英汉互译2-diction

Unit 2 Diction (遣词用字)
Some background information about this unit:
a)No context, no text.
b)What is context?
Context, as the term suggests, refers to all the different situations involved in language communication.
语境，就是产生语言活动的环境，包括时间、空间、语言交际参与者及语言活动的目的等，反映在文字材料中也称上下文。

语境是一切语言活动存在的前提。

Firth: each word when used in a new context is a new word.
Some examples:
▪I’ll finish the book next week.
▪“我”是谁？finish的具体措辞究竟是：看完、写完、审完？
▪Tension is building up.
形式紧张起来。

/ 张力在增大。

/ 电压在增加。

/ 压力在增强。

/ 血压在增高。

/ 气压在加强。

/ 情绪越来越紧张。

/ 紧张局势在加剧。

Without context, both “tension” and “build up” may have various explanations.
▪I’m through.
通话完毕，结束了。

(AmE)
电话接通了。

(BrE)
1. Equivalence between English and Chinese at Word Level
1.1 Word-for-word equivalence
This is most shown in proper nouns and technical terms.
▪Marxism 马克思主义
▪Aspirin 阿司匹林
▪Laser 激光
▪Leukemia 白血病
1.2 One word with multiple equivalents of the same
This is a common case in translation.
▪Wife: 妻子、老婆、夫人、老伴、媳妇、爱人、内人……
▪Potato: 马铃薯、土豆、洋芋、山药蛋……
▪人：human being, man, people, person…
▪犬：dog, hound, spaniel, mastiff, pointer, setter, retriever, terrier…
1.3 One word with several equivalents of different meanings
This is also very common in translation.
▪cousin: 堂兄、堂弟、堂姐、堂妹、表哥、表弟、表姐、表妹……
▪president: 总统、主席、总裁、董事长、议长、会长、社长、校长……
▪carry: 搬、运、送、提、拎、挑、担、抬、背、扛、抱、搂、举、端、夹、捧……
▪走：walk, saunter, amble, stride, trudge, shamble, prance, scamper, clump, tiptoe.
▪羊：sheep, goat, ram, ewe, lamb
1.4 Equivalents interwoven with one another
1.5 Words without corresponding equivalents
In this case, an explanation is given instead of an equivalent.
▪teenager: 13到19岁的青少年
▪cyber slacker: 利用工作时间在公司上网、做与工作无关的事情的雇员
▪阴：yin (in Chinese thought) the soft inactive female principle or force in the world
▪阳：yang (in Chinese thought) the strong active male principle or force in the world
2. Methods of discriminating the original meaning of a given word
2.1 According to word formation
▪parabiospheric: 外生物层的
para- (outside), bio- (biologic), spheric (having the form of a phere)
▪pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis 肺尘病，硅酸盐沉着病pneumono (of lung) ultra (beyond) micro (very small)
scopic (of viewing or observing) silico (of silicon) volcano (of volcano)
coni (koni, of dust) osis (forming the name of a disease)
2.2 According to the reference
In many cases the meaning of a pronominal word may be judged from the references.
▪He [father] sent John to the university and was eager to have him distinguish himself.
他送约翰上大学，巴望儿子能出类拔萃。

▪Health is above wealth, for this cannot give so much happiness as that.
健康比财富更重要，因为后者不能像前者那样给人那么多幸福。

▪I hate blue shirts; white shirts suit me but gray is the most preferable.
我讨厌穿蓝衬衫，喜欢白衬衫，最喜欢灰衬衫。

2.3 According to the context and collocation
▪Tension is building up.
▪“S tory”
[1]This war is becoming the most important story of this generation. (event)
这场战争将成为这一代人所经历的最大历史事件。

[2]It is quite another story now. (situation) 现在的情况完全不同了。

[3]Some reporters who were not included in the session broke the story.
有些未获批准参加那次会议的记者把内情捅出去了。

(inside information)
[4]He’ll be very happy if that story holds up. (statement)
如果这一说法当真，那他就太高兴了。

[5]Tom’s story is one of the saddest. (experience) 汤姆的遭遇算是最惨的了。

[6]What a story! I don’t believe a word of it. (lie) 弥天大谎！我只字不信。

[7]Last December the Post first reported that probes were being made in each of those
cities, but officials refused to confirm the story. (news)
去年12月《邮报》首先报道了调查工作已经在那些城市里进行，但官员们拒绝证
实这条消息。

[8]The story about him became smaller and by and by faded out from American TV.
报道中对他的渲染减少了，不久他就从美国电视上销声匿迹了。

(report)
▪Delicate：
delicate difference 讲不大清楚的差别，细微的差别
delicate diplomatic question 微妙的外交问题
delicate ear for music 对音乐有鉴赏力
delicate features 清秀的五官
delicate food 可口的食物
delicate health 虚弱的身体
delicate living 奢侈的生活
delicate porcelain 精致的瓷器
delicate sense of smell 灵敏的嗅觉
delicate skin 娇嫩的皮肤
delicate surgical operation 复杂的外科手术
delicate stomach 容易吃坏的胃
delicate upbringing 娇生惯养
delicate touch 生花妙笔
delicate vase 易碎的花瓶
2.4 According to different branches of learning and specialties
▪The lathe should be set on a firm base. (machinery) 车窗应安装在坚实的底座上。

▪As we all know, a base reacts with an acid to form a salt. (chemistry)
众所周知，碱与酸反应生成盐。

▪ A transistor has 3 electrodes, the emitter, the base and the collector. (electronics) 晶体管有3个电极，即发射极、基极、和集电极。

▪Line AB is the base of the triangle ABC. (math) AB线是三角形ABC的底边。

▪He is on the second base. (sports) 他在二垒。

▪The weary troops marched back to the base. (military science)
疲惫不堪的士兵列队返回基地。

3. Techniques of translating a given English word
3. 1 Deduction
A major means in English-Chinese translation which is used to deduce the original meaning in the light of the explanation of an English dictionary. For example:
▪boomer----- a person born in the marked rise in birthrate (as in the US immediately following the end of World War II) 生育高峰期出生的人
▪cybercafé—a coffee house that provides patrons（customer) with computer terminals for browsing the Internet for a fee 网吧
▪smart card—electronic card: a small plastic card containing a Mmicrochip (芯片）that can store personal data and bank-account details 智能卡
▪win-win—beneficial to all in some way 双赢
3.2 Transplant
By this technique, we may translate the ingredients of a given English word literally and then
combine each part of them.
▪bandwidth 带宽
▪blue-tooth 蓝牙
▪microwave 微波
▪supermarket 超级市场
▪splashdown 溅落
▪white-collar 白领
3.3 Extension
The extension of meaning may be either from the specific to the general or from the concrete to the abstract, and vice versa.
▪bottleneck 瓶颈→交通狭口→阻塞(from the concrete to the abstract)
▪brain trust 脑托拉斯→智囊团(from the specific to the general)
▪brain drain 脑排干→人才外流→人才流失(from the concrete to the abstract )
▪ecstasy (an illegal drug) 入迷→摇头丸(from the abstract to the concrete)
▪It is more than transient everydayness.这远非一时的柴米油盐问题。

(from the abstract to the concrete)
3.4 Substitution
This technique is used to replace the words of the original expression with Chinese synonyms or idioms according to different situations.
▪to kill sb. as an example杀一儆百(或：杀鸡给猴看)
▪please withhold the handout. 请不要发这些材料。

（正说反译）
▪He was indeed a good riddance. 他还是不在的好。

（正说反译）
▪The same is not true with a mortal illness. 如果得了不治之症（绝症），情况就不一样了。

3.5 Explanation
This technique is commonly used when there is no corresponding Chinese expression and all the above-mentioned techniques fail to make sense.
▪mindlessness 思想上的混沌状态
▪togetherness （家庭或社会的）和睦相处
▪redshirt 红色运动员（出色的美国大学生运动员）
▪swan song 天鹅临死时发出的忧伤动听的歌声，（诗人，音乐家等）最后作品
3.6 Combination
This technique is used to integrate two words of close meaning into one expression.
▪so subtle and careful an observer 一位如此精细的观察者
▪his mendacity and dishonesty他的狡诈
▪ a grim and tragic Christmas 一个惨淡的圣诞节
▪the body and mind cramped by noxious work 有害工作造成的身心困顿
3.7 Transliteration
This technique is commonly used in dealing with proper nouns(especially the names of people and places, trademarks, etc.) Besides, it is also used in coinage when no existing Chinese expression is available.
▪bungee 蹦极
▪calorie 卡路里
▪Citroen 雪铁龙（汽车）
▪clone 克隆
▪domino 多米诺骨牌
▪euro 欧元
▪hacker 黑客
▪Internet 因特网
▪Pizza 比萨饼
▪quinine 奎宁
▪The Times 泰晤士报
▪Wall Street 华尔街
3.8 Pictographic Translation
By this technique English words are translated according to their actual shapes.
▪H-beam 工字梁
▪U-steel 槽钢
▪V-belt 三角皮带
▪X-brace 交叉支撑
▪Y-curve 叉形曲线
▪O-ring 环形圈
4. Diction in Chinese-English Translation
Diction in Chinese-English translation is somewhat different from that in English-Chinese. If the crux(difficulty) of the latter lies in picking out the right Chinese word from those we know very well, the former then is much more difficult—we have to deal with an English vocabulary that we are not so familiar with. For example, the familiar Chinese adjective “老”, so simple and common a word, when used in different contexts, the English equivalents rarely keep to its original meaning “old”—that explains why we are often frustrated when trying to find out an accurate English equivalent for a certain Chinese word.
▪老战士a veteran
▪老领导a senior leader
▪老师傅a master craftsman
▪老儿子the youngest son
▪老黄牛a willing ox
▪老芹菜overgrown celery
▪老黄历ancient history, obsolete practice
▪老家hometown, native place
Another example, the Chinese noun “书”：
▪·申请书letter of application
▪·协议书agreement
▪·成绩通知书grade report
▪·使用说明书directions
▪·家书a letter from home
▪·国书credential
▪·楷书regular script
▪·证书certificate
▪·保证书guarantee
▪·白皮书White Book
A further example, the Chinese expression “运动”
▪运动有益身心。

Exercise is good for health.
▪足球是我最喜欢的运动。

Football is my favorite sport.
▪他在香港热心推广手球运动。

He is a keen promoter of handball in Hong Kong.
▪我国每年纪念五四运动。

The May Fourth Movement is commemorated in our country every year.
▪人们热烈响应筹款运动。

There was great enthusiasm for the donation drive.
▪他们发动了一场戒烟运动。

They started a campaign to stop people smoking.
▪这属于运动神经疾病。

This belongs to moto r nerve disease.
▪技术革新运动是成功的关键。

Technological renovation is a key to the success. Finally, the Chinese character “着”：
▪她着凉了。

She was caught cold.
▪你猜着了。

You’ve guessed right.
▪炉子着得很旺。

The fire is burning briskly in the stove.
▪上不着天，下不着地。

Be suspended in mid air.
▪老李躺下就着了。

Lao Li fell asleep as soon as he lay down.
▪他有点着慌。

He got alarmed.
▪他走错了一着。

He has made a false move. (or: taken a wrong step)
▪屋顶上全都覆盖着积雪。

The roofs are all covered with snow.
▪这些孩子穿着整齐。

These children are all neatly dressed.
▪再着一把力。

Make one more effort.
▪我们着眼于未来。

We have our eyes on the future.
▪他们正在着手制订计划。

They are starting drawing up the plan.
Reflections:
Discuss the following questions.
1.What does “diction”mean? Cite some instances to illustrate the importance of “diction” in translation.
2.Can we match each Chinese word with a corresponding English word in translation？Why or why not?
3.What are the relationships of corresponding between English and Chinese at word level?
4.What are the basic methods of discriminating the original meaning of an English word? Cite some examples to illustrate them?
5.Summarize the eight techniques employed in translating a given English word, trying to find some examples of your own.
Translate the following Chinese words and expressions into English.
1. 葡萄酒、白酒、烈酒、啤酒、香槟酒、鸡尾酒、白兰地酒、威士忌酒、杜松子酒wine, alcohol, spirits, beer, champagne, cocktail, brandy, whisky, gin
2. 钢笔、铅笔、圆珠笔、蜡笔、粉笔、毛笔、画笔、电笔、光笔
(fountain) pen, pencil, ballpoint pen, wax crayon, chalk, writing brush, painting brush, electro probe, electronic (light) pen
3. 学习知识、学习技术、学习外语、学习成绩、学习别人的长处、互相学习、学习榜样雷锋
acquire knowledge, master a skill, study a foreign language, academic records, emulate other’s strong points, learn from each other, follow the example of Lei Feng
4. 献花、献礼、献艺、献计、献媚、献身、捐献财物
present flowers, present a gift, show one’s skill, offer advice (or: make suggestions), ingratiate oneself with sb., devote / dedicate oneself to, contribute / donate money and goods
Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1.We must hang together, or we’ll be hanged separately.
我们必须团结在一起，否则我们将被一个个绞死。

2.We can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.
我们不可能都成为英雄。

总得有人在英雄走过的时候坐在路边鼓掌。

3.No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is won’t make you cry.
没有人值得你流泪，值得让你这么做的人不会让你哭泣。

4.Remember what should be remembered, and forget what should be forgotten. Alter what is changeable, and accept what is mutable.
记住该记住的，忘记该忘记的。

改变能改变的，接受不能改变的。

5.I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.
我爱你，不是因为你是一个怎样的人，而是因为我喜欢与你在一起时的感觉。

6. Great minds think alike!
英雄所见略同！
7. The bacteria pneumonia may complicate influenza at both extremes of age.
患有流感的幼儿和老人可能并发细菌性肺炎。

8. While you are in the act of summoning your energies, focus on a plan. Don't exhaust yourself with fruitless excursions into any and all possibilities.
在集中精力的过程中，要专注于一个计划；不要同时涉足各种可能的情况，把自己搞得精疲力竭、一事无成。