《乔布斯传》翻译笔记：我们的友情真的抵不上那点钱？

 《乔布斯传》自问世以来受到了全世界人民的关注，对此恒星英语推出《乔布斯传》翻译笔记系列，让我们在翻译学习中回顾乔帮主的伟大一生。第四章 “雅达利和印度” 第三、四部分讲述了乔布斯和沃兹的友情嫌隙。从印度回来，乔布斯回到雅达利工作。诺兰·布什内尔让乔布斯开发《乒乓》的单机版。乔布斯找沃兹来帮忙，答应平分收入，却在任务完成后只付给了沃兹基本报酬，而隐瞒下因为节省芯片所获得的奖金。10年后沃兹从雅达利的历史传记《咔嚓》（Zap）中得知这件事后很难过。乔布斯矢口否认有这样的事情，但是大部分人记忆证实了这样一个不争的事实：乔布斯因为这点钱跟自己的好友耍了花招。这样的乔布斯，你会怎么看？

【英语原文】

Is it possible that memories are muddled² and that Jobs did not, in fact, shortchange Wozniak? “There’s a chance that my memory is all wrong and messed up,” Wozniak told me, but after a pause he reconsidered. “But no. I remember the details of this one, the $350 check.” He confirmed his memory with Nolan Bushnell and Al Alcorn. “I remember talking about the bonus money to Woz, and he was upset,” Bushnell said. “I said yes, there was a bonus for each chip they saved, and he just shook his head and then clucked his tongue.” Whatever the truth, Wozniak later insisted that it was not worth rehashing. Jobs is a complex person, he said, and being manipulative is just the darker facet³ of the traits⁴ that make him successful. Wozniak would never have been that way, but as he points out, he also could never have built Apple. “I would rather let it pass,” he said when I pressed the point. “It’s not something I want to judge Steve by.” (Chapter 4 Atari and India: Breakout)

【译文】

会不会是大家的记忆混乱了，而乔布斯并没有亏待沃兹呢？沃兹跟我说：“也许是我记性不好把事情弄混了。” 可是他停顿了一会儿又改口说道：“不，这件事情的细节我记得很清楚，是一张350美元的支票。” 沃兹还去跟雅达利的诺兰·布什内尔和阿尔·奥尔康证实了这个事情。布什内尔说：“我记得我跟沃兹谈过奖金的事情，他当时很难过。我告诉他节省了芯片确实是有奖金的。他当时只是摇了摇头，砸巴了下嘴，想要说点什么，结果还是什么都没说。” 不管真相如何，沃兹后来都坚持不要再旧事重提，他觉得不值得。他跟我说，乔布斯是个个性复杂的人，控制欲强和利用别人可能正是他成功特性中的阴暗面。沃兹就绝不会这样，不过他也指出，正因为如此，他也永远无法建成苹果王国。在我再三提及这件事时，沃兹跟我表示： “这件事情就让它过去吧。我不想因为这件事来评价史蒂夫。”

【翻译笔记】

1.shortchange: 本意指 “在找钱的时候少找零钱” ，引申义“亏待、欺骗”。作者把这个动词用得很妙，既指出乔布斯在奖金这件事上对沃兹耍的小花招，又从深层意思上指出乔布斯对好友的欺骗行为。

He sees no point in ever trying to shortchange business partners.

他认为试图欺骗商业伙伴毫无意义。

At the same time, prominent researchers said conservationists cannot afford to shortchange large and regional protections at the expense of focusing on targeted species⁵.

与此同时，优秀的研究者指出，环保主义者不能因为负担不起大型区域性保护的费用，就牺牲掉目标物种的集中保护。

2. mess up: 弄乱，搞砸，陷入困境

Don't let alcohol or drug mess up your brain.

不要让酒精和毒品毁掉你的头脑。

If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine⁶ about our mistakes, learn from them.

如果你陷入困境，那不是你父母的错，因此不要为我们的错误发牢骚，从中吸取教训吧。

这个短语描述沃兹认为自己记忆混乱的状态，段落的首句同样了这样的含义：muddle¹ the memory 记忆混乱 （常用于被动语态）

3. 两个point: point out 指出   press the point 不断提及

As the authors point out, witnesses and those who investigate these mysteries tend to end up dead.

就像作者自己说的那样，目击者和调查的人最后都离奇死亡了。

I don't wish to press the point, but you do owe me 200.

我是不愿老提这一点的， 可你还欠著我200块呢。

1 muddle   

n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱

参考例句：

• Everything in the room was in a muddle.房间里每一件东西都是乱七八糟的。
• Don't work in a rush and get into a muddle.克服忙乱现象。

2 muddled   

adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子

参考例句：

• He gets muddled when the teacher starts shouting. 老师一喊叫他就心烦意乱。
• I got muddled up and took the wrong turning. 我稀里糊涂地拐错了弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 facet   

n.(问题等的)一个方面；(多面体的)面

参考例句：

• He has perfected himself in every facet of his job.他已使自己对工作的各个方面都得心应手。
• Every facet of college life is fascinating.大学生活的每个方面都令人兴奋。

4 traits   

n.人的个性，显著的特点，特征( trait的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We do not know which behavioural traits are inherited and which acquired. 我们不知道哪些行为特征是遗传的，哪些是后天养成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His generosity is one of his good traits. 慷慨大方是他的好品质之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

6 whine   

v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣

参考例句：

• You are getting paid to think,not to whine.支付给你工资是让你思考而不是哀怨的。
• The bullet hit a rock and rocketed with a sharp whine.子弹打在一块岩石上，一声尖厉的呼啸，跳飞开去。