“緣分”是所謂命中注定的人與人遇合的機(jī)緣。英譯“緣分”（亦作“天緣”）以及“有緣”、“無緣”常用的英文詞有fate, luck, lot, destiny　等。請看幾個例子：

1.富貴功名，前緣分定。（《西游記》）
Wealth and honor, glory and fame, are predetermined by fate. (W.J.F. Jenner 譯）
2.寶玉問香菱為何薛蟠相親定下了金桂，香菱笑道：“一則是天緣，二來是‘情人眼里出西施’。”（《紅樓夢》）
It's partly fate, and partly a case of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."（楊憲益、戴乃迭　譯）
3. 王婆為了撮合西門慶和潘金蓮，故意問前者是不是妻子死后，沒有別的女人他中意的。西門慶爭辯說：”做甚么了便沒？只恨我夫妻緣分上薄，自不撞著！“（《水滸》）
Who says there isn‘t? It's just that my marriage luck has been bad. I've never met the right one. (S. Shapiro 譯）
4. 她無緣，小生薄命。　（《西廂記》）
She lacks the karma; I'm out of luck. (S. H. L. Idema　譯）
5.［劉備送別徐庶時說］備分淺緣薄，不能與先生相聚。（《三國演義》）
My meagre lot, my partly destiny keep us from remaining together.( M. Robers 譯）
6.［杜慎卿向季葦蕭訴說自己沒有知心朋友］只為緣慳分淺，遇不著一個知己，所以對月傷懷，臨風(fēng)灑淚！（《儒林外史》）
But I have not been lucky enough to find a true friend, and that is why I so often give way to melancholy! （楊憲益、戴乃迭　譯）
7.君琴瑟之好，自相知音；薄命人烏有此福。如有緣，再世可相聚耳。（《聊齋.宦娘》）
You are like a matching lute and zither set. You can appreciate each other's music. Fate has been too unkind to allow me such blessings. If we are linked by the ties of destiny, we will meet again in the next life. 　(D.C. & V. H Mair 譯）
8.［方鴻漸看不中張小姐，心中暗說］“我你他”小姐，咱們沒有“舉碗［案］齊眉”的緣分，希望另有好運(yùn)氣的人來愛上您。（《圍城》）
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 with you. (J. Kelly、 N. K. Mao 譯）

可以看出，以上句子里的中心詞都含有“命運(yùn)”的意識，英譯亦然。《圍城》一例所mean，據(jù)New World Dictionary　等詞典的解釋也有 to destine or seem to destine 的意思，頗為妥帖。
然而，“緣分”等詞和命運(yùn)的關(guān)聯(lián)在有的用法里變得淡化了，甚至完全消失了。它只是泛指一種機(jī)遇或者機(jī)會。所以M. Roberts《三國演義》的以下兩句，用的詞語和上邊英譯句子中的相應(yīng)部分不同：

9.［劉備二顧草蘆時誤認(rèn)諸葛均為為諸葛亮，說］備久慕先生，無緣拜會。
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.
不僅如此，這種機(jī)遇還可以發(fā)生在人和事物之間。體育報(bào)道里說的“無緣（進(jìn)入）決賽(be barred from entering the finals; be disqualified for the finals)　即其一例。《浮生六記》的作者沈復(fù)（字三白）因妻子陳蕓喜歡李白和白居易的詩，就跟她說：
10.異哉！李太白是知己，白樂天是啟蒙師，余適逢字三白，為卿婿；卿與“白”字何其有緣耶？
This is very strange. So Li Bai is your bosom friend, Bai Juyi is your first tutor and your husband's literary name is Sanbai. It seems that your life is always bound up with the Bai‘s.（林語堂譯）