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“英语小百科”是一个关于英语学习的英国电台节目，通过生动的对话解答听众针对英语学习方面提出的问题。在全球化的进程中，各国之间的关联不断深化，英语中的外来词也在不断增加，有不少中文词汇已经被编入词典，成为英语的一部分。有人说下一个雀屏中选的也许是“缘分”？一起来听听看！
QUESTION:
Hello, my name is Joannie. I have a burning question about the word “yuan fen.” I recently heard it has made its way into the English vocabulary like feng shui, dim sum, and wok etc, is it true? If not, how do we explain this particular Chinese phenomenon[现象] to the westerners? Thank you.
Yang Li: It’s clear that feng shui, dim sum, and wok have already made their way into the English language, but the phrase “yuan fen” has not yet.
Natalie: To find out the meaning of this Chinese phrase, we spoke to a bilingual[双语的] expert at the BBC, Shirong.
Okay, the phrase “yuan fen” originally comes from Sanskrit[梵文], Buddhism[佛教]. People talk about a kind of causal relationship[因果关系], you know, what caused something in the previous life and that would have an impact on your next life. That’s a kind of “yuan.” That’s why in the English language very often it’s translated as, kind of, destiny or fate. In that sense it is correct.
（好了，“缘分”这个词源自佛教梵文。人们用它来形容一种因果关系，你知道——前世的事情之所以会发生的原因，对你的今生又会产生一种影响。这就是“缘”。所以在英语中，这个词组常常被译为命数、命运之类的。在这个意义上来说也没错。）
“Yuan fen” is something that in English often gets translated as “it was meant to be.” It was my destiny. I was destined to be here. It’s fate. It was meant to be.
（“缘分”在英语中常常译作“命中注定”。这是我的命运。我注定要来这里。这就是命。这是命中注定。）
Natalie: But you can’t use the phrase to describe every situation when you happen to meet someone. Listen to Shirong again.
If we talk about people just a chance meeting and, you know…then it could be by luck. But the phrase is more often used in relationships. This man and a woman, or a boy and a girl are predestined[注定] to go together. They are predestined to meet, and get along, and even get married.
（如果我们在说的是人们只是偶然邂逅，你知道……那就可以说碰巧。但缘分更多地用来指感情。这个男人和女人，或者男人与女生，他们注定会走到一起。他们注定会相遇、彼此投缘，甚至结婚。）
Natalie: I agree with Shirong. It’s very different when you happen to meet someone for a short while or to marry someone for life.
Yang Li: That’s right. Perhaps I could say in your case, Natalie, that it is by luck that you found the job, but it is “yuan fen” that brought you and your boyfriend together.
The phrase “yuan fen” sometimes is described in a negative sense. A boy and a girl may meet, but their relationship may not last because they do not have the “yuan fen.” So, in that sense, there is another phrase in Chinese called “wu yuan”: you have no “yuan”; tough luck.
（“缘分”这个词有时也可以表示否定。男生和女生相遇了，但他们的感情并不长久，因为他们没有“缘分”。所以在这种意义上，中文里还有一个词叫“无缘”——没有“缘”，运气不好。）
Natalie: That’s interesting. So when a marriage or relationship works out, you can say that’s “yuan fen,” that’s destiny. And when it didn’t work out, you would say “wu yuan,” tough luck or no luck.
Yang Li: That’s correct. Rather than trying to find a reason why a relationship didn’t work out, people just say, “Well, there is no yuan.” Thanks for listening and see you next time.
Natalie: Bye.
QUESTION:
Hello, my name is Joannie. I have a burning question about the word “yuan fen.” I recently heard it has made its way into the English vocabulary like feng shui, dim sum, and wok etc, is it true? If not, how do we explain this particular Chinese phenomenon[现象] to the westerners? Thank you.
Yang Li: It’s clear that feng shui, dim sum, and wok have already made their way into the English language, but the phrase “yuan fen” has not yet.
Natalie: To find out the meaning of this Chinese phrase, we spoke to a bilingual[双语的] expert at the BBC, Shirong.
Okay, the phrase “yuan fen” originally comes from Sanskrit[梵文], Buddhism[佛教]. People talk about a kind of causal relationship[因果关系], you know, what caused something in the previous life and that would have an impact on your next life. That’s a kind of “yuan.” That’s why in the English language very often it’s translated as, kind of, destiny or fate. In that sense it is correct.
（好了，“缘分”这个词源自佛教梵文。人们用它来形容一种因果关系，你知道——前世的事情之所以会发生的原因，对你的今生又会产生一种影响。这就是“缘”。所以在英语中，这个词组常常被译为命数、命运之类的。在这个意义上来说也没错。）
“Yuan fen” is something that in English often gets translated as “it was meant to be.” It was my destiny. I was destined to be here. It’s fate. It was meant to be.
（“缘分”在英语中常常译作“命中注定”。这是我的命运。我注定要来这里。这就是命。这是命中注定。）
Natalie: But you can’t use the phrase to describe every situation when you happen to meet someone. Listen to Shirong again.
If we talk about people just a chance meeting and, you know…then it could be by luck. But the phrase is more often used in relationships. This man and a woman, or a boy and a girl are predestined[注定] to go together. They are predestined to meet, and get along, and even get married.
（如果我们在说的是人们只是偶然邂逅，你知道……那就可以说碰巧。但缘分更多地用来指感情。这个男人和女人，或者男人与女生，他们注定会走到一起。他们注定会相遇、彼此投缘，甚至结婚。）
Natalie: I agree with Shirong. It’s very different when you happen to meet someone for a short while or to marry someone for life.
Yang Li: That’s right. Perhaps I could say in your case, Natalie, that it is by luck that you found the job, but it is “yuan fen” that brought you and your boyfriend together.
The phrase “yuan fen” sometimes is described in a negative sense. A boy and a girl may meet, but their relationship may not last because they do not have the “yuan fen.” So, in that sense, there is another phrase in Chinese called “wu yuan”: you have no “yuan”; tough luck.
（“缘分”这个词有时也可以表示否定。男生和女生相遇了，但他们的感情并不长久，因为他们没有“缘分”。所以在这种意义上，中文里还有一个词叫“无缘”——没有“缘”，运气不好。）
Natalie: That’s interesting. So when a marriage or relationship works out, you can say that’s “yuan fen,” that’s destiny. And when it didn’t work out, you would say “wu yuan,” tough luck or no luck.
Yang Li: That’s correct. Rather than trying to find a reason why a relationship didn’t work out, people just say, “Well, there is no yuan.” Thanks for listening and see you next time.
Natalie: Bye.