英漢互譯實踐與技巧2012

1、 諺語是凝聚著智慧的通俗話語，使得拉美人的言談變得更加有趣而充滿智慧。諺語簡潔明快，豐富多彩，也往往帶著刺。 When a neighbors dismally unattractive daughter announced her engagement, Imelda remarked, “You know what they say, Senora: Theres no pot so ugly it cant find a lid. ” And when her son-in-law bluster ed about how he was going to get even with hi

2、s boss who had dock ed his pay, Imelda fixed him with a cold eye and said, “ Little fish does not eat big fish .” One afternoon I heard Imelda and her daughter arguing in the kitchen. Her daughter had quarreled with her husbands parents, and Imelda was insisting that she apologize to them. Her daugh

3、ter objected, “But, Mama, I just cant swallow them, not even with honey . They talk so big until we need something; then theyre too poor. So today when they wouldnt even lend enough money to pay for a new bed, all I did was saying something that Ive heard you say a hundred times: If so grand, why so

4、 poor? If so poor, why so grand?“Impertinent !” snorted Imelda. “Have I not also taught you, What the tongue says, the neck pays for ? I will not have it said that I could never teach my daughter proper respect for her elders. And before you go to beg their pardon, change those trousers for a dress.

5、 You know how your mother-in-law feels about pants on a woman. She always says, What was hatched a hen must not try to be a rooster ! Her daughter made one more cry, “But Mama, you often say, If the saint is annoyed, dont pray to him until he gets over it. Cant I leave it for tomorrow ?” “No, no and

6、 no! Remember: If the dose is nasty, swallow it fast . You know, my child, you did wrong. But, A gift is the key to open the door closed against you . I have a cake in the oven that I was making for the Senoras dinner. I will explain to the Senora. Now, dear, hurry home and make yourself pretty in y

7、our pink dress. By the time you get back, I will have the cake ready for you to take to your mother-in-law. She will be so pleased that she may make your father-in-law pay for the bed. Remember: One hand washes the other, but together they wash the face . ”鄰居家丑八怪的女兒宣布她訂婚了，伊梅爾達就說： “ 太太，您可聽見大伙兒是怎么講的：

8、罐兒再丑，配個蓋子也不犯愁 。 ” 當她的女婿嚷嚷著要去找克扣他工資的老板算賬時，伊梅爾達冷冷地 盯著 他說： “ 小魚吃不了大魚。 ” 一天下午，我聽見伊梅爾達和女兒在廚房爭論開了。原來是女兒剛和公婆吵過嘴，她非要女兒去賠個不是。她女兒卻偏不依： “ 可是，媽媽， 這樣做我受不了，就是拌了蜜也噎不下呀 ！他們滿嘴講大話，可是一旦求上他們，卻又說窮得不得了。就拿今天來說吧，我想借點錢，也就剛夠買一張新床，他們都不肯，我便講了你平時講過上百遍的那句話： 既然那么闊，干嗎要叫窮 ？ 既然那么窮，干嗎擺闊氣 ？ 伊梅爾達鼻子哼了一聲，“沒家教 ! 難道我沒教過你 : ， 舌頭闖禍，脖子遭殃 ？我可不

9、愿讓人指著脊梁骨說我從來不教自己的姑娘要尊重長輩。你去陪個不是吧，不過先得把長褲換掉。你婆婆最討厭女人穿男式長褲你是知道的。她常念叨： 孵出來是母雞就別冒充是公雞！ 做女兒的還想再爭一爭：可是，媽媽，你不是經(jīng)常說， 如果圣人惱怒了，在他消氣前就不要向他祈禱 。我能不能明天再去?。?” “ 不行，不行！要記住： 藥越難吃，越要快吃。 你知道，孩子，是你錯了嘛。不過， 大門把你關在外，禮物送到自然開 。 我爐里烤著一個蛋糕，本來是給太太晚餐吃的。待會兒我會向太太解釋的。你現(xiàn)在趕緊回家，穿上那條粉紅的裙子，把自己打扮得漂漂亮亮的。等你從家回來時，蛋糕就烤好了，你把它帶去給你婆婆。這樣她就會高興了，還

10、會讓你公公給你們買新床呢。記?。?手要相互洗，臉要雙手洗 。 ” Unit One 翻譯的定義翻譯是指把一種語言文字的意義轉(zhuǎn)換成另一種語言文字。簡言之，翻譯是一種用不同的語言文字將原文作者的意思準確地再現(xiàn)出來的藝術(shù)。從以上翻譯定義我們知道， 原文的思想必須盡可能得到保持， 不可有所增刪。譯者的任務只是轉(zhuǎn)換文字而不是改變其意思。因此，翻譯有兩種要素：準確性與表達性。準確性是翻譯的首要條件。譯者必須謹慎地遵循原作者的意思，所選用的字詞和句式結(jié)構(gòu)必須如實地傳達出原文的意思。表達性是讓譯文易于理解。換言之，譯者必須用自己的手段近可能地將原文的思想清楚而有力地表達出來。準確性使譯出的思想明確無誤，而表達

11、性則使譯文生動，具有魅力。I. Important Role of Translation Translation is a rendering from one language into another, i.e. ,the faithful representation in one language of what is written or said in another language. As a means of communication, translation plays an important role in human civilization. In the We

12、st, literary translation can be traced back to 300 BC, while in China, recorded translation activities are even earlier, dating from the Zhou Dynasty (1100 BC). However, not until recent centuries, especially by the end of the 19th century did systematic study of translation get underway. In the pas

13、t decades translation theories and activities have developed fast both at home and abroad. A modern society sees an extensive use of translation on various occasions. If a foreign language is generally accepted as a tool of life, translation then obviously serves as a dynamic means of employing this

14、 tool. A proper and dexterous translation helps to promote mutual understanding between peoples of different cultural and social backgrounds, whereas a misunderstanding or improper rendering of words or expressions may lead to confusion. Take the familiar word “menu” for example. Its original meanin

15、g is “a list of dished in a meal or to be ordered as separated meals, esp. in a restaurant”, and the Chinese equivalent seems to be clear: “菜單”. However, when used in computer science, “menu” no longer carries the original meaning. Instead, the meaning shifts to “a list shown on the display of a com

16、puter from which a user can select the operation the computer is to perform”. Evidently the Chinese counterpart should be something like “選項、項目單”. It is a pity that the initial translator neglected this definition, and as a result, the Chinese translation of this very popular term of computer scienc

17、e fails to convey its true meaning-the translated term “菜單” sounds incongruous with its actual content. So is the rendering of “Renaissance”. The original word refers to the period in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries, when the art, literature, ideas of ancient Greece were discovered again

18、and widely studied, causing a rebirth of activity in all these things. It is commonly known as “文藝復興” in Chinese via translation, although we know today that the movement extended far beyond literature and are circles, and the connotation of “Renaissance” is much more profound that of the Chinese te

19、rm “文藝復興”. The same fallacies also occurred in Chinese-English translation. For example, a popular Chinese lipstick with the trademark “芳芳”, when transliterated into English as “Fangfang”, created a hideous image-the English word “fang” happens to have two disagreeable definitions: a. a long, sharp

20、tooth of a dog; b. a snakes poisonous tooth. Consequently, this awkward transliteration gave rise to a disastrous failure of overseas trade. Similar translation blunders are not unusual in social or economic activities in our country. To name a few, translating “五講四美、三熱愛” into “five stresses, four b

21、eauties and three loves”, “抓緊施肥” into “grasp manure”, “白酒” into “white wine” Had the translators had sufficient translation knowledge, such blunders would have been avoidable.III. Literal Translation and Free TranslationThe process of translation consists of two phases: comprehension and expression.

22、 Generally speaking, comprehension is of foremost importance, and expression is the natural consequence of thorough comprehension. However, in the practice of translation we may find that now and then some words in their usual senses are very difficult to deal with because of the disparity between t

23、he English and the Chinese languages. In this case, we have to resort to some special means of translation. Literal translation (直譯) and free translation (意譯) are two useful approaches in dealing with such awkward situations.The so-called literal translation, generally speaking, means “not to alter

24、the original words and sentences”; strictly speaking, it strives “to keep the sentiments and style of the original”. It takes sentences as it basic units and takes the whole text into consideration at the same time in the course of translation. Furthermore, it strives to reproduce both the ideologic

25、al content and the style of the original works and retains as much as possible the figures of speech.For example, the concept of “death” may be expressed as follows: breathe ones last (斷氣), go to ones eternal rest (安息), the long sleep (長眠), pass away, see God, see Marx, see ones ancestors, go west (

26、歸西), go to heaven (進天國), kick the bucket(蹬腿兒了) etc. Actually, quite a lot of successful literal translations have been adopted as idiomatic Chinese expressions. For example, crocodile tears (鱷魚的眼淚), be armed to the teeth (武裝到牙齒), chain reaction (連鎖反應), gentlemans agreement (君子協(xié)定), and so on. Similar

27、ly, some Chinese words and expressions may also find their English counterparts through literal translation. For example, “三教九流” (the three religions and the nine schools of thought), “四書五經(jīng)” (the Four Books and the Five Classics), “紙老虎” (paper tiger), “一國兩制” (one country, two systems), and so on.Fre

28、e translation is an alternative approach which is used mainly to convey the meaning and spirit of the original without trying to reproduce its sentence patterns or figures of speech. This approach is most frequently adopted when it is really impossible to translate the original literally. For exampl

29、e:Adams apple 喉結(jié)At sixes and sevens 亂七八糟It rains cats and dogs. 大雨滂沱The above illustrations can not be translated literally, otherwise, the Chinese rendition would make no sense at all, let alone the original meaning. More often than not, literal translation and free translation may be alternatively

30、 used in the process of translation, as illustrated by the following examples:1. Theres no pot so ugly it cant find a lid.L T: 再丑的罐兒也不愁配個蓋兒。FT: 丑女不愁嫁。2. Little fish does not eat big fish.L T: 小魚吃不了大魚。F T: 胳膊擰不過大腿。Literal translation and free translation, however, are two relative concepts. In other

31、words, there is no absolute “l(fā)iteral”, nor entirely “free” version in the practice of translation, and overemphasizing either of them would result in ridiculous consequence. The key point for a translator to grasp is to comprehend the original thoroughly, and then put it into idiomatic Chinese. In t

32、he process of translation, specific approaches such as literal or free translation may be of some help, but we should avoid the two extremes. In the application of literal translation, we should endeavor to rid ourselves of stiff patterns and rigid adherence to translation rules, trying to be flexib

33、le; while in the practice of free translation, we should be cautious of subjectively, avoiding groundless affirmation or arbitrary fabrication. Whatever the circumstances are, we may alternate or combine these two approaches when it is necessary.1. Every life has its roses and thorns.人生道路上既鋪滿鮮花，又布滿荊

34、棘。2. Ill have Lisa where I want her. 我得讓麗莎聽從我的調(diào)遣。3. He carried his age astonishingly well .他一點也不顯老，面容年輕得令人驚訝。4. Shed never again believe anything in trousers. 她再也不愿意相信任何男人了。5. He was a dead shot. However, he met his Waterloo this time.他是一個神槍手，可這次卻遭到了慘敗。6. Nixon was pleased by the distinction ,but no

35、t overwhelmed.尼克松對受到破格禮遇非常高興，但并沒有受寵若驚。7. Yet China was a land of constant surprise and shifting impression.而中國是一片令人驚訝,日新月異的土地。8. After the failure of his last novel, his reputation stands on slipper ground.他上部小說寫砸了，名聲從此岌岌可危。9. Mrs. Sawyer looked radiant , too, and for the first time gobbled up her d

36、inner like a litter pig.索耶太太也容光煥發(fā)，第一次大口大口吃飯，活像一只小豬。10. He walked at the head of funeral procession, and every now and then wiped his crocodile tears with a big handkerchief.他走在送葬隊伍的前頭，還時不時用一條大手絹抹去他那鱷魚的眼淚。11. It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it of not bein

37、g conscious of health until we are ill.還是那句老話：物失方知可貴，病時倍思健康。12. When we are in buoyant health ,death is all but unimaginable .We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks ,hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life.當我們年輕富強時，死亡幾乎是難以想象的事。我們很少想到

38、死。來日方長，前途無量。于是，我們忙于瑣碎的事物，根本意識不到我們對生命的漠然態(tài)度。Unit Two DictionI. Correspondence between English and Chinese at Word LevelIn most cases there is no existing pattern for sentence translation, nor are there fixed rules for word transformation. Generally speaking, the correspondence between English and Chin

39、ese at word level may be categorized as follows:1. Word-for-Word CorrespondenceThis is most evidently shown in proper nouns and technical terms. For example:2. One Word with Multiple Equivalents of the Same Meaning3. One Word with Several Equivalents of Different Meanings4. Equivalents Interwoven wi

40、th One AnotherIn this case, a certain word may be treated differently according to various circumstances 5. Words without EquivalentsIn this case, an explanation is given instead of an equivalent. Methods of Discriminating the Original Meaning of an English WordSince English words are prone to vario

41、us meanings, it is of vital importance for a translator to discern the right meaning of a given word. And the following are the major methods of discriminating word meaning suggested by some linguists.1. Judging from the Word Formation2. Judging from the ReferencesIn many cases the meaning of a word

42、 may be judged from the references. This is frequently shown in pronominal words:1) third person pronoun; indefinite pronouns such as some, any, each, both; and definite pronouns such as much, many, few, little, etc. For example:He (father) sent John to the university and was eager to have him disti

43、nguish himself. 他送約翰上大學，巴望能讓兒子出類拔萃。2）demonstrative pronouns, such as this, that, these, those and demonstrative adverbs such as here, there, now, then, etc. For example: Health is above wealth, for this cannot give so much happiness as that. 健康比財富更重要，因為財富不能象健康那樣給人那么多幸福。3）references of comparison. Fo

44、r example: I hate blue shirts; while shirts suit me but gray is the most preferable.我討厭穿藍襯衫，喜歡穿白襯衫，而最喜歡穿灰襯衫。 Without the referential words “father”, “health”, “wealth”, and “shirt” in the above three sentences, it would be very difficult to make out the real meaning of such words as “him”, “himself”

45、, “this”, “that” and “the most preferable”.3. Judging from the Context and CollocationThe meanings of the words “tension” and “story” in the previous examples are explicit enough in the context. Here is another example: develop.-His plane developed engine trouble only seven miles after takeoff. （發(fā)生故

46、障）-Modern aircraft are so heavy that the wings must develop a very large lift force in order to sustain the aircraft. （產(chǎn)生升力）-Inspired by these ideas, in 1752 Franklin developed a practical lightning rod.（研制避雷針）-As young Goddard grew into manhood, he developed tuberculosis.（患上結(jié)核病）Collocation is also

47、an inseparable factor in diction. Lets look at the word “delicate” in the following illustrations, where different renditions are given to the same word so as to suit the collocation.n delicate skin 嬌嫩的皮膚n delicate porcelain精致的瓷器n delicate upbringing嬌生慣養(yǎng)n delicate living奢侈的生活n delicate health虛弱的身體n

48、delicate stomach容易吃壞的胃n delicate vase容易破碎的花瓶n delicate diplomatic question微妙的外交問題n delicate difference 講不大清楚的差別n delicate surgical operation難做的外科手術(shù)n delicate ear for music 對音樂有鑒賞力n delicate sense of smell靈敏的嗅覺n delicate touch 妙筆生花n delicate food美味的食物n delicate features 清秀的五官4. Judging from Different

49、 Branches of Learning and SpecialtiesFor example, the word “base” means “詞根” in lexicology; “本金” in business; “底涂” in painting; “基線” in survey; “根據(jù)地” in military science; and here are some more:The lathe should be set on a firm base. 車床應安裝在堅實的底座上。As we all know, a base reacts with an acid to form a

50、salt.眾所周知，堿與酸反應生產(chǎn)鹽。Line AB is the base of the triangle ABC.AB線是三角形ABC的底邊。He is on the second base.他在二壘。The weary troops marched back to the base.疲憊不堪的士兵列隊返回基地。II. Techniques of Translating a Given English Word In his Stylistics and Translation, Mr. Liu Miqing has suggested 7 techniques in translatin

51、g a given English word. We may add in another technique, pictographic translation, to make up the total number of 8.1. DeductionDeduction is to deduce the original meaning in the light of the explanation of an English dictionary. This is a major means in English-Chinese translation. For example:n bo

52、omer: a person born in the marked rise in birthrate 生育高峰期出生的人n community: a social group or class having common interests群體，派2. TransplantThat is to say, a literal translation of the ingredients of a given English word.n microwave 微波n supermarket超市n splashdown濺落n dataphone數(shù)據(jù)送話機3. ExtensionThis may b

53、e either from the specific to the general or from the concrete to the abstract, and vice versa.n Bottleneck 瓶頸交通狹口阻塞(from the concrete to the abstract)n brain trust 腦托拉斯智囊團 (from the specific to the general)n brain drain 腦排干人才外流人才流失（from the c to a）n It is more than transient everydayness. 這遠非一時的柴米油

54、鹽問題（from a to c）4. SubstitutionThis technique is used to replace the words of the original expression with Chinese synonyms or idioms according to different situations.n to kill sb. as an example 殺一儆百n Please withhold the handout.請不要發(fā)這些材料。n He was indeed a good riddance.他還是不在的好。n The same is not tru

55、e with a mortal illness.如果是得了不治之癥，情況就不一樣了。5. ExplanationThis technique is commonly used when there is no corresponding Chinese expression and all the above-mentioned techniques fail to make sense.-mindlessness 思想上的混沌狀態(tài)-togetherness 不分彼此的集體感-redshirt 美國大學中在體育方面有發(fā)展前途的學生-swan song 絕唱，歸天之作 -a throwaway

56、society 一個大手大腳、浪費成風的社會 6. Combination This technique is used to integrate two words of close meaning into one expression. -so subtle and careful an observer 一位如此精細的觀察者 -his mendacity and dishonesty 他的狡詐 -a grim and tragic Christmas 一個慘淡的圣誕節(jié) -the body and mind cramped by noxious work 有害工作造成的身心困頓 7. T

57、ransliteration This technique is most frequently used in dealing with proper nouns (esp. the names of people and places, trademarks, etc.). besides, it is also used in coinage when no existing Chinese expression is available. -Wall Street 華爾街 -The Times 泰晤士報 -Pentium 奔騰 -Citroen 雪鐵龍 -quinine 奎寧 -hacker 黑客 8. Pictographic Translation By this technique English words are translated according to their actual shapes. -H-beam 工字梁 -O-ring 環(huán)形圈 -U-steel 槽鋼 -V-belt 三角皮帶 -X-brace 交叉支撐 -Y-curve 叉形曲線 IV. Diction in Chinese-English T