常常在看到中文的文章裡提到非英文的中文譯音時, 一定是會在中文後面加一個用羅馬字母拼出來的字.
有時候想一想, 感覺很好笑. 因為那字母和中文比起來, 還不見得真能代表那個發音... 舉個例子, 英文的耶穌是拼 JESUS. 這和中文譯音大大不同, 殊不知, 當時在譯的時候, 這些羅馬字母不是用作英語的發音. 他比較可能是拉丁的發音. 也就可能比較接近義大利, 西班牙, 或者是法國的發音. 可是, 也不盡然... 因為即使是上述的三個國家, 他們怎麼稱呼這些字母上也稍微要不一樣... 當然, 華語的方言也很複雜. 但是用中文譯音, 因為現在國語的通行, 反而要比那些字母準確的多的多!
剛剛我在查一個詞, 我看到羅馬字母拼成, khoomei. 我查了老半天才查到中文是啥. 他是一個蒙古音, 這個詞是蒙古歌藝裡的一門技術. 中文的音譯是呼麥... 乖乖... 如果我看英文發音, 我一定不唸呼麥, 我大概會唸成哭麥... 當然這個譯詞一並不是英語翻譯, 但是, 英文如此的普及. 那些不大懂外國東西的人大概都以為這就是英文了... 還把他唸成哭麥. 不對, 我想想, 很多美國人, 在我看來很有可能也會唸成哭麥... 笑!
但是以羅馬字母之盛行, 中國人真的能夠認為呼麥可以成為這一項技術的專有名詞嗎? 還是他們在學校的時候, 他們也得學寫 khoomei, 然後認為, 啊 哈, 這才是這個詞的寫法呀!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
memorable movie quotes
(lords of the ring fellowship of the ring)
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(kingdom of heaven)
Balian of Ibelin: What is Jerusalem worth?
Saladin: Nothing.
[walks away]
Saladin: Everything!
*************************
King Baldwin IV: Come forward. I am glad to meet Godfrey's son. He was one of my greatest teachers. He was there when, playing with the other boys, my arm was cut. It was he, not my father's physicians who noticed that I felt no pain. He wept when he gave my father the news, that I am a leper. The Saracens say that this disease is God's vengence against the vanity of our kingdom. As wretched as I am, these Arabs believe that the chastisement that awaits me in hell is far more severe and lasting. If that's true, I call it unfair. Come. Sit. When I was sixteen I won a great victory. I felt in that moment that I should live to be one hundred, now I know I shall not see thirty. You see, none of us chose our end really. A king may move a man, a father may claim a son. But remember that, even when those who move you be kings or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God you cannot say "but I was told by others to do thus" or that "virtue was not convinient at the time. This will not suffice. Remember that.
Balian of Ibelin: I will.
King Baldwin IV: Then go now to your father's house at Ibelin, and from there protect the pilgim road. Protect the helpless. And then perhaps one day when I am helpless you will come and protect me.
**********************************************
Godfrey of Ibelin: Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath.
Godfrey of Ibelin: [cuffs Balian with the back of his hand] And that's so you remember it.
Hospitaller: Arise a knight and Baron of Ibelin.
*********************************************
and many many other quotes from THIS MOVIE!! :D
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(the 13th warrior)
"Lo there do I see my father.
Lo there do I see my mother.
Lo there do I see my brothers and my sisters.
Lo there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning.
Lo they do call to me;
they bid me take my place among them in the Halls of Valhalla,
where the brave may live forever."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(the passion of the Christ)
Jesus: See, mother, I make all things new.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(the matrix)
neal: wow...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(titus)
Titus: He that wounded her hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(gladiator)
Commodus: Rise. Rise.
[Maximus stands up, clenching an arrow head in his right hand]
Commodus: Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard. I don't think there's ever been a gladiator to match you. As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. Or was it Hercules? Why doesn't the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name? You do have a name.
Maximus: My name is Gladiator.
[turns away from Commodus]
Commodus: How dare you show your back to me! Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name.
Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
[Commodus trembles in disbelief]
Quintus: Arms!
[Praetorians point their spears at the gladiators while the Colosseum crowd chants for them to live. Commodus shakes his head and motions the crowd for silence. He then raises his fist and reluctantly gives the thumbs-up signal]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(kingdom of heaven)
Balian of Ibelin: What is Jerusalem worth?
Saladin: Nothing.
[walks away]
Saladin: Everything!
*************************
King Baldwin IV: Come forward. I am glad to meet Godfrey's son. He was one of my greatest teachers. He was there when, playing with the other boys, my arm was cut. It was he, not my father's physicians who noticed that I felt no pain. He wept when he gave my father the news, that I am a leper. The Saracens say that this disease is God's vengence against the vanity of our kingdom. As wretched as I am, these Arabs believe that the chastisement that awaits me in hell is far more severe and lasting. If that's true, I call it unfair. Come. Sit. When I was sixteen I won a great victory. I felt in that moment that I should live to be one hundred, now I know I shall not see thirty. You see, none of us chose our end really. A king may move a man, a father may claim a son. But remember that, even when those who move you be kings or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God you cannot say "but I was told by others to do thus" or that "virtue was not convinient at the time. This will not suffice. Remember that.
Balian of Ibelin: I will.
King Baldwin IV: Then go now to your father's house at Ibelin, and from there protect the pilgim road. Protect the helpless. And then perhaps one day when I am helpless you will come and protect me.
**********************************************
Godfrey of Ibelin: Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath.
Godfrey of Ibelin: [cuffs Balian with the back of his hand] And that's so you remember it.
Hospitaller: Arise a knight and Baron of Ibelin.
*********************************************
and many many other quotes from THIS MOVIE!! :D
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(the 13th warrior)
"Lo there do I see my father.
Lo there do I see my mother.
Lo there do I see my brothers and my sisters.
Lo there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning.
Lo they do call to me;
they bid me take my place among them in the Halls of Valhalla,
where the brave may live forever."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(the passion of the Christ)
Jesus: See, mother, I make all things new.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(the matrix)
neal: wow...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(titus)
Titus: He that wounded her hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(gladiator)
Commodus: Rise. Rise.
[Maximus stands up, clenching an arrow head in his right hand]
Commodus: Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard. I don't think there's ever been a gladiator to match you. As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. Or was it Hercules? Why doesn't the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name? You do have a name.
Maximus: My name is Gladiator.
[turns away from Commodus]
Commodus: How dare you show your back to me! Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name.
Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
[Commodus trembles in disbelief]
Quintus: Arms!
[Praetorians point their spears at the gladiators while the Colosseum crowd chants for them to live. Commodus shakes his head and motions the crowd for silence. He then raises his fist and reluctantly gives the thumbs-up signal]
--------------------------------------------------------------
movie characters
there're many movie characters that are unique. just to mentioned a few that i liked.
Ripley from Alien and Aliens. I don't know why, but i really liked the character. to me, it's extremely unique. i guess she did not demonstrate some super human ability or character. but she was more closer to what a person could do gracefully under pressure! that's what very attractive. you can see her scare, you can see her care, you can even see her struggle inside. but eventually, you saw her overcame the fear inside at the end of Aliens and tried to rescue the girl. i guess that girl could be seen as herself but scared! hehe, psychology...
Don Vito Corleone from Godfather. i certainly know the real deal in mafia was horrible. but i can't say how much strength this character showed. i wished i could be as strong and cool as him. he had his own doctrine, which i don't think any of his kids understand much, espeically michael. Sunny know well, but i don't think he had the control of his old man, or even michael. Don Vito Corleone was the one with control, coolness, strength, and wisdom rolled in one. he had his own idea of mercy. it's ancient. but somehow i felt familiar.
Tom Hagen. i liked him. a very good staff character. loyal and smart. i liked him.
maria. i loved this character. in fact, i loved most of julie andrew's character. resiliant, joyful, and passion for life. plus, maria can sing. but the most important thing is she loved somebody, ran away, but she summed up courage to face it once again. she's true to herself which is not a easy thing, to me at least. i just loved this character!
Ripley from Alien and Aliens. I don't know why, but i really liked the character. to me, it's extremely unique. i guess she did not demonstrate some super human ability or character. but she was more closer to what a person could do gracefully under pressure! that's what very attractive. you can see her scare, you can see her care, you can even see her struggle inside. but eventually, you saw her overcame the fear inside at the end of Aliens and tried to rescue the girl. i guess that girl could be seen as herself but scared! hehe, psychology...
Don Vito Corleone from Godfather. i certainly know the real deal in mafia was horrible. but i can't say how much strength this character showed. i wished i could be as strong and cool as him. he had his own doctrine, which i don't think any of his kids understand much, espeically michael. Sunny know well, but i don't think he had the control of his old man, or even michael. Don Vito Corleone was the one with control, coolness, strength, and wisdom rolled in one. he had his own idea of mercy. it's ancient. but somehow i felt familiar.
Tom Hagen. i liked him. a very good staff character. loyal and smart. i liked him.
maria. i loved this character. in fact, i loved most of julie andrew's character. resiliant, joyful, and passion for life. plus, maria can sing. but the most important thing is she loved somebody, ran away, but she summed up courage to face it once again. she's true to herself which is not a easy thing, to me at least. i just loved this character!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
milton miles
the more i think about him the more i think it's sad. for all of his intelligence work, none of which went into how much sweat he put into his work. there is no recognition anywhere to be found anywhere, except his own book and books written by soldiers working under him.
but the more i contemplate about it, the more important i value his work. i can't really dig into his story about the weather intelligence and the pacific warfare in WWII. but i could just imagine how important his intelligent report really was for the fourteenth Air Troops. only with the service he provided, could Clair Chennault's air force be as effective as they were on the south china sea. and for fourteenth air troop to be effective at bombing enemy supply line, the intelligence in the front would be crucial as well. all this intelligence was milton miles' contribution. and yet, nobody mentioned about it anymore. For the USA people, there was only corruption, imcompetence, and revoltion. It's incredibly sad that there was man, who successeed in working with Chinese with an attitude that ALL Chinese should remember, celebrate, and cherish. And yet, none of them will be remembered.
I read three USA military memoirs in China during WWII. One was Clair Chennault, one i only finished half way was Joseph Stilwell, the last one was Milton Miles. What was so striking from reading Milton Miles memoir was the attitude he had towards Chinese.
Claire Chennault did not know Chinese before 1927. He brought what the Chinese most needed at the time. Chinese government treated him well, and he used his knowledge and ability to fight with Chinese. His attitude towards Chinese was that this was a people that i could help. they respected my work and knowledge. i will in term fight with them with all i got. so he fought hard with the chinese.
Joseph Stilwell on the other hand, was quite familiar with Chinese custom, language, and politics. many people who knew china like Joseph Stilwell was weary of the Chinese politics. The best among them kept a cold and calculated mind. The worst of them looked hard to see where he could profit. Joseph Stilwell was among the best of them, who were unsatisfied with current government. They laughed at the the government's every effort, they pitied that Chinese people was led by this pooly trained people. Joseph Stilwell was one of those with the thoughts.
Milton Miles, an USA navy served in China just like Joseph Stilwell was vastly different in attitude towards Chinese. Milton Miles could speak a few dialect, he traveled through mainland China with his family well into Burma once. He was assigned by Admiral King, then USA Pacific Navy Commander, to China to prepare for USA Navy landing in 3-4 years. He then end up working with Dai Li(戴笠). They signed a treaty to form an organization called Sino American Cooperative Organization. Trying to work with Chinese, Milton Miles decided that he wanted his staffs and soldiers to have no previous knowledge of China at all. His reason for this was if you want to work with Chinese, you have to have no prejudice against them. He thought many foreigners including USA people, who knew China too well, will ruined the cooperative mood he tried to built between Chinese field soldiers and guerrilla. USA OSS, CIA's daddy, thought it was an absurd comment. Many Old chinese hands, who knew chinese affair qutie well, was ridiculed by the comment as well. Milton's attitude towards working with Chinese was that he was a foreigner, who had the same goal as Chinese people. He viewed Chinese as in a turmoil time in desperate need for help. He wanted to fight Japanese, but he also very much in need of chinese cooperation for him to gather weather report for the pacific Navy operation. He strifed very hard to find a way to truly find a way to work with Chinese. In the end, He was the only two USA people succeeded doing just that.
He tried hard to describe why other people failed in getting cooperation out of Chinese in his memoir, a different kind of war. The genuine respect for chinese was shown between lines and words. He trained Chinese guerrilla with fresh USA soldiers, who knew little about China. Those young USA soldiers dined the same thing Chinese soldiers dined. They lived with Chinese on the battlefield, when most of foreigners were not allowed to go to the frontline. Milton Miles worked with Dai Li, who did not easily trust anyone. But Dai Li trusted Milton Miles and his men. That's a shocking news to many other foriegners.
but the more i contemplate about it, the more important i value his work. i can't really dig into his story about the weather intelligence and the pacific warfare in WWII. but i could just imagine how important his intelligent report really was for the fourteenth Air Troops. only with the service he provided, could Clair Chennault's air force be as effective as they were on the south china sea. and for fourteenth air troop to be effective at bombing enemy supply line, the intelligence in the front would be crucial as well. all this intelligence was milton miles' contribution. and yet, nobody mentioned about it anymore. For the USA people, there was only corruption, imcompetence, and revoltion. It's incredibly sad that there was man, who successeed in working with Chinese with an attitude that ALL Chinese should remember, celebrate, and cherish. And yet, none of them will be remembered.
I read three USA military memoirs in China during WWII. One was Clair Chennault, one i only finished half way was Joseph Stilwell, the last one was Milton Miles. What was so striking from reading Milton Miles memoir was the attitude he had towards Chinese.
Claire Chennault did not know Chinese before 1927. He brought what the Chinese most needed at the time. Chinese government treated him well, and he used his knowledge and ability to fight with Chinese. His attitude towards Chinese was that this was a people that i could help. they respected my work and knowledge. i will in term fight with them with all i got. so he fought hard with the chinese.
Joseph Stilwell on the other hand, was quite familiar with Chinese custom, language, and politics. many people who knew china like Joseph Stilwell was weary of the Chinese politics. The best among them kept a cold and calculated mind. The worst of them looked hard to see where he could profit. Joseph Stilwell was among the best of them, who were unsatisfied with current government. They laughed at the the government's every effort, they pitied that Chinese people was led by this pooly trained people. Joseph Stilwell was one of those with the thoughts.
Milton Miles, an USA navy served in China just like Joseph Stilwell was vastly different in attitude towards Chinese. Milton Miles could speak a few dialect, he traveled through mainland China with his family well into Burma once. He was assigned by Admiral King, then USA Pacific Navy Commander, to China to prepare for USA Navy landing in 3-4 years. He then end up working with Dai Li(戴笠). They signed a treaty to form an organization called Sino American Cooperative Organization. Trying to work with Chinese, Milton Miles decided that he wanted his staffs and soldiers to have no previous knowledge of China at all. His reason for this was if you want to work with Chinese, you have to have no prejudice against them. He thought many foreigners including USA people, who knew China too well, will ruined the cooperative mood he tried to built between Chinese field soldiers and guerrilla. USA OSS, CIA's daddy, thought it was an absurd comment. Many Old chinese hands, who knew chinese affair qutie well, was ridiculed by the comment as well. Milton's attitude towards working with Chinese was that he was a foreigner, who had the same goal as Chinese people. He viewed Chinese as in a turmoil time in desperate need for help. He wanted to fight Japanese, but he also very much in need of chinese cooperation for him to gather weather report for the pacific Navy operation. He strifed very hard to find a way to truly find a way to work with Chinese. In the end, He was the only two USA people succeeded doing just that.
He tried hard to describe why other people failed in getting cooperation out of Chinese in his memoir, a different kind of war. The genuine respect for chinese was shown between lines and words. He trained Chinese guerrilla with fresh USA soldiers, who knew little about China. Those young USA soldiers dined the same thing Chinese soldiers dined. They lived with Chinese on the battlefield, when most of foreigners were not allowed to go to the frontline. Milton Miles worked with Dai Li, who did not easily trust anyone. But Dai Li trusted Milton Miles and his men. That's a shocking news to many other foriegners.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
媽媽的翻譯
condone: 茍同
人之常情: it's only human.
媽媽他是非常喜歡英文的, 花了一大堆時間研究英文. 他常常為了一個字想了很久很久, 還到處問人. 有時候他如果有一個字無法譯成他認可的中文時, 他就要絞盡腦汁. 往往經過他用力思考出來的東西, 或著是努力尋找到令他滿意的時候, 他最終的答案都非常的棒! 就像 condone 這個字. 其他的字典翻譯時都是同意, 甚至有譯成贖罪. 但是同意是一個不完全的翻譯. condone 最常用的英文解釋是:
To overlook, forgive, or disregard (an offense) without protest or censure.
和同意有一點類似. 但, 是在同意者實際上並不贊成的情況之下, 沒有反對的表現而產生的同意. 茍同精確的表達了這一個意思!
這實在說明了, 要真的翻譯別人的文字, 自己的文學底子真的要很好.
人之常情: it's only human.
媽媽他是非常喜歡英文的, 花了一大堆時間研究英文. 他常常為了一個字想了很久很久, 還到處問人. 有時候他如果有一個字無法譯成他認可的中文時, 他就要絞盡腦汁. 往往經過他用力思考出來的東西, 或著是努力尋找到令他滿意的時候, 他最終的答案都非常的棒! 就像 condone 這個字. 其他的字典翻譯時都是同意, 甚至有譯成贖罪. 但是同意是一個不完全的翻譯. condone 最常用的英文解釋是:
To overlook, forgive, or disregard (an offense) without protest or censure.
和同意有一點類似. 但, 是在同意者實際上並不贊成的情況之下, 沒有反對的表現而產生的同意. 茍同精確的表達了這一個意思!
這實在說明了, 要真的翻譯別人的文字, 自己的文學底子真的要很好.
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