筆譯考前必看實用翻譯技巧 6

六、漢語句子翻譯的多樣性

例：你的眼睛長哪兒去了?

1)Haven’t you got eyes?

2)Are you so blind?

3)Are you such a blind man?

4)You're really stone-blind !

5)How blind you are !

6)As blind as a bat !

7)What a blind man

8)A sightless guy !

9)Why are you so rash?

10)How can you be so reckless?

11)My goodness! Be careful!

12)Would you please be more careful?

這個例句實際上是漢語中很不禮貌的說法，指責(zé)對方?jīng)]看清楚，不夠小心。由于漢英兩種語言有著不同的文化背景，各人對這個原文有不同的理解和體會，這個句子可能被用于不同的上下文，因此，這個句子自然會有多樣性的譯法。上面第一至第八個譯文都是根據(jù)字面意思來進(jìn)行翻譯的。這樣的翻譯可以保留原文的形象和原文中粗野的口氣，為了塑造說話人的人物形象，這個句子就必須直譯。上面第九至第十二個譯文是根據(jù)原文的含義來進(jìn)行翻譯的，這4種譯文更符合地道的英語，在日常用語中，還是以這4種譯法為好。

又如“你有筆嗎?”可以譯為：

Have you got a pen?

Have you got pens?

Have you got any pens?

Have you got some pens?

Have you got the pen?

Have you got the pens?

準(zhǔn)確的譯文只能視具體語境而定。

只要一發(fā)現(xiàn)有可能反對他的人，他就本能地要用他的魅力和風(fēng)趣將這個人爭取過來。

(a)When he catches a glimpse of potential antagonist, his instinct is to win him over withcharm and humor.

(b)As soon as he finds any possible opponent, he is, by instinct, to have as aninclination for winning him over with charm and humor.

(c)The sight of a potential antagonist arouses (evokes) his innate impulse for winning him over with charm and humor.

一想到要出國深造，他就激動不已。

(a)The idea that he would go abroad for further study made him greatly excited.

(b)He felt greatly excited at the thought of going abroad for further study.

近年來，中、泰兩國國民經(jīng)濟發(fā)展迅速，為兩國的經(jīng)濟、貿(mào)易合作提供了良好的基礎(chǔ)。

(a)In recent years the national economies of China and Thailand have quickly developed, providing a good foundation for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

(b)Recent years have witnessed the rapid development of the national economies in Chinaand Thailand, which has prepared for good economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

(c)China and Thailand，with the rapid development of their national economies in recent years, have laid a good foundation for their economic and trade cooperation.

(d)The rapid development of the national economies of China and Thailand in recent years has laid a sound foundation for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

總之，翻譯中的多樣性或多樣性譯法一方面可以使我們從多種譯文中選擇最佳的譯文，另一方面可使原文中反復(fù)出現(xiàn)的詞句擁有多種譯法，從而使整個譯文既忠實于原文，又行文流暢，生動活潑。

另外，在翻譯時，我們必須清楚這樣一個事實：作為用一種語言傳遞另一種語言的思維內(nèi)容的翻譯，其表達(dá)手段可以是“多變的”，也就是說，一種思維內(nèi)容可以用多種譯語語言的形式表達(dá)。這就是同一種原文可以有多種表達(dá)形式的根據(jù)所在，譯者往往選取不同的角度、不同的信息焦點作為出發(fā)點來對原文同一信息進(jìn)行雙語符號轉(zhuǎn)換。因此，譯界有“譯學(xué)無定規(guī)”之說。在句子翻譯中，若用不同的譯語表達(dá)形式傳遞同一原文信息，往往要使用不同的主語和謂語，若使用了不同的主語和謂語，整個句子的其它成分在安排上就會發(fā)生變化。例如：

(6)一想到要出國深造，他就激動不已。

When he thinks …., he

As soon as … he

(a)The idea that he would go abroad for further study made him greatly excited.

(b)He felt greatly excited at the thought of going abroad for further study.

When the students saw the plane, they were very happy.

The sight of the plane made the student s happy.

析：原文的同一信息在譯文中以兩種形式譯出，兩種譯文中的主語大不一樣，同時，主語的確定決定了謂語的選擇，主、謂語確定之后又影響和決定了其它句子成分的安排。譯文(a)是用“idea”作主語，按照一般的情況，idea之后常用同位語從句，故“要出國深造”這一部分譯作同位語從句并置于idea之后，主要謂語動詞用“make”。主謂語搭配得當(dāng);譯文(b)用he作主語，主要謂語動詞用“feel”。并與“excited’’構(gòu)成系表結(jié)構(gòu)，原文中的其它成分如“一想到要出國深造”在譯文中則用介詞短語“at the thought of going abroad for further study’’譯出，并置于表語“excited”之后。原文的主干部分為“他就激動不已”，“一想到要出國深造”表示原因。譯文(a)符合英語中以物作主語的表達(dá)習(xí)慣;譯文(1))突出了主要信息，以at 引出的介詞短語表示原因。

(7)近年來，中、泰兩國國民經(jīng)濟發(fā)展迅速，為兩國的經(jīng)濟、貿(mào)易合作提供了良好的基礎(chǔ)。

(a) In recent years the national economies of China and Thailand have quickly developed, providing a good foundation for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

(b)Recent years have witnessed the rapid development of the national economies in Chinaand Thailand，which has prepared for good economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

(c)China and Thailand, with the rapid development of their national economies in recent years, have laid a good foundation for their economic and trade cooperation.

(d) The rapid development of the national economies of China and Thailand in recent years has laid a sound foundation for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

(彭開明：“翻譯中的多種表達(dá)形式”，載《中國翻譯》l995年第5期)

析：四種譯文分別以economies, recent years，China and Thailand 和development作主語，與它們一一對應(yīng)的謂語則在選詞、搭配、時態(tài)、單復(fù)數(shù)上有較大差異，但每種英譯文的主語和謂語搭配得當(dāng)，符合邏輯，這是翻譯句子主干成分必須遵循的原則。主、謂語確定之后，其它句子成分的安排要以與主語、謂語搭配協(xié)調(diào)、傳意恰當(dāng)為條件。

譯文(a)以economies作主語，謂語由have quickly developed充當(dāng)，原文中的“為兩國的經(jīng)濟、貿(mào)易合作提供了良好的基礎(chǔ)”在譯文中以現(xiàn)在分詞短語providing a good foundation…two countries譯出，在譯文中作伴隨狀語。

譯文(b)以recent years作主語，謂語以have witnessed來充當(dāng)。英語中常?？梢杂帽硎緯r間、地點或物質(zhì)概念的無生命的名詞充當(dāng)主語。這里主、謂語突出，且語言簡潔明了。謂語是及物動詞，后需接賓語，the rapid development of the national economies in China and Thailand作賓語順理成章。“為兩國的經(jīng)濟、貿(mào)易合作提供了良好的基礎(chǔ)”的邏輯主語是the rapid development…，故以非限定性定語從句譯出，以which指代the rapid development，邏輯關(guān)系清楚。

譯文(c)以China and Thailand作主語，“近年來，(中、泰)兩國國民經(jīng)濟發(fā)展迅速”以由with引出的介詞短語譯出，置于謂語之前，作為下文中“為兩國經(jīng)濟、貿(mào)易合作提供良好基礎(chǔ)’’的前提，謂語和賓語以及其它成分用have laid a good foundation for their economic and trade cooperation譯出，主、謂、賓搭配得當(dāng)，其它成分的位置正確。

譯文(d)突出說明了中、泰兩國近年來經(jīng)濟的迅速發(fā)展，故以“the rapid development of the national economies of China and Thailand in recent years”作主語，兩國國民經(jīng)濟的發(fā)展為兩國的經(jīng)濟、貿(mào)易合作提供了良好的基礎(chǔ)，譯文順理成章，用“has laid a sound foundation for economic and tradecooperation between the two countries"譯出。

由此可見，句子其它成分的位置往往要依據(jù)主語和謂語來作相應(yīng)的調(diào)整。