4-英汉思维对比与翻译

• 所谓“虚”与“实”并非指虚词与实词。 虚实转换是指词汇抽象概念与具体意义的 相互转换。英式的抽象思维和汉式的具象 思维是两种不同的思维方式，它们在语言 表达上往往导致两种不同的用词习惯。前 者多用表示抽象概念的词语描述事物，阐 述事理；后者却常用表示具体概念的词语 描写事物、阐述道理。 • 因此，英汉翻译过程中常需要进行词语虚 实意义的相互转换，使原文的内容实质在 流畅自然的译文中确切充分地再现出来。
2 褒贬与曲直
• 英语和汉语中都存在着对一个事物的褒 贬态度，但问题是，许多场合中，褒贬 的含义并不能从字面或词汇本身中看出 来，往往要通过上下文来决定，翻译时 要尽量正确理解原文，表现真实的含义。
例句
• The irony is that Mrs. Gandhi presides over a nation with a highly promising long-term potential but which is saddled with equally difficult current problems. [译文1] 具有讽刺意味的是，甘地夫人掌管的国 家，从长远的观点来看，是一个大有希望的国家， 但在目前却具有难以克服的困难。 [译文2] 颇为耐人寻味的是，从长远的观点来看， 甘地夫人掌管的国家是大有希望的，但目前却有 着难以克服的困难。
课内练习
1. He was a man of integrity, but unfortunately he had a certain reputation. I believe the reputation was not deserved.
2. He lied to me and made me the tool of his wicked deeds.
6. The custom-made object, now restricted to the rich, will be within everyone’s reach. 7. In the end things will mend. 8. He wanted to learn, to know, to teach. 9. These problems are too complicated to be explained clearly in a few words. 10.Rockets have found application for the exploration of the Universe.
5 抽象与具体
• 而西方人“尚思”的文化传统形成了其偏 重抽象的思维方式。西方人的思维不像中 国人那样在观察辨物、定性时注重识别、 分类、分辨，而是注重形体，特别是解剖， 侧重于事物的要素、结构，重定形，而非 定性。他们善于从物象的类别中找出该类 物象的共项，再进行抽象概括的思维活动， 将各类物象的共项归纳起来。
请看下面的例子
• Wisdom prepares for the worst; but folly leaves the worst for the day it comes. [译文] 聪明人防患于未然，愚蠢者临渴掘井。
百度文库
课内练习
1. Memory, as time goes on, is a selective thing.
6 整体与局部
• 王力先生曾经说过：“英国人写文章往往 化零为整，而中国人则化整为零。”这是 从语言的形态而言，不是从语言的意义来 说的。汉译时要特别注意整体意义的把握 以及英语形态的拆零。
译例
• The idea of a fish being able to generate electricity strong enough to light small bulbs, even to run electric motors, is almost unbelievable. [译文1] 鱼能发出其电量足以点亮小灯泡, 甚至能开动 马达的想法简直是令人难以相信的。 [译文2] 鱼能发电，其电量足以点亮小灯泡，甚至能 开动马达，这种想法简直是令人难以相信的。
6. With determination, with luck, and with the help from lots of good people, I was able to rise from the ashes. 7. The Universe is not rich enough to buy the vote of an honest man. 8. It seems that a very difficult decision now faces him. 9. Anger and bitterness covered upon me for weeks.
• 需要注意的是，正说反译和反说正译并不是放之四 海而皆准的，请看下面的例子： • He was not displeased with her honesty…it took a certain amount of experience in life, an courage, to want to do it quite that way. [译文1] 他倒是喜欢她这么直来直去……有点生活 经验、又有点胆量的人才敢这么做。 [译文2] 他对于她的直率没有感到不快……有点生 活经验、又有点胆量的人才敢这么做。
Lecture 4
英汉思维对比与翻译
Language, culture & thinking
Culture
Language
Thinking
Socrates & Confucius
469-399B.C.
551-479B.C.
1 正反与虚实
• 正说与反说的相互转换是翻译实践中极为实用 的方法。一般认为，正说就是肯定，反说就是 否定。这样的划分，无疑是太过简单化。不同 的民族，在观察一些事物现象时，所取的角度 以及思维方式有时极为不同，况且，许多事物 都具有对立面，往往此一方面不好描述时，换 一个角度从另外一方面描述则更贴切。 • 在英语中从正面来说的，可能在汉语中要从反 面来叙述更加恰当，有些时候英语的反说可能 要处理为汉语的正说才符合习惯。
3. Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it. 4. The film actress appeared in all her glory at the ball. 5. He is always saying the usual polite nothings.
3 直率与含蓄
• 西方人喜外露，中国人喜含蓄。英语经 常表态在前，叙事在后；汉语经常相反。 英汉对译时，信息重心常需做前后调整。
译例
• 1. I am very happy to receive your message of greetings.
• 2. The two sides found it beneficial to have this opportunity to present to one another their views on a variety of issues. • 3. It was keen disappointment that I had to cancel the visit I had intended to pay to Hong Kong On July 1St.
private meetings on matters to be discussed. [译文] 在举行个别交谈之前,我已经就所有要讨 论的问题预先拟好了备忘录。
Memoranda were prepared in advance of
课内练习
1. What has happened to you?
2. An idea suddenly struck me. 3. American English owes a great deal to Noah Webster, an American lexicographer and writer.
• 古代中国人注重“观物取象”“立象尽 意”“设象喻理”“取象比类”。形象思维 通过自我体验形成心中的意象，采用意象— 联想—想像来替代概念—判断—推理的逻辑 论证，以形象地反映客观事物，集中表现在 “立意于象”“妙象尽意”“微言尽 意”“入理言意”“书不尽言,言不尽 意”“得象而忘言,得意而忘象”等经典名言 之中。
• She was vexed by the persistent ringing of the phone. [译文1] 她被执著的电话铃声搞得心烦意乱。 [译文2] 她被没完没了的电话铃声搞得心烦意乱。
• All the inventors have a restless mind. [译文1] 所有的发明家都生性好动。 [译文2] 所有的发明家都有一个思想活跃的头脑。
译例
• I have read your articles, but I expect to meet an older man. • [原译] 我读过你的文章，我料想会见到一个年纪更大的人。 • [改译] 我读过你的文章，但没料想你会这样年轻。 • A seaman knows that the sea is all-powerful and can, under certain circumstances, destroy man and the product of his brain and hand, the ship. [译文] 水手们都知道，大海的威力是势不可挡的；在某些情况下，它 能把人及人所制造的船只统统摧毁掉。(正说反译)
4 客体与主体
• “万物皆备于我 ”（孟子） • “宇宙便是吾心,吾心即是宇宙 ”（陆九渊） • “求知是人类的本性”（亚里士多德） • “知识就是力量”（培根） • 理性主义（笛卡尔）
• 例：American education owes a great debt to Thomas Jefferson. [译文] 托马斯· 杰佛逊对美国的教育事业作出了 巨大的贡献。
试比较以下句子的翻译
• No one is satisfied with his favoritism in his work.
[译文1] 没有人对他在工作中的偏爱感到 满意。 [译文2] 对他在工作中表现出来的徇私 作风谁都感到不满意。
课内练习
1. A son, a job and housekeeping forced romance out. 2. But there had been too much publicity about my case. 3. The complexity of the human situation and the injustice of the social order demand far more fundamental changes in the basic structure of society itself than some politicians are willing to admit in their speeches.
• 4. I strongly believe that it’s in the interests Of my countrymen that China should remain an active and energetic power in global economic matters.
2. The subversion attempts proved predictably futile. 3. The guerrillas would fight to death before they surrendered. 4. We believe that the younger generation will prove worthy of our trust. 5. It was beyond his power to sign such a contract.