原文:
I don't have the heart to leave her alone for long.
原译:
我没有长时间将她一个人留下的心。
辨 析:
原句中的“heart”并不是指“心”,而是“情感、感情”的意思,因此翻译为“心”是不准确的。
汉语说“有心”是intend (to do something) 或(do something) intentionally,
汉语的“有心要做某事”意为下了决心打算做,译为英语:have a mind (to do something)或 set one's mind on (doing something)。
所以,汉语的“心”在这里相当于英语的mind。中国古代认为“心乃思之官”,所以常说“心里想”,但英语不能说I think in my heart,而要用mind一词。What's in your mind? 就是“你在想什么?”的意思。
只有在代表“感情”的时候,heart和“心”的意思才有共同之处:
black hearted黑心的
break one's heart伤心
set one's heart at ease放心
with a heavy heart心情沉重
bare one's heart袒露心迹
with a half heart半心半意
with all one's heart/heart and soul全心全意
win someone's heart赢得某人的心
have a heart of gold有一颗金子般的心
from the bottom of one's heart从心底里
to one's heart's content心满意足
imprint on one's heart铭记在心
one's heart being afire心如火焚
ring in one's heart萦绕心头
bring one's heart into one's mouth心跳到嗓子眼
Hearts which beat in unison are linked.心有灵犀一点通。
本文所讨论的have the heart to do something是一个口语用法,意思是“有勇气”或“忍心”(做某件事),一般用于否定句。所以原句可译为:我实在不忍心让她一个人长时间留下来。
另外,英语中表示"不忍心"通常可以使用以下表达:
1. Can't bear: 表示无法忍受或无法容忍某种情感或行为。
例句:I can't bear to see her suffer like this.(我无法忍受看到她这样受苦。)
2. Can't stand: 表示无法忍受或无法忍受某种情感或行为。
例句:I can't stand to see him treated unfairly.(我无法忍受看到他受到不公正对待。)
3. Unable to bring oneself to: 表示无法使自己去做某事,常用于描述不忍心做出某种行为。
例句:I am unable to bring myself to tell her the truth.(我无法使自己告诉她真相。)
4. Can't find it in one's heart: 表示无法在内心找到某种情感或勇气。
例句:I can't find it in my heart to forgive him.(我无法从内心原谅他。)