英汉翻译技巧 下载本文

翻译常用的几种技巧

第一节 重译法

定义: Repetition既然在翻译中被称为一种技巧,自然就不是一般所说的不必要的重复,而是一种必不可少的方法。可以这样确定它的定义: 在翻译中,有时为了忠实于原文,不得不重复某些词语, 否则就不能忠实表达原文的意思。这种反复使用某些词语于翻译的方法就叫重译法。

重译法的作用: 一是为了明确; 二是为了强调。三是为了生动。 一, 为了使译文明确或强调某些内容, 就要设法消除任何可能出现的误解。要消除这些误解, 在某些文体中,特别是在合同、条约等正式的应用文体中,要少用代词而重复使用名词。

譬如下面的译例, 在译文中要重复使用“日本”等名词而尽量通免使用代词“它”.因为这一段文字引自一涉及中国,苏联和日本三国关系的条约.引文中的 both contracting parties指China和The Soviet Union, 所谈之事关系重大.如果用“它”太多,那么“它” 是代表China,Japan 呢,还是代表The Soviet Union 呢?不同的人会有不同的理解,因此翻译下句中代词it时应重译其前面的名词.

“Both contracting parties undertake jointly to adopt all necessary measures at their disposal for the purpose of preventing the resumption of aggression and violation of peace on the part of Japan or any other state which would

collaborate with Japan directly or indirectly in act of aggression. In the event of one of the contracting parties being attacked by Japan or any other state allied with it and thus being involved in a state of war, the other contracting party will immediately render military and other assistance with all means at its disposal.”

“缔约国双方保证共同尽力采取一切必要的措施,以期翻止日本或其他直接间接在侵略行为上与日本相勾结的任何国家之重新侵略与破坏和平。一旦缔约国的一方受到日本或与日本同盟的任何国家之侵袭,因而处于战争状态时,缔约国的另一方即尽其全力给予军事及其他援助.”

二、为了明确,有时需要重复宾语。在英语中,一句话里两个动词共用一个宾语,宾语只在第二个动词之后出现一次.而在汉语中, 这样的宾语要在每个动词后分别出现。定语后的名词亦如此。如:

1. We have to analyse and solve problems. 我们要分析问题,解决问题

2.Let us revise our safety and sanitary regulations. 我们来修改安全规则和卫生规则吧

3。Aristocratic and democratic tendencies in a nation often show themselves in its speech.

民族的贵族倾向和民主倾向常在其言语中表现出来.

三、英语常用省略,代词,但为了明确,也为了强调某些内容,在汉语中常常要将省去的部分重译回来. 如:

1 .I have fulfilled my assigned work ahead of schedule, so has he.

我已提前完成了交给我的工作,他也提前完成了交给他的工作。 2. Ignorance is the mother of fear as well as of admiration. 无知是恐惧的根源,也是敬佩的根源 .

3.The use of atomic weapons is a clear violation of international law—in particular of the Geneva Convention.

使用原子武器显然违反国际法,特别违反日内瓦公约. 4. Before liberation many people could not read or write. 解放前, 许多人不会读书,也不会写字。

5. They forget the democratic centralism which subordinates the

minority to the majority, the lower level to the higher level, the part to the whole, and the whole Party to the Central Committee. 他们忘记了少数服从多数,下级服从上级,局部 服从全体,全党 服从中央的民主集中制.

6. But we still have defects, and very big ones

但是我们还是有缺点的,而且还有很大的缺点. 四、被定语从句修饰的名词有时在英译汉中要重复.

We have advocated the principle of peaceful coexistence, which is now growing more and more popular among the nations of Asia and Africa.

我们提倡和平共处的原则,这个原则目前在亚非各国越来越得人心了。 五、在汉译英时,往往还有下面两种情况:一是汉语重复,英译时也重复;二是根据两种语言各自的习惯用法, 以不同的表达方式进行重复,这种重复通常是为了传达原文的生动性.

1.这种人闹什么东西呢?闹名誉, 闹地位, 闹出风头

What are they after? They are after name, after position, and they want to cut smart figures.

2,大(家庭〕有大〔家庭〕的难处。 A large family has its difficulties. 3、车辚辚,马萧萧,行人弓箭各在腰

Chariots rumble and roll; horses whinny and neigh. Footmen at their girdle bows and arrows display.

4.天苍苍,野茫茫,风吹草低见牛羊. The sky is blue, blue;

And the steppe wide, wide;

Over grass that the wind has battered low; Sheep and oxen roam.

5.寻寻觅觅,冷冷清清,凄凄惨惨戚戚.乍暖还寒时候,最难将息。 Seek, seek; search, search; Cold, cold; bare, bare;

Grief, grief; cruel, cruel grief.

Now warm, then like the autumn cold again, How hard to calm the heart!

6. 茫茫九派流中国,沉沉一线穿南北。

Wide, wide flow the nine streams through the land, Dark, dark threads the line from south to north

7.行行重行行,与君生别离.

On and on,always on and an.

Away from you, parted by a life-parting.

8. 这几件旧衣服和些旧家伙,当的当了,卖的卖 了.

Our old clothes and few sticks of furniture have been pawned or sold.

9. 胜也罢,败也 罢,我们要打到底.

Victory or defeat, we shall fight to the bitter end 10. 我们死也好,活也好,一定要忠于祖国.

Live or die, we shall be loyal to our motherland. 11. 悲莫悲兮生别离,乐莫乐兮新相知

Nothing is sadder than to part for ever;

Nothing is happier than to contract a new acquaintance 12.一个个面面相觑,都软倒了。

Each stared speechless at the other, and all fell feebly to the ground.

13,桃花谢了春红,太匆匆.

The flowering trees have lost the spring hues, all too soon. 14.谁知盘中餐。粒粒皆辛苦.

Who knows that every grain in the bowl Is the fruit of so much pain and toil? 15.夜夜长留半被,待君梦魂归来。

Night after night I ever keep for him the half of my quilt, In expectation of his spirit coming back to me in a dream. 16. 青青河边草。郁郁园中柳.

Green grows the grass upon the bank., The willow shoots. are long and lank. 17. 梯田渐渐稀,村舍遥遥对.

Ridges of fields grow few and far between, While far away some cottage are seen. 18.舟遥遥以轻扬,风飘飘而吹衣。

Lightly floats and drifts the boat, and gently flows and flaps my gown.

19. 春眠不觉晓,处处闻啼鸟,

In spring we sleep a sleep that knows no dawn, And everywhere the songs of birds resound. 20,一个蚊子哼哼哼,两个苍蝇嗡嗡嗡. A mosquito hums and hums, Two flies drone and drone.

以上20个译例之原文绝大多数源出中国古典文学,因多为名句,故每一句原文均可找出多种译法,此处只引用一种译法,不一定是最佳的译法,只供讨论翻译技巧时参考.

与汉译英的情况相似, 英译汉时有时也要根据各自的习惯用法进行重复。如: 1. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace --- but there is no peace.

先生们尽管可以高呼和平,和平! 但是依然没有和平. 2. If you didn't succeed at first, try, try,try again. 起初不成功,可以一试再试

3. What we want, first and foremost, is to learn, to learn and to learn. 我们首先需要的是学习、学习、再学习。

4. Scrooge went to bed again, and thought and thought and thought it over and over.

司克罗琪又上床去, 左思右想, 想个不休 5 . Nels had it all written out neatly. 纳尔斯把它写得清清楚楚. 第二节 增译法

所谓增词译法就是在原文的基础上添加必要的单词、词组,分句或完整句,从而使得译文在语法、语言形式上符合译文习惯和在文化背景、词语联想方面与原文一致起来,使得译文与原文在内容、形式和精神等三方面都对等起来.试仔细对照如下译例看看此技巧应用的一些情况. 1. I am looking forward to the holidays. 我在等待假日的到来

2 .Much of our morality is customary. 我们大部分的道德观念都有习惯性

3.Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend.

读史使人明智,读诗使人灵秀。数学使人周密.科学使人深刻,伦理使人庄重,逻辑修辞之学使人善辩。(或:历史使人聪明;诗人使人遐想:数学使人精细;格致使人深沉;伦理使人庄严;逻辑和修辞使人能够争论.〕〔后一种译文 虽然偏古并且有个别欠信之处,但与前一种译文相比。几乎有异曲同工之妙,在译文中都使用了增译法或重译法, 反复使用了“使人”这两个字.)

4.Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.

读书使人充实,讨论使人机智,笔记使人准确.

5) Earl and I decided to walk our dog. Somehow our path took us toward the park, across the footbridge high above the rolling waters of the Los

Angeles River. It is like a dream to me now, floating through my mind in slow motion. Many children were playing close to the waters. (Los Angeles

Times)我和艾勒决定把狗带出去溜溜,不知不觉朝公园走去。公园就在小桥那边,桥下很深的地方,汹涌的洛杉矶河水滚滚流过。现在回想起来、就仿佛是一场梦, 当时的情景还在我脑海里缓缓浮动. 那一天,许多孩子在靠近水边的地方玩耍。(增加主语和时 间状语)

6) After the football match, he‘s got an important meeting.在观看足球比赛之后,他有一个重要会议去参加.(增加动词)

7) He dismissed the meeting without a closing speech.他没有致闭幕词就宣布结束会议。(增加动河)

8) Basically, the theory proposed, among other things, that the maximum speed possible in the universe is that of light;??就其基本内容而言,这一学说提出的论点包括:光速是宇宙中最快的速度;??(增加修饰语,以示强调)