翻译理论与实践第3讲
They told me that Professor Liu would have been teaching here for twenty years by this winter. 他们告诉我到今年冬天时刘教授在这里教书要满 20年了。 Oxford is much smaller in numbers, for example, than the State University of Minnesota, and is much poorer. It has or had fewer students than the University of Toronto. 牛津大学在校学生数比明尼苏达州立大学要少多 了,也穷多了。牛津大学在校学生数无论现在 还是过去都比多伦多大学少。
他们打了一仗。 They fought a battle. 他们又打下了一座县城。 They've captured another town.
他正在打行李。
He is packing his luggage. 她善于打毛衣。 She is good at knitting a sweater
她习惯于打伞。 She is used to holding up an umbrella. 让她在前面给我们打手电。 Let her go in front and flash a torch for us. 打 一盆水来! Fetch a basin of water! 我们应给植物打农药。 We should spray insecticide upon plants. 你最好先打个草稿。 You'd better work out a draft first.
one word with multiple equivalents of different meanings: marry : 娶,嫁 sister: 姐,妹 president: 总统,总裁,主席,董事长,院长,会长
book 在汉语中最直接的对应是“书“ 但book 不能总是译为“书”: 一盒火柴 a book of matches 记账员 a book-keeper 作假账 cook the books “书”也不能总是译为book: marriage lines 结婚证书 storytelling 说书 a letter of challenge 挑战书 说明书 instruction
4.2 选字措辞法(diction)
所谓选字措辞法就是翻译时,在准确理解原文 的基础上,选择恰当的词进行表达的一种方法。
4.2.1 选择词义
选择和确定词义通常从以下几个方面着手: 1. 依据构词法确定词义(from the form) 英语词汇构成有多种方式,在很多情况下,我们可以 根据词的前缀、后缀、词根、词干来 辨析词义。
雨打在窗户上。 The rain was beating against the windows. 趁热打铁。 Strike the iron while it is hot. 他用瓶子打她的头 He hit her on the head with a bottle. 我打了一个碗。 I broke a bowl.
a research-oriented hospital 一所以搞科研为重点的医院 Something important 重要的事情
如果英语名词前的定语过多,译文则不宜完全前 置: a little, yellow, ragged, lame, unshaven beggar 一个要饭的,身体矮小,面黄肌瘦,衣衫褴 褛,瘸腿,满脸短髭。
2. 词类
英语中有冠词,而汉语中有量词和语气词。
The earth is bigger than the moon. 地球比月亮大。 Don't cry. I'm just making fun of you. 不要哭啊!我只不过是同你开玩笑呢。
3. 词序பைடு நூலகம்
英汉句子中主要成分如主语、谓语动词、宾语 或表语的词序基本一致,但各种定语和状语的 次序在英汉语中变化较多。 定语的位置: 英语中单个的形容词、名词作定语一般放在所 修饰的名词前,汉语中定语的位置也大体如此, 但英语中也有后置的。
4. 语势差异 Water works for weight loss. 经常饮水有利于减肥。 The man who is above his business may one day find his business above him. 不屑于干自己工作的人,终会有一天发现自己不 配干那份工作。
第4讲 英汉词语对比 & 选字措辞法
4.1 英汉词语对比
No brick, no construction; no word, no composition.
Peter Newmark: the largest quantity of translation in a text is done at the level of the word.
miniultrasonicprober mini (微型的) + ultra (超) + sonic (声音的) + prober (探测器) 即:微型超声波探测器 macrospacetransship macro (巨型的) + space (天空) + trans (转运) + ship (船) 即:巨型空间转运飞船。
4.1.1 从语法角度
1. 词的形态
2. 词类 3. 词序 4. 语势
1. 词的形态
综合性语言(synthetic language): 主要通过本身的形态变化来表达语法意义,词语 有丰富的曲折变化形式(inflection) 分析性语言(analytic language) 语法关系主要不是通过词本身的形态来表达,而 是通过虚词、词序等手段来表达。 民犹是也,国犹是也,何分南北; 总而言之,统而言之,不是东西。
Exercises:run 一词在不同的上下文中有不同的含义,光是作 动词就有“跑,奔,逃跑,竞选,进行,行驶,转动,运转, 蔓延,融化”等含义
He ran across the road. I’ll run the car into town. The engine runs well. The story runs like this… … He ran for president. Your nose is running. The butter will run if you put it near the fire. The road runs beside the river.
from China to Peru 天涯海角 French leave 不辞而别 Dutch treat 各自付费的聚餐 Castle in Spain 空中楼阁,白日梦 greens 青菜
2. 一对多关系
one word with multiple equivalents of the same meaning wife: 妻子、爱人、老伴、内人、贱内、夫人、老婆
He saw a man sawing trees with a saw. 他看见一个人正用锯子锯树。 Eat what you can and can what you cannot. 能吃的吃掉,吃不掉的就做成罐头。 你读过多少书? How many books have you read? 振笔直书。 Take up the pen and write vigorously.
2. 从词性确定词义 (from the part of speech) 一般来说,一个英语单词往往具有几种词性,但它们之间的 意义会有区别。 He is not down yet. 他还没有下楼呢。(形容词作表语) She’ll come down and see you. 她就会下楼来见你。(副词作状语) He walked down the street. 他沿街走去.(介词) They downed three enemy’s planes. 他们击落了三架敌机。(动词作谓语) We’ll share ups and downs with you. 我们将和你同甘共苦风雨同舟。(名词作宾语)
3. 依据上下文语境或词语搭配确定词义 (from collocation & context) J. R. Firth: Each word when used in a new context is a new word.
heavy rain heavy clouds heavy crops heavy wine heavy news heavy heart heavy fire heavy smoker heavy bread heavy storm heavy traffic
4.2.2 从词义角度
Words do not have meanings; people have meanings for words.
goose: 概念意义: 鹅 内涵意义:愚蠢 as silly as a goose 笨得像鹅 ?? 笨得像头猪 ?? 太笨了 ??
英汉词语的词义对应情况大致可以归纳为以下 三种 1. 一一对应关系 (one for one equivalent) 2. 一对多关系 (one for multiple equivalents) 3. 零对应关系 (no equivalent)
sour milk 酸奶? 变质发酸的牛奶 (酸奶:yoghurt) eat one's words 食言? 承认自己说错话 (食言:go back on one's words)
方便面 convenient noodles ? instant noodles? 月季花 rose? Chinese rose?
大雨 厚云 丰收 烈性酒 令人悲痛的消息 忧伤的心 猛烈的炮火 烟瘾很大的人 没有发好的面包 暴风雨 拥挤的交通