1、Practical TranslationLecture 10Wu Weixiong,第七章 特色结构的翻译方法英、汉两种语言分属印欧语系和汉臧语系,关系非常疏远,使其句法结构有很大差异。惟有差异,方显特色。翻译人要对独具特色的英语句法结构有充分的认识,才能在汉译时采取恰当而灵活的措施,得出理想的译文。第一节“是”“非”颠倒怎么译? You are not from here, are you?你不是本地人,对吧?对这么一个问题,回答有两种选择:答话之一:Yes, I am. 不,我是本地人。答话之二:No, I am not. 是啊,我不是本地人。,为什么英汉语言在字面对等和意念对等之间存在
2、着这么大的矛盾呢?这又是一个思维习惯的问题。1. 英语的“是”与“非”(yes和no)是对所述问题的事实本身而言。无论你怎样设问“我”是本地人,回答总是“Yes, I am”,前后一致,都是“肯定”的表达;“我”不是本地人,回答总是 “No, I am not”,前后也一致,都是“否定”的表达。2. 汉语的“是”与“非”是对所述问题的判断表述而言,是对设问的这句话(You are not from here)认可与否的问题。当“答话之一”用英语思维说“yes”之时,表示“我”本身是“本地人”这个事实,译成汉语时当然要用汉语思维认为“你不是本地人”这句话说得“不对”了。,回答翻译疑问句,常出差错
3、。下面是两本比较权威的词典的误译例子。误译例句之一1:Wont you come? No, I wont.误译:你不愿意来吗?不,我不愿意。(远东英汉大词典)第1404页)应译:你不愿意来吗?是的,我不愿意。误译例句之二:Arent you busy? No, I am not.误译:你不忙吗?不,我不忙。(现代高级英汉双解词典第714页)应译:你不忙吗?是啊,我不忙。,第二节 否定结构怎么译一、全部否定,英汉同义二、部分否定,务必留意“部分否定”,给假象,形似全部否定,实为部分否定。1. 否定词 not + 含有全体意义的词,即 all , every, both, always, each
4、, often, many, much,everybody 以及 everything,等等。All that glitters is not gold.2. not与谓语在一起,在含有全体意义的词之后,最似全部否定,最能迷惑人,又不合逻辑,但却是一种惯用法,只要掌握其规律,是不难翻译的。All guest to the International Exhibition of Marble, Stone and Technology do not come from Europe.并非所有参加国际石材博览会的来宾都来自欧洲 。,三、双重否定,加强语气Two noes make a yes.英语
5、的双重否定结构,一般由no, not 和含有否定意义的词构成。这些含否定意义的词有:no, not, without, less, unless, until, other than, but that, 等等。双重否定结构,汉译时有双重选择,一是形似,直译为双重否定式,二是“貌离神合”,意译为肯定式。There is no man that has no shortcoming.译为双重否定:凡人不能十全十美。翻译为肯定式:人人都有缺点。Nothing comes from nothing.译为双重否定:无风不起浪。翻译为肯定式:凡事必有因。,Small minded scholars, r
6、ude educators, and ill mannered gentlemen are hardly unknown in England. 这也是一个“双重否定”的句子。两个否定分别由hardly和unknown表达。 译文1(译为双重否定):在英国,狭隘的学者、粗鲁的教育家和无礼的绅士并不罕见。 译文2(翻译为肯定式):在英国,狭隘的学者、粗鲁的教育家和无礼的绅士,多啦!,四、形式否定,强调肯定I cant agree more.译文1:我不能同意得更多了。译文2:我怎么赞成,都不过分! 译文3:我完全赞成。Amancanneverhavetoomanyfriends. ?Winner
7、s are not afraid to do their own thinking and to use their own knowledge. They can separate facts from opinions and dont pretend to have all the answers. 成功者敢于独立思考,敢于运用自己的知识。他们能够把事实从纷繁的意见中剥离出来,又不会假装无所不知。,五、形式肯定,实质否定We are caught in war, wanting peace. Were torn by division, wanting unity. We see aro
8、und us empty lives, wanting fulfillment. We see tasks that need doing, wanting for hands to do them.我们卷入了战争,没有和平。我们四分五裂,没有团结。我们看到周围的人生活空虚,没有充实的内容;我们看到许多工作需要完成,但却没有人手去做。(尼克松)The wonder of the hot spring is more than words can describe.这温泉的神奇美妙,难于言表。I know better.我不相信。,六、转移否定,英语特色原文:山不在高,有仙则名。国不在大,热爱和
9、平、主持公道就好。(形式上一般否定,意义上特指肯定)参考P 133,做译文优劣判断1. A mountain no matter how high it is, if it is blessed with touch of divine, it would be well-known. A country no matter how big it is, if it can uphold peace and justice in the world, it would be a good country. 2. What the matter of a mountain is not its
10、height; What the matter of the country is not its size. 3. A mountain, high or low, will be famous when people find immortals there. A nation, big or small, should be respectable when she loves peace and is just and fair.,七、含蓄否定所谓含蓄否定,就是指从句子的形式上看不出任何否定的迹象,但其意义却是否定的。英语中的含蓄否定主要通过词汇、语法或修辞手段来表达。 (一)借助词汇
11、手段来表达否定意义 With something wrong with her throat, Louise chance for a singer has gone west.露易丝嗓子不好,无缘当歌手了。(二)借助语法手段表达否定意义 1. 虚拟语气:虚拟语气在表示说话人的主观愿望和假想虚拟的情况时,往往表示事实上的否定。In favorable conditions, they would have achieved much more.如果条件有利的话,他们取得的成绩会更大。,2. 强调句型Its a silly goose that comes to the foxs sermon.
12、再笨的鹅也不会去听狐狸的说教。4. 择比结构中的否定择比是否定一方而肯定另一方的结构,在此只介绍与含蓄否定有关的内容,其余后述。The scenic glories of Huangshan Mountain is more than I can describe.黄山的胜景,真是无法用语言来描述。I would rather die than marry with him.我宁愿死也不和他结婚。,八、追加否定In old China, there was hardly any machine building industry, to say nothing of an electronic
13、 industry. (曾为考研试题) 旧中国几乎没有什么机器制造业,更不用说电子工业了。第三节 “弦外之音”怎么译“弦外之音”,在原语的表层意义中,隐而不露,原语读者不言而喻,而译语读者却不知晓,需采用适当技巧,使隐含的“弦外之音”显露出来,译出它的深层意义。I have read your articles. Iexpected to meet an old man. “我读过你的文章,我以为我会碰到一位更老的男人。”“我读过你的文章,想不到你这样年轻。”,第八节 择比结构怎么译英语的择比结构是一种在字面上与汉语思维不同的结构。 如不惯于英语思维,会迷糊,难解其神奥。而一旦破解其思维规律的
14、奥秘,就可笔译妙句来。顾名思义,择比结构是在同一结构的两个部分的比较之中作出选择,肯定一方否定另一方,可以理解为“与其说是,不如说是”,“是而不是”,等等,据语境灵活表达。择比奥妙难不了,破解其奥得其妙。一般句型“ rather A than B;A rather than B; less B and more A”,均表示是A而不是B。,表达事物之间差别的结构可采用morethan与其不如,no less than简直是,实在是;It is not that.but that.这不是说,而是说。后可接形容词、副词、动词或名词。More than可译作“与其说不如说”。The so calle
15、d division between the pure scientist and the applied scientist is more apparent than real.(考研试题)。理论科学家和应用科学家之间的所谓区分,与其说是实际的,不如说是表面的。,Interest in historical methods had arisen /less through external challenge to the validity of history as an intellectual discipline /and more from internal quarrels a
16、mong historians themselves. 从前文得知historical methods 是“历史研究方法”。另外, intellectual discipline是知识学科;句首加上原文意思有而字面没有写出的“人们”。 整句译文:人们对历史研究方法产生了兴趣,/这与其说是因为外部对历史作为一门知识学科的有效性提出了挑战,/还不如说是因为历史学家内部发生了争吵。,Science moves forward, they say, not so much through the insights of great men of genius as because of more or
17、dinary things like improved techniques and tools. (1994年真题)分析:本句属于比较结构,含有一个比较结构not so much.as“与其说不如说”。They say为插入语。through the insights of great men of genius和because of more ordinary things为两个状语。like improved techniques and tools为介词短语作定语,修饰things. 译文:新学派科学家们说,科学的发展与其说源于天才伟人的真知灼见,不如说源于改进了的技术和工具等更为普通
18、的东西。,汉语长句的英译(以一篇医学论文摘要为例)有的人往往一逗到底,写的中文虽不规范,但读来似乎可解其意。就要看 “理解原文,理顺译文”的功夫了。一篇妇产科医学论文摘要原文在P 187,原译是This paper introduces an improved Manchester operation for the treatment of uterine ptosis. From March 1980 to August 1989, 78 cases of uterine ptosis received treatment by operation, 92.3% of which were
19、 treated with this new technique. After one years observation, none was found to be recurrent. Evidences show that the improved Manchester operation is simple, safe and effective in treating prolapse of uterine. On the other hand, the result of the simple colporrhaphia anterior-posterior is also sig
20、nificant to uterine ptosis of the first or second degree with cervical aterophy.,医学门外汉认为医学词汇最不好解决,只要查出词汇,一切就易如反掌。 可是,弄准词汇, 不过是翻译工作的初级阶段而已。最难的不是词汇,而是如何理解原文,在掌握词汇的基础上,如何遣词造句,行文布阵,理顺译文,层层分析,逐层理顺,最后才能:综合全局求理解,顺理成章得译文。1. “吃透原文,有加有减” 原文从头到尾一逗到底的,译者,必须弄清原文。 从开始到“手术方式”,是第一层意思。那么,“本文”(主语)“报道”(谓语)什么呢?是“手术治疗”吗
21、? 不对。实质上是手术治疗的临床应用。所以,加上一个单词application,就迎刃而解了。同时,“病人” 不必在译文中出现,可省去。,本文报道手术治疗78例子宫脱垂病人,其中89.7%采用改良曼市手术方式。 This paper covers the application of operative treatment for 78 cases of metroptosis, 89.7% of which were performed with improved Manchester operative therapy.2. “除去枝叶,抓住主干” 第二层意思,从“64例”起到“良好的效果
22、”, 说的是: 64例随访的反馈和结果。这句也不好处理。在理解的基础上,考虑“结果”可以显示出来,可在随访之后加上一个单词show。“无一例复发”的“一例”在英文中属多余,译成“无复发”就行了。“收到”也多余,不译。 Follow up visits, after a year, to 64 patients of such cases showed no relapse but good results.,3. “通盘考虑,信达求雅” 第三层意思从“改良曼市手术治疗”起,到“有效”止。然而,光从原文的“简单,安全,有效”去译意思还不够完整;应译为“改良曼市手术实行起来简单, 对治疗子宫脱垂安
23、全有效”。为了和“安全有效”对应,“简单”译成 simple and easy。这样处理,有对仗和排比的韵味。 Improved Manchester operative therapy is simple and easy to practice, and safe and effective to treat metroptosis.4. “不必形似, 但求神似” 最后一层意思,如不注意,容易译得拖泥带水。这个“单纯”不必照字面去译。可以将“单纯行阴道前后壁修补术”译为“阴道前后壁修补术本身”。而“子宫脱垂而宫颈萎缩者”,可以译成“宫颈萎缩的子宫脱垂”。,Repair, itself, o
24、f anterior and posterior vaginal walls is also satisfactorily effective to treat metroptosis or metroptosis with cervical atrophy.5. “专有名词, 名从主人” 还应注意的是,遇到外国的地名,不能想当然地用中国地名的翻译方法将它译成汉语拼音。这篇中文原文里, 原稿“曼市” 没有全称,可以先空着,用一个大写的 M 来代表,弄清楚以后再补上。原文作者应知道。原译也没有大错,但可读性和专业性不够好。如“随访”为医学专业名词,表示医院对有些病人采取的家庭访问、术后门诊复查或
25、通信了解等的工作方法。其他略。理解理顺原文_译文才有条理_英译一篇妇产科医学论文摘要的体会.pdf,He is not up to those above, but above those below.他比上不足,比下有余。不,起码要:取法乎上,得乎其中!用力还要用心! The Heights by Henry Longfellow The heights by great men reached and kept Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the night.高度亨利朗弗罗 诗 / 笔者 译 名人业绩似高山, 一步登临实在难。 伙伴酣酣甜入梦, 他们夜夜苦登攀。,