8月20日吾兄在新民晚报夜光杯上发表一篇文章，题为《高考往事》。昨日，闲来无事，让“豆包”将其中有一段文字译成英语取乐。

    原文：

    四教厅里的一位卖茶水的中年男子，得知我们是备考的学生，对我们说，好，你们考上了，我请你们喝茶。这年国庆节，我们又去了桂林公园，这位师傅请我们喝了龙井茶，他笑着说，当时从你们一门心思的读书样子就估计能考上，没想到的是你们俩能同时考上复旦。其实，我们并不是〝一门心思”地读书的，毕竟是十多岁的孩子，少不了做出一些调皮的事，比如，我们普下到公园里双桥下的池塘里摸过螺蛳，还是第一次吃到如此肥硕鲜美的螺蛳！

    豆包提供以下译文：

    In the Four-teaching Hall, a middle-aged man selling tea, upon learning that we were students preparing for the exam, said to us, "OK. If you pass the exam, I'll treat you to tea." This National Day, we went to Guilin Park again. This master treated us to Longjing tea. He smiled and said, "From your。 devoted appearance of studying at that time, I guessed you could pass the exam. I didn't expect that both of you could be admitted to Fudan at the same time." Actually, we weren't "devoted" to studying. After all, we were teenagers and couldn't help doing some naughty things. For example, we once went down to the pond under the double bridges in the park to touch snails. It was the first time we ate such plump and delicious snails!

    尤其是首句： In the Four-teaching Hall, a middle-aged man selling tea, upon learning that we were students preparing for the exam, said to us, "OK. If you pass the exam, I'll treat you to tea." 

    几个分词短语，介词短语的运用娴熟，句子的架构好，十分符合英语“头轻脚重”的句型之美。但是，当我读到 touch snails，一笑！差矣，“摸螺蛳”咋能如此翻译？

    汉语之美，在于意合。所谓意合，就是几个字凑在一起，可以不讲逻辑，读者/闻者，即能解其意。比如“摸螺蛳”，国人立马就懂在水中摸螺蛳，为了捉螺蛳。而英语是形合语言，所谓形和语言，就是逻辑语言，一切都要交代得清清楚楚。所以，把“摸螺蛳”直译成touch snails，老外就不懂，会以为，只是在水中摸一摸螺蛳而已。

    清晨，女儿为我来量血压，我问，摸螺蛳，如何英译，女儿答，该用fumble（摸索）这个动词。可见女儿懂英语是意合语言，不可用touch。

    昨日，我问昔日一学子：豆包把“摸螺蛳”翻译成了touch snails。堪称笑话，不知道你如何翻译摸螺丝的“摸”？愿闻其详。

    学子今晨答：毛老师，豆包很实诚，它肯定会word for word translation ，闹笑话啦。这"摸"不就是"抓"或"捉"吗？干嘛用 touch 啊。老师您懂得更多，俺不敢多说。

    学子说得对，AI（豆包）不识英汉语深层次的差矣，只会作表层转换（word for word translation）。“摸螺蛳”之吾译：feel for and collect pond snails by hand。

    所以，原文中的“比如，我们普下到公园里双桥下的池塘里摸过螺蛳。”不妨译成：

    For example, we once went down to the pond under the double bridges in the park to feel for and collect snails by hand。 

    “豆包”不仅能写文章，而且能画画，以下一幅画由“豆包”所画，我给它一个题目：河里摸螺蛳。亦美。请君欣赏。