問:「禮物實際的大小,可能和照片所示不同」這一句,可不可譯做The actual size of the gift may be different from the gift shown in the photo?
答:《西遊記》第六十一回說牛魔王:「他也有七十二變,武藝也與大聖一般。」第二句等於說「牛魔王的武藝和大聖的武藝相埒」,但可以意會的字就不必寫出來。
英文卻和中文不同,不能這樣意會。你不能說The Cow King's fighting skills were as good as the Monkey King,因為這等於以「武藝」和「猴王」相比,就英文而言,是擬於不倫。英文譯文宜人比人,或武藝比武藝,例如:The Cow King was as good a fighter as the Monkey King或The Cow King's fighting skills were as good as the Monkey King's(fighting skills)。
同樣道理,讀者說的那一句,不應以size(of the gift)和gift(shown in the photo)相比,而應size比size或gift比gift,例如:In actual size, the gift may be different from that(=the gift)shown in the photo/ The actual size of the gift may be different from that(=the actual size of the gift)shown in the photo。
問:往大陸,過關通道有「不准等候」告示,香港這邊英文是No Waiting,大陸那邊則是No Lingering,哪個說法較好?
答:No Waiting是「不得在這裏等候」,No Lingering則是「不得在這裏停留」,意思稍有不同,但都是正確說法,不能斷言那個「較好」。