| 【問(wèn)】
??? 美國(guó)約翰遜總統(tǒng)在美國(guó)教育周的文告中說(shuō) In the last decade, however, we have sought to fulfill the goal with greater zeal, greater commitment, and greater success than at any period in our history，句中的 commitment 一字，不知應(yīng)如何譯法，因字典上的解釋似乎都不適用呢。
【解答】
??? commitment 是動(dòng)詞 commit 變來(lái)的名詞，意義有：
（1）犯，行，作，如 commit a crime（犯罪），commit a blunder（犯錯(cuò)），commit adultery（通奸），commit murder（殺人），commit suicide（自殺）等。
（2）委托，付諸，如 commit a thing to a friend for safekeeping（托友保管一物），commit some funds to the care of trustees （委托資金于保管委員），commit a body to the earth（flames）（埋葬）（火葬），commit a bill（議會(huì)將議案交付委員審查），commit thoughts to writing（將想法寫出來(lái)），commit something to memory（暗記某事），commit a man to prison （將一人下獄），Liu Bei committed his son to the care of Zhuge Liang（劉備托孤于諸葛亮），The man was committed to a lunatic asylum（那人已被送入瘋?cè)嗽海┑取?span lang="EN-US">
（3）承擔(dān)，如 If you agreed to give a number of lectures, help to pay your brother's school expenses, and give your wife $500 a year for clothes, you have quite a lot of commitments.（如果你同意去作一連串的講演，答應(yīng)給弟弟的學(xué)費(fèi)，又說(shuō)定給太太每年五百元添置新衣，那么，你就承擔(dān)了不少的義務(wù)。）
（4）（由束縛身體之意轉(zhuǎn)為）牽累，陷入，獻(xiàn)身（devote oneself wholly to），如 Do not commit yourself．（勿自陷累，不要束縛自己），commit oneself to a promise（受諾言的拘束），He would not commit himself in any way（他不愿受任何方面的約束。）He has committed himself to the cause of education．（他獻(xiàn)身于教育事業(yè)。）
??? 上面第四種解釋，正是問(wèn)題中所需要的。全句可譯作：
“在過(guò)去十年中，我們比歷史上任何時(shí)期都力求更加熱心地，更加獻(xiàn)身地，更加成功地來(lái)達(dá)到這個(gè)目標(biāo)。”
??? 新加坡的李光耀總理為新加坡人所下的定義說(shuō)：
A Singaporean is a person who feels committed to upholding society as it is — multi-racial, tolerant, accommodating, forward-looking — and who is prepared to stake his life for the community. （一個(gè)新加坡人就是一個(gè)對(duì)現(xiàn)存的多元種族、容忍互助而又高瞻遠(yuǎn)矚的社會(huì)，以獻(xiàn)身的精神來(lái)支持它，并準(zhǔn)備為它付出生命的人。）
??? 句中用了 committed 一字，報(bào)紙上把它譯成“獻(xiàn)身的”，是譯得很正確的。
I believe that both candidates should make it absolutely clear that they share a basic commitment to the success of the negotiations now taking place in Paris. — Democratic presidential nominee Hubert Humphrey
（我相信兩黨的總統(tǒng)候選人，都應(yīng)絕對(duì)明確地表示，他們對(duì)于促成現(xiàn)在巴黎舉行的商談成功，具有基本的言約。）因候選人非當(dāng)權(quán)者，目下當(dāng)無(wú)權(quán)問(wèn)政，只能用言語(yǔ)約束?！把约s”為中國(guó)成語(yǔ)，見《后漢書·徐登傳》。
Mr. Roy Wilkins said "I definitely think we're on our way to a national commitment" to full social justice for Negro Americans.
（美國(guó)黑人促進(jìn)總會(huì)主席威爾金斯說(shuō)“我確實(shí)認(rèn)為我們正走向一個(gè)舉國(guó)一致的承諾”，要使黑種美國(guó)人充分得到社會(huì)的公平待遇）。這是說(shuō)大家都答應(yīng)這樣，所以譯為“承諾”。
The second imperative of our policy for peace is that we must meet our commitments and keep our promises to use our strength to oppose aggression. — President Johnson （我們的和平政策的第二條誡命，就是我們必須盡我們的義務(wù)，守我們的諾言，竭盡所能，反抗侵略。）
Vietnam may be a bitter hoax or it maybe a major commitment in the defense of freedom, but it will not go away because we yell "foul", it will not fade because we blow retreat. — Republican vice presidential nominee Agnew
（越南可能是一種痛苦的玩笑，也可能是在保衛(wèi)自由中的一個(gè)大的牽累，它不會(huì)因?yàn)槲覀兇蠼杏憛挾唛_，也不會(huì)因?yàn)槲覀凐Q金收兵而消失。）美國(guó)在越南戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中進(jìn)退維谷，故譯“牽累”。
The report sad that new commitments of US $50.7 million during fiscal year 1968 raised total investments of the International Finance Corporation（I.F.C's）in private enterprises in its member countries to US $271.8 million in 39 countries.
（一九六八會(huì)計(jì)年度新的投資計(jì)有五千零七十萬(wàn)美元，使得國(guó)際金融公司在其會(huì)員國(guó)的私人企業(yè)中的總投資額，三十九個(gè)國(guó)家共達(dá)二億七千一百八十萬(wàn)美元。）又 IFC's commitment consists of a 12-year loan of U.S. $2.45 million and a share subscription of U.S. $1.01 million．（國(guó)際金融公司的投資包括為期十二年的二百四十五萬(wàn)美元的借款，及加入一百零一萬(wàn)美元的股金。）交付的資金，故譯為“投資”。
The Japanese have faithfully observed their surrender commitments.
（日本人忠實(shí)地遵守了投降的條件。）投降時(shí)規(guī)定要做的，故曰“條件”。
其他如 an all-out commitment（全面的約束），to give a precipitate commitment（給以輕率的言約），the commitment of a petition for consideration and report（請(qǐng)?jiān)笗唤o委員會(huì)去審查并作出報(bào)告）。
（來(lái)源：catti.net.cn） |
