原文：

他自以为这信措词凄婉，打得动铁石心肠。谁知道父亲信来痛骂一顿：“吾不惜重资，命汝千里负笈，汝埋头攻读之不暇，而有余闲照镜耶？”（钱钟书 - 《围城》）

翻译关键词：凄婉，铁石心肠，千里负笈

译文：

Since he felt the wording of the letter was sad and entreating enough to move a heart of stone, he was quite unprepared for the express letter which came from his father. It gave him a severe scolding: I did not begrudge the expense of sending you hundreds of miles away to study. If you devoted yourself to your studies as you should, would you still have the leisure to look in a mirror? (美 Jeanne Kelly, Nathan K.Mao <译> –Fortress Besieged)

翻译笔记：

凄婉

形容凄切/悲凉/悲伤婉转，文中用来形容方鸿渐在信中的措辞。

文中译为sad and entreating，这里的entreating是entreat的变形

—entreat vi/ vit恳求，乞求。近义词：beg

还有其他的译法sad and mild

铁石心肠

铁石心肠从字面上解释，心肠像铁和石头一样，又硬又冷。这个词用来描述一个人不带有任何感情，冷酷无情的。

译为a heart of stone (stone-hearted)，也可以译作为a heart of steel；很好记，石头/铁做的心。

—铁石心肠的：hardhearted; marblehearted; roughhearted; stonehearted

John is the stone-hearted man refused save her mother's life.

约翰是一个铁石心肠的人，他拒绝拯救他的母亲。

千里负笈

指背着重重的书箱，在千里之外的地方求学。

文中译为hundreds of miles away to study； 负笈从师 leave home to seek knowledge

负笈是一个古词，现今我们都称作为“留学”study abroad

—留学生 abroad student; international student

—留学签证 studiumvisum

I finally got the studiumvisum I dreamed about. I'm on top of the world that I can be sent hundreds of miles away to study.

最后我终于拿到了梦寐以求的留学签证，我高兴坏了，终于可以被送去留学了！

相关阅读

《围城》英译选句 - “想到你”还是“想你”？

《围城》英译选句 - “体无完肤”

《围城》英译选句 - “算命”

《围城》英译选句 - “教子以义方”

（来源：沪江英语 编辑：Rosy）