翻译工作坊

第14讲

汉译英句子的处理

从意合到形合

拿到一个汉语句子,尤其是那些平行结构的句子,翻译前要仔细阅读和分析,弄清它的主次成分,如动作的先后顺序、情态和因果关系等。只有这样,才能使译文准确生动地表达原文的含义,句型活泼,避免呆板。如这样的句子该如何译?——“总工程师急躁不安,两手插在裤子口袋里,在书桌前踱来踱去。”如果缺乏分析,急于落笔,很容易把它译成:“The chief engineer was vexed and restless.He put his two hands into his pockets and paced back and forth in front of the desk.”

他急躁不安，两只手插在口袋里，在书桌前踱来踱去。

译文一：He was vexed and restless, put his

hands into his pockets and paced back and forth in front of the desk.

译文二：Vexed and restless, he was pacing back and forth in front of the desk, hands in his pockets.

2.燕子去了，有再来的时候

译文一Swallows may have gone, but there’s a time of return (转折关系)

译文二：Swallows have gone away, and there’s a time of return.(and表示转折关系)

译文三：Swallows may have gone while there’s a time of return. (while 等于whereas 或but ,有转折意义)

译文四：While swallows may have gone, there’s a time of return(while 等于although) 译文五：Although swallows may have gone, there’s a time of eturn(让步关系)

译文六：Swallows will come back again although they have gone.(让步关系)

译文七：When swallows have gone, there will be a time to return,(条件关系)

译文八：If swallows go away, they will come

back again.(条件关系)

译文九：Swallows that have gone away will come back again.(限定关系)

译文十：Swallows having gone away will come back again.(限定关系)

3.对我来说，我的水箱就像我自己的一个小国王。我就是里面的国王。

译文一：To me my aquarium is like my own little kingdom where I am king (定语从句)

译文二：To me my aquarium is like my own little kingdom and I am king inside it (并列结构)

4.洞庭湖“衔远山，吞长江，浩浩荡荡，横无际涯。朝晖夕阴，气象万千。

译文一：Carrying distant mountains in the mouth and swallowing the Yangtze River, the vast and mighty Dongting Lake stretches endlessly, turning brilliant in the morning and gloomy at dusk with the scenery abounding in changes.(分词短语；介词短语)

译文二：The vast and mighty Dongting Lake carries distant mountains in the mouth,

swallows the Yangtze River, stretches endlessly, turns brilliant in the morning and gloomy at dusk and changes in scenery.(并列结构)

5.我会对科学家谈发明，对历史学家谈考古，对政治家谈国家形势，展览会上讲艺术鉴赏，酒席上讲烹调

译文一：I’d talk about invention with a scientist, archaeology with a historian, foreign affairs with a politician, connoisseurship in an exhibition and cookery at a banquet.

6.园内，一条小道直通荷花深处，我驻足、徘徊、倘佯其间，耳目共赏，心境出奇的平和，一扫夏日的烦躁，人仿佛置身于水墨丹青之中，物我两忘

译文一：In the garden, there is a path straight in the depth of the lotuses; I stopped there, paced up and sown, and roamed around. Admiring the beauty of the garden by the ears and eyes, my state of mind was extraordinarily peaceful and the impatient nature caused by summer cleared away completely.