英语翻译理论与实践

翻译理论与实践2讲稿

原译:emphasize the need to study, to have political awareness and to be honest and upright 译文是解释性的

改译:emphasis on three things: study, politics and integrity 改译简单明了,而且较附合英语多用名词的特点。 ②经济全球化

原译:international economy / global economy 改译:economic globalization

二、搭配不当。由于受汉语字面的影响翻译时不是犯语法错误,而是更深层次的搭配问题。如:

来信写道— the letter writes 应改为:the letter reads 取得成就—make achievements 应改为:score / attain achievements 革命接班人—successors to the revolution 应改为:revolutionary successors

有的词尽管搭配不当,但因长期使用而被英语国家所接受,可谓约定俗成。如: ―把中国建设成为‖ —to build China into 应为:to turn China into

但在克林顿欢迎江主席的讲话中就用了build San Francisco into a thriving cosmopolitan city

可见英语也在不断吸收外来语,也在不断变化。 比较下较译文:

1.和谐凝聚力量,和谐成就伟业。

a. Harmony can gather strength, and it can attain great achievements. b. Harmony rallies strength and leads to great success. 2.越是民族的,越是世界的。 a. A nation is a part of the world.

b. The more it belongs to a nation, the more to the world. c. The pride of a nation is also the pride of the world. 3. 中国真诚愿意兼收并蓄,博采各种文明之长。

a. China would like to absorb all good things from the outside world, and take in all the benefits of civilizations.

b. China is eager to draw on/upon the strengths of other civilizations. 三、重复或累赘。汉语中经常出现重复使用名词的现象,而英语常用代词、

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翻译理论与实践2讲稿

短语或省略来表达。如:

①―为了推动中美关系的发展,中国需要进一步了解美国,美国也需要进一步了解中国。‖ 原译:To promote China-US relations, China needs to know the US better and the US also needs to know China better.

改译:To promote China-US relations, China needs to know the US better and vice versa. ②―依法制国……建立社会主义的法制的国家。‖

初译:to govern the country by law? and build socialist country ruled by law 译文累赘且费解

改译:exercise the rule of law?and turn China into a socialist country with an adequate legal system

避免出现了两个country, 层次比较清楚。

四、过多使用修饰词。汉语中常用很强的副词修饰动词或形容词,用形容词修饰名词,以加重语气。译成英语时需要斟酌,不能一字一字的照译,否则往往强调过头,适得其反。如:

①―我们要继续坚定不移地坚持以经济建设为中心。我们要继续坚定不移地推进改革开放。我们要继续坚定不移地保持社会稳定。我们要继续坚定不移地贯彻执行独立自主的和平外交政策。‖

原译:We will continue to unswervingly focus on economic development. We will continue to unswervingly press ahead with reform and opening-up. We will continue to unswervingly maintain social stability. We will continue to unswervingly carry out independent foreign policy of peace.

四个―坚定不移地‖—unswervingly, 这样的译文不仅不能加强语气,反而弱化了并显得累赘。

改译:We will steadfastly focus on economic development, resolutely press ahead with reform and opening-up, persistently maintain social stability and unswervingly pursue the independent foreign policy of peace.

译成不同的副词也不可取,给人以有意堆砌副词的感觉。 后又改译:

We will unswervingly focus on economic development, press ahead with reform and opening-up, maintain social stability and pursue the independent foreign policy of peace.

只用一个副词修饰四个动词就可以了。 再如:

彻底粉碎 — completely smash

Smash: break completely,已经包含了―彻底‖的意思,用了completely反而弱化。 完全征服 — completely conquer

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翻译理论与实践2讲稿

―conquer‖不可能是partly。 ―极为可耻‖—extremely shameless ―shameless‖已是最高级。

―伟大的历史性转变‖— This is a great historic change. 在英语里,historic已经包含了great的意思。

五、不适当的省略。有时汉语简洁,译成英语必须补缺。如:

①―农业搞好了,农民能自给,五亿人口就稳定了。‖

初译:If agriculture is in good shape and the peasants self-supporting, then the 500 million people will feel secure.

改译:If agriculture is in good shape and the peasants are self-supporting, … 前半句主语是单数,后半句是复数,谓语动词不一致不能省略。 ②―人的意志想要避免,也不可能。‖

It can not be avoided even if people want to.(应加上avoid it) 前半句是被动,后半句是主动,因而不能省略。

六、拟人法。这种现象在汉语中经常出现,而在译成英语时,往往受汉语字面的影响使译文有Chinglish的味道。如:

①―中国社会主义建设的航船将乘风破浪地驶向现代化的光辉彼岸。‖

A. The ship of China’s socialist construction will brave the wind and waves and sail to the glorious destination of modernization.

―ship‖是没有生命的。而搞modernization必须是人才行。

B. China will strive forward in building socialism, like the ship braving the wind and the waves, towards the glorious destination of modernization.

②世纪之交,中国外交空前活跃。

A. At the turn of the century, China’s diplomacy is most active.

译文有误,因为diplomacy是没有生命的,而active的主语应当是有生命的。 现译:The turn of the century finds China most active on the diplomatic arena. 这样就解决了拟人化的问题。 ③创新是一个民族的进步的灵魂。

初译:Innovation is the soul of a nation’s progress. Innovation无生命,而soul有生命的。 现译:Innovation sustains the progress of a nation.

七、没有注意词类转换。汉译英有时不能照原词类翻译,应根据英语的表达习惯对词类进行调整的转换。

①―我们之间关系的发展使我们不仅成为亲密的朋友而且成为兄弟。‖

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翻译理论与实践2讲稿

A. The development of our relations made us not only close friends but also brothers. B. Our relations have so grown that they bind us not only as close friends but also as brothers. B句吃透了原文的精神,转换了词类,句式有了英语的味道。 ②―中国的富强和发展不会对任何国家构成威胁。‖

A. The strength, the prosperity and the development of China will pose no threat to any countries.

B. A strong, prosperous and developed China will pose no threat to any countries. A 句是字对字的翻译,B句比较自然。

Ⅱ.如何避免Chinglish,使译文更像英文。

一、要吃透原文精神,摆脱中文字面的束缚,从英语读者的角度出发,按照英语的习惯,对句子进行重组,以清晰的文字表达原文的意思。

①―维护世界和平是大有希望的。‖ A. To maintain world peace is very hopeful.

B. There are great hopes for the maintenance of world peace. A/B均为字对字的翻译。

C. The prospect of world peace is very bright.

D. The prospects for world peace are very encouraging indeed. C /D英文比较通顺。

②―同时,也从一个角度反映了他们心怀祖国,放眼世界的精神面貌和文化生活。‖ A. In addition, their pictures reflect, from a certain anger, their mental outlook of having the whole country in mind and the whole world in view as well as their cultural life.

B. In addition, their pictures reflect, from a certain anger, their mental outlook, their love for the motherland and wide-ranging interest in the world as well as their cultural life.

A句用了套语,句子臃肿。B句较通顺易懂。

二、平时要多做有心人,多记录常用语和老大难译例,多听外电,多读原著原文,尤其是,有关中国的文章,看看外国人对同一个词同一个事物以及成语如何表达,进行比较研究后,―择优录取‖为我所用。但在借用这些词汇和表达法时,一定要注意其政治倾向和不同的上下文。如:

①―新世界即将到来之际‖外报、外电有很多说法: As the new century approaches… on the verge of the new century… at the dawn of the new century… at the threshold of the new century… As the new century is just round the corner? ②―……增长百分之几十,有的成倍增长‖

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