Apr 17, 2006 03:21
18 yrs ago
English term

forming the sole topic of conversation to an extent that her bachelor uncle had

English to Chinese Art/Literary Psychology child study
Just at this time we began to bring the baby to the table --- nominally so that no one need stay away from meals to look after her; really for the sake of her jovial company at our sober grown-up board, where she would sit, propped amid cushions in her high chair, gazing and smiling sociably at our faces, crowing and flourishing her arms in joy at the lights and the rattle of dishes, forming the sole topic of converstaion to an extent that her bachelor uncle had his private and lonely opinion about. The high chair was one off those that have a wooden try fastened across the front, and here were placed several handy objects --- rattle, and ring, and string of spools. This was by the wisdom of grandma, who saw the approach of the power of grasping.

正当此时,我们开始把宝宝带到桌前 --- 表面上看是为了吃饭的时候不再要人格外去照看她,实际上是为了让她在我们成人的餐桌前快活地陪伴我们。她会在几个枕头的支撑下坐在她的高椅子上,一边看着我们的脸一边友善地微笑,看到亮光听到盘碟的碰撞声一边发出格格的笑声一边快活地挥动着她的小手,还一边喃喃自语,forming the sole topic of conversation to an extent that her bachelor uncle had his private and lonely opinion about. 她的高椅子是木制的,前面固定着一个托盘,上面放着一些拨浪鼓、铃铛和线轴之类的手抓物件。这是奶奶的主意,因为她看出了宝宝的抓握力发展的倾向。

Discussion

tvera (asker) Apr 17, 2006:
前文很久以前曾有一处提到过宝宝有个舅舅是个boy,宝宝出生时听人说宝宝很象他,兴冲冲地跑来看,结果看到的宝宝当时很丑陋,他于是倍感羞辱。从语气看似乎那个舅舅就是这个舅舅。bachelor怎么翻才好呢?

Proposed translations

+1
7 hrs
Selected

这些几乎构成了我们谈话的唯一话题,以至于令她的单身舅舅暗地里觉得自己很孤单。

前面强调了宝宝在桌子上的行为和表现,这些吸引了餐桌上所有人的注意力,因此后面进一步指出宝宝的一切举动开始成为大家餐桌上谈话的唯一主题,后面出现了单身舅舅,既然单身,当然会因为大家注意力的集中而觉得自己被忽略和冷落。所以这些意思应当比较靠近原意,楼主可以再修饰一下译法。
Peer comment(s):

agree Justin Lai
5 days
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
9 mins

try

寶寶成為唯一的談話主題,而範圍侷限於她的未婚 uncle 能給予代表個人及寂寞的看法的內容。
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2 days 3 hrs

构成了会话的单独议题而令他的单身舅舅私下感到被冷落的程度

bachelor怎么翻才好呢?
Bachelor 一般称为”单身”

forming the sole topic of conversation to an extent that her bachelor uncle had his private and lonely opinion about.

构成了会话的单独议题而令他的单身舅舅私下感到被冷落的程度

remark: the original English writing is somewhat problematic!
(sentence structure and punctuation marks)
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2 days 7 hrs

并成为餐桌上的中心话题,以至于她那单身的舅舅/伯伯对此亦有了他自己既孤单又私心的看法。

'forming' is echoing with 'gazing, smiling' and 'crowing and floursing', hence it is the state of having this baby became the centre of the topic;

'Uncle' can be either mother's or father's brother;

'had his .... opion about' implies the uncle's opion on having such a young baby by the table and took every adult's attention away...
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6 hrs

to an extent that he had his own opinion about = 到了某一个使他对此有了自己暗心与寂寞的想法的一个程度

to an extent that he had his own (private and lonely) opinion about = 到了某一个使他对此有自己暗心与寂寞的想法的一个程度

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Note added at 6 hrs (2006-04-17 09:37:36 GMT)
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-> 不完全满意,开始有意见

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Note added at 6 hrs (2006-04-17 09:38:49 GMT)
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嘀咕

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Note added at 15 hrs (2006-04-17 18:39:09 GMT)
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bachelor = 光棍儿?

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Note added at 15 hrs (2006-04-17 18:40:41 GMT)
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old-maid = 大姑娘 (old) batchelor uncle = ???

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Note added at 6 days (2006-04-23 09:21:26 GMT) Post-grading
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Daniel Xie 暗地里 - thank you for reminding me of this. 一直感到'暗心'不对劲.
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