∷林巍 文/譯
原 文
[1] “隱私”, 作為一個(gè)相對(duì)現(xiàn)代的概念, 在我們社會(huì), 應(yīng)當(dāng)說是改革開放若干年之后的事; 在此之前,則是另外一回事。
[2] 改革開放前,我們的社會(huì)受“極左”思想影響深重,那時(shí)任何沾“私”的事情都與“公”相對(duì)立,都是落后、不光彩、甚至是反動(dòng)的;而“隱私”更是“見不得人”和“骯臟”的代名詞。
[3] 然而,隨著我國商品經(jīng)濟(jì)的進(jìn)程及日益參與國際事務(wù),人們逐漸發(fā)現(xiàn),“隱私”其實(shí)是每個(gè)人所不可或缺的。道理很簡單,一個(gè)人——無論其職業(yè)、地位、身份、年齡等——在24小時(shí)的生活中,不可能時(shí)時(shí)刻刻都以同一種面目出現(xiàn)。若有人這樣,要么他是個(gè)十足的偽君子,要么他就是不懂得如何擔(dān)當(dāng)自己不同的角色與責(zé)任。
[4] 通俗來說,“隱私”是指那些與他人無關(guān)、或是不愿意讓他人知道的私人信息。這些信息可能涉及到宗教、信仰、愛好、性取向、私人活動(dòng)等,而一旦透露,則會(huì)給本人帶來歧視與難堪。一個(gè)隱私?jīng)]有安全感的社會(huì),不會(huì)是安寧的社會(huì)。
[5] 二十年前,我移民國外,當(dāng)時(shí)感受最深的一點(diǎn),是對(duì)于他人私人空間的尊重。譬如,排隊(duì)時(shí)在人與人之間留夠了距離,不像在中國時(shí)“貼”得那么緊。又如,對(duì)于他人的私人信息絕不打聽,而中國人則視之為對(duì)于他人關(guān)心的細(xì)致入微。
[6] 一般公認(rèn)的最基本的隱私信息,例如:政治信息、財(cái)務(wù)信息、醫(yī)療信息、家庭信息等等,都應(yīng)具有相應(yīng)的保護(hù)措施,甚至是法律。
[7] 只有具有相當(dāng)?shù)赖碌娜?,才?huì)認(rèn)同和尊重他人的隱私;而每人如此設(shè)身處地,自己的隱私才會(huì)得到尊重。這樣的人達(dá)到一定的數(shù)量,才能形成氣候與文化,那便是公德。讓每個(gè)人的隱私都得到認(rèn)可和尊重,是構(gòu)成社會(huì)安定、和諧的重要因素。可見,“隱私”絕不是一個(gè)簡單的私人概念,而是一個(gè)社會(huì)文明程度的標(biāo)志。
譯 文
[1] The concept of “privacy” in our society is something relatively modern—a term publicly talked about only since the recent Reform and Opening Up.
[2] Before this historical change, China was under the influence of ultra-left thought, where everything related to“self” was deemed as backward, shameful, even reactionary,since they might be in contradiction to public interest.
Needless to say, “privacy” which was almost a synonym for shamefulness or dark soul.
[3] With the development of the commodity economy and China’s increasing engagement internationally,however, Chinese gradually realized that privacy is actually in everyone’s interest. Put simply, regardless of a person’s profession, position, status, identity or age, it is impossible for him or her to appear the same 24 hours a day unless a hypocrite or hiding failure to perform.
[4] Privacy is normally regarded as personal information that is unrelated to others, or that a person is unwilling to reveal. Information such as a person’s religion, belief, hobbies, sexual orientation or personal activities may cause discrimination or embarrassment if they are unfavorably disclosed. People may lack of a sense of safety in a society where privacy cannot be properly protected.
[5] One thing that impressed me most in a country where I emigrated twenty years ago was the personal space people left for others. For example, when people are queuing up they keep a quite distance from one another, unlike the Chinese always jostling each other.Concern for others’ personal information is traditionally a way the Chinese care for others, but in a western country can be regarded as intrusive.
[6] Essential personal information may include a personal’s political affiliation, financial status, medical conditions, family affairs and so on. These ought to be appropriately protected, even by law.
[7] A moral person should recognize and respect others’privacy, and deserves the same treatment. Social ethics and a healthy culture are thus formed when moral people are evident. Respecting individuals’ privacy is an integral part of a stable and harmonious society. In a way, privacy shouldn’t be simply viewed as a personal concept at all;rather, it indicates how civilized a society is.
譯 注
“隱私”作為一種概念,在標(biāo)題中用了a sense of... 而在[1]中則還原為concept,而其本身未譯成通俗意義上的shameful secret, 而是作為整體概念的privacy。這里的 “改革開放”也是特有所指——中國1979年之后的改革,故應(yīng)以大寫示之。對(duì)于“在此之前,則是另外一回事”一句,考慮到上下文,其含義已出,故未單獨(dú)翻譯。
在[2]中,“改革開放前”,未重復(fù)前面的Reform and Opening Up,而以this historical change代之?!澳菚r(shí)任何沾‘私’的事情都與‘公’相對(duì)立,都是落后的、不光彩的,甚至是反動(dòng)的”,其中的“私”和“公”分別以self和 public interest 譯出,同時(shí)將句中的成分次序顛倒,以利于英文句式的表達(dá):...where everything related to “self” was deemed as backward,shameful, even reactionary, since they might be in contradiction to public interest. 此外,“骯臟”并未譯作通常意義上的dirtiness等,而為dark soul,即靈魂深處不可見人之物。英文里,類似如:Another ordinary school.Another teenager with a dark soul and a gun. Another harvest of young corpses(又是發(fā)生在一所普通的學(xué)校,同樣一名少年懷著罪惡的念頭拿著槍支,到處可見幼小的尸體); But it is this part of the current crisis that the dark soul admires most (但是目前該危機(jī)的這一部分, 最受那些陰險(xiǎn)人士的推崇)等。
在[3]中,“‘隱私’其實(shí)是每個(gè)人所不可或缺的”,以反向譯為:...that privacy is actually in everyone’s interest.對(duì)于“在24小時(shí)的生活中,不可能時(shí)時(shí)刻刻都以同一種面目出現(xiàn)。若有人這樣做,要么他是個(gè)十足的偽君子,要么他就是不懂得如何擔(dān)當(dāng)自己不同的角色與責(zé)任”,則在語意和結(jié)構(gòu)上作出較大調(diào)整:...it is impossible for him or her to appear the same 24 hours a day unless a hypocrite or hiding failure to perform, 主要是求得意義上的吻合。
在[4]中,“一旦透露”指的是不情愿地被人知道,故用了are unfavorably disclosed,其中的unfavorably或unfavorable是一種比較委婉的說法,如:He is a unfavorable person(他是個(gè)不太受歡迎的人); Actually, the existence of rivals is not always unfavorable(原來,對(duì)手的存在,并非都是一種壞事); I think it’s way too early to go out on a limb on any stock in the sector. The odds are still unfavorable on a bill, and the shape of any legislation is anyone’s guess(我認(rèn)為就該版塊的股票而言,現(xiàn)在押注還為時(shí)過早,無人確定是否宜于提案;加上現(xiàn)在股市疲軟的表現(xiàn),我會(huì)選擇觀望);“我從來不對(duì)孩子說,他比別的孩子差”(I never compare my child unfavorably to other children);“中國的人均農(nóng)業(yè)土地面積比不上世界上其他許多國家”(China compares unfavorably with many other countries in terms of per capita agricultural land)?!耙粋€(gè)隱私?jīng)]有安全感的社會(huì),不會(huì)是安寧的社會(huì)”,將其中的“安全感”變通為人的感覺,即people may lack of a sense of safety in a society,而意為“若隱私得不到保護(hù)”:...where privacy cannot be properly protected.
在[5]中,“不像在中國時(shí)‘貼’得那么緊”,這里的“貼”未用stick to, nestle, keep close to等,而是用了jostle,該詞不但有 to exist in close proximity之意,而且表示to make one’s way by pushing and shoving or crowding,故更能準(zhǔn)確地傳達(dá)此意?!皩?duì)于他人的私人信息絕不打聽,而中國人則視之為對(duì)于他人關(guān)心的細(xì)致入微”,其中的“絕不打聽”,略強(qiáng)調(diào)為intrusive,而“視之為對(duì)于他人關(guān)心的細(xì)致入微”可淡化為care for others,都是一種必要的變通。
在[6]中,對(duì)于“政治信息、財(cái)務(wù)信息、醫(yī)療信息、家庭信息”亦作了相應(yīng)的變通:political affiliation, financial status,medical conditions, family affairs,以求更為確切;而“都應(yīng)具有相應(yīng)的保護(hù)措施,甚至是法律”,在英文中則不妨另起一句,同時(shí)突出“受法律保護(hù)之意”:These ought to be appropriately protected, even by law. 類似的變通,在中英翻譯中是常見的,如: Competent scientist constantly have tried to defeat their hypotheses,theories and conclusions. 為加強(qiáng)語勢,不妨將其中的 defeat 分別譯出:“務(wù)實(shí)的科學(xué)家們總是設(shè)法否定自己的假設(shè),推翻自己的理論以及放棄自己的結(jié)論”。
在[7]中,“只有具有相當(dāng)?shù)赖碌娜恕?,未按字面意思譯成a person with certain degree of morality, 而是常用的a moral person;“自己的隱私才會(huì)得到尊重”則簡化為deserves the same treatment.“這樣的人達(dá)到一定的數(shù)量,才能形成氣候與文化,那便是公德”,對(duì)于此句做了較大的變通,其中“氣候、文化、公德”等概譯為social ethics and a healthy culture,而“達(dá)到一定的數(shù)量”,不必譯成reach certain numbers of people, 而僅處理成are evident。“構(gòu)成……的重要因素”,似可譯成 an important component of ... 但此處不如 an integral part of ... 更貼切?!啊[私’絕不是一個(gè)簡單的私人概念,而是一個(gè)社會(huì)文明程度的標(biāo)志”,若譯成 Privacy is not simply a personal concept but an indication of social civilization,便頗顯呆板,而其實(shí)際含義為在怎樣的程度上反映了該社會(huì)的文明。