Wednesday, 29 April 2009

• 《七日鮮》／Familiarity breeds contempt

  源文（Source Text）

   

  在人際關係問題上，我們不要太浪漫主義。人是很有趣的，往往在接觸一個人時，首先看到的，都是他或她的優點。這一點頗像是在餐廳裡用膳的經驗。開始吃頭盤或冷碟時，印象很好。吃頭兩道主菜時，也是讚不絕口。可是，愈吃愈趨於冷靜，吃完了這頓宴席，缺點茬兒就全都找出來了。於是轉喜為怒，轉讚美為責備挑剔，轉首肯為搖頭。這是因為，開始吃的時候，你正處於飢餓狀態，而餓了吃糟糠甜如蜜，飽足了吃蜜也淡而無味。

   

  譯文（Target Text）

   

  We had better not harbour any flight of romantic fancy about the issues in our interpersonal relations. Human beings are funny and interesting in that we tend to see nothing but the merits of someone upon the first acquaintance. Such a situation is somewhat comparable to any experience of dining in a restaurant. We are susceptible to a great impression by the appetizers or cold dishes served in the first place. What follow is our being full of praise in profusion for the first two courses. However, the more we gorge ourselves on, the more cool-headed we may become until the dinner ends up with our fault-finding remarks. Consequently, we may be going through a mood swing from exhilaration to exasperation, a turn from compliment and commendation to rant and rave, a switch from an approving nod of head to a disappointing shake of head. What it comes down to is that you are in a state of hunger for food upon eating, and you may go so far as to devour a dish of bran as if having honey which turns out completely bland once your stomach is bloated with it.

   

  Translated by 奧利安（Topaz Chiu）

  譯者：奧利安（Topaz Chiu）

   

  ＊ The title of this article (both in Chinese and English) is created by the translator.

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