One of the most difficult words to translate... - Krystian Aparta

譯者: Helen Chang 審譯者: Geoff Chen

Which is the hardest word to translate in this sentence?

這句話中哪個字最難被翻譯？

"Know" is easy to translate.

「知道」容易被翻譯。

"Pep rally" doesn't have a direct analog in a lot of languages and cultures,

雖然「誓師大會」在許多的 語言和文化中無法被直譯，

but can be approximated.

但有語意近似的詞可用。

But the hardest word there is actually one of the smallest: "you."

最難譯的其實是 不起眼的「you（你）」字。

As simple as it seems,

看似簡單，

it's often impossible to accurately translate "you"

卻往往難以精準地翻譯「you」，

without knowing a lot more about the situation where it's being said.

倘若不清楚使用時周邊的狀況。

To start with, how familiar are you with the person you're talking to?

首先，你對於說話 的對象有多熟悉呢？

Many cultures have different levels of formality.

許多文化有不同的禮節程度。

A close friend,

密友，

someone much older or much younger,

比自己年長或年輕許多的對象，

a stranger,

陌生人，

a boss.

或老闆：

These all may be slightly different "you's."

這些「you's」可能稍微不同。

In many languages, the pronoun reflects these differences

在許多語言中， 代名詞反映這些差異，

through what's known as the T–V distinction.

所謂「禮貌程度不同」的稱謂。

In French, for example,

例如，在法語中，

you would say "tu" when talking to your friend at school,

你與學校中的朋友交談用「tu」，

but "vous" when addressing your teacher.

但對老師說話時用「vous」。

Even English once had something similar.

即使英語也曾有過類似的做法。

Remember the old-timey "thou?"

還記得舊時用的「thou」？

Ironically, it was actually the informal pronoun

諷刺的是，它原是非正式代名詞，

for people you're close with,

用於你親近的人，

while "you" was the formal and polite version.

而「you」是正規有禮的版本。

That distinction was lost

區分的消弭始於

when the English decided to just be polite all the time.

英國決定長久使用禮貌的用法後。

But the difficulty in translating "you" doesn't end there.

但「you」的翻譯難度尚未結束。

In languages like Hausa or Korana,

像非洲的豪薩語 或Khoemana語，

the "you" form depends on the listener's gender.

「you」的形式取決於 聽者的性別。

In many more, it depends on whether they are one or many,

在更多其他的語言中 取決於單數或複數，

such as with German "Du" or "ihr."

例如德文的「Du」或「ihr」。

Even in English,

即使在英語中，

some dialects use words like "y'all" or "youse" the same way.

與有些方言的「y’all」 或「youse」相同。

Some plural forms, like the French "vous"

有些複數的形式， 如法語的「vous」

and Russian "Вы"

和俄語的「Вы」

are also used for a single person

也可用於單人，

to show that the addressee is that much more important,

以表明被稱謂者的重要性，

much like the royal "we."

很像皇家的「we」。

And a few languages even have a specific form

一些語言甚至有特定形式

for addressing exactly two people,

稱呼正好兩個人，

like Slovenian "vidva."

例如斯洛維尼亞文的 「vidva」。

If that wasn't complicated enough,

若這還不算複雜，

formality, number, and gender can all come into play at the same time.

禮節、數量，和性別 可以同時起作用。

In Spanish, "tú" is unisex informal singular,

在西班牙語中，「tú」 不分性別、非正式、單數，

"usted" is unisex formal singular,

「usted」不分性別、 正式、單數，

"vosotros" is masculine informal plural,

「vosotros」是男性、 非正式、複數，

"vosotras" is feminine informal plural,

「vosotras」是女性、 非正式、複數，

and "ustedes" is the unisex formal plural.

以及「ustedes」 不分性別、正式、複數。

Phew!

呼，鬆口氣！

After all that,

經過這一切，

it may come as a relief

這可能是種解脫:

that some languages often leave out the second person pronoun.

某些語言常省略第二人稱代名詞。

In languages like Romanian and Portuguese,

例如在羅馬尼亞文和葡萄牙文中，

the pronoun can be dropped from sentences

可省去句中的代名詞，

because it's clearly implied by the way the verbs are conjugated.

因為它和動詞的結合已清楚表明。

And in languages like Korean, Thai, and Chinese,

而韓文、泰文和中文裡，

pronouns can be dropped without any grammatical hints.

雖然沒有語法的提示 也可省去代名詞。

Speakers often would rather have

言者往往寧可

the listener guess the pronoun from context

讓聽者從上下文推測代名詞，

than use the wrong one and risk being seen as rude.

而不願冒著用錯， 而被視為失禮的風險。

So if you're ever working as a translator

所以，若你曾任翻譯

and come across this sentence without any context:

遇到沒有任何背景的這句話：

"You and you, no, not you,

「You and you, no, not you,

you, your job is to translate 'you' for yourselves" ...

you, 你的責任是 為自己翻譯『you』 ... 」

Well, good luck.

好了，祝你好運。

And to the volunteer community who will be translating this video

至於把這段視頻翻譯成 各種語言的志工們：

into multiple languages:

嗄 ... 非常的抱歉！

Sorry about that!