# Smoking breaks hearts



## Soasy

Dear all!

for a slogan my company is developing for a campaign against smoking connected to heart diseases, I would need your consultation over the correct translation into Chinese of these sentences:
[...]
The second one (which shall keep the double meaning) is:  "Smoking breaks hearts"
Which I would translate as:  吸烟让你心碎

Thank you very much for your comments!
*
*


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## Ghabi

Hello *Soasy*. If you mean smoking 1) causes cardiovascular disease and 2) disappoints one's family/friends, then perhaps you can change 让你心碎 to 让人心碎.


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## NewAmerica

*吸烟有害心脏*。

“吸烟让人心碎”听起来怪怪的。仔细思考了一下，原来汉语中的“心碎”是指伤心过度，仿佛心都碎了。即情感方面受严重打击。而楼主要表达的是吸烟与心脏疾病的相关性（smoking connected to heart diseases），欲由此展开宣传攻势反对吸烟（a campaign against smoking）。所以译成“吸烟让人心碎”既不准确、事实上也不存在（最多讨厌，没人会心碎）。准确的译法是*吸烟有害心脏*。


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## SuperXW

^
break heart在英语里也有双重含义，所以楼主在考虑“心碎”的说法。
感觉“吸烟对心脏有害” 比“吸烟有害心脏”更好。“有害”一般不及物，“健康/身心”等笼统的受词除外。


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## NewAmerica

SuperXW said:


> “吸烟对心脏有害” is better.
> “有害”一般不及物。


真的？

*吸烟有害健康*这个标志性口号响彻云霄，传遍大江南北几十年，这么到你那里就“不及物”了？ 怎么你这名不见经传的“吸烟对健康/心脏有害” 的表达方式就better了呢？


> break heart在英语里也有双重含义，所以楼主在考虑“心碎”的说法。


 你有文献依据吗？ 
 翻译要有重点，英文break heart一语双关一目了然，但汉语由此做到相关殊为不易（谁有闲功夫谁去琢磨），所以取重点泽为“吸烟有害心脏”，直击要害。而你根本译不出一语相关就扯下皮，再拿“吸烟对心脏有害”糊弄一下，此译如何比得上“吸烟有害心脏”干脆利落、掷地有声？


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## Ghabi

SuperXW said:


> “有害”一般不及物，“健康/身心”等笼统的受词除外。


I agree.


NewAmerica said:


> 英文break heart一语双关一目了然


"Break hearts" is not an obvious pun in English, either. This is supposed to be a slogan, according to OP, and a slogan is often accompanied by other visual elements (on a poster or in a commercial), and the pun can get across with their help, even though it may not be obvious by hearing the sentence alone.


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## NewAmerica

"Break hearts" is obviously a pun there because the OP has been unequivocal in offering the context of smoking or anti-smoking. 

You've improperly deprived of the context to support your argument.


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## Ghabi

The problem is you've applied a double standard on the English and Chinese versions. If the Chinese version is not okay, then the English version is not okay, too. If you want to criticise, you have to criticise both.


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## NewAmerica

My logic has been consistent. Where is so called double standard?

The English "Smoking breaks hearts" itself is not a fact. Scientific evidence shows that smoking injures hearts. Thus it simply serves as an eye-catching slogan. *吸烟有害心脏* is the same in its purpose to impress people. With the enduring power of slogan *吸烟有害健康*, the idea of *吸烟有害心脏 *will hit home and will be unforgettable.

  简言之，口号强调的不是语法，而强调是否简洁、易记、朗朗上口、快捷有效传递相关信息。*吸烟有害心脏*符合这些特征。


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## Ghabi

if "Smoking breaks hearts" is okay because it's eye-catching, then why can't 吸烟让你心碎 be just as good because it's eye-catching? This is what I called your double standard.


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## NewAmerica

The cultural context is different. Scientific thinking pattern is far more familiar in English world than in Chinese world. A slogan like "Smoking breaks hearts" might not be as misleading as 吸烟让你心碎 is in Chinese world, which sounds eerily weird in Mandarin.


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## Ghabi

So you're saying a double standard is necessary, because "scientific thinking pattern is far more familiar in English world than in Chinese world". Thank you for your anthropological insight.


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## NewAmerica

Only one standard: Context-based.


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## Skatinginbc

Ghabi said:


> Thank you for your anthropological insight.


I didn't know good-natured Ghabi can sometimes talk with sarcasm sharp as a knife.  And I'm so impressed by your wits and skills through that simple sentence that I have to express my admiration for you.


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