[转载]汉译英基础训练（二）

第二课 词义引申

    引申是语言的普遍现象，词义引申指不拘泥于词的字面意义或词典提供的语义、释义，而根据上下文作必要的调整和变动。不同的文体，引申的范围、内容、方式不尽相同。文艺作品中的引申，往往涉及作品的历史背景、社会习惯、风土人情、语气感情等；在技术类文体中，引申的出发点是现象、事实或与主题相关的概念，引申往往从逻辑推断入手，考虑专业特点和语言习惯，符号逻辑思维的特点。

具体—抽象

    在一定语境的基础上，可以从词义的虚实、抽象与具体、概念大小、词义搭配等角度进行引申。
一般说来，英语词义内涵比较广泛，词的用法比较灵活，一词多义、一词多用的现象非常普遍，这也有助于表达比较概括、笼统的意义。但英语有过分使用抽象表达法的倾向。不少文体学家提倡具体于抽象相结合的选词法。与英语相比，汉语用词倾向于具体，常常以实的形式表达虚的概念，以具体的形象表达抽象的内容。 

 
Concrete→Abstract

枯藤、老树、昏鸦，
小桥、流水、人家，
古道西风瘦马，
夕阳西下，
断肠人在天涯。（马致远, 天净沙·秋）

Dry vines, old trees, evening crows
Small bridge, flat banks, water flows
Old road, slim horse, west wind blows
And as the sun westward sets,
Forlorn love, far away, no one knows!

他的话让我出了一身冷汗。
I was extremely terrified by his words. （具体 → 抽象）
他万万没想到在他前进的路上竟然会出现这么多的拦路虎。
He had never expected that so many obstacles would stand in his way. （具体 → 抽象）

 
吃一堑，长一智。
A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.

    在最后一个例子中，汉语的“堑”与译文中的“pit”在词义上无论如何也是无法对应的，然而出于修辞角度，选用“pit”与“wit”同韵。

    汉语虽然较缺乏抽象词语，但形象性词语（如比喻、成语、谚语、歇后语）等却相当丰富。汉语常常借助这类生动具体的词语来表达英语抽象笼统的意义。

    他这一阵心头如同十五个吊桶打水，七上八下，老是宁静不下来。（周而复：《上海的早晨》） His mind was in a turmoil these days and he was quite unable to think straight.
    茗烟又嘱咐道：“不可拿进园去，叫人知道了，我就‘吃不了兜着走’了。”（曹雪芹：《红楼梦》）Don’t take them into the Garden,” Ming-yen warned him. “If they were found I’d be in serious trouble.”
    唉，那是客臣的井蛙之见喽，所谓“情人眼里出西施“啦。（郭沫若：《屈原》）Alas, that was owing to my ignorance, that is what is called partiality. 译出褒贬

   任何一种语言在表达时都有可能被作者赋予一定的感情色彩，词的感情色彩一般分为褒、贬，或积极、消极，以及中性。有些色彩是显性的，很容易辨认，如：

坚忍不拔：firm and indomitable
顽固不化：incorrigibly obstinate
足智多谋：wise and resourceful
诡计多端：treacherous

Notice

    然而有些感情色彩是呈隐性的，需要依靠上下文才能看出，翻译时应注意准确传达出来，如：

    在整个改革开放过程中都要反对腐败。
    若用“oppose”来译“反对”，显得有些平淡，若改译成“combat”或“fight against”，意义更为积极，能更准确地反映原文的积极语气。

中国的经济是一个大问题，忽视不得。经济过热，确实带来了一些问题。
    第一个“问题”不宜用“problem”，否则给人感觉中国的经济出了严重问题，因为“problem”常用于消极意义。应用“issue”或“question”。
    第二句中的“问题”，则的确是“problems”。

练习

专家普遍认为积极的财政政策对于最近几年的经济快速增长势头起了很大作用，2003年，这一政策的实施除了应向社会保障，农村教育及基础设施倾斜以外，还应从政府投资转向民间投资。
这些价值观和孔子宣扬的一些思想有很多相同之处，孔子的思想强调的是中庸适度。但是我尊重孔子的思想，并不是要把他的思想搬到现代社会。
湖区水位提高可能要危及竹子的生长。这意味着以竹子为食物的大熊猫也将受到威胁。
不幸的是，中国似乎是在学西方的样，如为了事业不结婚的人越来越多，不要小孩的越来越多，离婚的越来越多，年老的父母单独生活的越来越多。

It is generally agreed among exports that the proactive fiscal policy has considerably contributed to the rapid economic growth in recent years. The year 2003 will see the further implementation of such a policy, which will give added weight to the development of the social security system, rural education and the infrastructure, and a shifting of focus on investment sources from the government to the private sector.

These values have much in common with some of the virtues of Confucianism, the Chinese philosophy that stresses moderation. However, although I respect the spirit of Confucianism, I have not tried to adapt this ancient philosophy to modern society.
Higher water levels in the lake area may endanger the growing of bamboos, which means giant pandas that feed on these plants will suffer, too.
Unfortunately, China seems to be following the west’s lead: the rising number of career singles and childless families, the soaring divorce rate and more and more the elderly parents living alone.

词语的增减

增词法与减词法是翻译中非常常用的技巧。无论增减，一般出于两方面的考虑：一是语义上的，增减实义词；二是表达上的，包括增减功能词或为了词义搭配。所增减的内容绝不能是原文的主要信息，增减的目的在于使译语读者更准确的理解源语，使译文更为通畅，地道。

语义性增词
 
班门弄斧
 to show off one’s proficiency with an axe before Luban, the master carpenter.
 比较：to show off with an axe before Luban.
 解放前（后）
    before （after）the liberation of old China
 比较：before the liberation
  

看粮食，要看中国的农业；看农业，首先要看市场。
To have a better understanding of the food situation in China, we must take a full view of her agriculture, and to know the agriculture, we must have a look at the food market first.

语义性减词

    这本小说内容有趣，文字浅显，立即畅销全国。
The novel has gained immediate nationwide popularity as it is at once interesting in content and easy in language. 

    他小时候家里很穷，没什么衣服可穿，也没什么东西可吃。
When he was young, his family was so poor that he had no more enough food to eat and clothing to wear.

表达性增减
    最近几年，学开车的人越来越多。
    In recent years, the number of people who learn driving has increased.
    党的十六大强调了对私有财产的保护。
    The 16th Party Congress stressed the importance of protecting private property.
  不应有的误解 unnecessary misunderstanding

语义性增词

    经济全球化和贸易自由化的进程，可以有两种发展趋势。一种是推动他们朝合理方向发展，一种是任凭他们按照不合理的规则运行。我们应该选择并推进前一种趋势，警惕并抑制后一种趋势。
    There are two possible development scenarios for the process of economic globalization and trade liberalization. One could drive it to move along a rational track; the other may cause it to operate aimlessly. Without any doubt, we should opt for and facilitate the former scenario, and guard against the latter.

 
 毫无根据的诽谤
 groundless slander
 不切实际的幻想
 impractical illusion
 贫富差距不断加大。
 The gap between the rich and the poor is continuously widening.
 这个国家的失业现象严重。
 There is serious phenomenon of unemployment in this country.
 
    将国与国之间的争端诉诸武力，并不是最好的解决办法。
    Recourse to arms is not the best solution method to a quarrel between countries.

    需要注意的是，必须结合上下文进行增减处理。
    据悉，自1986年起，美国华人经济已跃居全美少数民族之首，遥遥领先于日裔，韩裔等其他少数民族。美国华人家庭的年均收入已超过美国白人家庭。
    It is said that since 1986 the US citizens of Chinese descent have leapt to a good lead over other racial minorities, Japanese Americans and Koreans Americans, for instance. The average Americans Chinese family’s yearly income has now come to exceed that of the average American family.

词的省略

    词的省略也是汉译英时常见的现象。与词的增补情况相反，原文中有些词语从译文的角度来看往往是多余的，可以或必须删去，决不能只字不漏地生搬硬套过来，不然会引起文理不通、意思含糊等弊病。词的省略的目的正是为了使译文符合英语的表达习惯和修辞特点。

减词（省略）

    省略词语决不意味着可以随意删节原文的词句，而必须同样遵守一些原则。（1）在译文中看来是可有可无的，或是多余的；（2）其意思已经包含在上下文里；（3）其含义在译文中是不言而喻的。汉译英中所省略的词语分以下几类：

省略原文中表示范畴的词语
    汉语里有一些名词，如“任务”、“工作”、“情况”、“状态”、“问题”、“制度”、“事业”、“局面”等等通常有具体的含义，自然应照译，但是它们用来表明范畴时，则失去了具体含义，一般可以省略不翻译。如“分析问题”中的“问题”一词，就有具体含义，非翻译不可；而“人民内部矛盾问题”中的“问题”则是表明范畴，不必翻译，只要译作contradictions among the people就行了。在这里“矛盾”就是一种“问题”，而“问题”一词仅仅表明这种“矛盾”所属的范畴。

    在党的领导下，中国人民已经完成了解放事业。
    Under the leadership of the Party, the Chinese people have succeeded in their liberation.
    前怕龙后怕虎的态度不能造就干部。
   “Fearing dragons ahead and tigers behind” will not produce cadres.
    我们党结束了那个时期的社会动荡和纷扰不安的局面。
    Our Party has put an end to the social unrest and upheaval of that time.

省略可能影响译文修辞效果的词语
    汉语中，有时为了语言生动、简练，常用具体形象词语或成语作比喻；有时为了加强语气，可以连续使用好几个短句。在翻译这类句子时，某些词语往往省去不翻译，或加以简化和压缩。不然译文势必拖泥带水，松散无力，反而失掉原文的特色。所谓简化和压缩无非是：1）翻译主要的和不可缺少的词语，略去次要的或不言而喻的词语；2）将具体词语抽象概括为笼统的概念词。

    匪军所至，杀戮人民，奸淫妇女，焚毁村庄，掠夺财物，无所不用其极。（《毛泽东选集》四卷，1325页）
    Wherever they (the bandit troops) went, they massacred and raped, burned and looted, and stopped at nothing.
    原文采用排比手法，连续用了四个动宾词组，读起来铿锵有力，达到了强调的修辞效果。但是此句若翻译成：They massacred the people, raped women, burned villages and looted property，就大大减弱了原句的气势。因此译文中采用及物动词的独立用法（即不带直接宾语），收到了行文有力的效果。

省略
    不调查、不研究、提起笔来硬写，这就是不负责任的态度。

    It is sheer irresponsibility to pick up the pen and “force ourselves to write ” without investigation or study.

例句
    这件事要抓紧快办。
    This matter needs immediate action.
    他一开口总是三句话不离本行。
    He can hardly open his mouth without talking shop.
    多年来那个国家一直有严重的失业现象。
    For many years there has been serious unemployment in that country.

练习

    她的朋友们听到她家中的困难情况后，都主动伸出援助之手。
    After her friends heard about her family difficulties, they offered her a helping hand.
    每条河都有上游、中游、和下游。
    Every river has its upper, middle and lower reaches.
    人们利用科学去了解自然，改造自然。
    People use science to understand and change nature.

翻译练习
他们一听说有新任务，就坐不住了。
你想看这本书，就先看吧。
这件事咱们回头再祥谈。
在全面开创新局面的各项任务中，首要的任务是把现代化经济建设推向前进。
只要中国人民积极奋斗，这个宏伟的战略目标是能够达到的。

参考译文
When they learnt that they’d been given a new task, they just couldn’t sit still any longer.
You may read the book first, since you are anxious to read it.
We shall discuss it in detail when we meet again.
Of the various tasks in bringing about an all-round new situation, the most important one is to push forward the modernization of China’s economy.
If the Chinese people work hard, they can definitely attain this grand strategic objective.

翻译练习
我们必须认真帮助他们解决工作问题和学习问题。
我国少数民族有3000多万人。
我昨天没进城，一来是因为天气不好，二来是因为我不舒服。 
他们是多年的邻居，一旦分别，不免依依不舍。 
他把事情一五一十地都给父母讲了。 
他们是亲密无间的朋友。

参考译文
We must earnestly help them solve their problems of work and study.
The minority nationalities in our county number more than thirty million.
I didn’t go to town yesterday both because of the nasty weather and the fact that I was not feeling myself.
After being good neighbours for years, they can’t bear to part from each other.
He told his parents the whold story exactly as it has happened.
They are close (bosom) friends.

练习

改革开放也使民族精神获得了解放。
我们的企业应着重提高国际竞争力。
中国的现代化建设离不开与世界各国的经济合作与贸易往来。
对于采取什么样的措施来控制人口这一问题早已不单是一个国家的问题了，而是一个全世界都关注的问题。
由于全球气候变暖，海平面在一点点地上升。

参考译文

Why do people support us? Because our economy has been developing.
The sea level is rising little by little in the consequence of global warming.
Reforms and the open policy have also emancipated the minds of the people.
We need to be enhancing international competitiveness.
China’s modernization is inseparable from her economic cooperation and trade ties with other nations.
The question of what is to be done to control population growth is no longer a matter of one country alone. It is a problem of international concern.