美文选刊|祈望的分寸

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20164期 |
祈望的分寸
(选自《英语世界》2016年第4期)
文/魏焕华
不论中文还是英文,表示祈望的动词很多。不过,中文是通过在中心词前面加各种修饰语来区分祈望的力度和性质,如希望、盼望、万望、渴望、十分希望、强烈祈望等,不一而足,而英语常常是用不同的词语来区分祈望的力度和性质,如 hope、wish、long、covet、crave、desire、lust。它们的基本含义都是表示愿望,但使用的场合和暗示的内涵都不一样。
hope(希望)与 wish、expect 同义,是最普通的用语。我们都知道 hope 所希望的往往是可能发生的事物(that something will happen),而 wish 所希望的往往是目前不大可能发生的事物(what is at present impossible)。其实,hope 有时也有这种含义。试比较以下各句的动词及其含义的变化:
The court hope (that) the defendant will come. 庭审法官希望被告会来。(认为他会来)
The court wish (that) the defendant would come. 庭审法官但愿被告会来。(恐怕他未必会来)
The court had been hoping that the defendant would come. 庭审法官原来一直希望被告来。(实际上他没有来)
The plaintiff hopes the case is being heard next week. 原告希望此案会在下周审理。(表示有可能)
The plaintiff wishes the case were being heard next week. 原告但愿此案能在下周审理。(担心下周未必能审理)
The plaintiff had hoped that his case would be heard next week. 原告原来希望此案会在下周审理。(实际上没有)
反之, wish 也并非都指不可能实现的愿望。通过句型的变化,wish 也有几种不同的含义。试比较下面两句:
The lawyer wishes to meet his client immediately. 律师要立刻见到他的当事人。(表示可以实现的要求)
The lawyer wishes his client to come immediately. 律师要他的当事人立刻来。(表示命令或请求,此处 wish 相当于 want)
long、desire、crave、covet 与 lust after / lust for 这几个词也都是表示强烈希望的动词,相当于 to wish or want very much。它们之间又各有不可忽视的内涵。
long 是对目前无法得到的事物的强烈希望。如:
The criminal longs to go back to his home town. 这个犯人非常希望回到故乡去。
He longs his wife to go back to him one day. 他渴望他的妻子有一天会回到他身边。
desire 除了与 long 一样指“渴望”“期望”外,还具有“(严正地)请求”的意思。如:
I desire only your happiness. 我只求您幸福。
I desire you to go at once. 我请求你立刻离开。
crave 表强烈的愿望(to have a strong desire for sth)和严肃而有礼貌的请求(to ask seriously for)。如:
I am craving a bowl of rice, for I have had nothing to eat all day. 我很想吃碗饭,因为我已经一天没有吃东西。
Be quiet! May I crave your attention? 请安静。恳求你们注意点好不好?
I crave your forgiveness, sir. 先生,我恳请您原谅。
covet 也指渴望,尤其是对别人所有的东西的渴求(to desire very much esp. something that belongs to another person),常具有贬义。如:
Never covet wealth and power. 别贪财,别贪权。
He covets my land, but he won’t get it. 他对我这块地垂涎三尺,但他不会得到。
lust after/for 贪求;狂热地追求。这是个贬义词,专指色欲、淫欲与金钱等不纯净的欲望的渴求。如:
The accused lusted after the girl, but could not have her. 被告人狂热追求这个女孩子,但没有追到手。
Those men lust only for the gold. 那些人贪图的只是金钱。
译文做到达意,已非易事,但好的译文,不但要达意,还应当传神。这就必须学会在许多意义基本相同的对应词中挑选最为精当的英语。 □
