作者：丁衡祁 陳小全

將"全面建設小康社會"翻譯成英語，首先要把握"小康"一詞的含義。《辭海》對"小康"的解釋是：經濟比較寬裕可以安然度日；儒家所說的比"大同"理想較低的一種社會。因此，從歷史的角度看，"小康"一詞的基本含義是"經濟上比較富裕"。現在我們所說的"小康"，是指溫飽和富裕之間的那個階段。根據"十六大"文件中的有關內容，"小康社會"的意義包括：到2020 年，國內生產總值比2000年翻兩番；社會主義民主和法制更加完善；全民的思想道德素質、科學文化素質和健康素質明顯提高；可持續發展能力不斷增強，生態環境得到改善。因此，我們今天所說的"小康"含義要寬廣得多，但歸結起來是指我國社會總體發展達到一種較好的水平。

　　在翻譯"小康"時，我們不可能將其所有含義譯出，必須抓住其核心意思。通過學習，我們認為《三個代表重要思想通俗讀本》中的一段話可作為"小康"的中心意義，在此基礎上將其翻譯成英語。這段話是這樣說的："人均國民生產總值達到大約800美元，老百姓生活雖不富裕，但日子比較好過，這就算達到小康水平。"因此，我們可從日子"不富裕"，但"比較好過"出發，在英語中尋找最接近的表達方式。

目前，一些書籍和出版物大多采用well off表達"小康"的概念，"全面建設小康社會"的英譯雖有不同，但均在well off的基礎上擴展而成。例如：building a well-off society in an all-round way；develop the well-off standard of living；bring China into a well-off society of a higher level等等。經研究我們發現，well off的意義相當不確定，用它來表達"小康"的意思并不妥當。例如，Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary所給的定義是rich，例句是Her family was very well-off.。很顯然，我們所說的"小康"還夠不上rich。Random House Dictionary 所給的定義是live in a satisfactory condition with sufficient possessions for a comfortable living。另外，Random House Learner's Dictionary 對 well-off 的解釋是 well-to-do和 prosperous; 而對well-to-do 的解釋又是comfortably prosperous和 wealthy。這些定義和解釋的意思很清楚：well-off是指令人滿意的生活條件，具備充足的物質條件，可以過上愜意舒適的生活。按照該定義，如果說一個人well off，他就應該有自己的房子和汽車，衣食住行游，樣樣不用愁。但從我國總體情況來看，我們所說的"小康"依然夠不上這樣的標準。另一方面，許多英語母語人士也認為，well off 比我們所說的"小康"更富裕。我們再來看Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary (10th Edition) 對well off的定義：1 : being in good condition or favorable circumstances 2 : having no lack -- usually used with for 3 a : being in easy or affluent circumstances b : suggesting prosperity。從該定義中，我們可以看出well off一詞的意義并不確定。關于well off意義的不確定，有大量例句可以證明，現選少量列出：

　　1. Because my parents were not well off, I would have to win a scholarship.（指一般意義上的富裕）
2. Our family, which lived in Renishaw Road in Nottingham, was always well off, if never rich. （指中等程度的富裕）
3. We were born on the same council estate - Shiregreen, in Sheffield, both were well off by council house standards first with a telly and matching frocks and knickers. （指低標準的富裕）
4. Can there remain any public consensus on the social structure if divisions between the well-off and the poor widen? （與貧窮相對應）
5. They are fine in Cookstown when you are looking at a working population of 8 or 9,000 people, but in Belfast travel-to-work area you are looking at something like 150,000 people and that confuses the well-off and the very impoverished. (與赤貧相對應)
6. Mr. Shahiduddin is well off by village standards, but still he is not a very rich man,' replied Dr. Haidar. （按農村標準的富裕）
7. The poor or less well off who cannot afford private health and pay school fees. （比貧窮稍好一些的富裕）
8. His parents are well-off farmers in Somerset, and although he went to the prestigious Ampleforth school, he spent only a year after taking his A levels at agricultural college before becoming a BMW car salesman.（富裕農民）
9. Children from well-off families would rather play computer games than go outside. （富裕家庭）
10. It's a pity her two husbands left her so well off that she hasn't had to worry about money. （富裕到花錢不用愁的地步）
11. Except for a very few rich people, they are all financially much less well off than they were. （比富人差一些的富裕）