今天公众号“高斋翻硕”给大家分享张培基译《再论包装》节选的单词解析。

原文

我们进入了包装的时代，这恰好提醒我们进入了伪劣假冒的时代。“豪华精美”包装的礼品满天飞，送这种豪华礼品的人与被送者之间绝无真诚的友情，聪明的包装者是明悟这一实际的，所以工夫用在礼品之外，包装之上。外国也包装，也走人情，也行贿，但以包装作欺蒙则我们传统中早有提示：金玉其外，败絮其中。

张培基译文

We have entered the age of packaging, or rather the age of counterfeit andshoddy merchandise. Attractively-packaged gifts can be found everywhere. Aware of the complete absence of real friendship between sender and receiver of a gift, shrewd businessmen have been racking their brains trying to beautify the packing design rather than improve the commodity itself. People in foreign countries are also particular about packaging, and also bribe with gifts, but we have a longer tradition of hoodwinking customers by means of packaging, as witness the ancient Chinese saying, “Gold and jade without, rubbish within.”

单词解析

第一句：我们进入了包装的时代，这恰好提醒我们进入了伪劣假冒的时代。

We have entered the age of packaging, or rather the age of counterfeit and shoddy merchandise.

1. enter the age of 进入……时代，如福布斯官网有这么一句话：

We have officially entered the Age of Austerity.

美国已经正式迈入了紧缩时代。

2. counterfeit [ˈkaʊntərfɪt] adj. 伪造的；仿造的；假冒的，如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：

Are you aware these notes are counterfeit?

你觉察到这些钞票是伪造的吗？

3. shoddy [ˈʃɑːdi] adj. 做工粗糙的；粗制滥造的；劣质的；奸诈的；卑鄙的，如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：

We must put quality before quantity; We should rather go without than have something shoddy.

我们必须重视质量，宁缺毋滥。

4. merchandise [ˈmɜːrtʃəndaɪs ] n. 商品；货品；相关商品；指定商品，如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：

The merchandise is reasonably priced and offers exceptionally good value.

这些商品定价合理，很是划算。

第二句：“豪华精美”包装的礼品满天飞，送这种豪华礼品的人与被送者之间绝无真诚的友情，聪明的包装者是明悟这一实际的，所以工夫用在礼品之外，包装之上。

Attractively-packaged gifts can be found everywhere. Aware of the complete absence of real friendship between sender and receiver of a gift, shrewd businessmen have been racking their brains trying to beautify the packing design rather than improve the commodity itself.

1. Attractively-packaged gifts “豪华精美”包装的礼品。

2. can be found everywhere 到处都是，随处可见，如金融时报上有这么一句话：

QR code payments are so widespread in China, they can be found everywhere: from market stalls to luxury hotels.

二维码支付在中国非常普遍，从市场摊位到豪华酒店，随处可见。

3. the complete absence of real friendship 绝无真诚的友情。

4. shrewd [ʃruːd] adj. 精明的；敏锐的；有眼光的；精于盘算的；判断得准的；高明的，如外研社英语同义词辨析词典上有这么一句话：

My boss is a shrewd businessman.

我的老板是个精明的生意人。

5. rack one’s brain doing sth 绞尽脑汁做某事，如the free dictionary上有这么一句话：

He racked his brain all weekend trying to think of a solution to the problem.

整个周末他绞尽脑汁想办法解决这个问题。

第三句：外国也包装，也走人情，也行贿，但以包装作欺蒙则我们传统中早有提示：金玉其外，败絮其中。

People in foreign countries are also particular about packaging, and also bribe with gifts, but we have a longer tradition of hoodwinking customers by means of packaging, as witness the ancient Chinese saying, “Gold and jade without, rubbish within.”

1. be particular about sth/doing sth 对……特别讲究；对……特别挑剔，如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：

She's very particular about her clothes.

她对衣着特别挑剔。

2. bribe [braɪb] v. 向（某人）行贿；贿赂。bribe with gifts含义是用礼物行贿。

3. hoodwink [ˈhʊdwɪŋk] v. 欺诈，欺骗（某人），如柯林斯词典上有这么一句话：

People expect others to be honest, which is why conmen find it so easy to hoodwink people

人们认为别人是诚实正直的，所以骗子很容易行骗得逞。

4. Gold and jade without, rubbish within. 金玉其外，败絮其中。

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