gun是“枪”，还是“炮”？
文/王逢鑫
有个学生问我：“‘炮’用英语怎么说？”我告诉他是gun。他反问我:“gun 不是枪吗？”原来在汉语里，“枪”和“炮”是两个不同的概念，表现在口径(小或大)、发射方式(手持或有底座)、发射物(子弹或炮弹)及发射距离(近或远)等方面不同。
英语对 gun的定义有不同的描述，例如：
1. A gun is a weapon that is used for firing bullets or shells. “gun”是用来发射子弹或炮弹的武器。
2. A gun is a normally tubular weapon or other device designed to discharge projectiles or other material. The projectile may be solid, liquid, gas or energy. “gun”通常是一种旨在射出发射物或其他物体的管状武器或其他装置。发射物可以是固体、液体、气体或能源。
综上所述，我们可以看出， gun相当于汉语中发射子弹的“枪”和发射炮弹或其他发射物的“炮”等两个概念。我们在遇到 gun这个词的时候，要格外小心，弄清楚它是“枪”，还是“炮”。排歧方法(disambiguation)重点是看与gun相关的动词和名词，例如：
3. The policeman produced a gun and went into the house. 这名警察掏出一把枪，走进房子。
4. The militiaman carried a gun on his shoulder. 这名民兵肩上扛着一杆枪。
5. Holding his gun horizontally, the soldier disengaged the triggering. 这名士兵平端着枪，扣动扳机。
6. The starting gun blasted and the runners were off. 发令枪一响，赛跑运动员冲了出去。
7. The soldier was driving a vehicle with a 106mm gun on it. 这名士兵正驾驶一辆车，车上搭载着一门口径106mm的火炮。
8. It is reported that the British defence firm is building a ship-mounted electromagnetic gun. 据报道，这家英国防卫公司正在制造一种舰载电磁炮。
翻译gunfire，更需要格外小心。gunfire 的定义是：
9. Gunfire is the firing or shooting of guns, or the sound of gun firing. “gunfire” 指枪炮的射击或发射，或枪炮发射的声音。
枪炮发射，先看到火光或火焰，后听到声音。有三层意思：一是“枪击”或“炮轰”；二是“枪火”或“炮火”；三是“枪响”或“炮声”。只能根据上下文，判断是“枪”还是“炮”。第一种排歧方法是看 gun 的发射物是 bullet，还是 shell，例如：
10. The gunfire raged for about 20 minutes, with bullets zinging through the courtyard. 激烈的枪击持续了大约20分钟，子弹呼啸穿过庭院。
11. The police recovered two spent shell casings after the gunfire incident. 炮击事件之后，警方发现了两枚用过的炮弹壳。
第二种排歧方法是看与gunfire 相关的象声词。表示短促声响的spatter (the noise of small amounts of sth. that hit a surface), burst (a short series of shots from a gun), crackle (a series of short sharp sounds) 和rattle (a series of short loud sounds)，大多与枪声有关。而表示巨响的 rumble (a long deep sound or series of sounds), crack (a sudden loud noise), bang (a sudden loud noise), roar (a loud continuous noise), boom (a loud deep sound)和 thunder (a loud noise)，大多与炮声有关，例如：
12. He heard a spatter/crackle of gunfire. 他听到一阵劈里啪啦的枪声。
13. The tense silence was punctuated by bursts of gunfire. 紧张的寂静被一阵阵短促的枪声打破。
14. He made a break for the door and ran inside as gunfire rattled off behind him. 他撞开门，冲了进去，枪声在他身后劈里啪啦响成一片。
15. The gunfire is rumbling in the distance. 炮声在远处隆隆作响。
16. Gunfire banged in the distance. 远处炮声隆隆。
17. The roar of our gunfire left the enemy trembling with fear. 我们的隆隆炮声使敌人胆战心惊。
18. The distant boom of gunfire violated the peace of the mountainous village. 远处隆隆的炮声打乱了这个山村的平静。
19. We could hear the thunder of distant gunfire. 我们能听到远处炮声轰鸣。
第三种排歧方法是看 gunfire发生的环境，例如：
20. Twenty protesters were killed by indiscriminate gunfire. 20名抗议者遭到乱枪射击而身亡。
21. The soldiers were digging trenches to shelter themselves from gunfire. 士兵们在挖战壕，以遮掩自己免受炮火袭击。
22. The whole village was scorched out by enemy gunfire. 整个村庄被敌人的炮火烧毁了。
23. The soldier was capable of distinguishing between the sound of bombs and gunfire, and he could discern the direction from which it was coming. 这名士兵能够辨别炸弹声和炮声，他还能辨识声音来自哪个方向。
24. Heavy gunfire dislodged the enemy from the fort. 猛烈的炮火把敌人逐出要塞。
在没有上下文的情况下，说不清楚是“枪”，还是“炮”，不妨笼统地将 gunfire译为“枪炮”，例如：
25. The local residents said that they had heard continuous gunfire. 当地居民们说，他们听到了连续不断的枪炮声。
26. The gunfire pierced the quiet night. 枪炮声打破了夜晚的寂静。
gunfire的意思是the firing of a gun或the sound of a gun being fired，与gunshot是同义词，相当于“枪击”或“炮击”，也有“枪声”、“炮声”或“枪炮声”的意思，例如：
27. We heard three gunshots in the street. 我们听见街上三声枪响。
28. The gunshot scattered the birds. 枪声驱散了鸟儿。
29. The birds dispersed at the sound of the gunshot. 一听见枪声，鸟儿就四散飞走。
30. The noise of the sudden gunshot startled the birds and they flew up into the air at once. 突如其来的枪声惊动了鸟儿，它们立刻飞向天空。
31. A gunshot slapped the soldier on the forehead. 一枪打中了这名士兵的前额。
32. The soldier died from/of gunshot wounds in the battlefield. 这名士兵在战场上死于枪伤。
33. The gunshot echoed through the valley. 枪炮声在山谷里回响。
34. The soldiers were careful not to come within the gunshot of the enemy. 士兵们很小心，不进入敌人枪击/炮轰的射程之内。