“农民工”英语如何译更合适？--热点单词翻译赏析
连日来，我国多地酝酿取消或已经取消“农民工”称谓。“农民工”吃的是馒头，筑起的是高楼;喝的是自来水，流淌的是汗水;干的是最脏最累的工作，住的是最差最乱的窝棚;从事着“劳动光荣”的高尚使命，得到的却是不屑一顾的嗤之以鼻。在日新月异的城市发展中，楼层原来越高，而他们的地位却越来越低，尊严越来越低。于是，在“农民工”这个带有时代烙印的名词之下，涵盖了一个被社会“歧视”的群体，这个群体就是从“农村进城的务工人员”。其实，被歧视的并不是“农民工”这三个字，而是所有“进城务工人员”的人格尊严。“农民工”的英语说法有N多种，但究竟哪一种最合适呢？
“农民工”的英译可谓五花八门，仅笔者见过的就有peasant workers，migrant workers，rural workers，farmers-turned construction workers等。
笔者认为，上述译法均有不足。早在上个世纪七十年代，许多英语母语人士就指出，将汉语中“农民”译为peasant不妥，应该用farmer一词。当时的中学英语课本中就有the poor and lower-middle peasants（贫下中农）的说法。
而rural workers的意思则不够明确，很容易产生歧义，人们很容易将其理解为rural labours；至于farmers-turned construction workers的译法，其主要问题是界定范围太窄，不能涵盖“农民工”的所指范围。
migrant workers这一译法国内英文媒体常采用，但九十年代末联合国的一份文件（Fact Sheet No.24, The Rights of Migrant Workers）却给出了如下定义：The term "migrant worker" refers to a person who is to be engaged, is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national. 显然，migrant workers此处是指“国外来的打工者”。
其实，英语中就有off-farm income，off-farm employment及off-farm work等说法，其中off-farm work是指农民离开土地到城里所从事的工作，如果这类工作是季节性的，可以说seasonal off-farm work，如果是长期工则说permanent off-farm work。请看下面的例句：
1）However, in almost all cases the off-farm work was of a seasonal nature, lasting no more than 6 to 8 weeks.
2）Factory work provided most of the off-farm work but many part-time farmers were tradesmen and managers in business.
3）The type of off-farm work varied but many were in an oil-related industry, working shifts at Flotta oil terminal.
综上所述笔者认为，将汉语中的“农民工”翻译为off-farm workers比较合适。
“农民工”的英译可谓五花八门，仅笔者见过的就有peasant workers，migrant workers，rural workers，farmers-turned construction workers等。
笔者认为，上述译法均有不足。早在上个世纪七十年代，许多英语母语人士就指出，将汉语中“农民”译为peasant不妥，应该用farmer一词。当时的中学英语课本中就有the poor and lower-middle peasants（贫下中农）的说法。
而rural workers的意思则不够明确，很容易产生歧义，人们很容易将其理解为rural labours；至于farmers-turned construction workers的译法，其主要问题是界定范围太窄，不能涵盖“农民工”的所指范围。
migrant workers这一译法国内英文媒体常采用，但九十年代末联合国的一份文件（Fact Sheet No.24, The Rights of Migrant Workers）却给出了如下定义：The term "migrant worker" refers to a person who is to be engaged, is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national. 显然，migrant workers此处是指“国外来的打工者”。
其实，英语中就有off-farm income，off-farm employment及off-farm work等说法，其中off-farm work是指农民离开土地到城里所从事的工作，如果这类工作是季节性的，可以说seasonal off-farm work，如果是长期工则说permanent off-farm work。请看下面的例句：
1）However, in almost all cases the off-farm work was of a seasonal nature, lasting no more than 6 to 8 weeks.
2）Factory work provided most of the off-farm work but many part-time farmers were tradesmen and managers in business.
3）The type of off-farm work varied but many were in an oil-related industry, working shifts at Flotta oil terminal.
综上所述笔者认为，将汉语中的“农民工”翻译为off-farm workers比较合适。
（编辑:卢晓雪）
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