Chapter Twelve Discourse Translation2

Chapter Twelve Discourse Translation
Translation Technique Analysis
张培基
Proverbs are the popular sayings that brighten so much Latin American talk, the
boiled-down wisdom that you are as apt to hear from professors as from peasants, from beggars as from elegantes. Brief and colorful , they more often than not carry a sting.
When a neighbor's dismally unattractive daughter announced her engagement, Imelda remarked, "You know what they say, Senora: 'There's no pot so ugly it can't find a lid.'" And when her son-in-law blustered about how he was going to get even with the boss who had docked his pay, Imelda fixed him with a cold eye and said, " Little fish does not eat big fish."
One afternoon, I heard Imelda and her daughter arguing in the kitchen. Her daughter had quarreled with her husband's parents, and Imelda was insisting that she apologize to them. Her daughter objected." But, Mama, I just can't swallow them, not even with honey. They talk so big until we need something; then they're too poor. So today when they wouldn't even lend us enough to pay for a new bed, all I did was say something that I've heard you say a hundred times:' If so grand, why so poor? If so poor, why so grand?" （From Reader's Digest）
①Proverbs are the popular sayings that brighten so much Latin American talk, the
boiled-down wisdom that you are as apt to hear from professors as from peasants, from beggars as from elegantes.
①谚语是使拉丁美洲人民言谈生动活泼的流行俗语，是洗练睿智的语言，大学教授说，
田野农夫也说，市井乞丐说，名门闺秀也说。

翻译技巧分析：
①切分：由原文的三短句分为六短句，其中后四句为排比句，以说明谚语使用的广泛。

②减词：省略了程度副词so much。

③选词：brighten→使．．生动活泼。

④增词：从语法角度出发：the boiled-down wisdom →是洗练睿智的语言．
⑤视角转换：从语态角度出发译成＂大学教授说．．．＂，并省略了you are as apt to hear
from．
⑥归化：professors,peasants, beggars, elegantes→大学教授，田野农夫，市井乞丐，名门闺秀，四字格的表达更押韵，更俗语化．
②Brief and colorful , they more often than not carry a sting.
②谚语简洁明快，丰富多彩，往往带刺。

翻译技巧分析：
①brief and colorful →简洁明快，丰富多彩，使词语四字格化。

②采用视角转换中的反说正译：they more often than not carry a sting →往往带刺＂。

③When a neighbor's dismally unattractive daughter announced her engagement, Imelda
remarked, "You know what they say, Senora: 'There's no pot so ugly it can't find a lid.'"
③邻居一个丑八怪的女儿说她订婚了，伊梅尔达就说："太太，你可听见大伙儿讲开了：
'罐儿再丑，配个盖子不发愁（姑娘再丑，找个汉子不必忧）。

"
翻译技巧分析：
①具体化：dismally unattractive →丑八怪。

②习语的翻译：直译加意译there's no pot so ugly it can't find a lid.→罐儿再丑，配个盖
子不发愁（姑娘再丑，找个汉子不必忧）。

④And when her son-in-law blustered about how he was going to get even with the boss who
had docked his pay, Imelda fixed him with a cold eye and said, " Little fish does not eat big fish."
④当伊梅儿达的女婿气势汹汹要找克扣他工资的老板算帐时，她冷眼瞪着他说："小鱼
吃得了大鱼吗？"
翻译技巧分析：
①具体化：bluster→气势汹汹。

②选词：fixed him with a cold eye→冷眼瞪着他，同时省掉量词。

③习语的翻译：直译，little fish does not eat big fish →小鱼吃不了大鱼。

④视角转换，从句式的角度把它变成反问句，以加强语气。

⑤One afternoon, I heard Imelda and her daughter arguing in the kitchen.
⑤一天下午，我听见伊梅尔达和女儿在厨房争论开了。

翻译技巧分析：
视角转换中的语序调整。

⑥Her daughter had quarreled with her husband's parents, and Imelda was insisting that she
apologize to them.
⑥原来是女儿刚跟公婆吵了嘴，她非要女儿去赔不是不可。

翻译技巧分析：
①视角转换中的正说反译，把后一短句译成：她非要女儿去赔不是不可。

②选词：was insisting →非要，以加强语气。

⑦Her daughter objected." But, Mama, I just can't swallow them, not even with honey.
⑦做女儿的却偏不依?quot;可是，娘，我受不了，就是拌了蜜也咽不下呀！
翻译技巧分析：
选词：objected→偏不依，以对应前句。

⑧They talk so big until we need something; then they're too poor.
⑧他们满嘴讲大话，可是一旦求上他们，却又穷得不得了。

翻译技巧分析：
①切分，把前半句分成两短句。

②具体化：talk so big→满嘴讲大话，也属选词技巧。

⑨So today when they wouldn't even lend us enough to pay for a new bed, all I did was say
something that I've heard you say a hundred times:' If so grand, why so poor? If so poor, why so grand?“
⑨就拿今天来说吧，我们想借一点刚够买一张新床的钱，他们却不肯，我只得讲了些你
平日讲过几百遍的话：既然真阔气，何必又装穷？既然真正穷，何必摆阔气！
翻译技巧分析：
①切分：把前面两短句分成四短句，符合中文表达习惯。

②增词：增加动词：装，摆。