I witnessed the first burgeoning seeds of Watergate scandal.
水门丑闻才露尖尖角,我就亲眼见证了。
(翻译心得: the first burgeoning seeds : 渐露头角。 联想到宋诗“小荷才露尖尖角, 早有蜻蜓立上头。”)
The quiet grows louder, and the stillness grows eerier.
蝉噪林愈静,鸟鸣山更幽。
(翻译心得: 不着一字,尽得风流。 得来全不费工夫。)
Sicilians and Albanians will wait a hundred years for revenge, but Iraians won't wait an hour.
西西里和阿尔巴尼亚人是君子报仇百年不晚,可是伊朗人却连一个钟头都等不及。
(翻译心得: wait a hundred years for revenge 与中文“君子报仇,十年不晚”有异曲同工之妙。)
I have done our desperately diverse, dynamically dysfunctional culture way more good than harm.
对我们那个拼命多元化玩命不作为的文化,我是成事有余败事不足呢!
(翻译心得: do way more good than harm ,与中文“成事不足败事有余”刚好相反。)
Koreans are organized. Chinese people don't like to turn on the charm.
韩国人有组织纪律性。中国人不喜欢卖弄风情。
(翻译心得: turn on the charm 只是卖弄风情,还不至于卖弄风骚!)
The Dominicans are too Puerto Rican for the Puerto Ricans.
对波多黎各人来说,多米尼加人比波多黎各人还波多黎各。
(翻译心得: too ...for ...句型不一定都是“对....而言太...”。 )
One cannot expect a relationship between a madam and her much younger, recovering-addict eye candy to end in wholesome marital bliss.
谁也不能指望一个妈妈桑和她那位刚戒毒的小鲜肉的关系能够以婚姻而善终。
(翻译心得: her much younger eye candy 不就是我们时下流行的“小鲜肉”么!)
要让英汉翻译出神韵和味道,必须保持对两种语言都具备大致相等的水平。任何一方的短缺,都会影响到译文的质量。