Defining the meaning of "happiness" is a perplexing proposition: the best one can do is to try to set some extremes to the idea

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问题     Defining the meaning of "happiness" is a perplexing proposition: the best one can do is to try to set some extremes to the idea and then work towards the middle. To think of happiness as achieving superiority over others, living in a mansion made of marble, having a wardrobe with hundreds of outfits, will do to set the greedy extreme. To think of happiness as the joy of a holy man of India will do to set the spiritual extreme. He sits completely still, contemplating the nature of reality, free even of his own body. If admirers bring him food, he eats it; if not, he starves. Why be concerned? What is physical is trivial to him. To contemplate is his joy and he achieves complete mental focus through an incredibly demanding discipline, the accomplishment of which is itself a joy to him.

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答案 对“幸福”的含义作出明确的界定,这个要求令人难以把握。最恰当的做法就是,先给这个观点划定极限,而后取其中庸。如果把幸福看成是优常人一等,身居大理石豪宅,藏百服于橱柜,可谓一种极限——贪婪。如果把幸福理解为印度圣人的愉悦,可谓另一种极限——精神的极限。他一动不动地坐在那里,冥思存在的本质,甚至达到了忘我的境地。有仰慕者递上食物,便食之;没有,空腹也。有形的东西在他眼里微不足道。静思就是他旧愉快,通过极其微妙的自我调整,他达到了意念的高度入定,如此境界已然成其享受。

解析     本篇翻译使用了断句、转译等方法。原文是一段关于幸福的含义的散文,难度中等,翻译时句式可灵活变化,运用断、拆句来处理句子,用词应简练,避免产生哕嗦拖沓的问题。
   1.Defining the meaning of… the middle.:把a perplexing proposition这一名词性短语处理成译文中的小短句“这个要求令人难以把握”,巧妙地运用了翻泽技巧中的转译法。the best one can do翻泽成“最恰当的做法”简练地道。work towards the middle翻译成“取其中庸”,体现了译者深厚的语言功底。
   2.To think of happiness as…greedy extreme.中文处理为“优常人一等,身居大理石豪宅,藏百服于橱柜”句式统一,结构紧凑。
   3.He sits completely still,contemplating the nature of reality, free even of his own body.“他一动不动地坐在那里,冥思存在的本质,甚至达到了忘我的境地。”free even of his own body翻译成“甚至达到了忘我的境地”,十分巧妙,贴切恰当。
   4.To contemplate is his joy and he achieves complete mental focus through an incredibly demanding discipline,the accomplishment of which is itself a joy to him.“静思就是他的愉快,通过极其微妙的自我调整,他达到了意念的高度入定,如此境界已然成其享受。”an incredibly demanding discipline意译成“极其微妙的自我凋整”,符合原文的语境。
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