走进英汉翻译世界之七

• （pawn：爪子，爪牙，无足轻重的人或 物；，人质，当，抵押… • public relations counselor=press-agent新 闻广告员 • I’m not a liar, I’m just a prevaricator.搪塞者
二 含蓄 （Implicitness） • • • • 克制陈述 间接肯定 委婉否定 婉转暗示
• 29 I do not think anyone writes so well that he cannot learn much from Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage.
否定之否定的方式（the ‘not un‘habit）
• 用来表达间接肯定，有时候确实比直接肯 定更为准确，微妙。 • 如用not unkindly, not unnaturally 或not unjustifiably 比用kindly, naturally 或 justifiably较为婉转，且显得有分寸。 • 但滥用这类反语会妨碍直接的思想交流 。
• 10 Not infrequently an unpopular prisoner, stoned by the mob while helpless, was fortunate if he emerged with no greater permanent injury than the loss of an eye. Even death from wounds so inflicted was not altogether unlikely or unprecedented.
• 23 We don’t believe that Chinese is inferior to any other language in the world. • 24 I do not think the Council can or should remain indifferent to these most serious violations of human rights.
间接与直接
（Indirect vs. Direct）
• 英语表达倾向于间接，婉约 • 汉语表达倾向于直接，明快
间接的表现形式 • 委婉 • 含蓄 • 迂回
一、委婉语（Euphemism）
• 说话委婉含蓄幽默被认为是文明与 礼貌的象征
Officialese官方委婉语
• bureaucratese 官僚英语 pentagonese五角大楼英语 State-Departmentese国务院英语 gobbledygook官腔英语 urbanbabble各地方市政府英语
• 8 There is no untroubled place in this troubled world.
• 9 Martin (who was very generous with his money) ordered another glass of punch, which they drank between them, and which had no effect of making them less conversational than before.
汉语也有类似的多余否定
• • • • • 如“好不+形容词”结构 “好不热闹” “好不伤心” “好不快乐” 用否定的形式来表达强调的肯定意义
委婉否定（indirect negation）
• 把直接的否定变得含蓄、婉转，使口气 显得温和而不武断，谦逊而留有余地， 英语表示委婉否定的方法很多
用转移否定（transferred negation ）的方 法是否定语气显得间接而不唐突 • “I don’t think he will come”代替“I think he will not come.” • 说话者用否定主观看法来代替否定所要表 达的客观事实，因而显得缓和不生硬。 • 英语采用这类转移否定的动词一般表示主 观臆断（assumption）和相信(belief), 如 think, imagine, suppose, fancy, expect, reckon等。
• human resources underdevelopment • 人力资源为充分开发 • Underutilization 未充分利用人才 • negative saver
• the underprivileged • 或disadvantaged • 生活在贫困线以下的穷人
• substandard housing • inner city 或central city • house of correction 或 correctional facility
• Rodent啮齿类的 operator=rat catcher • research consultant=file clerk • Funeral • director=undertaker 殡 仪员
• plant superintendent, supervisor=foreman • aisle manager=floorwalker • proprietor of loan office=pawnbroker当铺老板
• 25 I do not feel that we should leave them isolated in their rage. • 26 I don’t suppose you need to worry.
• 27 I cannot consider the matter as in any way urgent. • 28 Oddly enough, he didn’t seem to remember his own birthday.
英语还常用其他一些否定的形式来拐弯 抹角的表达强烈的肯定意义，汉语则往 往没有相应的表达法。
• 11 He didn’t half like that girl. • 12 I couldn’t feel better. • 13 If not be too careful in a new neighborhood. • 16 The importance of this conference cannot be overestimated.
脱等于0.946升，即0.000946立方米。 • 英制：一夸脱等于1.136升，即0.001136立 方米
•.
• 4 He had a mansion in the country and another little place in town
二）间接肯定（litotes） • 用反对语的否定来表示肯定 • 双重否定往往能产生比直接肯定更加 强烈的印象 • no more occurrence 代替 • a frequent occurrence • no small 代替great
Leabharlann Baidu •
•
汉语更直截了当
一）克制陈述（understatement ）
• 以含蓄的语气故意把大事化小
（make big things seem trifle） • 用轻描淡写的言辞来加深对方的印象 • 这种保守与谨慎的表达法在英语中上 阶层口语里流行
英国人含而不露的性格（reserved）
• An Englishman will say “I have a little house in the country”；When he invites you to stay with him you will discover that the little house is a place with three hundred bedrooms. If you are a world tennis-champion, say “Yes, I don’t play too badly”.
曲言（meiosis）
• 有节制的（controlled） 漫不经心的（casual） • 幽默 • 冷嘲
• 2 It was nothing; a pinprick. • 3 He had five sandwiches and a quart of milk for his snack.美制：一夸
• 19 What dirty means would he not resort to!
• 20
There was no knowing at what moment he might not put in an appearance, and whenever he did show, it was to storm about something.
• I couldn’t agree with you any more.
• He can’t see you quickly enough. • It is a wise man that never makes mistakes.
• 英语一些含有“多余否定” （pleonastic negation）的句子， 也用否定的形式表达肯定的意义
• 5 To my no small astonishment, I found the house on fire. • 6 It serves no little purpose to continue public discussion of this issue.
• The press, Tory and Labor alike , is not remotely concerned with these great questions.英国保守党和工党两派报纸
• 21 If the walls of that room could speak, what an amount of blundering and capricious cruelty would they not bear witness to! • 22 I ran away,…I don’t know how far I didn’t run.
职业委婉语（occupational euphemism）
• 在当代英美社会里，为了装饰门 面，提高某些行业的社会地位， 常常创造一些悦耳动听，冠冕堂 皇的委婉语来称呼某些职称或职 业。
请翻译
• sanitary engineer= plumber • meat technologist=butcher • prison officer=gaoler •
• useful and businesslike meeting • serious and candid
• candid • adj. • 正直的, 无偏见的, 公正的 • 率直的, 坦白的discussion
• deflation
• rolling readjustment depression • There is a need for more fully informed judgment.
• less than truthful • intelligence gathering • liquidation
• 美国国务院的委婉语尽量借自五角大 楼，此外，其委婉曲折的外交辞令也 丝毫不逊色。外交官员常常尽量减少 国际关系紧张局势的严重性，让公众 对其真正的动机和国内外问题产生模 糊印象。
• 美国国务院（英语：United States Department of State，有时亦称State Department），是美 国联邦政府负责外交事务的机构，相当于外交部， 其行政首长为国务卿；美国国务院是美国最庞大 的政府机构之一，位于美国首都华盛顿特区。现 任的国务卿是希拉里· 克林顿（Hillary Clinton）。 • 1789年，美国国会曾立法建立“外交事务部”， 这是美国宪法生效后联邦政府的第一个部，不过， 它的名称很快就改为国务院。国务院除了处理外 交事务，也掌管一些国内职责，比如，美国的国 玺至今仍由国务院保管。[1]