[p]“缘分”是所谓命中注定的人与人遇合的机缘。英译“缘分”（亦作“天缘”）以及“有缘”、“无缘”常用的英文词有fate, luck, lot, destiny　等。请看几个例子： [/p] [p][/p] [p][/p] [p]１.富贵功名，前缘分定。（《西游记》） [/p] [p][/p] [p]wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (w.j.f. jenner 译） [/p] [p][/p] [p]２.［宝玉问香菱为何薛蟠相亲定下了金桂，香菱笑道］　一则是天缘，二来是“情人眼里出西施”（《红楼梦》）　　 [/p] [p][/p] [p]it‘s partly fate, and partly a case of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."（杨宪益、戴乃迭　译）　　 [/p] [p][/p] [p]３.［王婆为了撮合西门庆和潘金莲，故意问前者是不是妻子死后，没有别的女人他中意的。西门庆争辩说］做甚么了便没？只恨我夫妻缘分上薄，自不撞着！（《水浒》） [/p] [p][/p] [p]who says there isn‘t? it‘s just that my marriage luck has been bad. i‘ve never met the right one. (s. shapiro 译） [/p] [p][/p] [p]４.她无缘，小生薄命。　（《西厢记》）　　 [/p] [p][/p] [p]she lacks the karma; i‘m out of luck. (s. h. l. idema　译） [/p] [p][/p] [p]５.［刘备送别徐庶时说］备分浅缘薄，不能与先生相聚。（《三国演义》） [/p] [p][/p] [p]my meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( m. robers 译） [/p] [p][/p] [p]６.［杜慎卿向季苇萧诉说自己没有知心朋友］只为缘悭分浅，遇不着一个知己，所以对月伤怀，临风洒泪！（《儒林外史》） [/p] [p][/p] [p]but i have not been lucky enough to find a true friend, and that is why i so often give way to melancholy! （杨宪益、戴乃迭　译） [/p] [p][/p] [p]7.君琴瑟之好，自相知音；薄命人乌有此福。如有缘，再世可相聚耳。（《聊斋.宦娘》） [/p] [p][/p] [p]you are like a matching lute and zither set. you can appreciate each other‘s music. fate has been too unkind to allow me [/p] [p][/p] [p]such blessings. if we are linked by the ties of destiny, we will meet again in the next life. 　(d.c. & v. h mair 译） [/p] [p][/p] [p]８.［方鸿渐看不中张小姐，心中暗说］“我你他”小姐，咱们没有“举碗［案］齐眉”的缘分，希望另有好运气的人来爱上您。　　（《围城》） [/p] [p][/p] [p]miss wo-ni-ta, we just weren‘t meant to "raise the bowl to the eyebrows." i hope some other lucky guy falls in love [/p] [p][/p] [p]with you. (j. kelly、 n. k. mao 译） [/p] [p][/p] [p]可以看出，以上句子里的中心词都含有“命运”的意识，英译亦然。《围城》一例所mean，据new world dictionary　等词典的解释也有 to destine or seem to destine 的意思，颇为妥帖。 [/p] [p][/p] [p]然而，“缘分”等词和命运的关联在有的用法里变得淡化了，甚至完全消失了。它只是泛指一种机遇或者机会。所以m. roberts翻译《三国演义》的以下两句，用的词语和上边英译句子中的相应部分不同： [/p] [p][/p] [p]９.［刘备二顾草芦时误认诸葛均为为诸葛亮，说］备久慕先生，无缘拜会。 [/p] [p][/p] [p]your talents and your virtue have ever been the objects of my esteem. but i have not had the honour of being presented to you. [/p] [p][/p] [p]不仅如此，这种机遇还可以发生在人和事物之间。体育报道里说的“无缘（进入）决赛(be barred from entering the finals; be disqualified for the finals)　即其一例。《浮生六记》的作者沈复（字三白）因妻子陈芸喜欢李白和白居易的诗，就跟她说： [/p] [p][/p] [p]11.异哉！李太白是知己，白乐天是启蒙师，余适逢字三白，为卿婿；卿与“白”字何其有缘耶？ [/p] [p][/p] [p]this is very strange. so libai is your bosom friend, bai juyi is your first tutor and yours band‘s literary name is sanbai. it seems [/p] [p][/p] [p]that your life is always bound up with the bai‘s.　　（林语堂　译） [/p] [p][/p] [p][/p] [p][/p]