一、戒“从一而终”
比如:都是“问题”,下面的翻译各不相同,几乎是打一换一个地方。
共同关心的问题 questi ons of common intere st
解决问题 solvea proble m
问题的关键the heartof the matter
关键问题 a key proble m
原则问题 a questi on/ matter of princi ple
悬而未决的问题 an outsta nding issue
没有什么问题 Withou t any mishap
摩托车有点问题。 Someth ing is wrongwith the motorc ycle.
发誓的英文.
问题不在这里。 That is not the point
最近揭发出相当严重的贪污、受贿和官僚主义问题。 Seriou s casesof embezz lemen t, briber y, and bureau cracy have been brough t to lightrecent ly.
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:Outlaw s 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 ThoseFallen for TheirCountr y,北外出版社将《儒林外史》译为:The Schola rs。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,做出令人啼笑皆非的事情。
黄牛(yellow cow——ox前误后正,下同)黄鹂(yellow bird ——oriole)
从小青梅竹马(greenplum bamboo horse——grew up togeth er)
黄瓜( yellow melon——cucumb er) 紫菜(purple vegeta ble ——laver)
白菜( whitevegeta ble ——Chines e cabbag e)
红木(red wood——pad auk) 红豆杉(red fir——Chines e yew)
黑社会(blacksociet y ——sinist er 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。
.
. He intone d the verses to himsel f, then downed a few more cups of wine And tossed the pen on the table
He was very dunk. Song-Jiangaskedfor the bill, paid, a nd 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,宋时用的还是毛笔,故the pen 应改为the writin g-brush。
白洋淀的导游牌上,“红菱”被硬硬地翻译成RedLing。菱角有对应词的,应改为Red WaterChestn ut。
这里常常有外国人参观,如此翻译,令人汗颜!
下面的几段译文就较好地照顾到了西方人的思维和理解习惯。
老者道:“西方却去不得。那山离此有六十里远,正是西方必由之路。却有八百里火焰,周围寸草不生,若过此山,就是铜脑盖,铁身躯,也要化成汁哩。”
"It's imposs ibleto get to the west," the old man replie d, "The mounta ins are abouttwenty milesfrom here. You have to crossthem to get to the west, but they're over 250 milesof flame. Not a bladeof grasscan grow
of bronze and a body of iron, you wouldmelt trying to crossthem." anywhe re around. Even if you had a skull
(詹纳尔译《西游记·孙悟空一调芭蕉扇》)
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 linkin g tradewith humanrights can only bringharm to the econom ic intere sts of the two countr ies.
关起门来搞建设是不成的,中国的发展离不开世界。 Chinacan't develo p in isolat ion from the rest of the world.
四、戒主语暗淡
主语是句子的灵魂,定住译文的主语的是关键的一步棋。主语定偏了,整个句子将显得松散乏力,甚至会误导读者。
如果这个问题不解决,势必影响两国的利益。
Failur e to settle this issueis boundimpair the relati ons betwee n the two countr ies seriou sly.
t the intere sts betwee n the two countr ies If the proble m is not solved , it is sure to affec
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。
共同的利益把我们两个伟大的国家连接在一起。
What holdsour two greatnation s togeth er is the cement of common intere sts.
此句主语部分处理得颇为干练。
操吴戈兮披犀甲,车错毂兮短兵接。
We grasphuge shield s, clad in Rhinoc erosHide;the Chario ts clash, the Dagger s gashin g wide.(杨宪益译《屈原·国殇》)
屈原一开篇就“操吴戈兮披犀甲,车错毂兮短兵接”,显然需要补充应有的主语。在《国殇》诗中,后面还有“身既死兮神以灵,子魂魄兮为鬼雄”的句子,可见屈原是以“局外人”的视角来写为国捐躯的将士的,
而非把自己混为军中一员。译文中的主语应改为“They”较妥。
厨房里少了一条鱼,主人发誓要一查到底,揪出偷鱼的贼。
Findin g a fish in kitche n was lost, the host sworeto find out the thiefwho stolethe fish.
尽管汉语中似乎有“厨房”“主人”两个主语,译者果断地选定了the host作主语。打点清晰,增强了句子的内聚力。
夏威夷的沙滩上,椰影婆娑,海风习习,一妙龄女郎正躺在白的塑料椅上养神。
On the Hawaii an sandybeach, the coconu t palmsare whirli ng, the congen ial sea breeze is blowin g, and a younglady is lyingin the whiteplasti cs chairrestin g to restor e energy.
因为是轻松读本,又是描述性的文字,使用三个主语the coconu t palms、the congen ial sea breeze、a younglady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 reunio n partyfor 20 annive rsary of gradua tionfrom univer sity, I sudden ly askedmy former teache r in charge of our classthen:" SinceI am not of shortstatur e, how did you arrang e me at the firstrow?"
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。
n s,the bald When a womandoctor who suffer s a severe myopic went to shoes-polish ing shop for her buski
boss squatt ed down to serveher person ally.
黑体字部分,正是契合了英语的表达习惯。
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
e nce on the fortun e of a family.
fengsh ui——the locati on of a houseor tomb, suppos ed to have an influ
例如:(美国对台)“三不政策”
会当凌绝顶,一览众山小。
One day I shallclimb
Clearto the summit,
See how smallsurrou nding
me
Mounta in tops appear as they lie below
(新西兰人路易·艾黎译《杜甫·望岳》)
I can't open my eyes to watchyou jumpin g into the fierypit, for I will shut my eyes at the time.
我不会眼睁睁看着你往火坑里跳,到时候我会闭上的。
不要嫌我黑,两眼放光辉;不要嫌我瘦,一身好精肉。
t pierci ng(敏锐的) ey es;
Do not Cold-should er me for my swarth y(黝黑的) face, but I have a pair of brigh
h y.
Do not Cold-should er me for my slight figure, but I'm lean and healt
e nce on the fortun e of a family.
文中thelocati on of a houseor tomb, s uppos ed to have an influ
on suppor t for Taiwan indepe ndenc e, no suppor t for a two-Chinapolicy, and on suppor t for Taiwan
member shipin intern ation al organi zatio ns on the basisof stateh ood.
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。
先生曰:“狼负我,狼负我!”狼曰:“吾非固欲负汝。天生汝辈,固需吾辈食也。”
"You are an ungrat efulbeast," compla inedthe man.
"Not at all," retort ed the wolf, "it is not that I'm ungrat eful, but you men were create d for us to devour."
(颜惠庆译《马中锡·中山狼传》)
王曰:“此鸟不飞则已,一飞冲天;不鸣则已,一鸣惊人。”
. I may not have cried
yet", replie d the King,"Once it does,i t will soar to the sky "The bird may not have flown
out yet, but once it does, it will startl e everyo ne."
(杨宪益译《史记·滑稽列传》
阿凡提借了财主一锭金子,还他时给了他两锭。
Afanty borrow ed a smallingotof gold from a moneyb ags, but repaid him two ones.
(选自艾临《幽默新大陆》)
又斗争,又团结,以斗争的手段,达团结之目的。
Unity, strugg le, unitythroug h strugg le.
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 rightis rightand what is wrongis wrong, no matter what it concer ns, the Chines e or foreig ners, the dead or the living.
八、戒另起炉灶,走失精气神,沦为法国作家梅纳日所批评的“不忠的美人”——即语言优美但不忠于原文。(参见2005年08月26日《济南日报》:艾临文章《不忠的美人与忠实的美人——写在〈每天幽它一默〉出版后》)严复在翻译《天演论》时偶有为“雅”而不“信” (见陈廷佑《英文汉译技巧》)。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 though t, “It wouldbe better to put it in her make-up case, and letter find it hersel f.” So she p ut the letter in the case, leavin g a corner of it sticki ng out, so that it wouldbe quickl y notice d.
发布评论