今天的句子:
There’s definitely something fascinating about supposedly untranslatable words. But not knowing the German word Fingerspitzengefuehl doesn’t mean that you can’t grasp the idea of the subtle skills it refers to. It is true that cultures develop worldviews, ways of perceiving and thinking about the world, that are often reflected in their vocabulary.
思考题:
The author believes that untranslatable words_______.
A.can be translated
B.are not so special
C.can be perceived
D.do not reflect values
句子解析:
第一句:
There’s definitely something fascinating about supposedly untranslatable words.
参考译文:所谓不可译的词肯定存在令人着迷之处。
第二句:
But not knowing the German word Fingerspitzengefuehl doesn’t mean that you can’t grasp the idea of the subtle skills/ it refers to.
参考译文:但是不知道德语Fingerspitzengefuehl这个词并不意味着你不能理解它所指的微妙技能。
第三句:
It is true that cultures develop worldviews, ways of perceiving and thinking about the world, /that are often reflected in their vocabulary.
参考译文:确实,文化生发出世界观——人们感知和思考世界的方式,而它又常常反映在他们的词汇中。
思考题解析:
A. can be translated
(可被翻译)
A选项错误。
B. are not so special
(没那么特别)
B选项错误。
C. can be perceived
(能被理解)
对应第二句!
C选项正确。
D. do not reflect values
(不反应价值观)
D选项错误。
确实中文的“缘分”,"孝道”都没法直接翻译为英文。
英文的presentation也很难说对应中文的那个词。
所以词汇学习真的才是英语学习的终点啊!
文章来源背景和来源:
Human experience is shared, even if words aren’t
人类经验是共享的,即使词汇不是
Source: Christian Science Monitor, Print Edition, September 26
背景:在跨语言交流时,我们常常遇到一些蕴涵特殊概念或体会的词语,很难在目的语中找到与它们完全对应的词,甚至可能三言两语也没法说清楚它们的意思。这些不可译的词又常常被认为生根于独特的文化,而不懂其语言和文化的人是无法体会其深意的。这种假设不对。虽然对于有些外语词,我们可能需要费老大劲才能略知一二,比如读一整篇文章或整本书,但所有的人类经验都是共通的,只是表达的方式或有不同。换句话说,我们或许不理解不可译词,但却可以领悟它们所表述的感情和经历。