蝸 居

句子：現在國內正在熱播電視連續劇《蝸居》。

誤譯：The TV series “Living in a Snails Shell” is hitting the TV screen in China.

正譯：The TV series “A Nutshell of a House” is hitting the TV screen in China.

解釋：漢語可以用蝸牛殼比喻窄小的住處，有“蝸居”的說法。英語snail 的意思是a small soft creature with a hard round shell on its back, that moves very slowly，有“行動緩慢”的聯想，但與“狹小”無關。這是它與漢語的文化差異。英語習語 slow as a snail具有very slow的意思。at a snails pace 具有very slowly的意思。例如：

1. 我的互聯網連接慢如蝸牛。My Internet connection is slow as a snail.

2. 這位老人慢慢地行走。The old man walked along at a snail's pace.

“蝸居”的第一個意思是比喻“狹小的住所”，用作名詞。英語可以譯為 humble abode, a nutshell of a house。例如：

3. 有空請來蝸居小坐。Please drop in and visit with me in my humble abode when you have time.

4. 奢談在像我們這樣的蝸居里舉行晚會是多么荒唐呀！ How absurd it is to talk of giving a party in such a nutshell of a house as ours!

注意，narrow dwelling表示的是“窄”，但是并不一定“小”，因而不一定是“蝸居”。例如：

5. 我的家是一所長條的窄房子，有許多房間，照明也好。My home was a long narrow dwelling with many rooms, and good lighting.

“蝸居”的第二個意思是比喻“住在狹小的住所”，用作動詞。英語可以譯為to live in a small room, to confine oneself to a small room。例如：

6. 過去他們一家五口人蝸居一間僅10平方米的斗室。In the past, the five people of his family lived in a small room that covered an area of only ten square meters.

7. 這位孤獨老人蝸居斗室。This lonely old man confines himself to a small room.▲

（本欄目供稿：王逢鑫教授）