2008-09-21 13:22:21
来自: 森纳乔
弗农小上帝的评论
3
在一位豆友的帖子里见到如下数段话：
http://www.douban.co
8、书里有个很重要的词，在全书重复了接近20次，主人公不时地提它一提。
那就是“权力角币”。这是啥？看完整本书，也没弄明白。
举个原文的例子，大家看看，能否猜出是啥意思。
P78第7行。他的权力角币采取了一个鲁莽草率的转换。
——————
好奇心一下子被他勾上来了。
“权力角币”啥东西？
查Google，查百度，均无果。
最后求诸原书，比对中译本，发现对应的英文是powerdime。
老实说，这是啥玩意，我依旧不知道。
不过，在一番Google后，我有了惊人的发现：
The novel is told throughout by Vernon Gregory Little, the friend of school shooter and best friend Jesus. Vernon has a hyperstylized voice. He doesn't know the true meaning or spelling of some words -- paradigm becomes "powerdime"; a teaching is a "learning" -- and he is adept at powerful insights that should be well beyond the ability of a teen-age boy whose primary mode of communication is through cussing. But, y'know what? This is a novel. His voice is a representation of teen-age angst and confused sex thoughts commingled with occasional insights into the real world, not the thing itself.
原来，powerdime是主角的拼写错误！带着这一点，再回头去读小说。
那么，paradigm 该如何翻译，我个人觉得挺难。但绝对不是“权力角币”。
——————
布赖恩整整领带，走到证人席跟前。寂静就如蜥蜴的骨节一般嘎吱嘎吱作响。
"莱德斯马先生，你做电视新闻记者有多久了?""至今几乎十五年了。"
"在什么地方从业?"
"大多在纽约，也在芝加哥。""不在纳科多奇斯县?"
拉利皱起了眉头。"不在--嚯。"他如同权力角币的积极的支持者一样嚯嚯地一笑。
"从来没有逗留过?""没有--呵。"
Brian straightens his tie, and steps up to the box. Silence crunches like lizard bones.
'Mr Ledesma - how long have you been a TV journalist?'
'Almost fifteen years now.'
'Practicing where?'
'New York mostly, and Chicago.'
'Not Nacogdoches?'
Lally frowns. 'No-ho,' he hooshes a little powerdime-booster.
'Ever visit?'
'No-ho.'
_________________
我按响蜂鸣器不是为了改变我的陈述，我按响它是因为我的情况没得到陈述。关于这十年我得到一个启示，感觉到我一直在听任这一整群权力角币的组织者以地毯纺织工所表现出来的那种勤奋，用他们该死的连篇废话把我杀死。而且你完全知道，州里并不会空运任何专家下来帮助我。我学到的是：你需要那种勤奋，顶级的勤奋。虽然不准把它说出来，且我也不希望亲口把它说出来。对于那种魔鬼的活儿，明智的怀疑已不再适用，实际上已不起作用，别试图对我说它是管用的。如果你的猫咬了邻居的仓鼠，碰巧遇上了朱迪法官或诸如此类的人，它管用；但一旦他们增运了巡逻警车来，并在法庭里造了一个动物园的笼子，就别抱什么希望了。你必须提供简单明了、实实在在、任何人看着电视就能判断的无罪证明，不然的话，他们会反复推敲几个世纪的证据，就像上一千年一堂接一堂的数学课，而就在这之中他们一笔勾销了明智的怀疑。
I don't hit the buzzer to change my story. I hit it because my story ain't getting told. I get an enlightenment about the ten years it feels like I've been listening to this whole crowd of powerdime spinners, with their industry of carpet-fiber experts, and shrinks and all, who finish me off with their goddam blah, blah, blah. And you just know the State ain't flying any experts down for me. What I learned is you need that industry, big-time. Because, although you ain't allowed to say it, and I hope I ain't doing The Devil's Work by saying it myself - Reasonable Doubt just don't apply anymore. Not in practice, don't try and tell me it does. Maybe if your cat bit the neighbor's hamster, like with Judge Judy or something. But once they ship in extra patrol cars, and build a zoo cage in court, forget it. You have to come up with simple, honest-to-goodness proof of innocence, that anybody can tell just by watching TV. Otherwise they hammer through nine centuries of technical evidence, like a millennium of back-to-back math classes, and it's up in there that they wipe out Reasonable Doubt.
_____
本书的翻译确实很难，但因为难，所以更需要慎重，需要不断完善。希望大家可以群策群力，给“powerdime”一个妥善的译法。
弗农小上帝的评论
3
在一位豆友的帖子里见到如下数段话：
http://www.douban.co
8、书里有个很重要的词，在全书重复了接近20次，主人公不时地提它一提。
那就是“权力角币”。这是啥？看完整本书，也没弄明白。
举个原文的例子，大家看看，能否猜出是啥意思。
P78第7行。他的权力角币采取了一个鲁莽草率的转换。
——————
好奇心一下子被他勾上来了。
“权力角币”啥东西？
查Google，查百度，均无果。
最后求诸原书，比对中译本，发现对应的英文是powerdime。
老实说，这是啥玩意，我依旧不知道。
不过，在一番Google后，我有了惊人的发现：
The novel is told throughout by Vernon Gregory Little, the friend of school shooter and best friend Jesus. Vernon has a hyperstylized voice. He doesn't know the true meaning or spelling of some words -- paradigm becomes "powerdime"; a teaching is a "learning" -- and he is adept at powerful insights that should be well beyond the ability of a teen-age boy whose primary mode of communication is through cussing. But, y'know what? This is a novel. His voice is a representation of teen-age angst and confused sex thoughts commingled with occasional insights into the real world, not the thing itself.
原来，powerdime是主角的拼写错误！带着这一点，再回头去读小说。
那么，paradigm 该如何翻译，我个人觉得挺难。但绝对不是“权力角币”。
——————
布赖恩整整领带，走到证人席跟前。寂静就如蜥蜴的骨节一般嘎吱嘎吱作响。
"莱德斯马先生，你做电视新闻记者有多久了?""至今几乎十五年了。"
"在什么地方从业?"
"大多在纽约，也在芝加哥。""不在纳科多奇斯县?"
拉利皱起了眉头。"不在--嚯。"他如同权力角币的积极的支持者一样嚯嚯地一笑。
"从来没有逗留过?""没有--呵。"
Brian straightens his tie, and steps up to the box. Silence crunches like lizard bones.
'Mr Ledesma - how long have you been a TV journalist?'
'Almost fifteen years now.'
'Practicing where?'
'New York mostly, and Chicago.'
'Not Nacogdoches?'
Lally frowns. 'No-ho,' he hooshes a little powerdime-booster.
'Ever visit?'
'No-ho.'
_________________
我按响蜂鸣器不是为了改变我的陈述，我按响它是因为我的情况没得到陈述。关于这十年我得到一个启示，感觉到我一直在听任这一整群权力角币的组织者以地毯纺织工所表现出来的那种勤奋，用他们该死的连篇废话把我杀死。而且你完全知道，州里并不会空运任何专家下来帮助我。我学到的是：你需要那种勤奋，顶级的勤奋。虽然不准把它说出来，且我也不希望亲口把它说出来。对于那种魔鬼的活儿，明智的怀疑已不再适用，实际上已不起作用，别试图对我说它是管用的。如果你的猫咬了邻居的仓鼠，碰巧遇上了朱迪法官或诸如此类的人，它管用；但一旦他们增运了巡逻警车来，并在法庭里造了一个动物园的笼子，就别抱什么希望了。你必须提供简单明了、实实在在、任何人看着电视就能判断的无罪证明，不然的话，他们会反复推敲几个世纪的证据，就像上一千年一堂接一堂的数学课，而就在这之中他们一笔勾销了明智的怀疑。
I don't hit the buzzer to change my story. I hit it because my story ain't getting told. I get an enlightenment about the ten years it feels like I've been listening to this whole crowd of powerdime spinners, with their industry of carpet-fiber experts, and shrinks and all, who finish me off with their goddam blah, blah, blah. And you just know the State ain't flying any experts down for me. What I learned is you need that industry, big-time. Because, although you ain't allowed to say it, and I hope I ain't doing The Devil's Work by saying it myself - Reasonable Doubt just don't apply anymore. Not in practice, don't try and tell me it does. Maybe if your cat bit the neighbor's hamster, like with Judge Judy or something. But once they ship in extra patrol cars, and build a zoo cage in court, forget it. You have to come up with simple, honest-to-goodness proof of innocence, that anybody can tell just by watching TV. Otherwise they hammer through nine centuries of technical evidence, like a millennium of back-to-back math classes, and it's up in there that they wipe out Reasonable Doubt.
_____
本书的翻译确实很难，但因为难，所以更需要慎重，需要不断完善。希望大家可以群策群力，给“powerdime”一个妥善的译法。
本评论版权属于作者森纳乔，并受法律保护。除非评论正文中另有声明，没有作者本人的书面许可任何人不得转载或使用整体或任何部分的内容。
2008-09-21 13:32:46 无机客
Reasonable Doubt法律专业用语，“合理怀疑”或者“合理性怀疑“。
2008-09-21 13:39:26 Onetti
这样的话应该powerdime是“装腔作势的”的一种错误读法，可以考虑译成“装强做事”之类的，再加注说明。powerdime spinners=“装强做事”的骗子们
竟然译成“权力角币的组织者以地毯纺织工”。晕了。
2008-09-21 13:41:39 森纳乔
“权力角币的组织者以地毯纺织工”你读错了。。。
听任这一整群权力角币的组织者 以地毯纺织工所表现出来的那种勤奋，用他们该死的连篇废话把我杀死
2008-09-21 13:42:45 森纳乔
“装腔作势”，译得很好很好～～2008-09-21 13:44:33 森纳乔
spinner有骗子的意思啊
2008-09-21 13:46:09 Onetti
谢谢楼主打消了我的心头疑问。当年想给整本书挑一遍错来着，结果弄到英文电子版之后，中文的这本又让朋友借走了，于是那个“权力角币”的问题一直没弄明白。
2008-09-21 13:57:31 Onetti
原来还有后一句，纺织工是后一句的。后一句也不对，唉carpet-fiber experts, and shrinks=
地毯纤维专家，以及神经科医生
2008-09-21 14:00:36 森纳乔
我漏看了shrinks2008-09-21 14:07:58 Onetti
咦？楼主在一楼发的不是引用中译原文么？鲁莽了……2008-09-21 14:10:51 森纳乔
是译林出版社的中译文原文啊。。。2008-09-21 14:11:31 森纳乔
我是说自己没瞧出shrink的这处漏译～～2008-09-21 14:43:31 Onetti
：）有时真想在豆瓣发起给某些劣质译本纠错的活动。
2008-09-21 22:03:58 meheart
如此低级的错误，关键在于热心人太少了~> 我来回应