[諧趣英文] Today's Tip 今日之獎/講
文:董更懂 圖：
|
The fencer votes and volts. He may vote again and volt again and again, but he will never know the voltage of his foil nor the shortage of his toil. Besides fencing, he likes vaulting fences. He vaults fences to reach a vault. He does not keep his foil in the vault, nor any coil or oil. His aims boil down to this: to find the fine wine there. He seems to go the vole not for any victory but for any vintage. That soils his name, and that is his fatal fault.
|
 |
 |
 |
  |
 |
  |
〔中譯〕 那擊劍者既投票也閃避。他也許會再投票，也會一再閃避，但他決不會知道他的劍的伏特數，也不會知道他短缺多少辛勞。除了擊劍之外，他喜歡跳圍牆。他跳圍牆為了到達地窖。他沒有把劍藏在地窖，也沒有藏線圈或油。他的目標到頭來就是：到那裡找好的酒。他孤注一擲好像不是為勝利而是為美酒。那弄髒了他的名，而那是他的致命錯誤。
〔注解〕
1. vote: 投票。 volt: (擊劍時) 閃避。 voltage: (電壓) 伏特數。 今日擊劍用的鈍頭劍 (foil) 會接電線而有電壓。
2. fence: 圍牆。 fencing: 擊劍 (術)。 fencer: 擊劍者。文中擊劍者愛喝酒，少練習，比賽常閃避，不知自己的 toil (辛勞) 有多少 shortage (短缺)，猶如不知劍上電線的電壓。
3. vault 當 n. 為「地窖」，地窖中常放酒、油 (oil)、線圈 (coil) 等雜物。當 v. 時，vault 為「撐手跳躍」，vault fences 即撐手跳過牆。
4. boil down to ... : 煮到最後剩下的是...；歸結就是...。
5. go the vole for ... : 為 ... 孤注一擲。
6. victory: 勝利。 vintage: 葡萄酒；美酒。
7. soil: (n.) 土壤；(v.) 弄髒。