“撸”字英译漫谈

王逢鑫

“撸”的第一个意思是“捋”，即“用手握着条状物，顺着移动、抚摩或拉扯”。英语可以译为：to close ones hand around sth long， and move， stroke， pull or push。例如：

1. 他把桑树枝上的叶子撸下来，用来喂蚕。

He stripped the mulberry twigs of their leaves by running the palm of his hand along the twigs for the purpose of raising silkworms.

“撸叶子”，就是“采集叶子”。英语可以译为to collect leaves。例如：

2. 端午节之前，他到湖边撸了许多艾叶。

Before the Dragon Boat Festival， he went to the lakeside and collected a lot of mugwort leaves.

“撸起袖子”，英语可以译为to roll up ones sleeves。例如：

3. 袁隆平擼起袖子，挽起裤脚，赤脚迈进稻田。

Rolling up his sleeves and the bottoms of his trousers， Yuan Longping stepped into the rice field bare-footedly.

“撸起袖子加油干”，英语可以译为 to roll up ones sleeves to work harder。例如：

4. 这个贫困村的农民响应习近平总书记“撸起袖子加油干”的号召，更加努力与贫困斗争，终于脱贫了。

In response to General Secretary Xi Jinpings call “to roll up our sleeves and work harder”， the farmers in this poverty-stricken village made greater efforts to fight against poverty， and finally lifted themselves from poverty.

随着宠物经济的兴起，宠物主题咖啡馆成为年轻人打卡的网红店。撸猫成为时髦的事情。“撸猫”这个网络流行词，英语可以译为to pet a cat、to stroke a cat。例如：

5. 许多年轻人喜欢光顾这家猫主题咖啡馆，他们边喝咖啡边撸猫，感到很爽。

Many young people like to visit this cat-themed café， where they can pet a cat while drinking coffee， feeling very good.

烤串因美味好吃，操作简便，深受人们喜爱。使用扦子将准备好的食材串在一起，便于烧烤。“扦子”，英语可以译为skewer。例如：

6. 扦子是木制、竹制或金属制的尖状物，在烧烤或涮锅时用来固定小块肉或蔬菜，使其保持形状。

A skewer is a pin of wood， bamboo or metal for holding small pieces of meat or vegetables to keep them in form while grilling or instant-boiling.

“烤串”作为名词，指“串在扦子上的小块肉或蔬菜”。英语可以译为grill skewer、grilled skewer或skewer。例如：

7. 他常常在周末邀请三五好友到家里，招待他们吃各种各样的烤串。

At the weekends， he often invites some of his best friends to his home， treating them to various kinds of grilled skewers.

“烤肉串”，英语可以译为barbecue skewer或meat skewer。“烤羊肉串”，英语可以译为lamb/mutton skewer或lamb/mutton kebab。“烤蔬菜串”，英语可以译为vegetables skewer。例如：

8. 我喜欢吃烤肉串。烤羊肉串是我的最爱。但是我不喜欢烤蔬菜串。

I enjoy eating meat skewers. The lamb kebab is my favorite. But I dont care for vegetables skewers.

“烤串”作为动词，指“用烤炉烤串在扦子上的小块肉或蔬菜”。英语可以译为to make skewers或to grill skewers。例如：

9. 我妈妈正在耐心地教我如何烤串。

My mother is patiently teaching me how to make/grill skewers.

肉串和蔬菜串也可以用火锅涮，称之为“涮串”。英语可以译为instant-boil skewer。例如：

10. 这家火锅店以其美味的涮串闻名遐迩。

This chafing dish restaurant is well-known for its delicious instant-boil skewers.

“撸串”实际上就是“吃烤串”或“吃涮串”，因为吃时要将做熟的食材从扦子上一个一个咬下来，故而人们称其为“撸串”。英语可以分别译为to eat grill skewers和to eat instant-boil skewers。例如：

11. 这个单身族喜欢在宁静的夜晚到街头小摊边喝啤酒边撸串。

This single man likes to go to a street stall on a quiet night， eating grill skewers while drinking beer.

“撸串”还有一个意思是“把玩手串儿”。英语可以译为to enjoy rubbing a string of nuts one by one with ones fingers。例如：

12. 当你在这个公园散步时，你常常会看到有位老人手持山核桃手串，边走边撸串。

When you take a walk in this park， you may often see an old man who holds a string of hickory nuts in his hand and enjoys rubbing them one by one with his fingers while walking.

“撸”在方言中有一个意思是“用手掌击”。“撸嘴巴子”，就是“打耳光”。英语可以译为to slap sb on the face with ones palm。例如：

13. 这个老人很愤怒，撸了他那不孝顺、不听话的儿子一个嘴巴子。

With his palm， the old man angrily slapped his unfilial and disobedient son on the face.

“擼”的意思可以引申为“用言语训斥”。由“打”转向“骂”。英语可以译为to scold、to dress down、to give a dressing down。汉语常说“挨撸”，英语可以译为to be scolded、to get a scolding、to be given a dressing down、to get a dressing down。例如：

14. 他因粗心大意被老板撸了一顿。

He was given a dressing down by his boss for his carelessness.

“撸”还有“撤销职务”的意思。英语可以译为to remove sb from his/her post、to dismiss sb from his/her post。例如：

15. 他因犯了严重错误，党籍和职务都给撸了。

He was expelled from the Party and dismissed from his post for a serious mistake.

“一撸到底”的意思是“撤销全部职务”。英语可以译为to remove sb from all his/her posts、to dismiss sb from all his/her posts。例如：

16. 这个贪官受到严厉惩罚，被一撸到底，还进了牢房。

The corrupt official was severely punished， dismissed from all his posts and put into prison.