Fanny, Sherry, pretty Penny

譯林擷趣／翻譯懸賞

【聯合報╱陳蒼多】 2010.05.01 03:34 am

翻譯有時要用「譯註」才能解決問題。現在我懸賞不用註解就可以翻譯好以下笑話中Sherry、Penny和Fanny三個英文字的人。 有三個美國男人去參加就業口試，主考官看了第一個男人的履歷表，就說他愛喝酒，不能錄取，因為他娶了一個太太名叫Sherry。然後主考官又看看第二個男 人的履歷表，搖頭說他愛錢，因為他娶了一個太太叫Penny。此時第三個男人笑著對另外兩個男人說：「那我也沒有希望了，因為我太太叫Fanny。」 這邊的Sherry除了是女人的名字之外，也有「雪利酒」的意思，Penny除了是女人的名字，也是錢的單位「便士」，而Fanny除了是女人的名字，也 作「屁股」。如有人能一次到位把這三個字譯成既是女人名字，又有上述三種意義的中文，不用任何譯註，那真是譯林高手了！

Fanny
n. Slang, pl., -nies.
The buttocks.

[Perhaps from Fanny, a nickname for Frances.]

sherry
n., pl., -ries.

1. A fortified Spanish wine ranging from very dry to sweet and from amber to brown.
2. A similar wine made elsewhere.

[Alteration of sherris (taken as pl.), after Xeres (Jerez), Spain.]

penny
n., pl., -nies.

1. In the United States and Canada, the coin that is worth one cent.
2. pl., pence (pĕns).
   1. (Abbr. p.) A coin used in Great Britain since 1971, worth ¹/₁₀₀ of a pound. Also called new penny.
   2. (Abbr. d.) A coin formerly used in Great Britain, worth ¹/₁₂ of a shilling or ¹/₂₄₀ of a pound.
   3. A coin formerly used in the Republic of Ireland, worth ¹/₁₀₀ of a pound.
   4. A coin used in various dependent territories of the United Kingdom.
3. Any of various coins of small denomination.
4. A sum of money.
5. One of a set of colored, usually sleeveless shirts worn as a temporary team uniform, as when scrimmaging.

idiom:

pretty penny

1. A considerable sum of money: I paid a pretty penny for that ring.

[Middle English, an English coin, from Old English penig.]