痛惜地感觉，好像面临一种破坏性的灾难。I felt sad as if I were faced with a big disaster.🎈面临face/be faced with/be facing这一个白天真是漫长，让我有足够的时间回顾三十五年的过去。It was a long day, long enough for me to muse over the past thirty-five years.🎈沉思、冥想muse+ about/on/over/upon sth少女时芬芳浪漫的憧憬已经离我模糊而遥远，The beautiful dreams of romance in early girlhood were vague and far off.🎈「少女时芬芳浪漫的憧憬」译作The beautiful dreams of romance in early girlhood。这句话满满都是文艺气息，「芬芳」按「美好」之意译作beautiful即可。其中，beautiful和of romance均为dream的定语，一个前置，一个后置。又，后缀-hood可构成名词，表示「…的状态（或性质）」，比如childhood儿童时期、falsehood虚假。本句中girl+ hood就表示「少女时期」。以此类推，womanhood就表示「女子成年期」青年时期追求的苦涩却历历在目，But the bitter experience of courting in later days were still clear before my eyes.🎈将were改为was。experience作「经历」讲时是不可数名词，谓语动词应用单数。不管是芬芳还是苦涩，都要在这里打一个句号，我从不后悔。Beautiful or bitter, both are of another day. And I’ll never regret at all.🎈「不管是芬芳还是苦涩，都要在这里打一个句号」可按「不管是芬芳还是苦涩，一切都已过去」译为Beautiful or bitter, both are of another day。汉语「打一个句号」近年颇为时兴，在英语中未见类似表达法。不管我的选择是否正确，已不容我再作犹豫，Correct or not, the decision is made and allows of no hesitation. 🎈此句，译者为与上句句式保持一致，将「我的选择」拆分成两个意思：做出+选择，以the decision做主语，方便后面造句，处理为Correct or not, the decision is…and allows…。又，allow of sth表示「容许」我将面对新的生活义无反顾地走过去。I’ll go ahead resolutely to live a new life.🎈「面对新的生活」即「过新生活」，现译为live a new life。live a +adj +life表示「过一种…的生活」，比如生活节俭live a frugal life。不容推却的那个夜终于姗姗来迟。The unshirkable night came at last.🎈「终于姗姗来迟」的「终于」「姗姗」之意以at last译出。新房里有一种难耐的宁静。An oppressive silence reigned in the wedding chamber.🎈「难耐」即「难以忍受」，现译作oppressive。🎈学习reign的用词。吴冠中《蟋蟀》夜晚屋里特别寂静。That night a complete silence reigned in our house.屋外突然锣鼓喧天，鼓乐齐鸣，Suddenly, there broke out outside a deafening sound of gongs and drums amidst loud music.🎈锣鼓喧天，鼓乐齐鸣/锣鼓钲镗a deafening sound of gongs and drums🎈「屋外」译作「室外outside」即可。爆竹和焰火把黑夜涂抹得五彩斑斓。Firecrackers and fireworks sent the dark night blazing with colour.🎈sent the dark night blazing with colour中，sent（原形为send）表示「是进入某种状态」，常用搭配是send +n+ into或send +n+ V-ing /adj。例句An obsessive search for our inner selves, far from saving the world, could send us all mad.一味地找寻自我不但不能拯救世界，反而会将我们都逼疯。这是为我们奏起的鼓乐么？Was the music for us?🎈「鼓乐」指上文提到的「锣鼓声」，甚至还包括「烟火声」，以music译出即可。夜终于静下去，鼓乐沉没了，一切声响都已停歇。The night finally relapsed into silence. The music was no more. All was quiet.🎈「静下去」「沉没了」「已停歇」从表意上来讲，含义是相似的，但我们不能处理成三个一模一样的silence或者quiet或者no more，要注意表达的多样性。以及，「一切声响都已停歇」译作All was quiet，尤为简洁。电灯已经关掉，新房里燃着两支红烛。The light was switched off, leaving two red candles burning away in the room.🎈实则是电灯已经(被)关掉，中文里有很多这样的表达，翻译时记得补充完整。🎈leaving two red candles burning away in the room作伴随状语。🎈这句写的是屋内光源的变化。我坐在红烛之下。I sat by the red candles. 🎈「在红烛之下」不是真的「在蜡烛下」，我们虽经常这样说，但要明白翻译不能就这样字对字进行语言转换，译文应当符合真实场景，译作sat by the red candles（坐在红烛旁）。你坐在客厅的沙发上。You sat in an armchair in the drawing room.🎈客厅the drawing roomthe waiting room of XX station候车厅the changing room更衣室the fitting room试衣间the dining room餐厅the guest room客厅我突然希望我们之间隔河隔渡似的对峙永远下去。I suddenly wished we would both remain permanently where we were as if separated by a ravine between us.🎈「我突然希望我们之间隔河隔渡似的对峙永远下去」意即「我突然希望我们永远可望不可及，就如中间隔着河谷」，译为I suddenly wished we would both remain permanently where we were as if separated by a ravine between us，其中用ravine（沟壑）代替river，能更表达「阻隔」之意。这时，你向我走过来。Just then you began to move towards me.🎈那时；就在那时Just then例句Just then, someone knocked at the front door.就在那时，大门口有人敲门。你的脚步很重很重，一步一步踏在我紧绷的心弦上。I listened to your heavy steps with a throbbing heart. 🎈赏析此句译文对「一步一步踏在我紧绷的心弦上」的处理。我们自己译时，十有八九会把原文出现的语言全翻出来，纠结「心弦」怎么翻、「紧绷」怎么翻，「一步一步」甚至也会老老实实地译出。这样造成的后果就是译文过长，且缺乏散文的美感，更像是一堆词语的堆砌。而张培基先生给出的参考译文是有声音的，不止I listened to，读者们都能听到，「一步一步」和heartbeat在上演二重奏，将气氛晕染得非常到位。你离我越来越近了。You came nearer and nearer.🎈表示「越来越……」的意思: 「比较级 + and + 比较级」突然，我感到我的肢体变得冰一样凉，一种被破坏的恐怖突然袭击了我，My limbs went ice-cold when suddenly there came over me the presage of coming ravages.🎈「一种被破坏的恐怖突然袭击了我」译为suddenly there came over me the presage of coming ravages，其中presage通常指不祥的预感，意同warning，未把「恐怖」译为fear。又came over作「支配」解。我的心里突然喊出这样一句：这下完了。I uttered abruptly from my heart. “I’m done for.”🎈「这下完了」译为I’m done for，其中done for是英语口头常用语，作「完蛋了」解。我已经无法回避，我将要变成一个真正的女人了。I could not escape becoming a real woman.Q：escape还是escape from？🎈escape (vt) 还是escape (vi) from? 两者往往没有区别（但都是表示瞬时动作的第四类动词，而且表示「逃脱成功」）但是escape from后面多是具体有形的负面场所，escape后面则可以是比较抽象的某种负面处境。例句escape from prison越狱 escape prison逃避监禁 escape from a sinking ship逃离沉船 escape punishment逃避了惩罚 escape persecution逃避追究「避开」某人也要说escape from例句He was unable to escape from her. 他无法躲开她。He escaped from his pursuers. 他逃脱了追踪者。但是往往后面是具体场所也可以不用fromescape a Nazi concentration camp逃出纳粹集中营。你已经走到我的身边来了，我突然觉得你像陌生人一样不敢看你。As you came to my side, I was afraid to look at you like you were a stranger.🎈此处As引导时间状语从句。🎈 I was afraid to…: afraid 后面接不定式、of 或以 that 或 lest 引导的从句都可以。从句开首的 that 通常省去。例句I am afraid (that) we shall be late.红烛吐出的烛香和烟气在封闭的新房里弥漫。The wedding chamber was permeated with the aroma and smoke of the red candles.🎈此句也可译为The aroma and smoke of the red candles permeated the wedding chamber。“今夜，我是你的新娘啊！”很久很久，我的心里哀哀地吐出这样一句来。“I’m your bride tonight!” It took me quite a long while to utter these words from the bottom of my heart, though with a touch of grief.🎈从我的心底、打心底from the bottom of my heart🎈though with a touch of grief：a touch of表示「一点、有点」。又，though是增译成分，补充出对比转折之意，即「新婚之夜」本应开心，我却有着些许哀思。🔥必背词汇weigh v.认真考虑，权衡，斟酌英义If you weigh the facts about a situation, you consider them very carefully before you make a decision, especially by comparing the various facts involved.例句She weighed her options.她在各种选择间权衡斟酌。notify v.通知，告知英义If you notify someone of something, you officially inform them about it.例句The skipper notified the coastguard of the tragedy.船长向海岸警卫队报告了这起灾难。solemn adj.严肃的，庄严的英义Someone or something that is solemn is very serious rather than cheerful or humorous.例句His solemn little face broke into smiles.他严肃的小脸蛋上突然绽放出笑容。matrimony n.婚姻英义Matrimony is marriage.例句the bonds of matrimony.婚姻的纽带🔥重点表达结婚get married第一次for the first time一切就绪all set没有太多的时间容我…There was little time left for me to…既成事实fait accompli祝贺expressing good wishes这一类的东西;诸如此类的东西and/or whatnot铺张地、大肆炫耀地in a big way不需要任何人认可don’t seek the approval of anyone收买、贿赂 buy over我们完全有权利We are fully entitled to从事、进行go about一生只会拥有一次的经历a once-in-a-lifetime experience进入另一种样式take on a new pattern旧生活告一段落the end of the old phase of my life呈现，显出(新面貌或新特点) take on婚房wedding chamber思绪纷乱a medley of thoughts尤指（某种感觉）支配/影响某人come over面临face/be faced with/be facing沉思、冥想muse+ about/on/over/upon sth少女时芬芳浪漫的憧憬The beautiful dreams of romance in early girlhood不容再作犹豫allows of no hesitation锣鼓喧天，鼓乐齐鸣/锣鼓钲镗a deafening sound of gongs and drums夜终于静下去The night finally relapsed into silence客厅the drawing room那时；就在那时Just then完蛋了done for从我的心底、打心底from the bottom of my heart一点、有点a touch of🔥复盘测试结婚第一次一切就绪没有太多的时间容我…既成事实祝贺这一类的东西;诸如此类的东西铺张地、大肆炫耀地不需要任何人认可收买、贿赂我们完全有权利从事、进行一生只会拥有一次的经历进入另一种样式旧生活告一段落呈现，显出(新面貌或新特点) 婚房思绪纷乱尤指（某种感觉）支配/影响某人面临沉思、冥想少女时芬芳浪漫的憧憬不容再作犹豫锣鼓喧天，鼓乐齐鸣/锣鼓钲镗夜终于静下去那时；就在那时完蛋了从我的心底、打心底一点、有点🔥表达对比「结婚」有几种表达？昨天你对我说：“我们（结婚）吧！”Yesterday you said to me, “Let’s get married!”在最近一期的采访中，皮特和朱丽也被追问到了结婚的事情，已经“同居”六年的他们至今还没有（结婚）。In a recent interview, Brad said he and Angelina, who have been together six years, are considering whether to tie the knot.对一个自己有足够的生活资料的女人来说，（结婚）是一种不可救药的极端愚蠢的行为。Marriage is always a hopeless idiocy for a woman who has enough of her own to live upon.好吧，我已经（结婚）了。Well I’m already hitched.
帕布莉卡