【问题】If you can neither receive nor bestow benefit,you had better leave that company at once.一句译成“如果你既不能得到好处,也不能给予好处,你最好马上离开那家公司。”不知对否,又请将company的含义及用法举例说明。
! d$ b) K+ y% X$ @& I 【解答】问句中的英文句子应译作“如果你交的朋友对你无益,你也不能对他有所帮助,你就得马上离开他。”因为句中的company一字,意为交友而误为公司,所以因一字之差而全文皆错。
' c( R3 {2 k# G- e7 w 英文的company有下列九种用法:
" }9 Y' a# l! d1 a9 V' R' ]+ \( ]- s (1)一群人(a group of people),例如:. i1 \ p- u$ U( A3 Y
A great company came to the exhibition.(许多人来看展览会。)
- y+ N( X$ E' h (2)为某种目的而集合的人(a number of people combined, esp. one with a common purpose),例如:
+ | y- \! R; \, T. N- P The company are now enjoying a feast.(会众正在宴会中。): `+ u# i" ?* S3 W v
(3)同伴,陪伴(companionship),例如:, B: N7 l* ~7 P
He kept me company.(他陪伴了我。)
# A7 I4 ^; W4 Y+ z& Q7 Q7 b (4)交友(companions),例如:
, r9 Q' f8 l2 e A man is known by the company he keeps.(看一个人所交的朋友,就可知道他的好坏。近朱者赤,近墨者黑。)
! a9 S& F- Q: ?. M/ [- bHis father asked him to avoid bad company.(他父亲要他别交损友。)
) A C6 v# _1 Y( B5 V! [6 G (5)宾客,来宾(a number of invited guests),例如:9 Q; j* R2 {8 {0 D1 q+ p
We are expecting company next week. (下星期我们要请客。): B1 I( ?# S" X5 b- {/ N
We have company today. (我们今日请客。)
8 [4 t: ` y! y" L3 I7 ~ l' K1 \* T (6)公司,行号(a business organization),例如:
! ~, }7 B9 ~$ Y5 B& C0 v6 G( ~ We organized a publishing company.(我们组织一家出版公司。)3 |5 `# S) R8 ^ o7 K3 \5 j5 R
(7)(陆军中的)连(the part of an army commanded by a captain),例如:3 a, \2 R+ u) D* s* w3 ?: k3 e8 I
This company commanded the passage to the fortress.(这连军队控制住通往要塞的路。)
6 F% v1 G+ r4 \* F' Y3 X (8)全体船员(a ship's crew),例如: r" {; X9 p8 P3 ?
The ship's company assembled On deck for inspection.(全体船员在甲板上集合,以备检阅。)" w* x3 [( M; w4 i
(9)剧团(a party of actors playing together),例如:0 G3 ^, A7 d. [. b8 F4 `
The play Was staged by a theatrical company.(那出戏由一个剧团演出。)2 j$ G6 q& W* i- c
中国请帖上说的“敬备菲酌,恭候光临”,英译时也用得着company一字,即 request the pleasure of your company at dinner或 request the honour of ’s company at dinner或简单地说 request the company of at dinner.
( @: I0 p# U, H% h: x+ ` Company在用作“宾客”解时,前面不加冠词,不问来客有多少人,也不能用复数的companies,只能说:
( z- M3 ~, Q# U1 R We have company at dinner.(请客吃饭。)
0 ~6 b3 b, A8 y) B; ? He always has company on Saturday evenings.(他礼拜六晚上总要请客。)
# q K+ g. x$ P- b7 G. m# e 作“公司”解的company的用法,也有需要注意的地方。把company看作单数或复数都可以,如:( D# t4 b. b2 A! |; o% T1 ]
The cinema company is(或are) holding its(或their) annual meeting.(电影公司正在召开年会。)
+ a6 `% t% X% A* Q8 y. R 在company(普通略作Co.)的前面,&的有无随便,如Smith和另外的一些人合资经营一个商号,普通叫做Smith & Co.,但也可以叫做The Smith Company。凡有&的,前面不可加the(不可说The Smith & Co.);如没有&,则前面用the或不用the皆可。没有姓的公司名,决不可以用&,即不可以说The Cinema & Co.,只能说The Cinema Company。至于The Smith & Jones Company是可以的,因为&并不在company字前,而是用来联结两个人名的。+ g" [! w2 G3 E! \1 f( n+ o
单独一个公司不可说成复数,但几个公司则是要用复数的,如:the“Big Three” vehicle producing companies(三大汽车制造公司),affiliated companies(分公司)。
, @& w( Z; `8 Y2 Z+ ]8 Y 现再就作“友伴”解的company举例说明一下。首先使我想到的是培根(F.Bacon)在谈友谊(On Friendship)一文中说:- i% x* E' H/ X- S- b: D- n
A crowd is not company,and faces are but a gallery of pictures…when there is no love.(群众并不等于友伴,要是没有爱的话,那些人的面孔不过是画廊中所见到的肖像画罢了。)4 C! A/ W9 J1 x1 d R& e6 N
从前的政治家和现在民主时代的不同,他们那时还不知要捉住群众的心,而加以利用呢。现代的政治家决不会说群众不是友伴的话的。 % X* Y) K, _! U1 h
王尔德(Oscar Wilde)说:" `% P5 X* N7 ]6 G9 u9 ~* g. r8 |
In married life three is company and two none.(在婚姻生活中,没有孩子是寂寞的。)- a; m* m+ B' G& }, w
王尔德说的这句话是从一句英文Proverb套出来的逆说。那谚语说:( \- j: k7 Z$ v1 u9 a C2 [9 T
Two is company,but three is none.(两个和尚抬水吃,三个和尚没水吃。)
6 d8 [9 T {' U" r 最后请看R.Lynd 在The Shy Father一文中说了什么:+ [) O0 M( S% [5 Z& V
www.examw.com It is not that l dislike the company of women and children;On the whole,I think讧the best company in the world.But,as Bacon has said,a crowd is not company,and the loneliness of a man entirely surrounded by women and children surpasses even the loneliness of a mail isolated in the middle of the Sahara.(并不是我不喜欢有女人和孩子作伴;大概说起来,我想这是世间最好的友伴。不过培根却说群众并不等于友伴,由女人和孩子完全包围着的男人的孤寂,比独自在撒哈拉沙漠当中的一个男人的孤寂尤有过之。) |