1、高级英语笔译,An Advanced Course of English Translation,g,第二讲 英汉翻译技巧,词类转换,词类转换(conversion),由于英汉两种语言属于不同的语系,它们的表达方式不同,翻译时,决不能“对号入座”。应根据上下文,在译文中转换原文某些词的词类,使译文通顺自然。英译汉词类转译的情况归纳起来有以下四种:,一、转译为汉语动词汉语动词没有形态变化,使用上基本没有条件限制。因此汉语往往借助动词的频频出现来展开事件发展的逻辑层次,形成“多动句”。英语谓语动词必须受人称和数的限制,在简单句中一般只可能出现一个。语义关系主要靠介词穿针引线,把名词笼络在一起。这就
2、决定了英语中的名词比汉语中的名词出现频率高。翻译时必须恰当转换词性,以照顾不同语言的特性。英语中的名词、介词、形容词和副词在汉译时往往可以转译成动词。,Families upstairs have to carry pails(提桶) to the hydrant (水龙头)downstairs for water. 译文: 住在楼上的人家得提着水桶去楼下的水龙头打水。(英语动词只有一个,汉语有4个。),(一)英语名词转译成汉语动词,1具有动作意味的英语名词,如:例1:The slight fall is celebrated by mist and spray.小小的瀑布水气弥漫,水花四溅。
3、,例2:Vietnamese War is a drain on American resources.越南战争不断消耗美国的资源。例3: Profits are probably the incentive to research and development of better and cheaper goods. 谋取利润可能对研发物美价廉的商品具有刺激/激励作用。,2由动词派生的英语名词,如:例4:This novel defies easy classification.很难把这部小说列入哪一个类型中去。例5:Her own tension was not lessened by
4、the knowledge that her parents might return at any moment.尽管她知道父母随时可能回来,她紧张的心情仍然无法缓解。,例6: The old man had no suggestion to our plan. 那个老人没有给我们的计划提建议。例7: The application of electronic computers makes a tremendous rise in labor productivity. 使用电子计算机可以大大提高劳动生产率。,3英语中有些加后缀-er的名词,有时在句中并不指其身份和职业,而是含有较强的动作
5、意味,在汉语中没有恰当的对应名词时,往往可以译成动词。如: 例8:O. Henry is the creator of a new short story genre in literature. 欧亨利在文学上创造了短篇小说的一种新题材。,例9:They were the prime movers in all the exploration of the period.这个时期所有的大型探险活动主要是由他们推动的。,(二)英语介词转译成汉语动词,汉语使用动词较多,而英语则习惯于大量使用介词,而且英语中的介词大都含有动作意味。有些介词本身具有方向性和动态感,往往可以表示某动作行为的进展状态,
6、起到动词的作用。翻译时,可将其转译为汉语动词,如:例10:that we here highly resolve, that this nation under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.,所以我们应在这里表示最大的决心;这个国家在上帝保佑下,一定要获得自由的新生;而这个政府也一定要民有、民治、民享,才不会从地球上消失。,上句引自林肯葛底斯堡演讲的
7、 最后一句,三个介词of, by, for组 成的排比结构铿锵有力,朗朗上 口。汉译以“民有、民治、民享” 相对应,简练明确,达到神似境地。,例11:Millions of the people in the mountainous areas are finally off poverty.千百万山区人终于摆脱了贫困。例12: He is after neither fame nor gain. 他既不求名也不求利。例13: The girl in red is his girlfriend.那个穿红衣服的女孩是他的女朋友。例14: Are you for or against the pl
8、an?你是赞成还是反对这个计划?例15: The letter I is commonly used for current, R for resistance.通常用字母I表示电流,用R表示电阻。,(三)英语形容词转译成汉语动词,英语中作表语和定语的部分形容词用来表示物质属性或知觉、情感、欲望、信念等心理状态时,可以和汉语中表示同类概念的动词相互转换。这类形容词有:able, afraid, angry, ashamed, aware, anxious, careful, cautious, certain, concerned, confident, doubtful, glad, gra
9、teful, ignorant, sorry, thankful等。,例16:Such criticisms have become familiar in his later commentaries on America.类似的批评在他后来写的评论美国的文章中屡见不鲜。 例17:You are ignorant of the duties you undertake in marrying.你完全不懂你在婚姻方面承担的责任。例18: I am sure that you will succeed. 我确信你会成功。,例19: We are not only good at destroyi
10、ng the old world, we are also good at building a new one. 我们不但善于打破旧世界,我们还善于建设一个新世界。例20: Heat is a form of energy into which all other forms are convertible. 热是能的一种形式,其它一切能的形式都能改变为热能。,(四)英语副词转译成汉语动词,英语中的副词(尤其是作表语时)常转译为汉语动词: 例21:She opened the window to let fresh air in.她把窗子打开,让新鲜空气进来。例22:The sea thun
11、dered on, over and past, and as it roared by it revealed a hideous (可怕的,丑恶的) sight.海浪狂啸着滚来,如泰山压顶一般,又怒吼着 滚远,巨浪过处,一片狼藉。例23: That day he was out before sunrise. 那天他在日出前就出去了。例24: The physical experiment is over. 物理实验结束了。,二、转译成汉语名词,(一)英语中很多由名词派生的动词,以及由名词转用的动词,在汉语中往往不易找到相应的动词,这时可将其转译成汉语名词。例25:His wife has
12、 done everything possible to mother him.妻子竭尽全力,像母亲一样照顾他。例26:To them, he personified the absolute power.在他们看来,他就是绝对权威的化身。,例27: Telecommunication means so much in modern life that without it our life would be impossible.电信在现代生活中意义十分重大,没有它就不可能有我们现在的生活。例28: The company impressed itself greatly upon the
13、mind of customers. 公司在顾客脑海中留下了不可磨灭的印象。例29: This article aims at studying the basic principles of language. 本文的目的是研究语言的基本规律。,(二)英语形容词转译成汉语名词,根据上下文和搭配情况。还有些英语形容词可以译成汉语名词。如:例30:The new treaty would be good for ten years. 新条约有效期为十年。例31: Robinhood often looted (抢劫,掠夺)the rich and helped the poor. 罗宾汉经常劫富
14、济贫。,例32: I would not hesitate a moment to choose the latter. 我会毫不犹豫地选择后者。例33: The wounded have been sent to the hospital. 伤员已经被送往医院。,(三)英语副词转译成汉语名词,例34:The paper said editorially that the Olympic spirit is transcendent.这家报纸的社论说,奥林匹克精神是永世长存的。例35: She is physically weak but mentally sound. 她体质差但头脑好使。,
15、三、转译成汉语形容词,(一)英语形容词派生的名词往往可以转译成汉语形容词。 例36:The spokesman admitted the feasibility of the American proposals. 发言人承认美国的建议是可取的。例37: The facts have shown the objectivity and correctness of the report. 事实证明了这一报告是客观而正确的。例38: The problem above is of great importance. 上述问题很重要。,(二)有些英语名词加不定冠词作表语时,往往可以转译成汉语形容词
16、。如: 例39: The experiment was a success. 这个实验是成功的。例40: It is a great honor for me to be charged with such an arduous task. 我承担这次艰巨任务,感到很光荣。例41:We were all concerned with serious contemporary problems, especially the Middle East question and the continuation of the cruel war in Vietnam.我们都十分关心当前的重大问题,特
17、别是中东问题和仍在进行的残酷的越南战争。,(三)英语副词转译为汉语形容词,例42: This love story impressed him deeply. 这个爱情故事给他留下了深刻的印象。例43: Since 1978, everything in China has greatly changed. 自从1978年以来,中国发生了巨大的变化。,四、转译为汉语副词,(一)英语形容词可译为汉语副词。英语名词译成汉语动词时,修饰该名词的形容词往往转译成汉语副词。而英语动词译成汉语名词时,修饰该动词的副词往往转译成形容词。这种相互转化较简单,如:例44: We must make full u
18、se of the existing technical equipment. 我们必须充分利用现有的技术设备。例45: This is sheer nonsense. 这完全是胡说。,(二)英语名词转译成汉语副词,例46: Then the rest of the kinfolk, cousins who were about our size, usually would come out here, and we would have a real time when that happed.其他的亲戚,也就是和我们一般大的堂表兄弟姐妹,也常常来此。他们来了,我们总是玩得很高兴。例47: When he catches a glimpse of a potential antagonist, his instinct is to win him over with charm and humor. 只要一发现有可能反对他的人,他就本能地要用他的魅力和风趣将这个人争取过来。,例48: I had the fortune to meet him. 我幸运地遇到了他。以上重点介绍了英语某些词类转译为汉语动词的技巧,其他类型的词性转换只简单举一二例说明。翻译中,应按照译句的句型,灵活运用各种转换技巧,使译文通顺自然。,