《英语翻译基础》讲义及《样题和答案》

英语翻译基础讲义

第一章翻译的基本原则

1.Nature of Translation(翻译的性质)

Translation is a science.

Translation is an art.

Translation is a craft.

Translation is a skill.

Translation is an operation.

Translation is a language activity.

Translation is communication

2.Principles of Translation(翻译的原则)

Three characters “信，达，雅”（faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance）———严复《天演论》

Three characters “信，达，切”(faithfulness, expressiveness and closeness) ———刘重德《翻译十讲》

Summary:忠实与通顺

(1) Faithfulness of Translation (翻译的忠实)

Strictly speaking, faithfulness is the generalization of the principles of translation. That’s to say, true translation demands that the translator be faithful to the content, language and style of the original at the same time.

Eg. 1.War, pestilence and famine consumed one million people.

战争，瘟疫和饥馑毁掉了一百万人。

该句译文从三个方面与原文都是一致的。内容上，措辞完全对应；形式上，中英文都是陈述句，且语序相同。

2.The prize winner wears his honours modestly.

1）荣获者带着他的荣誉谦逊地。

2）获奖者谦逊地对待他的荣誉。

3）获奖者虽尊不傲。

三种译文中，第一种完全是对译，读起来别扭，意义也费解。第二种译法对关键词wear的词义稍有引申，词序也作了一定的调整，合乎汉语的表达习惯，基本上表达了原文的意义。第三句形式上脱离了原文，单个词义也未与原文相对应，但从句子整体意义上，更近原文，更全面、准确地传递了原文的信息，汉语更精练，顺达。

1.Avoid translating word by word(不可词词对译)

Eg. Milky Way(误译牛奶路)---The pale white band of stars and clouds of gas that can be seen across the sky at night.

例如，对以下两个问句的回答

A) Did you go to see the film last night?

B) Didn’t you go to see the film last night?

Eg.No, I didn’t.（A句应是“不，我没去”B句应是“是的，我没去。”）

试比较下列译法的优劣：

Eg. Greatest compensation for wrongful imprisonment.

1.对错误监禁的数额最大的赔偿。

2.最大数额的冤狱赔偿金.

Eg.The chief criminals shall be punished without fail.

1.主要罪犯将绝对受到惩罚

2.首恶必办.

显然以上两个例子第二种译法较好。

2.Avoid the cultural misunderstanding（避免文化误解）

Eg. Love me, love my dog.（爱屋及乌）

Eg. Every dog has its day.（人人都有得意时）

Eg. Talk horse （吹牛）

Eg. Lock the stable door after the horse is stolen.（亡羊补牢）

Eg.Like a cat on hot bricks.（象热锅上的蚂蚁）

有时甚至要创造新词。

Eg. He became dissatisfied with modern life and man’s selfish wish for private wealth, so he went and joined a Hippie commune.

出于对现代生活的不满和对人们自私的个人财富占有欲的反感,他加入了嬉皮士群居社.

3.Avoid the misunderstanding of idioms （避免误解英语成语）

Spill the beans (泄露机密)

E g. You can’t trust him to keep a secret, he is sure to spill the beans before long.

切勿相信他会保守秘密,过不多久,他肯定会泄露于人的.

Eg. Who wears the trousers in your family?

如将这句话译为“你们家谁穿着裤子?”显然不通。这里wear the trousers是当家的意思，故应译为“你们家谁当家?”

4.convey the implied meaning(要注意把握原文的内容,善于细腻地传递原作的弦外之音)

Eg. You hold the office, but you don’t govern.

这句话但从意思上讲，很接近中文中的一句俗话“你占着茅坑不拉屎”，但这句话是美国总统里根和卡特在电视辩论中的一句话，如此译出会让人觉得粗俗不堪。应译为“你占着总统的职位,却治理不了国家.”

Eg. Go & Come都用作系动词,与形容词连用表示“变成某种状态或情况”如：Go bad(变坏), go deaf(变聋).&come loose(松动了),come true(成为现实) 但两者在词义上有细微的差别，在以下两个句子中：

Look, it has come green.(瞧,液体已经变绿了!)

Look, it has gone green.(瞧,液体竟然变绿了!)