NotSchool helps the kids who normally slip between the cracks of traditional schooling.
(出自《世界是开放的》英文版第95页)
这里的 NotSchool是一个项目的名称。
整个句子里每个字都是非常简单的。但是中文意思却非常难以表达。
类似的句子还有:
There is many a slip between the cup and the lip.
据说,这句话出自罗马神话:海神尼普顿(Neptune)的儿子Ancaus拥有一个他引以为荣的葡萄园。
一次,一个奴隶预言Ancaus今年喝不上这座葡萄园的葡萄酒。到了收获的季节,新鲜的葡萄采摘下来酿造成酒,Ancaus把那个作出预言的奴隶叫来,为自己倒了一杯酒,嘲笑他的预言不灵验。而那个奴隶回答的正是这句“There’s many a slip between the cup and the lip”。正在这个时候,外面跑进来一个奴隶,说葡萄园闯进一头野猪(boar),伤人伤物。Ancaus来不及喝酒就跑了出去。最后的结果是,Ancaus被野猪杀死,那杯已经倒好的酒也没有喝上。
如今,这句话多用来警告那些差一点就成功的人,不要功亏一篑、功败垂成。
英文的解释是,“Don’t be too sure that your plan is going to work because anything can go wrong at anytime.The plan is good but it can still fail.”(别对你的计划太自信,因为每时每刻任何意外都有可能发生。即使你的计划是好的,它最后也可能失败。)
好了,回到我们句子,在这句中, slip between the cracks of 翻译为“不要功亏一篑”,随切近意思,但是仍觉得不是很恰当。
继续搜索,发现,在McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.上,对slip between the cracks 的解释是:
Fig. [for someone or something] to be forgotten or neglected. (Fig. on something being lost by falling between floorboards.)
Where is Alice? I guess we neglected her and she slipped between the cracks, This issue seems to have slipped between the cracks and become forgotten.
如此看来,这句话似乎可以这样翻译:
NotSchool项目为那些在传统学校被忽视或遗忘的孩子们提供帮助。
你觉得这样可以吗?