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独居化外，被放三危

English translation: an outsider exiled to a solitary existence on Mount San Wei


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Chinese term or phrase:独居化外，被放三危
English translation:an outsider exiled to a solitary existence on Mount San Wei
Entered by: Ivan Niu
Options:
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10:06 May 30, 2011
Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Chinese term or phrase: 独居化外，被放三危
又有一夜，我们在开会，这会按例每星期一次。到时聚餐之后，有人读论文，作为讨论，通常总是一种吸烟大会。这回轮着Ｃ君读论文。题目叫做《宗教与革命》，文中不少诙谐语。在这种扯谈之时，室内的烟气一层一层的浓厚起来，正是暗香浮动奇思涌发之时。诗人Ｈ君坐在中间，斜躺椅上，正在学放烟圈，一圈一圈的往上放出，大概诗意也跟着一层一层上升，其态度之自若，若有不足为外人道者。只有我一人不吸烟，觉得如独居化外，被放三危。这时戒烟越看越无意义了。我恍然觉悟，我太昏迷了。我追想搜索当初何以立志戒烟的理由，总搜寻不出一条理由来。
独居化外，被放三危？化外应如何译比较好？谢谢。
Ivan Niu
China
Local time: 04:50
an outsider exiled to a solitary existence on Mount San Wei
Explanation:
This is how I would translate the whole sentence:
"As I was the only one who did not smoke, I felt like an outsider exiled to a solitary existence on Mount San Wei."
IMO, the point made is that the protagonist, no longer being a smoker, feels excluded from a meeting that has turned into a "吸烟大会".
化外 = 'the outer fringes of civilization' (see link below)
三危 might refer to the mountain in Gansu (i.e., a remote and secluded location) or the 仙山 where 西王母's three birds live (《山海经·西山经》：“又西二百二十里，曰 三危之山 ，三青鸟居之。”).
Selected response from:

Oriana Bonan
Local time: 22:50
Grading comment
thank you very much
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2an outsider exiled to a solitary existence on Mount San Wei
Oriana Bonan
4I am living outside china alone and/or has been exiled to Mount San Wei
Donglai Lou


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
an outsider exiled to a solitary existence on Mount San Wei


Explanation:
This is how I would translate the whole sentence:
"As I was the only one who did not smoke, I felt like an outsider exiled to a solitary existence on Mount San Wei."
IMO, the point made is that the protagonist, no longer being a smoker, feels excluded from a meeting that has turned into a "吸烟大会".
化外 = 'the outer fringes of civilization' (see link below)
三危 might refer to the mountain in Gansu (i.e., a remote and secluded location) or the 仙山 where 西王母's three birds live (《山海经·西山经》：“又西二百二十里，曰 三危之山 ，三青鸟居之。”).


    Reference: http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/4/ZdicE5Zdic8CZdic96318027.htm
Oriana Bonan
Local time: 22:50
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
thank you very much

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  pkchan
12 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  Deli Zhang
15 hrs
  -> Thanks!
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52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
I am living outside china alone and/or has been exiled to Mount San Wei


Explanation:
化外中，华是通假字，指中华以外；三危是敦煌所在区域的一座山。
如果直译的话，就是上面的说法。否则，I am living in a different world or have been exiled。或进一步意译。

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Note added at 14 hrs (2011-05-31 01:02:54 GMT)
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再解释一下“化外”的意思。化外原意是指中华以外，后引申为“中华文明所不及之处”。在此文中，如果说不吸烟是不文明，显然不对，因此译成身处异域或唯独我一个外人，比较合适。

Donglai Lou
China
Local time: 04:50
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 7
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