外交部批美国的这句狠话怎么翻：“每次变脸都是对国家信誉的损耗”

中美经贸联合声明发布不到两周，美国白宫29日突然变卦，宣布将于6月15日前公布总额约500亿美元的中国输美重大工业技术产品清单并将对其征收25%关税。

Cai Meng/China Daily

在5月30日外交部例行记者会上，有记者问及中方对此事的进一步评论。

外交部发言人华春莹给了一个非常精彩的答复，她说：

每一次变脸和出尔反尔都是对自己国家信誉的又一次损耗和挥霍。

来看看华春莹的完整发言，英文来自外交部：

我想大家的感受是一样的。在国际关系中，每一次变脸和出尔反尔都是对自己国家信誉的又一次损耗和挥霍。

I believe that we all share the same feeling that when it comes to international relations, each and every flip-flop will only lead to further depletion and squandering of a country's credibility and reputation.

flip-flop：改变立场

depletion [di'pli:ʃən]：n. 损耗

squander [ˈskwɒndə]：v. 浪费

credibility : 可信性

美方有关声明显然有悖于不久前中美双方在华盛顿达成的共识。我们敦促美方言而有信，按照联合声明精神与中方相向而行。

The US' statement explicitly runs against the consensus it reached with the Chinese side in Washington D.C. not long ago. We urge the US to honor its words and meet China halfway in the spirit of our joint statement.

中方始终主张通过平等对话磋商、以建设性方式妥善处理和解决有关经贸分歧，这符合中美两国和两国人民的根本和长远利益，也是国际社会的共同期待。

China always maintains that we should properly resolve and address relevant differences over economic and trade issues through equal-footed dialogue and consultations in a constructive manner. This serves the fundamental and long-term interests of our two countries and peoples, and meets the shared aspirations of the international community.

还是那句话，中方不想打，但也不怕打贸易战。兵来将挡，水来土掩。如果美方执意任性妄为，中方必将采取坚决有力措施维护自身正当利益。

Once again, we don't want a trade war, but will never quail or recoil from a trade war. One move can always be countered by another. If the US is bent on having its own way, we will surely take firm and forceful measures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests.

quail [kweɪl]：畏缩

recoil [rɪ'kɒɪl]：畏缩;后退

这番回应狠狠批了一把特朗普的出尔反尔和言而无信。

而外交部的官方译文也极为精彩，将“每一次变脸和出尔反尔”翻为“each and every flip-flop”。

❶ Flip-flop

Flip-flop这个词有多种意思，既可指啪嗒啪嗒的响声，也可指夹脚拖鞋，是个典型的拟声词(onomatopoeia [,ɒnə(ʊ)mætə'piːə])。

同时，flip-flop还可以指在观点、主意、态度、政策等方面突然来一个180度大转弯(a sudden or unexpected reversal, as of direction, belief, attitude, or policy)，它经常被用来形容政客反复无常的嘴脸。

这个词既可做动词，也可做名词，例句：

He has been criticized for flip-flopping on several key issues.

他由于在几个关键问题上变卦而备受指责。

The president's flip-flops on taxes made him appear indecisive.

总统在税收问题上的反复变卦使他看起来有些优柔寡断。

不少外媒在报道我国外交部回应时，也用了flip-flop来翻译“变脸和出尔反尔”。

彭博社(Bloomberg)：

Every flip-flop in international relations simply depletes a country’s credibility.

法新社(AFP)的译法是“every sudden flip-flop and contradiction”：

In international relations, every sudden flip-flop and contradiction of one's word depletes and squanders a country's credibility.

❷ U-turn

美联社(AP)还用了一个同样形象的词，U-turn ，即U形转弯，也是指政策、计划、行动等的180度大转弯：

Every flip-flop and U-turn of a country will be simply depleting and squandering its own credibility.

❸ about-face

还有不少外媒用了about-face这个词。

About-face，其实就是军事口令中的“向后转”(act of pivoting 180°, especially in a military formation)。

其引申义为立场、态度、行为的大转变(a complete change in position, direction or attitude)。

美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)就将“变脸和出尔反尔”翻译成“an about-face or constant change of positions”(态度大转变或不停地改变立场)：

In international relations, an about-face or constant change of positions is bound to damage or squander a country's credibility.

路透社(Reuters)的译法是“do an about-face and contradict oneself”(态度大转变或自相矛盾)：

When it comes to international relations, every time a country does an about-face and contradicts itself, it's another blow to, and a squandering of, its reputation."

❹ go back on one's word

新华社的英文报道中则直截了当将变脸和出尔反尔翻译成“go back on one's word”，食言。

She said that in international relations, going back on one's word is a loss and squandering of the credibility of one's country.