英汉翻译教程 第四章 翻译的技巧

1. How to explain that I was not a proud owner seeking admiration for his vehicle, but a tourist who had broken down?

【译文】真不知道怎么说好呢？我又不是一个得意的车主，专门让人家欣赏我的车子来着，而是个路途中有了难处的游客。

2. It is actually very, very old and was not always as beautiful as it is now. It is not certain how the Earth began. Probably it began as a huge globe of gas and dust. The globe became smaller and denser. … Today the outer layer or crust is cool and hard, …

【译文】实际上，地球已经非常、非常古老了，它起初并不总像现在这样美丽。关于地球的起源，尚无定论。地球开始形成时，很可能是一个由气体和尘埃组成的巨大球体。地球变得越来越小，越来越密，……今天，地球的外层或地壳已经冷却硬化，……

3. Special equipment assures that the computers will not be disturbed by power interruptions that last less than two hours.

【译文】在停电两小时以内的情况下，有专门设备能保证计算机正常工作。

4. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the emotions that she had been prepared for.

【译文】那表情不是生气，不是惊讶，不是不满，不是嫌恶，也不是她原先准备应付的任何一种感情。

1. Promotions are wonderful but they must be deserved. And we deserve it, only if we serve the people.

【译文】提升是件好事。但必须是那些值得提升的人。而我们只有为人民服务才算得上值得。

【改后译文】提升是好事，但必须受之无愧。我们只有坚持为人民服务才能受之无愧。

2. It looks like it will be a mild, but rainy weekend.

【译文】看来天气温和，但周末有雨。

【改后译文】看来周末天气温暖，但有雨。

3. It emerged casually and as a byproduct of our conversation.

【译文】它偶然地冒了出来，就像我们谈话的副产品。

【改后译文】很随便地提到了它，就像是我们在谈话中顺便说说而已。

4. His air of self-assurance and somewhat lordly bearing would have frightened me, had it not been for his warm and hearty handshake.

【译文】他那自信的神气和略为高傲的派头就要使我害怕了，不过他和我握手的时候是那样热情，那样真挚。

【改后译文】他和我握手的时候是那样热情，那样真挚，要不然他那自信的神情和高傲的派头，我还真有点害怕呢。

5. Without his knowledge, the matchmakers were at work.

【译文】他自己还不知道，媒人却已为他工作了。

【改后译文】他自己还不知道，媒人却已为他穿针引线了。

6. I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding-line.

【译文】我的教育开始之前，就像这样一条船，只是没有罗盘和测深绳。

【改后译文】在我开始接受教育之前，就像这样一条船，没有罗盘，没有测深绳。

7. The best way is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal.

【译文】最好的办法就是要逐渐使自己关心更多的和不跟自己直接有关的事情。

【改后译文】最好的办法就是要逐渐使自己关心更多的事情，甚至关心那些跟自己无关的

事情。

8. The broker’s hour is not only crowded, but minutes and seconds are hanging to all the traps and packing both front and rear platforms. (O. Henry)

【译文】经纪人的时间不但是拥挤的，而且分分秒秒都在月台上挂皮带，打包。

【改后译文】经纪人不但很忙，而且每分每秒都没有空着，时间安排得非常紧。

9. He would study and work hard, he would do anything he was asked to do but return to his old life, which has turned to ashes beneath his feet.

【译文】他一定会努力学习和工作，只要不再回到旧的生活里去——它已经在他的脚底下化为尘埃了——派他做什么工作都行。

【改后译文】他一定会努力学习，努力工作，让他做什么都行，只要不再回到旧的生活里去，旧的生活已经一去不复返了。

10. Good, better, best,

Never let it rest,

Till good is better,

And better best.

【译文】好，更好，最好，

别让它停歇，

等到好变成更好，

让更好变成最好。

【改后译文1】

好上要求更好，

只要目的定牢，

坚持努力不懈，

成功不会飘渺。

【改后译文2】

好上加好，

坚持不懈，

步步登高，

争取最好。

1.The sky turned to a tender pallet of pink and blue.

【译文】天空变成了一块由粉红色和蓝色构成的色彩柔和的调色板。

2. She had never let him know—never breathed a word.

【译文】她根本就没让他知道，从未透露过真情。

3.The president now is on a poverty tour.

【译文】总统目前正在访问贫困地区。

4. She doctored in the countryside.

【译文】她在农村当医生。

5. The old man carefully doctored the split in the cane chair.

【译文】老人仔细修补藤椅上的裂口。

6. The mayor of New York City is the Time magazine’s 2001 Person of the Year.

【译文】纽约市市长是2001年《时代》杂志的风云人物。

7. An expensive failure can be made into an asset if you’ve learnt from it, but Monsanto still has some learning to do.

【译文】失败的代价虽然昂贵，然而只要你能从中汲取教训，那也是一笔财富。不过，曼