中国菜名大多数以用料(包括主料和作料)名称和烹饪方式(包括容器)构成,这类菜名相对好译,如:
西红柿炒鸡蛋:scrambled eggs with tomato
麻婆豆腐:Mapo Tofu(stir-fried tofu in hot sauce)
拌双耳:Tossed black and white fungus
夫妻肺片:Beef and Ox Tripe in Chili Sauce
醉鸡:Liquor-soaked chicken
红烧肉:pork braised in brown sauce
怪味猪手:Braised spicy pig feet
红烧狮子头:Stewed pork in brown sauce
鱼香肉丝:Yu-Hsiang shredded pork
蚂蚁上树:Sauteed vermiceli with spicy minced
口水鸡:Steamed chicken with chili sauce
翡翠虾仁:Sauteed shrimps with broccoli
乡村大丰收:Raw vegetables combination A bumper
水煮鱼:boiled fish
闷里脊:braised filet
炸猪排:fried pork chop
清蒸鲥鱼:steamed hils herring
烩丸子:stewed meat ball
回锅肉:twiced cooked pork with chili
铁扒小牛肉:grilled veal
网油鸡腿:chicken legs in lard
白扒鱼翅:braised shark fin with white gravy
菏叶粉肉卷:steamed pork rolls with rice flour in lotus leaf
有些菜肴,我们可将其烹饪方式略去,如豆豉炖鱼(fish in black bean sauce), 葱烧海参(sea cucumber with scallion)。
需要注意的是,翻译菜肴前,一些用料的译法应规范统一,如“木须”是egg,“翡翠”是spinach,“芙蓉”是egg white(现在音译为foo yung,如“芙蓉蛋” egg foo yung),“八宝”和“八珍”一般译为eight delicacies,“双冬”是mushrooms and bamboo shoots,“西施舌”是clam,“金钩吊玉牌”是bean sprouts with tofu。
译者在翻译时,也须参考菜肴的烹饪方式,如不少菜名中的“玻璃”是指在菜肴上浇以透明的糖浆,可译为blazed,如blazed squid slices(玻璃鱿鱼)。“宫保”原译为fried with chili/in hot sauce,现在也音译为kung pao,如“宫保鸡丁”(kungpao diced chicken)。
有些菜名强调味道,如“香酥”(crisp fried),“糖醋”(sweet and sour,“古老肉”也译成sweet and sour pork)。有些菜名可借用英语原有的一些说法,如“清汤”(consomme/consomme of),“拔丝”(in hot toffee)。
带有文化色彩的菜名比较难译,翻译时不妨先音译或意译,然后说明该菜的具体用料等。此外,还可以讲述一下菜肴的典故,以引起用餐者的兴趣。如“叫花子鸡”(beggar’s chicken,后可附其来历),“东坡肘子”(Dongpo pork joint ,后可补充介绍苏东坡其人)。
|