文学作品翻译:辛泊平-《现代人的流行病》英译
买车争先恐后,哪管寸步难行。为了面子买车,人有我无,总怕遭人小瞧;女孩子更是把车当作了婚姻的要素。开自己的车不如打车省钱,但人们还是争先恐后地去买。结果车越来越多,城市道路越来越拥挤,开车常常不如步行快。When it comes to the purchase of private cars, they also keep vying with each other, ignoring the already serious traffic jam. Many of them buy cares only to save their faces: they are afraid to be looked down upon if they don’t own cars when others do. Some girls even demand private cars as a must for marriage. Though driving one’s own car costs more than hiring a taxi, they still rush to buy. As a result, there are more and more cars to cram the already crowded streets, and very often walking proves to be quicker than driving.
购物变弱智,消费落陷阱。眼睛不能看到“打折”两个字,只要发现有商品打折,不管需要不需要,也要挤进去买。这已成了一种嗜好,导致许多没有用处的东西堆积如山,弄得家里恰似垃圾场。有时自己也知道,打折的大多没好货,也经常发誓不再上当,但每次看到打折的招牌,还是身不由己。
Very often shopping reduces their wisdom and they fall into traps set up by businessmen. The mere sight of “discount” of any commodity will urge them to squeeze into the crowded store to buy it no matter whether they really need it or not, and this practice has become an obsession. As a result, heaps of unwanted things reduce their homes into dumping grounds. As a matter of fact, sometimes they know very well that no discounted goods is of high quality and they even swear not to be taken in any more. However, they cannot help themselves as soon they see signs of “discount” or “promotion”.
(陈德彰 译)