商务词类转译

商务词类转译

词类转换是翻译中常见的技巧。就商务英语翻译而言,最常见的是名词、介词、形容词及动词间的互相转译。

一、名词与动词的互相转译

研究表明:英语的名词在词汇中占有绝对优势,

常用名词来表达汉语中用动词表达的概念(如抽象的行为名词) ,而且动词的兼类情况非常明显,加之英语有词形变化, 许多动词词尾加上后缀, 如-ment , - tion , - ance , - er , - or 等,即可变成名词。相反,汉语却以动词占优势,而且一个句子不限于用一个动词,可以几个动词连用。因此,英译汉时许多名词可译成汉语的动词;汉译英时动词也常译成名词(或介词+ 名词) 。

英语中具有抽象动作意义的名词汉译时常译成动词。

(1) The repeal of the Corn Laws by Great Britain in 1846 ended Britain′s long - standing policy protectionism.

1846 年英国废除《谷物法》,结束了英国长期存在的贸易保护主义政策。

(2)And in a best - selling book ,Lester Thurow told us that America would soon be going head together with a Germanled Europe in the struggle for world markets.

莱斯特·瑟罗在他的一本畅销书中断言,美国不久将要与德国领导的欧洲势均力敌地争夺国际市场。

原文中“struggle”为介词“in”的宾语,但汉语译文直接将它译成动词“争夺”,比原文来得更直接更传神。

(3) The first was the belief among many national leaders that the events leading to the Second World War were triggered by the Great Depression of the1930s,which in turn was believed to have been prolonged and deepened by the very high tariffs enacted by virtually all of the major trading nations during the early 1930s.

有时在英译汉时,如将名词译成动词,则更易于处理。例如:

(4 ) Early hopes that Eastern Germany could stage an economic miracle like that of West Germany in the 1950s and ′60s have faded.

统一之初指望东德能重演西德五六十年代经济奇迹的热情早已淡化。

本例说明了在东西两德统一初期,人民迫切希望东德的经济会迅速崛起。但是,随着时间的推移,

人们已不再那样强烈地对此抱有幻想。原文“hope”用复数, 但汉语中没有数的变化。如将原文的“hope”译成名词,首先汉语动宾不搭配,我们平常不讲“希望淡化”,其次原文复数形式不好处理。但将“hope”译成动词后,后边再添加“热情”一词来体现原文的预期,译文则更加自然。

(5)由动词加- a (e) nce , - tion , - ment 等词缀构成的名词,英译汉时常译成动词。例如:

Resistance to market opening is basically a power play by leaders of industry.

抵制开放市场基本上是工业领袖们的实力较量。

(6) Utility is therefore related to our decision about priorities in production - particularly in a cent rally - planned economy.

因此,效用(经济术语) 对我们决定优先生产什么是有关系的,特别在中央计划经济中尤其如此。

(7)Much of the remainder of the GATT is designed to prevent evasion of the tariff obligations of Article II by the use of nontariff barriers.

例中的“decision”、“production”皆为介词宾语,前者如用“decide”则与“priorities”动宾搭配不当,所以不宜用动名词形式;“in production”指一种过程,“produce”为及物动词,一般要跟宾语。所以,也不适宜使用动名词。第7 例中的“evasion”前为及物动词“prevent”,它的基本用法是“prevent sb. (f rom) doing sth. ”。“evasion of tariff obligations ”这一结构却是动宾关系,也不适合用动名词。

(8)Before the payment of these tariff s, the imported goods will be in the custody of the customs and storage charges are for the impor ter’s account .

交关税前,进口货物由海关保管,存储费由进口商负担。

(9) In reimbursement of these extra expenses, please draw on us.

请开汇票向我方支款,用于偿付这些额外费用。

上两例均由于语法限制,只有用名词形式,但译成汉语时,“payment”和“reimbursement ”分别译作“交”和“偿付”。