“八戒”帮你学好汉译英
英语课
一、戒“从一而终”
汉语言简意赅,句子灵活,往往是一个汉语词汇对应N个英语词汇,具体到在本句中应该采用哪个意项,务必抓住精神实质,不可以不变应万变。至于怎么应变,这就是显示译者功力的地方了。
比如:都是“问题”,下面的翻译各不相同,几乎是打一枪换一个地方。
共同关心的问题 questions of common interest解决问题 solve a problem
问题的关键 the heart of the matter
关键问题 a key problem
原则问题 a question/matter of principle
没有什么问题 without any mishap 1
摩托车有点问题 Something is wrong with the motorcycle.
问题不在这里 That is not the point.
译者要掌握这种汉英翻译中的“游击战术”,翻译家应是不同“文化王国”边境线上的“游击战略家”。
沙博里将《水浒传》译为:Outlaws of the Marsh(沼泽地上的亡命之徒),杨宪益译将屈原的《国殇》译为:For Those Fallen for Their Country,北外出版社将《儒林外史》译为:The Scholars。这些都是译者吃透了原文的原意而译出的佳作。
二、戒望文生义,机械直译
这多半是初学者犯的毛病,他们易于被表面现象所迷惑。
黄牛(yellow cow——ox前误后正,下同) 黄鹂(yellow bird ——oriole)黄瓜( yellow melon——cucumber) 紫菜(purple vegetable ——laver)红木(red wood——padauk) 红豆杉(red fir——Chinese yew)黑社会(black society ——sinister gang)
三、戒“水土不符”,习惯搭配失当
这的确是难度系数较大的问题,它要求译者既有较高的中文修养,又要有较高的英文造诣,一知半解的人常常在此“翻车”。如:
写罢,掷笔在桌上。又歌了一回,再饮数杯酒,不觉沉醉,力不胜酒,便呼酒保计算了,取些银子算还,多的都赏了酒保。
And tossed the pen on the table. He intoned the verses to himself, then downed a few more cups of wine. He was very dunk. Song-Jiang asked for the bill, paid, and told the waiter to keep the change.(沙博里译《水浒传·浔阳楼宋江吟反诗》)目前,《水浒传》最好的英译本要数沙博里先生的本子了。沙博里出生在美国,青年时来到中国,一住就是半个多世纪。为了译好《水浒传》,据说他潜心研究了山东的地方志和旧时方言,可谓精诚所致,译著既“达”又“雅”。然而历史告诉我们,中国古人没有用过钢笔,宋朝时用的还是毛笔,故the pen 应改为the writing-brush。
下面的译文就较好地照顾到了西方人的思维和理解习惯。
美国把贸易和人权扯在一起,只会损害两国的经济利益。
The US policy of linking trade with human rights can only bring harm to the economic interests of the two countries.
关起门来搞建设是不成的,中国的发展离不开世界。 China can't develop in isolation 2 from the rest of the world.
四、戒主语暗淡
主语是句子的灵魂,定住译文的主语是关键的一步棋。主语定偏了,整个句子将显得松散乏力,甚至会误导读者。例如:
如果这个问题不解决,势必影响两国的利益。
Failure to settle this issue is bound to impair 3 the relations between the two countries seriously.
If the problem is not solved, it is sure to affect the interests between the two countries.
在上面的两种译文中,显然第一种译文主语选得好,句子流畅。又如:
厨房里少了一条鱼,主人发誓要一查到底,揪出偷鱼的贼。
夏威夷的沙滩上,椰影婆娑,海风习习,一妙龄女郎正躺在白色的塑料椅上养神。
On the Hawaiian sandy beach, the coconut 4 palms are whirling, the congenial sea breeze is blowing, and a young lady is lying in the white plastic chair resting to restore energy.
因为是轻松读本,又是描述性的文字,使用三个主语the coconut palms、the congenial sea breeze、a young lady仍是可取的。
五、戒结构单调,组合生硬“拉郎配”
由于汉英结构不同,表达方式迥异,“硬性翻译”不仅读起来别扭,而且会闹出笑话。这就要求译者在翻译时灵活使用整合的技巧,将句子整合,凸显汉语中所隐含的层次,补充所缺失的成分。有时要将简单句译成并列句,有时将并列句译成主从句。
在纪念大学毕业20周年聚会时,我忽然问起原来的班主任:“我个子又不矮,怎么把我安排在了第一排呢?”
At the reunion party for 20 anniversary of graduation from university, I suddenly asked my former teacher in charge of our class then:" Since I am not of short stature 5, how did you arrange me at the first row?"一个高度近视的女博士去擦鞋店擦高统靴,秃头老板亲自蹲下来给她效劳。
When a woman doctor who suffers a severe myopic 6 went to shoes-polishing shop for her buskins,the bald boss squatted 7 down to serve her personally.
六、戒“愚忠”,不谙增减之道
我们耳熟能详的东西外国人可能会感到一头雾水,译者需要增加必要的说明和补充或者减译。否则,外国人会不知所云。毕竟,汉译英最终是给外国人看的。
例如:风水
fengshui——the location of a house or tomb, supposed to have an influence on the fortune of a family.
七、戒语句重复
汉语多重复,以强化语气;英语则要尽量避免重复。
王曰:“此鸟不飞则已,一飞冲天;不鸣则已,一鸣惊人。”
"The bird may not have flown yet", replied the King,"Once it does, it will soar to the sky. I may not have cried out yet, but once it does, it will startle everyone."(杨宪益译《史记-滑稽列传》)
中国人也好,外国人也好,死人也好,活人也好,对的就是对的,不对的就是不对的。
What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong, no matter what it concerns, the Chinese or foreigners, the dead or the living.
八、戒另起炉灶,走失精气神
译文要力求其“信”,尽可能契合汉语原来句子的气势、情绪和结构。
例如,元朝人王实甫写下了《西厢记》,张雪静改编后并作了翻译——掏出张生那封信,回头环视见梳妆台上的梳妆盒,眼睛一转,心里说有了,将信放了进去,合上盖时故意压了一角露在外面。
Rose took out Zhang's letter, she thought, "It would be better to put it in her make-up case, and letter find it herself." So she put the letter in the case, leaving a corner of it sticking out, so that it would be quickly noticed.
不难看出,译文与原文相去甚远,互不吻合,成了“两张皮”。
你已经死在过深的怨愤里了吗?
死?不,不,我还活着——
请给我以火,给我以火!
Have you perished in this deep rancor 8 and bitterness?
Death? No, no. I’m still alive.
Please give me a light, give me a light!
1 mishap
n.不幸的事,不幸;灾祸
- I'm afraid your son had a slight mishap in the playground.不好了,你儿子在操场上出了点小意外。
- We reached home without mishap.我们平安地回到了家。
2 isolation
n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离
- The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
- He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后,生活比较孤寂。
3 impair
v.损害,损伤;削弱,减少
- Loud noise can impair your hearing.巨大的噪音有损听觉。
- It can not impair the intellectual vigor of the young.这不能磨灭青年人思想活力。
4 coconut
n.椰子
- The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
- The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。
5 stature
n.(高度)水平,(高度)境界,身高,身材
- He is five feet five inches in stature.他身高5英尺5英寸。
- The dress models are tall of stature.时装模特儿的身材都较高。
6 myopic
adj.目光短浅的,缺乏远见的
- The Government still has a myopic attitude to spending.政府在开支问题上仍然目光短浅。
- Myopic views could be potentially damaging for us.目光短浅会给我们带来严重的后果。
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