2010年10月4日星期一

When Insults Had Class

When Insults Had Class 骂人的艺术

“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.”
–Winston Churchill
他具有所有我不喜欢的美德,零个我欣赏的恶习。
——温斯顿·丘吉尔,英国传记作家、历史学家、政治家(1874-1965

“I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.”
–Clarence Darrow
我从没杀过人,不过倒是欢欣鼓舞地读过不少讣告。”   
——克莱伦斯·丹诺,美国律师(1857-1938

“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”
–William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
看他的作品,读者根本不需要查字典。
——威廉·福克纳(评价欧尼斯特·海明威)


"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"
—Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
可怜的福克纳。难道他真的认为强烈的感情来自“强烈”的字眼吗?
——欧尼斯特·海明威(评价威廉·福克纳)

“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.”
–Grouch Marx
我享受过美妙的夜晚,但今晚不是。
——格劳乔·马克斯

 “I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.”
–Mark Twain
我没参加那场葬礼,但我会写封亲切的信表示我是赞成葬礼的。
——马克·吐温,美国作家(l835-1910


“He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.”
–Oscar Wilde
 “他没有敌人,只不过他的朋友对他恨之入骨。
——奥斯卡·王尔德,英国著名诗人、作家、戏剧家(1856-1900

“I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend... if you have one.”
–George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
“随信附寄两张我新剧首演的入场券,带上个朋友来看吧,如果你还有一个的话。”
——萧伯纳致丘吉尔
(萧伯纳,英国现代杰出的现实主义戏剧作家,世界著名的擅长幽默与讽刺的语言大师)


“Cannot possibly attend first night; will attend second, if there is one.”
–Winston Churchill’s response to George Bernard Shaw
可能无法出席首演;但我会来看第二场,如果还有第二场的话
——温斯顿·丘吉尔回复乔治·萧伯纳

“I feel so miserable without you; it’s almost like having you here.”
–Stephen Bishop
你不在身边,让我感觉好痛苦,感觉就像你在身边时一样。” 
 ——斯蒂芬·毕晓普,美国歌手(1951-

“He is a self-made man and worships his creator.”
–John Bright
他创造了自己,并且极其崇拜他的创造者。
 ——约翰·布赖特,英国服装设计师

“I’ve just learned about his illness. Let’s hope it’s nothing trivial.”
–Irvin S. Cobb
我刚刚得知他的病情。让我们祝愿这不是微不足道的小病。
——欧文·S·科布,美国作家(1876-1994

“He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others.”
–Samuel Johnson
他不仅自己无趣;还能把无趣传染给别人。
——塞缪尔·约翰逊,英国作家(1709-1784

“He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.”
–Paul Keating
“他随时能让你的脊背一阵哆嗦。”
——保罗·约翰·基廷,澳大利亚政治家(1944-

“He had delusions of adequacy.”
–Walter Kerr
他以为足够了,其实不过是幻觉。
——沃尔特·克尔(美国作家,百老汇戏剧评论家)

“Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?”
–Mark Twain
“为什么你坐在那儿,看上去就像一个没写地址的信封?”
——马克·吐温

 “His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.”
–Mae West
他老妈应该扔了他去养一只鹳。
——美国女演员、歌手、剧作家麦·韦斯特(1893-1980

“Winston, if you were my husband, I would poison your coffee!”
–Lady Astor to Winston Churchill at a dinner party
“温斯顿,你要是我的丈夫,我一定会在你的咖啡里下毒。”
——在一次晚宴中阿斯特夫人致温斯顿·丘吉尔,

“Madam, if I were your husband, I would drink it!”
–Winston Churchill’s response to Lady Astor
“夫人,我要是你的丈夫,我一定会把它喝下去的。”
——温斯顿·丘吉尔回应阿斯特夫人

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."
—Moses Hadas
感谢您送我的大作样书,我不会浪费时间拜读的。
——哥伦比亚学者莫塞斯·哈达斯(1900-1966

"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure."
—Jack E. Leonard
你什么毛病也没有,就算投胎转世也没得救的。”    
——杰克·利昂纳多,好莱坞影星

"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt."
—Robert Redford
“他正处于被雷劈中的中心地带。”
 —— 罗伯特·雷德福,好莱坞影星

"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge."
—Thomas Brackett Reed
“他们从不开口讲话,除非去掉所有的人类知识。”
——托马斯·布拉克特·里德(第36任及38任美国众议院发言人,绰号“Czar Reed”沙皇里德)评价两位同僚

"He inherited some good instincts from his Quaker forebears, but by diligent hard work, he overcame them."
—James Reston (about Richard Nixon)
“他从贵格会教徒的祖先那里继承到了一些优秀品质,但是通过刻苦努力,他克服了这些优点。”
——詹姆斯·赖斯顿(评价理查德·尼克松)
(贵格教要求人追求正直、诚实、完善)

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily."
—Charles, Count Talleyrand
“为了避免别人说自己是个爱调情的人,她总是很容易就顺从了。”
——查尔斯,塔列朗伯爵
      
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."
—Forrest Tucker
“他热爱自然,虽然自然待他刻薄。”
——美国演员福里斯特·塔克(1919-1986

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any one I know."
—Abraham Lincoln
 “他能将长篇大论精简为我认识的任何一个人的最微不足道的想法。”
——亚伯拉罕·林肯

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts — for support rather than illumination."
—Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
“他利用统计数字,正如醉汉之利用电灯柱——非为借光,实为撑腰。”
——安德鲁·朗格(1844-1912),英国著名文学家、诗人、民俗学家、历史学家

"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." —Billy Wilder
他有一只梵高的音乐之耳。”   
——好莱坞导演、制片人、编剧比利·怀尔德(1906-2002

 “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.”
–Oscar Wilde
“有些人所到之处给别人带来欢乐,另一些人一旦离开就给别人带来欢乐。”
——奥斯卡·王尔德

"You, Mr. Wilkes, will die either of the pox or on the gallows."
–The Earl of Sandwich
“威尔克斯先生,将来你不是死于梅毒就是死在绞架上。”
——桑德维奇伯爵

"That depends, my lord, whether I embrace your mistress or your principles."
–John Wilkes's response to The Earl of Sandwich
“伯爵老爷,那得看我是抱着你的情妇还是抱着您的信条了。”
——约翰·威尔克斯回应桑德维奇伯爵

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about."
—Winston Churchill
 “一个谦逊的小人物,身上有很多让他谦虚的东西。”
——丘吉尔(评价英国政治家克莱门特·艾德礼)




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