贴切传神搞翻译:漂亮的英语

什么是真正的翻译？      什么是我们应该追求的翻译的目标？

      如何用科学的认知策略去获得良好的翻译能力？

      英语学了这么多年，词汇量累积到一定的程度，是不是就能做到很好的翻译呢? 有没有试着对比自己的译文与原文，发觉自己只能勉强传达表层的意思，在意境还原和形象再现上却非常逊色？

        近日闲暇时读完的这本小册子，尽管是出自“休闲英语”丛书，在很多地方都让人有茅塞顿开的感觉。在英汉翻译中词义选择和定位的情景意识、整体结构意识、形象思维的运用以及形象化词语的创造等方面更是感觉获益非浅。

      （以下内容摘自《贴切传神搞翻译》，郑琼如编著，世界图书出版公司）

   英汉语言中都有一词多类、一词多义的现象。在英汉翻译中，词义选择是一项非常重要的技巧。在词义选择中，我们追求的目标不是机械的对等，而强调词与概念之间的对等，强调翻译之后让译文读者阅读后获得同等的感受。让读者感受到原文真正的精神实质和气氛意境。

      以good为例，基本概念是“好”，然而一旦与其他词搭配，其意义变化实在太多。必须考虑到汉语的习惯说法，挑选合适的词义表达。

      例如：The Captain of the jet came back, saluted and, in very good English, said to the President, “To Cario, Sir?”

      显然，在这儿 good English 表示“纯正的，流利的，漂亮的，地道的英语”。若机械地追求词与词的“对等”，译成好英语，言下之意，英语语言的本身还有好与坏之分？

      所以，最好译为： 喷气机机长走过来，敬了个礼，并用非常漂亮的英语 问总统：“先生，去开罗吗？”

      然而，在下面这句中“a good player”汉语中妥帖的说法应是“高明的棋手”： He was told, when complaining that he could not follow Nasser's moves, that Nasser was a good chess player.

    现在试试下列 good 短语应该怎么译吧：

      1. Autumn was already in the air on the late afternoon when she decided to fish near the island. The good little pram purred across the water.

      2. “A good-humoured wine.” Pratt seemed to take pleasure in displaying his taste in wine, “benevolent and cheerful.”

      3. Bettie had good reason to hate the Civil War. One of her brothers was killed at Gettyburg, another taken prisoner.

      4. The world is full of right answers to bad questions. While teaching, I like to find good questions that students must struggle to answer.

      5. Yet, it sometimes happens that a person departs his life, who is really deserving of the praise the stone-cutter curves over his bones; who is good Christian, a good parent, child, wife or husband.

参考答案:

1. Autumn was already in the air on the late afternoon when she decided to fish near the island. The good little pram purred across the water.
当她决定在岛上钓鱼时，午后的天空正散发着秋天的味道，可爱的小船咕噜咕噜地穿过小河。(pram是什么来的？)
2. “A good-humoured wine.” Pratt seemed to take pleasure in displaying his taste in wine, “benevolent and cheerful.”
“最棒的汉姆酒。”Pratt看起来很享受酒的滋味：“仁爱的，令人鼓舞的。”
3. Bettie had good reason to hate the Civil War. One of her brothers was killed at Gettyburg, another taken prisoner.
贝蒂有理由去憎恨内战。她的两个兄弟，一个战死在盖茨堡，另一个被俘。
4. The world is full of right answers to bad questions. While teaching, I like to find good questions that students must struggle to answer.
这个世界充满了对错误问题的正确解答，但是教学过程中，我喜欢去发现那些必须让学生们绞尽脑汁去回答的好问题。
5. Yet, it sometimes happens that a person departs his life, who is really deserving of the praise the stone-cutter curves over his bones; who is good Christian, a good parent, child, wife or husband.
虽然一个人离开人世的事有时发生，但是他对骨头上的石切曲线的贡献还是值得嘉奖。他是一名优秀的基督教徒，孩子，妻子以及丈夫。