Politics and the English language（英汉对照）

1、 most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the english language is in a bad way， but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it.大多数为英语而烦心的人都会承认，英语的处境不佳，并且我们不能通过有意识的行动而使这种情形有所改观。our civilization is decadent and our language-so the argument run

2、s-must inevitably share in the general collapse.我们的文明颓废不堪，语言也不能幸免，她不可避免的成为整体衰落的一份子。it follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism， like preferring candles to electric light or hansom cabs to aeroplanes. 随之而来，任何反对滥用语言的努力都是感情上的复古主义者，就像那些倾向于蜡烛而非电灯，或是偏爱马车而非飞机的努力一样。u

3、nderneath this lies the half-conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes.言外之意，这里隐藏着一种并不十分明细的信念，即语言是自然衍生的结果，并不是我们为自身之便而创造的工具。now， it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not d

4、ue simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer.现在可以明白了，一种语言的衰落归根结底都会有政治和经济上的原因：而不能简单的归因于一两个蹩脚作家的不良影响。but an effect can become a cause， reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form， and so on indefinitely.但这种影响也可以是原因之一，而且能增强最初的原因并且在一种增强了的形式中产生同

5、样的效果，如此反复。a man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure， and then fail all the more completely because he drinks.一个人可以感到失败而溺于饮酒，而后由于饮酒而导致更大的失败。it is rather the same thing that is happening to the english language. it becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish， bu

6、t the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.几乎同样的事情就发生在英语语言自身之上。她由于我们愚笨的想法而变得粗陋不堪，难以精确，而杂乱懒散的语言又使我们更容易产生愚笨的想法the point is that the process is reversible. modern english， especially written english， is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can b

7、e avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble.问题的关键在于，此二者互为因果，是可以相互转化的。现代英语，尤其是书面语，充斥着由于因袭而来的不良表达，而某人如果愿意为此多费心神，则可以完全避免。if one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly， and to think clearly is a necessary first step towards political regeneration: so that the fight against bad

8、 english is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers.如果一个人可以丢掉这些不良表达，他将可以更清晰准确的思考，而清晰准确的思考则是迈向政治重生的必要的第一步。 each of these passages has faults of its own, but quite apart from avoidable ugliness, two qualities are common to all of them. the first is staleness of imagery;

9、the other is lack of precision.每段文章的文句都有问题，避免行文粗陋了，但是他们有点两点是共同的：比喻陈腐或缺少精确性。the writer either has a meaning and cannot express it, or he inadvertently says something else, or he is almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything or not.作者或者有某种想法却苦于表达，或者在不经意间传达了其他信息，又或者他根本不在乎他的字句是否表达了书面。this

10、mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characteristic of modern english prose, and especially of any kind of political writing.这种含混不清与全然无力的表达，是当今英语文章最显著的特点，而在任何政治性的写作中，更是莫此为甚。as soon as certain topics are raised, the concrete melts into the abstract and no one seems able to t

11、hink of turns of speech that are not hackneyed: prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated hen-house.一旦选中特定的论题，具体就化为抽象，几乎没人有能力思考说话的口吻，而这都已司空见惯。文章的选词越来越少的考虑词本身的含义，反倒是越来越多的由短语堆砌而成，一如预制的鸡窝

12、那样叠床架屋。i said earlier that the decadence of our language is probably curable. those who deny this would argue， if they produced an argument at all， that language merely reflects existing social conditions， and that we cannot influence its development by any direct tinkering with words and constructi

13、ons.先前说过，我们语言的衰落是能够纠正的。那些反对此观点的人会说，有些人很可以这样立论，即语言仅反应了存在的社会现状，我们不能通过任何直接的只言片语的修补和建设就能影响到语言自身的发展。as far as the general tone or spirit of a language goes， this may be true， but it is not true in detail. silly words and expressions have often disappeared， not through any evolutionary process but owing t

14、o the conscious action of a minority.到目前为止，就语言的总体情况而言，可能是事实，但在具体情境中却未必如此。愚笨的词语和表达已经渐渐消失，这并非通过任何进化过程，而要归功于一少部分人有意识的抵制。two recent examples were explore every avenue and leave no stone unturned， which were killed by the jeers of a few journalists两个晚近的例子， explore every avenue and leave no stone unturned

15、就是通过几个记者的讽刺嘲笑才废而不用的。there is a long list of flyblown metaphors which could similarly be got rid of if enough people would interest themselves in the job； and it should also be possible to laugh the not un- formation out of existence，to reduce the amount of latin and greek in the average sentence， to

16、 drive out foreign phrases and strayed scientific words， and， in general， to make pretentiousness unfashionable.还有一长串有问题的隐喻，如果人们有兴趣的话可以通过相同的方式使其废止使用，同时，使用not un形式的词语小时也是题中之义，减少句子中的拉丁，希腊词的平均数量，剔除外国短语和零散的科学词汇，并且总的来说，要让矫揉造作的语言早点退出历史舞台。but all these are minor points. the defense of the english language

17、implies more than this， and perhaps it is best to start by saying what it does not imply.但是这些都是细枝末节，包围英语语言所暗示的远比这些要丰富，但或许从没有暗示的地方说起才是最好的方法。to begin with it has nothing to do with archaism， with the salvaging of obsolete words and turns of speech， or with the setting up of a standard english which mu

18、st never be departed from.这与复古主义，拯救废弃的语言和用法，或是建立“标杆英语”都毫不相干。on the contrary， it is especially concerned with the scrapping of every word or idiom which has outworn its usefulness.相反，它主要是想清理那些本身已经被用滥了的词语。it has nothing to do with correct grammar and syntax， which are of no importance so long as one m

19、akes ones meaning clear， or with the avoidance of americanisms， or with having what is called a good prose style.这与正确的语法和句法、是否避免了美国英语的特殊用法或是拥有优美的散文风格都关涉甚少，并且，一旦人们能够清晰的表达意义，语法句法本身就没有太大的重要性。on the other hand it is not concerned with fake simplicity and the attempt to make written english colloquial.另一

20、方面，这与虚假的简单明了和力图使书面英语口语化的工作也不想干。nor does it even imply in every case preferring the saxon word to the latin one， though it does imply using the fewest and shortest words that will cover ones meaning.这也并非暗示在任何情况下都热衷于撒克逊词而非拉丁词，即使它确实暗示了用最少、最小的词语来表达人们的想法。what is above all needed is to let the meaning cho

21、ose the word， and not the other way about.如上所述，我们的全部工作仅只是由意选词，而不是相反。in prose， the worst thing one can do with words is to surrender to them. when you think of a concrete object， you think wordlessly， and then， if you want to describe the thing you have been visualizing you probably hunt about till y

22、ou find the exact words that seem to fit it.在散文写作中，最糟糕的事情无异于向文字缴械投降。当你默默地思考一个具体的物体，并且如果你想要描述出脑海中浮现的这个物体，或许你会冥思苦想，知道找到确切的词语为止。when you think of something abstract you are more inclined to use words from the start， and unless you make a conscious effort to prevent it， the existing dialect will come ru

23、shing in and do the job for you， at the expense of blurring or even changing your meaning.当你思考一些抽象的事物时，一开始你就更倾向与就使用现成的词语，除非你能有意识的阻止这个过程，否则现成的措辞就会一拥而入，替你完成由意选词的工作，取而代之的则是意义的含混不清甚至改变原意。probably it is better to put off using words as long as possible and get ones meaning as clear as one can through pic

24、tures or sensations.或许，人们应该尽可能的不急于选测，只要能用图片或是感觉将意义表达清楚就行。afterwards one can choose-not simply accept-the phrases that will best cover the meaning， and then switch round and decide what impression ones words are likely to make on another person.从今以后，你应该选择-而不是简单的接受-最能达意的词语，将其互相调换、考虑自己选用的词会给别人造成什么印象。th

25、is last effort of the mind cuts out all stale or mixed images， all prefabricated phrases， needless repetitions， and humbug and vagueness generally.头脑中最后的这道工序，能讲所有陈腐的表述、混杂的意象、现成的词语、不必要的重复、各式的花招谎言和模糊不清，从总体上得到削减。but one can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phase， and one needs rules th

26、at one can rely on when instinct fails. i think the following rules will cover most cases:但是人们经常会怀疑一个词或是一个短语的效果，并且需要一些当本能失效时也能用来遵守的规则。我想下面的规则涵盖了大部分的情况：1.never use a metaphor， simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.不要使用隐喻、明喻、以及其他你从报刊上看到的比喻手法。2.never use a long word whe

27、re a short one will do.在能用小词的地方绝不使用大词。3.if it is possible to cut a word out， always cut it out.如果可以剔除一个词，剔除之。4.never use the passive where you can use the active.能用主动语态的不用被动语态。5.never use a foreign phrase， a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday english equivalent.如果你能从日常英

28、语中找到合适的对应的词，绝不使用外国短语、科学词语和一些专门的行话。6.break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.如果按规则会说出粗野的话，立即打破上述规则。 these rules sound elementary， and so they are， but they demand a deep change of attitude in anyone who has grown used to writing in the style now fashionable.这些规则听起来比较初级，他们

29、确实如此，不过对于那些已经习惯于风靡当下的写作风格的人来说，在态度上的确需要一场深刻的改变。one could keep all of them and still write bad english ,but one could not write the kind of stuff that i quoted in those specimens at the beginning of this article.你可以遵守这些规则，而糟糕的英语却不改往日，但不应该写出我在本文最开始给出的那些样本。i have not here been considering the literary u

30、se of language, but merely language as an instrument for expressing and not for concealing or preventing thought.在此，我并非是在考虑语言的文雅用法，只是在考虑语言作为表情达意，且不隐瞒或是阻止思考的工具而已。stuart chase and others have come near to claiming that all abstract words are meaningless, and have used this as a pretext for advocating

31、a kind of political quietism. stuart chase和其他一些人最近宣称，所有抽象词汇都是没有意义的，并以此作为鼓吹一种沉默政治的借口。since you dont know what fascism is, how can you struggle against fascism? one need not swallow such absurdities as this, but one ought to recognize the present political chaos is connected with the decay of language, and that one can probably bring about some improvement by starting at the verbal end.他们可能会说，既然你连法西斯主义是什么都不知道，反抗法西斯主义又从何谈起呢？你大可不必轻信这种荒谬论调，但你应该认识到，当下混乱的政治处境与语言的衰败是紧密相连的，你很可能通过注重语言的使用而带来一些改进。if you simplify y