中国人都盼望着奥运开始的那一天,瑞士人也在盼。他们常说,希望奥运过后,中国人懂得计算时间,懂得欣赏计时表! 200年前钟表传入中土,衍生了一群以修理钟表甚至生产钟表为业的人。在那个时代,中国人懂外语的绝无仅有,没有能力直译钟表专业名词,便以功能、用途或形状替部件命名,结果“发明”了许多令人拍案叫绝的传神字眼,今日甚至搔破头皮也再找不出更好的替代。像minute repeater译作三问,balance译作摆轮,hair spring译作游丝,main spring译作发 The Chinese people are hoping for the Olympic Games. The Swiss are also looking forward to the day. They often said that after the Olympics, the Chinese knew how to calculate time and how to appreciate the chronograph! The clock was introduced into China 200 years ago, and a group of people who repaired watches and even produced watches and clocks were created. In that era, the Chinese knew nothing about foreign languages. They could not literally translate the terminology of the watch, and then named the part by function, use, or shape. The result “invented” many expressive words that were slapstick, and even smashed the scalp today. No better alternative can be found. Like minute repeater translated into three questions, balance translated as balance wheel, hair spring translated as gossamer, main spring translated hair