147. 一點翻譯心得(三) - householders

再分享一點翻譯心得，談談一些出現在Shri Mataji 的演講裡的詞語，但有時給人翻譯錯了。

今天要談"Householders" 這個詞，因為今天三份報紙刊登了以霎哈嘉香港群體名義所發的母親壽辰文告有這個詞。
這個詞很難譯，可能譯作「在家人」好一點。佛教裡 「在家人」 的意思是與 「出家人」相反對比，即「在家修行者」之意，但很多yogi 不懂，譯作 「家庭主婦」，我也不想爭論。也難怪他們，雖然Shri Mataji多次用這字，但連英文人(包括我的同事，有馬來西亞人，有美國人，有印度人，都是英語老師 ) 也說從未聽過這字 ，household 就有。他們都猜 "householder"是 house-owner (屋主) 的意思。如果我給他們整段文字而非單詞，效果顯然不一樣。看看以下三段例子。

例1 (母親公開演說) “So, today is a special time, is already described, if you are an Indian you’ll know from Naladamyanti. The Nala once got hold of this Kali and he said, “I must kill you because you have tortured me, you have separated me from my wife and you are the one who create all this confusion.” So he said, “All right you can do it but you must know my importance my mahatmyam.” He said, “What is your importance?” He said, “At the time when I’ll be ruling” means modern times “at that time those people who are seeking the truth in the valleys and on the Himalayas will find it while they’ll be householders and they’ll find it.” (http://www.sahajayoga.net.au/page/6/ ) Public Lecture (Miami USA '90)

例2 (母親公開演說) “I bow to all the seekers of truth. At the very outset we have to know what is the truth. There are so many seekers of truth in these modern times which has been predicted that there will be many people who will be seeking the truth now as ordinary householders. Their life will be completely transformed in these modern times. They call it in the Koran as Kiama. In the Bible it’s called as the Last Judgment. (Sydney, Australia, 22 February 1995 )


( 例3 母親受電台訪問 ) Shri Mataji: “Yes, it is, it has to be, it has to be. It has to be at the worst time when we will be having.
It’s written down in the Nala Akhyana. Is there was one fellow called Nala, and his wife was separated by this Kali, the one who is ruling now. Kali is the modern times deity – Kali, Kali Yuga this is. And he caught hold of this Kali. He said, “I am going to kill you, because you are the one who puts us into confusions, into all demoralization and everything, so better I kill you.” He said, “See, I have also one importance.” “So what is your importance?” He said, “The importance is such that at the time when there will be Kali Yuga, I mean that’s the blackest time of Kali Yuga, that’s the time those who are seeking me in the hills and dales will become householders, and they’ll get their Realization.” He said it.” (TV Interview ORF (Vienna, Austria ’88)

大家可能說，這個詞看來中文英文都同樣有點艱澀刁鑽，無必要在公開文稿中使用。不過，睜開眼睛看清楚：(1)母親自己都用，似作示範，而且是接二連三，有時更故意對新來的人用。你說母親故意拋書包嗎？(2)這詞中文英文皆似難非難，既遠亦近，又似懂非懂，似曾相識，蕪湖中卻見底蘊。

Jay Shri Mataji !

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