北外翻译笔记 第29课 翻译与文体--新闻英语翻译(1)
时间:2019-01-08 作者:英语课 分类:北外翻译笔记
新闻英语(journalistic English)指英文报刊上常见的各类文章,体裁多样,有新闻报道、新闻特写、广告、公报、文艺作品、述评、访谈、学术介绍和争鸣……题材广泛,内容包罗万象。限于篇幅,也因不存在一个统一的新闻报刊文体和为了便于陈述,本课所要讲的新闻英语主要指那些新闻性强的news report,news analysis, news features等。新闻英语有以下文体特点:
(一)词汇层面
(1) 新闻报道通常拥有自己的一些惯用词汇,或者叫做"新闻词语",如story一词意思常常是news item或news report,而probe一词则指"(新闻)调查",如中央电视台的一个重要栏目"新闻调查"即译为News Probe.还有如cut表示reduction;bar表示prevent;curb表示restrain或control等等。常见的其他例子还有:
accord (give) ban (prohibition) bid (attempt) boost (rise, increase) clash (disagreement) deal (business agreement) freeze (stabilization) loom(appear) blaze(fire) comb(search) row (violent argument) rap(to speak severely 1 to, to blame, to punish) move (plan, decision, suggestion) round(a series of action) shock (astonishment, blow) shun(to keep away from…) heist (robbery) viable 2 (workable) voice(express) operation(activities) pact 3 (agreement) woo (to seek to win…,to persuade…) fake (counterfeit)
这些常用的新闻词语一般都具有短小精悍的特点,这主要是由于使用短小的词语能够节省时间和篇幅并有利于抢发新闻的缘故。
(2) 为了表达的需要和追求新奇以吸引读者,新闻英语中常会使用一些新词(包括旧词赋新义)和临时生造的词(nonce words),以使文章生动活泼,并给人以新奇之感。如gay (同性恋者),basket (一组问题等),unisex (男女共用),hijack (劫持),supercrat (高级官员),dial in (电话示威),moneywise (在金钱方面),thumbsuck (安抚),sitcom (情景喜剧),Reaganomics (里根经济学),Jazznik (爵士乐迷 ),heartmen (换心人),Euromart (欧洲共同市场),Masscult (大众文化),atobomb (原子弹),blacketeer (黑市商人)等。在这一点上,新闻英语与广告英语十分相似。
(3) 新闻英语还广泛借用社会各界的行业用语以及外来词语。如从商业用语中它吸收借用了a package deal (一揽子交易),从赌博业中它借用了showdown (摊派),从体育中借用了knockout (击败)等。而外来词语有如:coup 4 de theatre (非常事件,源自法语,),swindler (骗子,源自德语),Zen (禅宗,源自日语),renegade (变节分子,源自西班牙语),rapport(两国间的亲善关系,源自法语),macho (伟男气概,源自西班牙语)等等。
(4) 新闻英语还大量使用新闻套语,如according to…(eyewitness, AP reports, sources concerned, etc.)(据目击者,美联社,有关方面等),informative sources or well-informed source(消息灵通人士),with guarded reserve(持审慎态度),no comments(无可奉告),on the brink 5 of a breakthrough(即将取得进展),quoted as saying (cited as saying)(援引……的话说), in response to allegation in The New York Times(就《纽约时报》的提法发表评论),Not so, not yet(不置可否),preferred not to be identified(不愿透露姓名的)等等。
(5) 为节省篇幅,新闻报道还常使用缩略词,如:ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network),PC (personal computer),TMD(Theater Missile Defense),memo 6 (memorandum),AIDS (Acquired immure 7 Deficiency Syndrome),mod (modern), Lab (Labor), Lib (Liberal), nukes (nuclear weapons), heliport (helicopter airport), NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), memo (memorandum), SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) 等等。
(二) 句法层面
(1) 为求得在较小的篇幅内容纳较多的信息量,新闻英语多采用扩展的简单句(expanded simple sentences),其方法是使用定语、状语、同位语、介词短语、分词短语等语言成分来扩展简单句。因此,英语报刊里经常出现一个句子就是一个段落的情况。而要把众多的信息包容到里面,在确保句式不过于复杂的前提下,作者只有大量使用或增加修饰限定词的数量。试看下列一则报道:
LAGOS, Dec. 15(Reuter) - The Nigerian foreign ministry 8's offices were completely destroyed by a fire in the center of Lagos Monday night.
Eyewitnesses 9 gave conflicting reports about the number of people injured in the blaze, which firemen suspect was caused by an electrical fault.
One fireman said four people had been rescued from the ministry, suffering from minor 10 injuries. About 100 firemen were unable to prevent the blaze spreading to buildings beside the seven-storey ministry.
The foreign ministry, which lost many valuable records in the blaze, was due to be moved to a new site shortly.
The building, completely gutted 11 by the blaze, also housed offices of the information ministry and the ministry of science and technology.
(2) 广泛使用直接引语间接引语。这既可增添新闻报道的真实性和生动性,又可显示其客观性。
(3)新闻英语多用主动语态,但为了叙事的客观和便利,有时也使用一些被动结构。
(4)正文较多地使用现在时,而标题所使用的时态则几乎都是现在时,这可对读者产生一种"某事正在发生"的印象,从而增强其真实感和现实感。例如:China Starts WAP Service. / Longevity 12 star dies at 110.
(5)标题中常使用省略句。像冠词、动词、介词等常在标题中省略,这既可节省版面,又可使新闻的风格显得简洁明快。如:House and Senate Pursuing Efforts to Reduce Deficit 13 (The New York Times) = The House of Representatives and the Senate are pursuing the efforts to reduce the deficit.
- He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
- He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
- The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
- The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。
- The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
- The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。
- The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
- That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。
- The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
- The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。
- Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗?
- Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗?
- He immure himself in a small room to work undisturbed.他自己关在小屋里埋头工作,以免受到骚扰。
- In time,the infection became known as "Acquired Immure Deficiency Syndrome"很快,这种疾病被称为“获得性免疫缺陷综合症”。
- They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
- We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。
- The examination of all the eyewitnesses took a week. 对所有证人的质询用了一周的时间。
- Several eyewitnesses testified that they saw the officers hit Miller in the face. 几位目击证人证明他们看见那几个警官打了米勒的脸。
- The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
- I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。
- Disappointed? I was gutted! 失望?我是伤心透了!
- The invaders gutted the historic building. 侵略者们将那幢历史上有名的建筑洗劫一空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
- Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。