肖福壽
在中華傳統(tǒng)文化中,豬的地位與作用是毋庸置疑的。從語(yǔ)義學(xué)來(lái)看,豬也被稱為“豕”“彘”“豚”“豵”“豣”“豮”等,具有較強(qiáng)的語(yǔ)言表現(xiàn)力。《爾雅·釋獸》對(duì)豬是如此解釋的:“彘,豬也。其子曰豚。一歲曰豵?!睆淖值南笮蝸?lái)看,“家”在其寶蓋頭下的“豕”,這里表達(dá)的就是豬的形象?!墩f(shuō)文》的解釋為:“豕居之圈曰家”。由此可見(jiàn),在古人的心目中,無(wú)豬是不成家的。從飲食學(xué)來(lái)看,豬是國(guó)人主要的肉食來(lái)源,其全身的每個(gè)器官,從頭至尾,都是大眾百吃不厭的佳肴??鬃釉啤澳挷粎捈?xì),食不厭精”,這正是中國(guó)豬肉飲食文化精神的一種體現(xiàn)。從考古學(xué)來(lái)看,殷墟出土的甲骨文中已有“豕”的象形字,在浙江余姚河姆渡等新石器時(shí)代遺址中出土了距今六七千年家豬的骨骼,而在廣西桂林甄皮巖墓葬中則出土了距今九千余年家豬的豬牙和頜骨,這些都說(shuō)明了中國(guó)豬文化具有悠久的歷史。從民俗學(xué)來(lái)看,豬是吉祥如意的象征,民間至今仍流傳著殺豬祭灶神的習(xí)俗以及“女?huà)z造六畜”的神話故事,其中第三天造豬。據(jù)《山海經(jīng)·北次三經(jīng)》記載:“彘身而載玉”“彘身而八足”,這說(shuō)明了人們對(duì)豬圖騰的崇拜。因“蹄”與“題”音諧,豬已成為莘莘學(xué)子金榜題名的吉祥物。在我國(guó)一些地區(qū),豬頭叫“神戶”,豬舌頭叫“招財(cái)”,而豬耳朵則叫“順風(fēng)”。難怪乎,我國(guó)最早的詩(shī)歌集《詩(shī)經(jīng)》中就有詠豬的詩(shī)句:“執(zhí)豕于牢,酌之用匏”(圈里捉豬宰殺,杯中酌滿美酒)、“言私其豵,獻(xiàn)豣于公”(自己留下小豬,大豬獻(xiàn)給公家)。
可以說(shuō),在國(guó)人的心目中,豬雖然有時(shí)成為骯臟、丑陋、蠢笨、懶惰、貪婪的代名詞,但更多的時(shí)候則代表了一種文化,代表著財(cái)富,代表著家庭,代表著吉祥,還代表著人的精神、人的品行、人的性格。
2019年,是中國(guó)農(nóng)歷己亥年,即民間生肖紀(jì)年的豬年。在這豬年來(lái)臨之際,讓我們重新檢閱一下漢英詞典中一些與豬相關(guān)的說(shuō)法,聊作一種新年之樂(lè)吧。
本文選取了《中華漢英大詞典》編纂者認(rèn)為迻譯尚有特點(diǎn)的與豬有關(guān)的表達(dá)法,與廣大讀者共享并敦請(qǐng)廣大讀者質(zhì)疑與指謬。
一、“豬”字的界定
1. “哺乳動(dòng)物”之意 = [Zool] pig; hog; swine; porker; Sus scrofa domestica: 蠢~ an idiot | 肥~ a porker | 公~ a boar | ?!?a dolphin | 豪~ a porcupine | 江~ a black finless porpoise ?| 母~ a sow | 牧~奴戲 gambling; chess-playing | 肉~ a slaughter pig | 乳~ a suckling pig | 瘦肉型~ a pork pig | 小~ a piglet/shoat | 養(yǎng)~ raise pigs | 野~ a wild boar | 一窩子~ a litter of pigs | ~八樣兒 pork served eight ways | ~耳朵 pig’s ear | ~副傷寒 swine paratyphoid | ~革 pig leather | ~圈之神 god of swine | ~囊蟲(chóng)病 swine measles | ~皮面革 pigskin | ~氣喘病 swine enzootic pneumonia | ~頭 pig’s head | ~尾 pig’s tail | ~心 pig’s heart; pork heart
2. “十二生肖之一”之意 = pig [one of the twelve animals representing the twelve Earthly Branches, used to symbolize the year in which a person is born]: 他是屬~的 he was born in the Year of the Pig
3. “詈詞”之意 = <offens> damned, cursed, evil (person, etc): ~狗 base beasts
二、與“豬”有關(guān)的兩字表達(dá)法
這方面的表達(dá)法,幾乎全為名詞。在這些名詞當(dāng)中,不少為專用名字,其中包括一些比喻詞或詈詞。具體請(qǐng)見(jiàn)以下例子:
1. 豬草 ?pig fodder; hogweed; greenfeed for pigs (試比較:馬草 horse fodder)
2. 豬場(chǎng) ?pig farm (試比較:養(yǎng)狗場(chǎng) kennels; 養(yǎng)雞場(chǎng) a chicken farm)
3. 豬店 ?dealer who sells live pigs (試比較:馬店 a caravansary/horse-inn)
4. 豬肚 ?pork tripe [as food item] (試比較:牛肚 tripe)
5. 豬肝 ?pork liver (試比較:鵝肝 foie gras;雞肝 chicken liver)
6. 豬膏 ?lard; pork fat [esp as medicament]
7. 豬公 ?also 豬郎 /- lɑnɡ/ <dial> male pig; boar (試比較:雞公 a cock/rooster)
8. 豬怪 ?also 豬魈 /- xiɑo/ swine bogey
9. 豬倌 ?swineherd; pigman(試比較:牛倌 a cowherd; 羊倌 a shepherd)
10. 豬行 ?wholesale dealer in pigs and pork
11. 豬紅 ?<dial> blood of a pig
12. 豬欄 ?also 豬牢 /- lɑo/, 豬圈 /- juɑn/ pigsty; pigpen (試比較:牛欄 a cattle pen; 羊欄 a sheepfold)
13. 豬玀 ?<colloq> 1.pig; hog; swine 2.<abus> (Shanghai) (you) swine
14. 豬嘜 ?<dial> what a stupid pig [to describe one as stupid as a pig]
15. 豬毛 ?pig hair (試比較:雞毛 a chicken feather; 鴨毛 a duck feather; 羊毛 wool)
16. 豬苗 ?piglet; pigling
17. 豬母 ?also 豬婆 /- pó/ female pig; sow
18. 豬年 ?year of the pig (the last of the twelve Earthly Branches)
19. 豬排 ?pork chop ?(試比較:牛排 beefsteak;羊排 lamb chop)
20.豬皮 ?pigskin; hogskin (試比較:牛皮 cattle hide; 羊皮 sheepskin)
21. 豬肉 ?pork: ~鋪 a pork shop ?(試比較:鵝肉 goose; 雞肉 chicken; 牛肉 beef; 兔肉 rabbit; 鴨肉 duck; 羊肉 mutton)
22. 豬舍 ?hog house; pigsty; pigpen (試比較:雞舍 a chicken coop)
23. 豬食 ?pig feed; pigwash; swill: ~槽 a trough | ~缸 a pig trough (試比較:雞食 chicken feed)
24. 豬屎 ?pig dung (試比較:狗屎 dogshit;馬屎 horseshit;貓屎 cat dung;牛屎 cow dung)
25. 豬手 ?<dial> front legs of pigs
26. 豬蹄 ?pig’s foot; trotter [on the pig or as a food item]
27. 豬腿 ?ham; pig’s leg; leg of pork
28. 豬娃 ?<colloq> 1.piglet 2.child who tends pigs; swineherd
29. 豬瘟 ?hog cholera
30. 豬窩 ?pigsty; pigpen (試比較:狗窩 a kennel/doghouse; 雞窩 a chicken coop; 鳥(niǎo)窩 a bird’s nest)
31. 豬血 ?1.pig blood 2.pig blood salted and jellied [as food item]
32. 豬油 ?also 豬脂 /- zhī/ lard; pork fat
33. 豬仔 ?1.<colloq> (Guangzhou) piglet 2.<old> people tricked or kidnapped into coolie service in foreign countries
34. 豬臟 ?inner organs of a pig
35. 豬鬃 ?pig bristles [used for brushes, etc] ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? □
三、與“豬”有關(guān)的三字表達(dá)法
這方面的表達(dá)法,絕大多數(shù)為名詞,不少是專用名詞,只有少量形容詞。具體請(qǐng)見(jiàn)以下例子:
1. 豬八戒 ?[Lit] Zhubajie, Pigsy [character in the novel Pilgrimage to the West, represented by a pig and symbolizing the baseness in man]
2. 豬背脊 ?hogback
3. 豬癲瘋 ?epilepsy
4. 豬肺疫 ?swine plague
5. 豬肝色 ?liver colored; yellowish brown; purplish red
6. 豬拱嘴 ?meat of a pig’s mouth area
7. 豬狗臭 ?<colloq> body odor (as from armpits)
8. 豬拐子 ?bent, crooked (like a pig’s leg)
9. 豬爵脊 ?pork tenderloin
10. 豬流感 ?swine influenza
11. 豬毛絨 ?fine pig hair
12. 豬腦子 ?1.pig brains [as a food item] 2.<abus> <colloq> thickheaded
13. 豬排骨 ?pork chop; pork cutlet
14. 豬婆龍 ?<colloq> Chinese alligator
15. 豬潛艇 ?submarine chaser
16. 豬舌頭 ?pig’s tongue [as food item]
17. 豬頭風(fēng) ?[Med] epilepsy
18. 豬頭肉 ?pig’s chaps
19. 豬頭三 ?<colloq> (Shanghai) 1.<abus> person lacking common sense; person not knowing right from wrong 2.person new to Shanghai
20. 豬尾巴 ?1.pig’s tail 2.pigtail (of hair)
21. 豬下水 ?pig’s offal; pig’s entrails
22. 豬牙子 ?piglet
23. 豬雜碎 ?chopsuey; cooked chopped entrails of pigs; cooked chopped entrails
24. 豬崽兒 ?piglet; pigling; sucking pig; suckling pig
25. 豬肘子 ?leg of pork
26. 豬觜關(guān) ?(of a person) to insult others at will
27. 豬嘴瘟 [Med] mumps; parotitis
四、與“豬”有關(guān)的四字或以上的表達(dá)法
這方面的表達(dá)法,絕大部分為習(xí)語(yǔ),只有少量的一般性表達(dá)法,其中含有一些貶義性的詞語(yǔ)。具體請(qǐng)見(jiàn)以下例子:
1. 肥豬拱門(mén) ?<idiom> (a fat pig butts into one’s house) to have good fortune knock at one’s door; to grant a windfall; to bestow good fortune upon sb: 愿你~! may you bless the people with good fortune!
2. 封豕長(zhǎng)蛇 ?<idiom> (large pigs and long snakes) greedy and brutish despots or invaders; evildoers
3. 火到豬頭爛,錢(qián)到公事辦 ?<familiar> (just as cooking makes a pig’s head tender, money gets a public matter done) bribery is the ultimate arbitrator of official decisions; money talks
4. 狗彘不如 ?also 狗彘不若 /- - - ruò/ <idiom> no better than a cur or swine [descriptive of a contemptible person]
5. 狗豬不食其余 ?<idiom> (a person so despised and contemptible that even a pig or a dog won’t eat the food left by him or her) base; mean; despicable; contemptible; disgusting
6. 瘠牛僨豚 ?<idiom> (an emaciated ox can crush a piglet) a powerful country in decline can destroy a weak country
7. 見(jiàn)豕負(fù)涂 ?<idiom> (seeing a mired pig) extremely filthy or dirty
8. 狼奔豕突 ?<idiom> (the wolves rush and the pigs dash) to dash pell-mell; to flee helter-skelter
9. 冷水燙豬 <idiom> (to burn a pig with cold water) to try in vain; to come to no avail
10. 遼東之豬 ?<idiom> (Liaodong pig) sth mistaken for being extraordinary when it is really not ordinary; one who is proud or conceited out of ignorance
11. 魯魚(yú)亥豕 ?also 魯魚(yú)帝虎 /- - dì hǔ/, 魯魚(yú)陶陰 /- - táo yīn/ <idiom> (confusing the similar shapes of the characters 魯 and 魚(yú), 亥 and 豕) error in writing; clerical or typographical error
12. 沒(méi)吃過(guò)豬肉,還沒(méi)見(jiàn)過(guò)豬跑 ?<familiar> (even if you have never eaten pork before, still have you not seen a pig run?) even if one has had no direct experience in a matter, common everyday knowledge and experience should give one some idea about how things are done
13. 牧豕聽(tīng)經(jīng) ?<idiom> (to graze pigs while listening to a talk) to study assiduously
14. 泥豬疥狗 ?<idiom> (muddy pig and scabby dog) person of low position; loutish person
15. 人怕出名,豬怕壯 ?<familiar> fame portends trouble for humans just as fattening does for pigs
16. 三豕涉河 ?also 三豕渡河 /-- dù -/, 三豕金根 /- - jīn gēn/ <idiom> to misuse or misunderstand a character [such as mistaking 豕 /shǐ/ for 亥 /hài/]
17. 食而弗愛(ài),豕交之也;愛(ài)而不敬,獸畜之也 to feed a scholar and not love him, is to treat him as a pig; to love him and not respect him, is to keep him as a domestic animal
18. 豕亥魚(yú)魯 ?<idiom> (confusing the similar shapes of the characters 豕, 亥, 魚(yú) and 魯) spelling or wording mistakes made in transcription or printing
19. 豕交獸畜 ?<idiom> (to treat like beasts) to treat people impolitely; to treat people without proper love and respect
20. 豕突狼奔 ?<idiom> (the pigs dash and the wolves rush; to run like wolves and rush like boars) 1.to dash pell-mell; to flee helter-skelter; to dash around madly 2.to infest and harass about (of bandits)
21. 豚蹄禳田 ?<idiom> (to offer a pig’s foot in sacrifice and pray for abundant harvest) to ask a lot for a little
22. 信及豚魚(yú) ?<idiom> (to show one’s sincerity even for pigs and fish) true sincerity moves even dumb animals
23. 行若狗彘 ?<idiom> (to act like dogs and pigs) to behave shamelessly
24. 豬八戒倒打一耙 ?<idiom> (Zhubajie makes an unfounded attack with his rake) to make an unfounded counter-charge; to blame one’s victim
25. 豬卑狗險(xiǎn) ?<idiom> (a mean pig and a treacherous dog) mean and treacherous people
26. 豬不吃狗不聞 ?<idiom> food so unappetizing that even pigs and dogs won’t eat it
27. 豬多肉賤 ?<idiom> (the more pigs there are, the cheaper the pork) the more common things are, the less they are valued
28. 豬狗不如 ?<idiom> (worse than pigs and dogs) base; mean; despicable
29. 豬睏長(zhǎng)肉,人困賣(mài)屋 ?<familiar> (just as a lazy pig gains weight, so a lazy person sells his house) laziness can ruin a family
30. 豬牛公館 ?<derog> pig and cow mansions [farmers’ term for state farms]
31. 豬朋狗友 ?<idiom> (friends of pigs and dogs) gang of good-for-nothings
32. 豬頭三牲 ?<old> 1.sacrifice of ox, sheep and pig 2.(generally refer to) sacrifice
33. 豬仔議員 ?<abus> swine assemblyman [members of the legislature in early Republic of China who were corrupted by bribes]
34. 一龍一豬<idiom> (a dragon and a pig) one person superior and another inferior (even with same background, etc)
35. 指豬罵狗 ?<idiom> (to point at the pig and curse the dog) to make a dig at sb; to criticize obliquely
的確,漢語(yǔ)中與“豬”有關(guān)的表達(dá)法實(shí)在太豐富了,諸如“豬丹毒”“豬都”“豬兜炮”“豬哥”“豬精”“豬龍”“豬仔國(guó)會(huì)”等詞語(yǔ)的英文翻譯,更待我們共同探索。