英语专业八级测试
汉译英常用技巧及实例讲解
(一)词的翻译
1、词义选择
所谓词义选择,是指词本来就有这个意思,问题是要我们去选,把其在特定场合的正确意思选出来。正确选词是保证译文质量的重要环节,如果能做到在词语概念和字面形式上都对等当然最好,如果不能兼顾,则取概念,舍形式。越是普通的词,越是拥有繁多的释义和搭配,翻译过程中的词义也就越难以确定。选词时,要注意词义的广狭、所处语境、词的褒贬和彩进行翻译。
(1)语境词
汉语有些词语的含义会因语境而发生微妙的变化,称之为“语境词”,应紧密结合上下文译成相应的词,不能按照原词的字面意思来译。
例1:
原文:在得病以前,我受父母宠爱,在家中横行霸道…(2003真题)
译文:Before I fell ill, I had been the bully under our roofs owing to my doting parents.
分析:“横行霸道”在此并无“任意欺凌他人”之意,而是“为所欲为,想干什么就干什么,不受限制”,可用get everything in my own way 或get all things my own way或be the bully表达。
例2:
原文:钓鱼可分为三个阶段…(2001真题)
译文:There are three states for fishing…
分析:根据上下文,“三个阶段”指的是钓鱼的三种境界,不是钓鱼具体的步骤,不能按字面意思译为three stages,应根据内涵译为three states。
例3:
原文:跨世纪青年一代应该用什么样的姿态迎接充满希望的新世纪,这是我们必须回答的问题。(1998真题)
译文:What kind of attitude the cross-century young generation will have to meet the new century that promises so much hope is the question we must answer.
It is the question we must answer that what kind of attitude the cross-century young generation will have to meet the new century with so much hope.
分析:“姿态”在这里是抽象含义,即“态度”,因此应译为attitude,而不是gesture或pose等表示具体动作的词。
例4:
原文:美国内部对中国政策究竟怎么样,我们还要观察。
译文:We still have to wait and see what China policy will be pursued by the American authorities. (the American government)
分析:“美国内部”并非指“美国国内”,而是指美国领导层。within the U.S.不足以传达这样的意思。
We still have to wait and see what China policy will be pursued by the American authorities (government).
例5:
原文:因为苦闷的强弱原是随欲望与野心的大小而转移的。(2006真题)
译文:…because the degree of which is changing (moving ×) with the expansion of one’s desire and ambition.
分析:应准确把握“转移”这个词在这里的确切含义,切忌望文生义。
(2)表意模糊的词
有些汉语词语比较笼统,表意模糊,译成英语时应突破汉语重直觉、重表象的思维模式,寻求词语的确切含义。
例1:
原文:昨天看电影我没有买到好票。
译文:I did not buy a good seat for yesterday’s film.
分析:“好票”比较笼统,实际上是指“好座位”。
例2:
原文:这所全国重点大学为社会输送了大批的人才。
译文:The national key university has prepared batches of qualified graduates for the society.
分析:“输送”具体来说是指“培养出”,“人才”译为qualified graduates更具体。
(3)比喻词汇
汉语有许多比喻词汇,表面意义和喻指含义完全不同,英译时应跳出机械对应的思维定式,
动态地译出其潜在含义。
例1:
原文:老师答应给这几个学生“吃小灶”。
译文:The teacher has promised to give these students special tuition.
分析:“吃小灶”在这里指的是“个别辅导”。
例2:
原文:他是个墙头草,谁硬就跟谁。
译文:He always sits on the fence and falls on the side of the stronger.
分析:“墙头草”是个比喻,与英语中sit on the fence含义一样。译文为译出内在含义舍弃了其表面意义。
2、词类转换
(1)动词→名词
例1:
原文:他得出这一结论是深思熟虑的结果。
译文:His arrival at this conclusion was the result of much thought.
分析:英语中有大量行为抽象名词表示行为或动作意义,如advice, agreement, arrival, defence, exception, increase, knowledge, praise, use等。
例2:
原文:吃头两个主菜时,也是赞不绝口。(2004真题)
译文:You will be full of praise while eating the first two main courses.
(2)动词→介词
例:
原文:这样,每个地方都有自己的传说,风俗也就衍传了下来。(2002真题)
译文:Thus, every place, with its own legends and tales, has its traditions and customs passed on from generation to generation.
(3)动词→形容词
使用与动词同源的词,译文有时比直接使用动词更地道、标准。
例1:
原文:所以人们对于大自然,全都一致并深深地依赖着。(2002真题)
译文:Therefore, everyone has become unanimously and profoundly dependent on Nature.
例2:
原文:他对过去追悔莫及,并保证永远不再开汽车。
sort of造句译文:He is truly sorry for his past, and he has undertaken to give up motorcars once and for all.
(4)形容词或副词→名词
例:
原文:只有这些生灵自由自在地享受着这个黄昏。(2007真题)
译文:…leaving these livings to enjoy this moment of dusk with full ease and freedom.
(5)名词→动词
例:
原文:大自然对人的恩赐,无论贫富,一律平等。
译文:People, rich or poor, are equally favored by Nature.
3、词的增补
(1)语法需要
例1:
原文:面对一池碧水,将忧心烦恼全都抛到一边,使自己的身心得到充分休息。(2001真题)
译文:When facing a pool of green water, you forget all your worries and annoyance and enjoy a good rest, both mentally and physically. 增译出句中隐含的代词
例2:
原文:在我所呆的三年半中,共有14位学生被招进他的实验室,最后博士毕业的只剩下5人。(1997真题)
译文:During the three and a half years I stayed at the lab, a total of 14 students were recruited to his lab, but only 5 of them got their doctor’s degrees at last.
分析:汉译英时需补充连词,保持句子结构完成。
例3:
原文:有水有鱼的地方大都是有好环境的,好环境便会给人好心情。(2001真题)
译文:A place with water and fish is necessarily blessed with a nice setting, which in return keeps people in good mood.
例4:
原文:农业社会的人比工业社会的人享受差得多,因此欲望也小得多。(2006真题)
译文:People in the agriculture society enjoyed far less than people in the industry society, thus their desires are far less either.
分析:英语中用得最多的介词有九个:at, by, for, from, in, of, on, to, with。根据上下文灵活选择介词。
(2)意思表达需要
例1:
原文:世界上第三代博物馆是充满全新理念的博物馆。(2000真题)
译文:The third-generation museums in the world are run on entirely new concepts.
分析:“充满全新理念”的含义是说博物馆的创建、运营理念与众不同,如果按字面意思译为full of new ideas/concepts,就会造成“博物馆里到处都是新理念”的误解。
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