有关Sky-train的译法探讨
By Zheng Qiwu

随着文化交流的日益频繁,赋予许多新生事物贴切的中文译名也有相当的难度.编者在此将厦门大学郑启五教授寻根究底找译名的小故事与广大读者分享,希望对大家有所裨益.
朋友出访归来,特意送给我一版加拿大刚刚发行的地铁邮票.那邮票16枚一版,上沿边纸有英法两种的文字说明"In 2004, the Toronto Transit Commission(TTC) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the opening of its first subway line".
细细端详这套邮票,越看越有看头:12个横穿首尾的色带展示的并不仅仅是地铁,还有light rail 和sky-train,多层次地形成加拿大现代都市立体捷运系统.light rail 应该就是所谓的"轻轨".但sky-train 究竟是什么,还有待学习与不耻下问.问题是书桌上的上海<新英汉字典>和新加坡<新知识英华词典>两部"新字当头"的词典都没有它的身影.
幸好我有网上的家园,我们厦门大学外文系77级老同学在"雅虎"设有专门的网页"FOREVER 7702".我在网上发布了求助的帖子,几分钟后,就有老同学分别从澳大利亚、英国和美国发回了不同的解释:
1) Sky-train is "空中列车", which means an airplane towing one or a number of gliders to take to the sky and then letting go the hook, so that the gliders fly by themselves gliding in the sky for hours before landing by themselves. I flew a glider once (of course as a co-pilot). It was fun. But is this its only meaning? Or do you use this as a simile or metaphor for something else? I am confused.
2) The "sky-train" here means the train going to the airport, like "sky bus" which is not an airplane, but the express bus to the airport. You have to live in an English-speaking country to know this. Now, I don't think you have any difficulty with the translation. It can be "kong zhong lie che" meaning "sky-train" though it can be misleading to some people. If you want a translation that is more easily understandable, you can translate "ji chang lie che" or "ji chang zhuan lie", or you can create a better one.
3) If you are talking about the sky-train in Canada, here is another piece of info I found for your reference: The skytrain in Vancouver, British Columbia is an advanced light rapid transit system operating fully automated trains on 2 lines. The system uses the same technology (Linear induction motors) as the Scarborough RT in Toronto, Ontario and the Putra LRT in Kuala Lumpur(吉隆坡), Malaysia. Advanced light rapid transit is a generic name for the technology used in the metro systems.
解释之一认为是一种滑翔机的牵引机,一次可以牵引一架或数架的滑翔机上天的飞机十分壮观,被称为是"sky-train"(空中列车).解释二认为是一种连接机场与城市的专用列车,应译为"机场列车".解释三认为是一种新型的捷运列车,海外华人译为"架空列车".根据邮票上的图案判断,第三种解释最为接近.从外观上而言,译为"高架列车"比较符合现代汉语的表达.
根据第三位同学从网上下载的资料,可以判定邮票上展示的是目前世界上最先进的温哥华高架列车世纪新干线.因为这条干线的开通,该市环境如虎添翼,在今年二月被评为世界生活最舒适的城市亚军,冠军为瑞士的苏黎世.
由此为上海浦东机场连接城市中心的地铁的英语译法,提供了一个有价值的参照.现代社会的发展日新月异,时时刻刻都有一批新词如潮似浪,拍击着新世纪的海岸线,让人目不暇接!

 

 

Ask the Chef
By Chef

Chef's Profile: This chef is not just any chef, not only does he know everything there is to know about cooking, but also he is an absolute guru in Engish writing. Therefore, if you ever feel hungry or stuck in your English writing, you should go ask the Chef!

Last week's assignment:
You found there is a serious problem in the process of an urgent project, and you are writing everyone concerned to call a meeting to find a solution to this problem.

Monica wrote:
Dear Sirs, (1)
Thank you for your hard work in the (2)project (3)we are dealing with these days. You all have done well in it, but this morning I noticed that there was a serious problem we all had neglected in this project. As you all know, this project is so urgent that we can't delay settling it. So would you please come for a meeting at 8:00pm today in our conference room to (4)discuss a solution to this problem? (5)Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Monica

Chef commented:
(1)　这封信写得很仔细,没有什么语法错误,值得表扬,但是我反复读了这封信之后,觉得这封信有点"慈祥",很像写给小孩子看的.当然我也是有点鸡蛋里挑骨头,找不出问题就说是写给小孩子看的.不过,请您仔细地看看我修改之后的信,会不会觉得更professional一些?
(2)无论是英文写作还是中文写作,重复使用一个词都会显得有些别扭,project这个词被您在三句话中使用了三遍,我们看看有没有什么更好的表达方式.
(3)我认为在这儿用现在完成进行式会更好一些.
(4)"discuss a solution"?如果还没有 solution 的话,我们应该先 "find a solution" 然后再discuss它,或者应该 discuss to find a solution.
(5) 在这儿,我觉得用 "Thank you for your cooperation" 感觉上会更舒服一点.

Chef revised:
Dear Sirs,
To begin with, thank you all for your hard work in the project we have been dealing with these days. However, this morning I noticed that there was a serious problem that we all had neglected. And I am afraid that we cannot afford any delay in coping with this problem which may cause serious damage to the progress of this high-priority project. Therefore I am calling a meeting for the solution of this problem. All people concerned please come to our conference room at 8:00pm today for a more detailed discussion, and please let me know beforehand if you cannot make it at that time. Thank you for your cooperation.
Yours sincerely,
Monica

This week's assignment:
You are a project manager and you have led some of your colleagues to successfully complete a project. Please write a short email to thank them all for their hard work and invite them to a celebration - a BBQ party. Please send your assignment to thecommonchef@yahoo.com with your Chinese name.

 

 

Crossword Puzzle



ACROSS
1. A kind of bird.
4. A subject of science.
5. Specialty of winter.
6. Limited in importance or significance.
7. Father's sister.
10. To catch sight of.
11. Enemy of dogs.

DOWN
1. Mother and father.
2. Better than good.
3. A bad drug.
6. To lurch or sway.
8. Name of a country.
9. To continue to be in a place or condition.
11. An ordinary position in a company.

The following people have won free movie tickets: 俞艳婷,翁睿玲,柯豫斌,郑培玲,林丹,林美丽,肖良星,苏俊斌,陈霜,朱晓林.Please go to the Jinying Cinema (世贸金鹰影院) within two weeks.
欲知上期答案,请登录http://www.common-talk.com.

 

 

Classic English

When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry. - Shakespeare

 

 

<当你害怕时一定要面对>
By 王鸽鹏



人在职场有千丝忧万缕虑,正如书中的9位作者娓娓道来他们在不同行业中的相似烦恼,奇迹般的转变,简单平凡的快乐,和带着些许骄傲些许遗憾的回忆.或许你和他们的经历南辕北辙,但你会欣喜地发现,人生是由一个个成功的碎片拼凑起来的.无论你是大富豪还是打工仔,成功的信念都是在不经意间灌入脑海并注入灵魂,进而引导你的行为.

或许你不奢望大有作为,但希望这本书为你纯真的心灵润润色,勇敢地面对道道坎坷...你会相信:生活就像一盒包装精美的巧克力,你永远不知道里面是什么.但你可以勇敢地打开看看,纵使里面是堆垃圾,你也成功了一半;因为在巨大的压力下,人的潜力和胆量却是无穷的!市内新华书店见.