由于well off的意義不確定，因此在表達不同富裕程度的時候，常常在前面加上副詞，用以修飾和限定其意義。從收集的大量例句中我們發(fā)現(xiàn)，用以限定well off的詞數(shù)量可觀，如more, less, most, least, fairly, quite, pretty , relatively, comfortably, financially, reasonably, moderately等。下面是幾個相關(guān)的例句:
1. Some rich men took utterly destitute people into their houses, where they performed menial services, and it was usual for even the moderately well-off to invite poor men and strangers off the street to eat meals at home.
2. His work implies that there is a typical "housing history" at least for relatively well-off people in contemporary Britain.
3. However, many townsmen were reasonably well-off by the standards of the time and were able to rebuild their modest dwellings.
4. I was the middle-class son of a comfortably well-off Glasgow bookie; I was even educated at George Heriot's in Edinburgh.
以上論述旨在說明用well off表達"小康"的概念意思上并不準確。除此之外，將"小康社會"翻譯成well off society從搭配上看也有問題。well off往往比較具體，用以修飾具體的人、家庭、或社會中的某個群體。例如：well-off families，well-off home owners，well-off pensioners，the least well off in our society等等。也正是由于well off的這一特點，它也很少與society, nation, country等詞聯(lián)用。我們從互聯(lián)網(wǎng)語料庫上百個例句中均未發(fā)現(xiàn)有 well-off society, well-off country, well-off nation的搭配情況，也很難找到well-off life, well-off standard的說法。我們只找到了以下兩個相關(guān)的句子：
1. Tobacco profits jumped 16%, thanks to the growth in smoking in less well-off parts of the world.
2. The government has been quick to say that it plans to continue the economic policies that have pleased businessmen and kept the country relatively well-off.
最后，從語言風格上看，well-off 比較口語化, 不夠正式莊重。而"小康社會"是我國當前政治生活中的一個中心詞，所闡述的是我國的大政方針，也是全國人民的奮斗目標，同時又是對外宣傳的一個重點。因此，用該詞表述一個國家的奮斗目標也不十分妥當。
那么應該如何翻譯"小康"或"小康社會"呢？我們知道，英語中prosperity （prosperous）表示"富裕"，而這種"富裕"并非指某個家庭或個人生活上的富裕，而是指一個國家或地區(qū)總體上的繁榮，因而也自然可以同 society, nation, country 等詞搭配聯(lián)用。例如，美國總統(tǒng)布什在其2003年的《國情咨文》中說過這樣一句話：We will work for a prosperity that is broadly shared, and we will answer every danger and every enemy that threatens the American people. 再看下面的一些例句：
1. Mr. Gorbachev's strategy of turning the USSR into a prosperous society in which intelligent Russians can take pride will be doomed.
2. Socialists believe in greater equality in society: A more equal society will be a more prosperous society and a more peaceful society
3. The implication is that we must adopt the same system in Britain if we are to become a modern, prosperous nation.
4. That alone will provide the resources that are essential if we are to build a steadily more prosperous society.
既然"小康"是指"不富裕"，但"比較好過"，那么，在prosperity （prosperous）一詞的前面加上修飾詞 moderate (moderately) 便是我們所說的"小康"了。請看下面的例句：
1. That is why we prefer to meditate about Lord Spencer's death than worry about the election, when the nation will choose between a future of moderate prosperity and happiness, or one of bitterness and penury.
2. The second half of the 18th century began to see some big changes in the parish and it is from this period, which was one of expansion and moderate prosperity, that the present houses and buildings begin to date.
從語言風格上看，prosperity（prosperous）是書面語，適用于正式場合。另外，prosperity（prosperous）除了指經(jīng)濟上的富足之外，還有更加廣泛的相關(guān)意義，該詞的這一特點使我們有理由相信，選擇該詞作為"小康"的英譯更為合適，因為我們在前面談到，我們所說的"小康"并不單純是指經(jīng)濟方面。請看例句：
1．It gave Hazel an impression of good feeding, of health and of a certain indolence, as though the other came from some rich, prosperous country where he himself had never been.
2．The steps we outline in this paper are necessary to create a fair, democratic and prosperous society, in which individuals are able to make their voice heard and develop their talents and skills to the full.
其實，用moderate prosperity指我們所說的"小康"國外媒體多有報道，例如，有一位外國記者對"小康"的解釋就是：A Confucius term of 3000 years, xiaokang means a condition of moderate prosperity. 這也從一個側(cè)面證實了moderate prosperity的譯法比較可取。
