问题

如何用英语优雅地翻译「铁观音」「龙井」「普洱茶」呢?还有哪些看着很难,但是很有趣的汉译英?

回答
Absolutely! Let's dive into the art of translating Chinese tea names into English, aiming for elegance and capturing their essence, along with some fascinating examples of challenging yet rewarding ChinesetoEnglish translations.

Elegant English Translations for Chinese Teas: More Than Just Names

Translating tea names isn't just about finding equivalent words; it's about evoking the sensory experience, the history, and the cultural significance associated with each brew. When we talk about famous Chinese teas like Tie Guan Yin, Longjing, and Pu'er, a direct, literal translation often falls flat. We need to aim for something that resonates with an Englishspeaking audience, hinting at the tea's character and allure.

Tie Guan Yin (铁观音): The Iron Goddess of Mercy

This is a classic example where the literal translation, "Iron Guanyin," while accurate, lacks the poetic grace and spiritual resonance of the original. Guanyin is the Bodhisattva of Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism, a figure deeply revered in Chinese culture. "Iron" refers to the tea's dense, dark, ironlike appearance when dry and its robust, enduring quality.

Elegant Translations:

"Tie Guan Yin" (as is): This is often the most sophisticated approach for connoisseurs. By retaining the Pinyin name, you instantly signal authenticity and a certain level of appreciation for Chinese tea culture. It's like keeping "sushi" or "espresso" – the name itself carries weight.
"Iron Goddess of Mercy": This is a beautiful and evocative translation that captures both the "iron" and the "Guanyin" aspects. It’s descriptive, poetic, and hints at the profound spiritual associations. It conveys a sense of strength and benevolence.
"Goddess of Mercy Oolong": This is a more descriptive option that clearly identifies the type of tea (oolong) while retaining the essence of "Tie Guan Yin." It's accessible and offers a hint of the tea's character.
"Iron Goddess Oolong": A slightly more concise version of the above, focusing on the strength and the tea type.

Why these work: They go beyond a simple definition. "Goddess of Mercy" imbues the tea with a sense of grace and spiritual depth, while "Iron" suggests its enduring quality and distinctive character. Using "Oolong" is crucial for categorizing it for those less familiar.

Longjing (龙井): Dragon Well

This is another name rich with imagery. "Longjing" literally means "Dragon Well." The legend says that the water of this particular well was so pure and clear, it was believed to be the dwelling place of a dragon, especially during rainy days when ripples would appear as if from a dragon's movement.

Elegant Translations:

"Longjing" (as is): Similar to Tie Guan Yin, keeping the Pinyin is perfectly acceptable and often preferred by tea enthusiasts.
"Dragon Well": This is the most common and widely accepted translation, and it's quite effective. It’s visually evocative, conjuring images of mystique and purity.
"Dragon Well Green Tea": This is a more explicit option, identifying the tea type clearly. It's practical for those who might not be familiar with the term "Longjing."

Why these work: "Dragon Well" paints a vivid picture, hinting at the origin and the pristine quality of the water used in its cultivation. It’s memorable and easily conjures a sense of place and legend.

Pu'er Tea (普洱茶): The Aged, Earthy Marvel

Pu'er is unique because it's a postfermented tea, often aged for years, developing complex flavors and aromas. The name comes from the city of Pu'er in Yunnan Province, its historical center of production and trade.

Elegant Translations:

"Pu'er" (as is): This is almost universally used and understood in the Englishspeaking world. It's a proper noun derived from the place name, and it's the most direct and accurate.
"Pu'er Tea": Adding "Tea" makes it crystal clear what it is.
"Aged Pu'er" or "Fermented Pu'er": These are descriptive additions that highlight the tea's unique processing. They inform the reader about what makes Pu'er distinct from other teas.
"Yunnan Pu'er": Sometimes specifying the region adds context and acknowledges its origin.

Why these work: The name "Pu'er" itself is quite distinctive and doesn't require much embellishment. The key is to convey its unique characteristic: aging and fermentation. These descriptive additions are more about educating the consumer than creating a poetic moniker.

The Thrill of Challenging ChinesetoEnglish Translations

Beyond tea, Chinese is brimming with phrases and concepts that, when translated, present a delightful puzzle. The challenge lies in bridging cultural gaps, semantic nuances, and the sheer poetic density of the language. Here are a few that I find particularly fascinating:

1. 阴差阳错 (yīn chā yáng cuò)

Literal Breakdown: Yin (阴) – shade, negative, feminine principle; Cha (差) – difference, error, miss; Yang (阳) – light, positive, masculine principle; Cuo (错) – mistake,错.

Initial Impression: This looks like a complex interplay of opposites leading to a mistake. How do you capture that in English?

The Meaning: It signifies something happening entirely by accident, due to a series of unforeseen circumstances or miscommunications, rather than intentional design. It's not just a simple mistake, but a chain reaction of coincidences leading to an unexpected outcome, often a fortunate one, but sometimes just a baffling one.

Elegant English Translations:

"By sheer chance" / "Purely by chance": This captures the accidental nature well.
"A happy accident": This works perfectly if the outcome is positive, highlighting the fortuitous aspect.
"Through a series of miscalculations and coincidences": This is more descriptive and gets closer to the "yin cha yang cuo" mechanics, though it's a bit lengthy.
"A twist of fate": This adds a touch of dramatic flair and acknowledges the unpredictable nature.
"A fluke occurrence": Similar to chance, but perhaps with a slightly more unpredictable or surprising connotation.

Why it's fascinating: The beauty lies in the conceptual elegance of using the Yin and Yang principles to describe a complex chain of unintended events. It’s a philosophical take on randomness. The English equivalents are more functional, but understanding the Chinese roots adds a layer of appreciation for its cleverness.

2. 画蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú)

Literal Breakdown: Hua (画) – to draw; She (蛇) – snake; Tian (添) – to add; Zu (足) – foot/feet.

Initial Impression: Drawing a snake and then adding feet. That sounds absurd!

The Meaning: This idiom means to ruin something by adding unnecessary or superfluous elements, thereby making it worse. It’s about doing too much, overdoing it, and spoiling a good thing. The story behind it is of a painter who, after finishing a drawing of a snake, added feet to it, much to the amusement and criticism of onlookers, who pointed out that snakes don't have feet.

Elegant English Translations:

"To gild the lily": This is a classic and very fitting English idiom. It beautifully captures the idea of adding something unnecessary to something already perfect or beautiful.
"To overdo it": A more direct and less poetic, but perfectly functional translation.
"To add superfluous details": Explains the meaning precisely.
"To spoil the ship for want of a halfpennyworth of tar": While a bit more specific in its context, it conveys the idea of a small, unnecessary omission (or addition in the Chinese case) leading to a larger failure.
"To put the cart before the horse": This is close in the sense of doing things in the wrong order, but "画蛇添足" is more about adding something unnecessary rather than doing things illogically.

Why it's fascinating: The visual of a legless creature suddenly sprouting legs is incredibly striking and memorable. The English idiom "gild the lily" is equally evocative, but the Chinese one has a more direct, almost slapstick quality to it, highlighting the folly of the action.

3. 望梅止渴 (wàng méi zhǐ kě)

Literal Breakdown: Wang (望) – to gaze at, to look forward to; Mei (梅) – plum; Zhi (止) – to stop; Ke (渴) – thirst.

Initial Impression: Looking at plums to stop thirst. That sounds like a trick!

The Meaning: This idiom describes consoling oneself with illusions or fantasies when one cannot achieve what one desires. It comes from a story of Cao Cao, a military general, who, on a long march with his thirsty soldiers, told them that there was a plum orchard ahead, filled with sour plums, which would quench their thirst. The thought of the sour plums made their mouths water, temporarily alleviating their thirst and giving them the strength to continue.

Elegant English Translations:

"To console oneself with illusions": This is a very direct and accurate explanation of the meaning.
"To feed on fancies": This is quite poetic and captures the essence of selfdeception.
"To make do with wishful thinking": More practical and relatable.
"To live on hopes and dreams": Similar to the above, emphasizing the aspirational but nonrealized aspect.
"A mirage to quench thirst": This directly references the illusionary nature, drawing a parallel to the visual deception.

Why it's fascinating: The cleverness of the original stratagem is what makes this idiom so compelling. It’s about psychological manipulation and the power of the mind to overcome physical discomfort. The English translations are good, but they don't always carry the narrative weight of the Chinese original, which is rooted in a specific historical anecdote.

These are just a few glimpses into the rich tapestry of Chinese idioms and names. The art of translation, especially between languages as culturally distinct as Chinese and English, is a constant dance between precision, poetry, and cultural understanding. It’s in these intricate translations that we find both challenge and immense reward.

网友意见

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铁观音:Namo Gatling Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

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作为茶学学子,今年四级考试翻译出现了茶文化相关的知识,还是感觉很荣幸的。下面我来说说这几种茶应该怎么翻译。其实无论是铁观音、龙井还是普洱茶,它们的英文都可以用拼音代替。就是:

  • 铁观音——tie-guanyin
  • 龙井——longjing
  • 普洱——pu’er

不过呢,这样单纯直译肯定是不够的,可以在每种茶的名字后面加上“tea”这个词,例如普洱茶叫:Pu’er tea,因为是专业名词,所以每个实义单词的首个字母要大写。但也有例外,有些茶的名字就不能直接用拼音来翻译,例如武夷茶,是用Bohea;正山小种用 Lapsong souchong,这是以前的叫法被保留下来了,现在多以拼音来翻译。就像北京大学,不用Beijing University,而是用Peking University(不过现在用Beijing University也有)。

如果你想要更加详细,可以给这几种茶进行归类。例如中国六大茶类的翻译:

  • 绿茶——green tea
  • 白茶——white tea
  • 乌龙茶(青茶)——oolong tea / blue tea
  • 黄茶——yellow tea
  • 红茶——black tea,注意红茶不是“red tea”
  • 黑茶——dark tea

铁观音是属于乌龙茶(青茶),龙井属于绿茶,而普洱茶通常分为普洱生茶和普洱熟茶,生茶属于绿茶,而熟茶属于黑茶,而我们说的普洱茶通常是指熟茶,这是约定俗成的。所以我们可以给这些茶再分类一下,如:Longjing tea is a kind of green tea.

在茶树品种方面来说,铁观音和龙井都属于中小叶种,因此要写拉丁文学名:C.sinensis cv. Tie-guanyin,其中C.sinensis Camellia sinensis(L.) O. Ktze 的简称,属名是要斜体写的,否则属于不规范。Camellia 是拉丁文“山茶”的意思,而sinensis 是拉丁文“中国”的意思。如果把Camellia sinensis直接放在软件上搜索,通常会翻译为“中华茶”,个人认为并不准确。(L.) O. Ktze 是给这种植物命名的人,括号里面是第一个人名字的缩写(首字母),括号外面是重新命名的第二个人的名字缩写。

而普洱茶本身不属于一个茶树品种,普洱是中国云南省的一个城市,而古代云南产茶以普洱为集散地,因此得名。制作普洱茶的茶树品种是一个庞大的茶树群体,叫云南大叶种,属于大叶种茶树,即拉丁名学文为:C. sinensis var. assamica cv. Yunnan-daye。值得注意的是,大叶种茶树是被认为是C. sinensis 的一个变种,即var. assamica , assamica 音译为“阿萨姆”,如你所想,就是印度的阿萨姆地区,至于为什么用这个来命名呢?这主要是因为命名的人首先发现这种茶的变种是在印度,而非中国云南,不过后来已经证实这就是茶树的一个变种。云南大叶种可以再细分为好几个群体,例如勐海大叶茶、凤庆大叶茶、勐库大叶茶等等。

我们通常喝的茶,具体指茶系里面的植物,chang是命名这个系统的人的姓(中国人)。

茶系里面的茶和普洱茶是我们常见的茶树品种。

值得注意的是,在茶里面,还有一种变种,叫白毛茶 pubilimba,例如仁化白毛茶、乐昌白毛茶都是属于这种茶树。

以上,你学会了吗




不到一个小时就过百赞,本人深感荣幸。我在评论区中看到有关于如何描述茶叶感官审评的回复,我觉得可以再细讲一下。

茶叶感官审评术语是有国家标准的,当然一般人可以用日常描述感受的单词形容即可,如果需要更加专业的术语,可以参考我这篇文章:

苏点点:茶叶感官审评术语(更新中)

茶叶审评术语依据来自最新的国家标准:GB/T 14487-2017

GB/T 14487-2017 茶叶感官审评术语_国家标准_国内标准_食品标准_食品伙伴网下载中心

想了解一些感官审评的形容词,可以去上面的这个网址里下载。我在这里以龙井为例,顶级的龙井滋味是:鲜醇甘爽,那怎么说?fresh and mellow 即是“鲜醇”的意思,而甘爽则是:sweet and brisk after taste,要注意的是,必须要有“after taste”,因为“甘”通常是回甘,就是茶水喝下去后,舌头会产生的一种甜感。如果只说“sweet and brisk ”,则是甜爽,不是甘爽。这个在茶叶审评描述中显得非常讲究。顶级的龙井香气是:嫩香馥郁、持久。嫩香:tend aroma;馥郁:fragrant and lasting;这里馥郁本来也有持久(lasting)的意思,所以不用重复翻译。

总的就是:Longjing tea is a kind of green tea. It tastes fresh and mellow, and we feel sweet and brisk after drinking in our mouths. It has tend aroma and smells fragrant and lasting.

(以上只是个人翻译,仅供参考。我是个四级都没500分的英语渣渣,别打我)

最后看了一下今年的四级翻译,我觉得龙井这篇翻译在这三篇中,比较好写。因为——我不会血管这个单词啊!!!血管:Blood vessel。至于龙井茶这篇的维生素C和元素,我可以用Vc 和element 来代替(狗头)。


更新一下,有评论区的老铁说嫩香应该是tender aroma。我这里写的是tend aroma的原因是国标里写的的确是tend。但我们知道tend不能作为形容词或者名词,所以这个地方存疑。


相关回答:

铁观音: 懂茶的人不喝铁观音,是真的吗?

龙井: 西湖龙井哪些牌子值得信赖?

普洱: 普洱茶茶越陈越香是否是个世纪大骗局或者是夸大了陈茶的口感?

六大茶类,哪种茶最健康?

广东有哪些茶叶比较出名?

什么茶不伤胃适合天天喝?

看完点赞以表示对我的尊重,谢谢!

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