“啃老族”是當(dāng)今緊張而忙碌生活的產(chǎn)物。有這樣一個(gè)句子:這個(gè)啃老族已經(jīng)30歲了,但仍然依靠他的父母生活。有人是這樣翻譯的:
This Neet is already 30 years old but still lives on his parents.
其實(shí)嚴(yán)格地說,live on后面要跟sth,不跟sb;而live off后面可以跟sb或sth,意思分別是“靠什么人養(yǎng)活”和“靠什么活著”,目前還沒有“l(fā)ive on sb”的搭配。例如:They live on a diet of bread and cheese.(他們靠吃面包和奶酪活著。)This unemployed worker lives on unemployment benefit.(這個(gè)失業(yè)工人靠失業(yè)救濟(jì)金為生。)
“啃老族”指既沒有上學(xué)也沒有就業(yè)或接受職業(yè)技能培訓(xùn)但必須依靠父母養(yǎng)活的青年人。在英國(guó)英語中,“NEET”指啃老族的一員,“NEET group”指啃老族群體!癗EET”是“Not Currently Engaged in Education, Employment or Training ”或“Not in Education, Employment or Training”的縮略語。美國(guó)英語則稱之為“boomerang child/kid”。
Boomerang原指澳大利亞土著居民的飛鏢。例如:
An investigation indicates that about 70% of the unemployed young people in our country now live off their parents, thus becoming Neets.”(調(diào)查顯示,我國(guó)目前約七成失業(yè)青年靠父母養(yǎng)活,因而成為啃老族。)
In Japan, more and more young people have joined in the Neet group who neither go to collage nor go to work..”(越來越多的日本青年加入到既不上學(xué)又不工作的啃老族。)
The boomerang child phenomenon has become a social problem on a nationwide scale.”(啃老族現(xiàn)象已成為全國(guó)性的社會(huì)問題。)
如果把“啃老族”翻譯為adult dependent child是不妥的!癮dult dependent child”的意思是“有心理缺陷或生理缺陷的需要撫養(yǎng)的成年子女”,比“啃老族”含義要寬泛。例如:An adult dependent child is one who is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.(一個(gè)需要撫養(yǎng)的成年子女是因?yàn)樾睦砣毕莼蛏砣毕荻荒茏岳淼娜恕#?
所以開頭的那句話應(yīng)該翻譯為:
This Neet is already 30 years old but still lives off his parents. |