经济学人 | All in the Best Possible Taste (3)

原文

Then there are the costs of insurance. If people want to keep a Stradivarius at home, theft is a big risk; robbery with violins is a serious crime, after all.

But tax is apotentialadvantage for collectibles. Financial assets come with income streams that have historically been taxed at marginal rates of 40% or moreArt and stamps generate no income stream and incur tax only when they are sold. The academics calculate that, after tax, collectibles have generated higher returns than equities for British investors since 1900.

词汇

(1)keep:收藏

eg. I saved 30 cents. Plus, I get to keep the cup.

省30毛,还可以收藏杯子

『延伸』

表达收藏的词汇还有:

① amass (vt.)

eg. People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so.

人们喜欢收藏东西,有时并没有意识到自己在这样做。

② collection (可数名词cn.)

All featuring snippets from producer Raz's personal collection of action imports.

都是描述Raz的个人收藏动作的。

(2)risk:引起危险的事物;具有危害性的事物;危险人物;处境危险的人→既可指人也可指物

eg. Your television is a fire risk if left plugged in overnight.

你的电视机插头如果夜间不拔出,有引起火灾的危险。

If something isn’t done about that tip soon, it’s going to be a health risk.

要是这一忠告不早日采纳执行,那将会危及健康。

A loyalty risk

其忠诚受到怀疑的人

Patients classified as poor risks

被划为危重类的病人。

注:中文中“引起/招致危险、危及”等描述除incur/invite/give rise to/cause/arouse/bring about/induce dangers可以考虑用risk一词造句。

(3)art:(不可数名词un.)美术(作)品、艺术(作)品→【总称】

eg. Purchase antiques and art

购买古玩和艺术品

This tapestry is a work of art.(表达复数概念时,加work)

这张挂毯是件艺术品。

固定短语:arts and crafts手工艺

『延伸』

-art 表示沉湎于……的人,过于……的人

braggart n.自夸者,吹牛者

(4)come with 随同……而来,与……一同供应(……交加、……相随)

eg. The increase of traffic that comes with new roads.

新公路带来的交通量的增加。

同义词:go with/accompany/follow

语法

(1)marginal rates of 40% → 百分数的位置

宾语或介宾:constitute 8% of the population(占人口8%); go down by 10%(下降10%)

定语:15% tip(15%的小费)

状语:a hundred percent convinced 百分百全信

注:到底是marginal rates of 40% 还是40% of marginal rates?

可以肯定的是,这里只有marginal rates of 40%的说法是正确的。会出现40% of marginal rates这种表达方式的困惑,是对百分数在句中所作的成分印象模糊,只有当百分数跟在动词(包括及物动词与be动词)后作宾语/表语,表占……百分比时,才会出现百分数在of前的用法,如constitute 8% of the population(占人口8%)。

(2)or more:或以上。

同义词:or above、or over

eg. Children under 12 and passengers aged 65 or above enjoy concessionary fares on all routes.

2岁以下小童和年满65岁及长者享有票价优惠。

Today every citizen aged eighteen or over has the right to vote.

如今,年满18周岁或18周岁以上的公民都有选举权。

『延伸』

and above 和or above的区别——

从数学角度来讲,这两个短语略有差异,A and above必定含A,A or above可含A也可不含A。但从语言学角度来讲,两者几乎不存在差异,比如我们说本科及以上、十八岁或十八岁以上等概念的时候,本科生和十八岁均满足条件。

翻译技巧积累

巧用形容词、副词

① 请看本段中的这句话:But tax is a potential advantage for collectibles.

参考译文:但藏品在税赋方面可能有优势。

该句中文译文中“可能”作助动词,已然改变原文中potential的词性。这就是翻译过程中需要掌握的基本技巧——词性转换

「抡起小手练练撒」

请看下列三句话:

① 中国政府能提供很多帮助

② 我们要通过加强我们之间的经济、文化、科学、技术交流和人员来加深了解。

③ 我们一贯认为,联合国的所有成员国都应遵守《联合国宪章》的宗旨和原则。

「看看参考译文哈」

① The Chinese government can be very helpful.

② We seek a deep-rooted understanding through the multiplication of our economic, cultural, scientific, technical and human ties.

③ It is our long-held view that all members of the UN should adhere to the purpose and principle of the Charter of the United Nations.

『延伸』

当然,本句中potential一词还可以替换成possible/conceivable/probable等词。

eg. Or the other possibility is that they have no case whatsoever and they're tallying up all conceivable leads.

要么是他们到现在也没有找到什么证据,因此正检查每一种想得到的可能性。

The temporary cease-fire agreement does not preclude possible retaliatory attacks later.

临时停火协议不能防止以后发生报复性攻击的可能性。

Some of these endings are more probable than others. Some, such as the end of time, are downright paradoxical. (可能性很大)

有些世界末日比其他的更有可能性,有些比如像“时间的尽头”则是彻头彻尾的自相矛盾。

② 再看本段中这句话: Financial assets come with income streams that have historically been taxed at marginal rates of 40% or more.

参考译文:一直以来,金融资产带来的收入流要面对40%或以上的边际税率。

本句中“historically”一词的中文含义是“在历史进程中;在过去,以往”。

通常,表示“以往、一直以来”的词还有before/formerly/in the past/as ever/in the foretime等。可以注意积累一下historically,替换这些词。

同时,in the history/in the past等介词短语均可用更简洁的副词替换:historically/formerly。而翻译这些英文副词时,可以将其灵活处理成介词短语或其他短语。

如:Ideally I think it should have some of each mixed in, in good proportions.

理想的情况下,我认为两者应当相互混合——以一个合适的比例。

Ideally, you could go online, pick out what breed you want, and it would come to your door with a red bow on it.

最理想地是,你可以在网上挑选你想饲养的宠物,它会带着一个红色的蝴蝶结来到你的门前。

And, ideally, you would respond to the criticism.

理想的做法是你对批评作出回应。

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