大学汉英翻译教程第五章 段落的英译与常用技巧

第五章段落的英译与常用技巧5.1逻辑、层次与重复词语的处理⑴生活中充满了危险，但我们并不一定把这些危险都想得很清楚。当我们第一次登上飞机的时候，我们害怕它掉下来，尽管人家向我们保证飞机是有史以来最平安的旅行工具。然而当我们坐上汽车的时候，我们往往并不担忧，虽然汽车比飞机要危险得多。在一定程度上，这是很自然的，我们往往惧怕陌生的东西。为了查清我们在各种各样情况下会遇到多少危险并帮助我们做出明智的决定，一门被称为风险估测的新的科学已经形成。它的目的当然是将风险减少到最低限度。举例说，风险估测已经运用到能源使用的研究上。乍一想，原子能会构成巨大的危险，因为万一发生意外，谁也逃避不了它的放射线。然而，几乎所有的能源使用形式都不可防止地带有危险。燃烧矿物燃料会产生大量的有毒气体，而这一点却常常被忽略了。仔细研究之后，你就可能不肯让燃煤电厂建在你家附近，就像不可能让核反响堆建在你家附近一样。Lifeisfullofdanger.However,wearenotawareofitspotentialdangers.Whenwegetonboardaplane,weareafraidthattheplanemightdrop,althoughtheyassureusthattheplanehasbeenthesafesttransportationinhistory.However,whenwegetinacarorapassengerbus,wearenotafraidalthoughthecarorpassengerbusismoredangerousthantheplane.Tosomeextent,thisisnatural,forweareoftenafraidofwhatwearenotfamiliarwith.Inordertoinvestigatehowmanydangerswemayencounterundervariouscircumstancesandhelpustomakesensibledecisions,anewsciencecalledriskestimationhascomeintobeing.Itofcourseaimsatreducingriskstominimum.Forexample,riskestimationhasbeenappliedtoenergyutilizationresearch.Onasuddenthought,utilizationofatomicenergymayinvolveenormouspotentialrisks,becauseifanunexpectedaccidentshouldoccur,noonecouldbesparedofitsradiationrays.However,almostanyformofenergyutilizationmaybeinevitablyaccompaniedbyrisks.Burningoffossilfuelwillproducealargequantityoftoxicgas.Butthisdangeroftendoesnotattractourattention.Throughcarefulinquiry,youmaynotletacoalburningpowerstationtobebuiltnearyourhomethesamewayyoumaynotlikeanuclearreactortobebuiltinyourneighborhood.本段的结构是，以主题句开头，用例证予以衬托。过渡到阐述对风险要做出明智的决定这个主题时，再次以例证衬托。本段虽出现两个主题，但层层推进，从意识危险推进到要科学地预测危险，因而主次清楚，两个层次有机的连在一起，逻辑关系十分清楚。为准确翻译出原文的层次性、逻辑性，译文根据英语的行文特点，使用了大量的连词，例如however、although，一些词组结构，如forexample、tosomeextent等，同义词、近义词、代词等，使句内与句间的各个成分在语义和语法两个层面上互相照应，表达出英语译文的逻辑性。Atpresent,inlibraries,museumsorevenbookstoresinBeijing,thereareoftenculturelecturesondifferentscalesandofvariedsizes.Theselectures,inpracticalterms,arerepeatedknowledgeimpartations.Intheoreticalterms,theyarecasesofadvancedculturepropagations.Ofthelectures,theweekendfreelectureseriesorganizedbyChinaModernLiteraryMuseumareofpioneeringandmodelingsignificance.Here,manywritersandscholarsvolunteertobeenteredforopportunitiestogivelectureswhiletheaudienceishonoredwhengivenaseat.Weareconvincedthatwhenmoreandmorepeoplearewillingtobeenrolledonsucheducationalprograms,thequalityofourcitizenswillbegreatlyenhanced.这段文字报道了中国现代文学馆组织的周末义务讲座及其意义。在阐述这些讲座的意义时，作者使用了“小而言之〞、“大而言之〞和“可以相信〞等信号词语，使本段表达层次清楚，逻辑关系清晰。译文考虑了原文在逻辑与层次上的特点，根本上译出了原文点面结合、层次清楚的结构，同时根据英语的行文习惯，适当地增加了衔接手段。同时考虑到英语的逻辑性，用介词短语inpracticalterms和intheoreticalterms使该段不但各句子成分之间而且各句之间相互衔接，到达了与原文近似相等的逻辑层次。⑶杭州市属七个县境内，北有超山，西有天目山，溯钱塘江而上，有富阳鹤山，桐庐瑶林仙境，桐君山和严子陵钓台，建德灵栖三洞，新安江“千岛湖〞等名胜，形成一个以西湖为中心的广阔旅游区。ThebeautyspotsinthesevennearbycountiesformavastareafortouristswithWestLakeatitscentre.TothenorthofHangzhoustandstheChaoHill,andtothewestMt.Tianmu.CominguptoQiantangRiveronefindsoneselfatStorkHillinFuyangCounty.NearbyinTongluCountyaretheYaolinWonderland,theTongjunHillandTerracewhereYangZiling,ahermitoftheEasternHanDynasty(25-220),lovedtogoanglingbytheFuchunRiver.JiandeCountyboastsofthethreeLinqiCavesandtheThousand-IsletLakeatthesourceoftheXin’anjiangRiver.原文段落包含总分结构，现分别描述西湖周围的旅游资源，后提出段落主题“形成一个以西湖为中心的广阔旅游区〞。逻辑关系和层次十分清晰，读者也一目了然。而译文那么将原文结尾局部提前，将“ThebeautyspotsinthesevennearbycountiesformavastareafortouristswithWestLakeatitscentre〞置于段落开头。也就是把先分后总的典型的汉语逻辑关系的段落结构改成符合英文习惯的先总起、后分说的逻辑关系的段落结构。这种处理方式能够突出主题句，令读者对段落的逻辑关系、层次结构以及信息内容一目了然，从而取得了与原文功能相似的效果。⑷雨后，院里来了个麻雀，刚长全了羽毛。它在院里跳，有时飞一下，不过是由地上飞到花盆沿上，或由花盆上飞下来。看它这么飞了两三次，我看出来：它并不会飞得再高一些。它的左翅的几根长翎拧在一处，有一根特别的长，似乎要脱落下来。我试着往前凑，它跳一跳，可是又停住，看着我，小黑豆眼带出点要亲近我又不完全信任的神气。我想到了：这是个熟鸟，也许是自幼便养在笼中的。所以它不十分怕人。可是它的左翅也许是被养着它的或别个孩子给扯坏，所以它爱人，又不完全信任。想到这个，我突然的很难过。一个飞禽失去翅膀是多么可怜。这个小鸟离了人恐怕不会活，可是人又那么狠心，伤了它的翎羽。〔朱自清?小麻雀?〕Assoonastherainstopped,alittlesparrow,almostfull-fledged,flewintothecourtyard.Ithopped,fluttered,dartinguptotheedgeofflowerpotsandbacktothegroundagain.Watchingitmoveupanddownacoupleoftimes,Irealizedthatitcouldnotflyanyhigherastheplumesonitsleftwinghadgottwistedwithonestickingoutasifabouttocomeoff.WhenImadeanattempttomovecloser,itjumpedoffabitandstoppedagain,staringbackatmewithitssmall,blackandbean-likeeyesthathadamixedlookofwantingtobefriendswithmeandnotbeingcertainthatIwastrustworthy.Itoccurredtomethatthismustbeatamebird,havingbeencagedsinceitwashatchedperhaps.Nowonderitwasnotmuchscaredofmypresence.Itsleftwingmighthavebeenimpairedbysomekidandthatwaswhytherewasdistrustinitslookthoughitshowedsomeintimacywithman.SuddenlyIwasseizedwithsadness.Howmiserableitwasforabirdtoloseitswings!Withoutsomeonetakingcareofitthissmallthingcouldnotsurvive.Butmanhadinjureditswing.Howcruelhewas!〔刘士聪译〕本段描述了一个受伤的小麻雀飞翔的情况，出现了许多“飞〞字，是段落内部语义连贯，主题突出。不过英语行文往往防止词语重复现象，而且事实上小麻雀飞的具体动作并非完全一样。因此，译文围绕主题，采用近义词替换的方式，分别用flewinto、fluttered、dartingup、moveupanddown、fly等词和词组，确切地表达了词语意义，使得译文更加精彩丰富。⑸今年1月至4月初，全国31个省区市陆续召开人代会、政协会，选举产生了新一届人大、政府、政协领导班子。通过换届，改善了班子结构，提高了整体素质，推进了干部队伍整体性新老交替与合作，加强了省级领导班子建设。干部队伍年轻化取得新进展。班子平均年龄普遍下降。人大班子平均年龄59.0岁，比换届前下降3.7岁；政府班子51.6岁，下降3.3岁；政协班子59.3岁，下降4.6岁。一大批优秀年轻干部走上了省级领导岗位。政府班子成员50岁以下的占43.6%，其中45岁左右的55人，最年轻的35岁。

FromJanuarytoAprilthisyear,thePeople’sCongressesandthePoliticalConsultationConferenceswereinsessiononeafteranotherin31provinces,autonomousregionsandmunicipalitiesthroughoutthecountry,leadingtothebirthofthenewpeople’scongresses,governmentsandpoliticalconsultationconferencesatprovinciallevel.Withtheinclusionofnewmembersintotheabove-mentionedleadingbodies,thestructureshavebeenimprovedandtheintegratedqualityenhanced.Withtheoldreplacedbythenew,theco-operationbetweenthetwogenerationsisreinforced.Intermsofage,newprogressismadewithyoungermemberselectedintothesebodies.Theaverageageofbodymembersisuniversallyreduced.Specificallyspeaking,withtheelectionofalargenumberofexcellentyoungercadresontoprovincialpositions,theaverageageofmembersofcongresses,ofgovernmentsandofconferences,are59.0,51.6and59.3yearsold,youngerthanthatofthepreviousbodymembersby3.7,3.3and4.6yearsrespectively.Forexample,ofgovernmentmembers,53.6%areunder50yearsoldand55amongthemarearound45yearsold,withtheyoungestbeing35ofage.本段出现了大量重复词语“班子〞，其译文的非常规之处在于，在第一自然段中，将召开会议与产生新领导班子的内容组合在一起，将新成员的加盟与改进领导班子结构的内容组合在一起，将新老交替与新老合作的内容组合在一起，实现了意义层次重组，使意义层次更加紧凑，更加清晰。在第二自然段中，将三个领导班子成员的平均年龄与年龄下降组合在一起，既实现了意义层次重组又防止了重复，使意义和结构更加紧凑。这些处理，都是非常规性的，是译文行文标准所要求的，目的在于使译文的意义层次更加清晰，更具有可读性。5.2顺序、连贯与句子主语的选择⑴有一天，他突然得了急病，赶快叫家人去请东街的汪医生。那家人急急忙忙地跑去，一时寻不着东街的汪大夫，却把西街牛医王大夫请来了。差不多先生病在床上，知道寻错了人；但病急了，身上痛苦，心里焦急，等不得了，心里想道：“好在王大夫同汪大夫也差不多，让他试试看罢。〞于是这位牛医王大夫走近床前，用医牛的法子给差不多先生治病。不上一点钟，差不多先生就一命呜呼了。〔胡适?差不多先生传?〕OnedayhesuddenlyfellillandimmediatelytoldoneofhisfamilytofetchDr.WāngofEastStreet.Thelatterwentinahurry,butcouldn’tfindthephysicianonEastStreet.SohefetchedinsteadVeterinarianWángofWestStreet.Mr.ChaBuduo,lyingonhissickbed,knewthatawrongpersonhadbeenbroughthome.But,whatwithpainandworry,hecouldillaffordtowaitanylonger.Sohesaidtohimself,"Luckily,VetWángisaboutthesameasDr.Wāng.WhynotletVetWánghaveatry?"Thereupon,theveterinarianwalkeduptohisbedtoworkonhimasifhewereacow.Consequently,Mr.ChaBuduokickedthebucketbeforeanhourwasout.〔张培基译〕本段文字语言流畅、幽默，通过看病的具体实例，塑造了一位但凡苟且、办事不认真的人物形象；知道请错医生后，差不多先生不但不纠正，反而依旧马虎，让兽医治病，最终命丧黄泉。作者借此针砭这种害人又害己的社会陋习。由于人物形象主要是通过具体事件表现出来的，因此清楚地表现整个事件的起因、开展和结局，对于衬托主题很重要。译文完全遵循原文的时间顺序来排列信息，并相应地使用了必要的衔接词语，如“so、but、thereupon、consequently〞，清楚地展现了整个事件的开展脉络，使得译文连贯清晰，较完整地再现了原文的信息功能。WithgreatimportanceattachedtoandsupportgivenbytheCentralGovernmentofChina,Tianjin,ametropoliswithmodernharbors,hasbecomeoneoftheimportanteconomiccentersinNorthChina.Inrecentyears,Tianjinhasbeenthrivinginallaspects.Forexample,theGDPhaskeptincreasingbytwodigitalsfor11consecutiveyears,contributingtothestrengthofeconomicpowerandsteadyimprovementofpeople’slivingstandards.Therefore,thecityislistedamongtheregionsandareasofrapidesteconomicdevelopment.Afterconventionofthe16thParty’sNationalCongress,Tianjinhassetthestrategicgoalof“ThreeStepDevelopment〞.Asthefirststep,peopleofthewholecityareatpresentunitedasoneandstrivingtofulfillfivegreatstrategicdevelopments,namely,developmentsofHaiheEconomy,OceanicEconomy,AdvantageousIndustries,DistrictandCountyEconomy,andMediumandSmallEnterprises,includingPrivateandIndividualEconomies,settingoffanewmagnificentupsurgeforcreationofanewdevelopmentsituation.Inthenearfuture,Tianjinwillexhibititselfasafullyopenedandmorevigorousmunicipality.⑶我说道，“爸爸，你走吧。〞他望车外看了看，说，“我买几个橘子去。你就在此地，不要走动。〞我看那边月台的栅栏外有几个卖东西的等着顾客。走到那边月台，须穿过铁道，须跳下去又爬上去。父亲是一个胖子，走过去自然要费事些。我本来要去的，他不肯，只好让他去。我看见他戴着黑布小帽，穿着黑布大马褂，深青布棉袍，蹒跚地走到铁道边，慢慢探身下去，尚不大难。可是他穿过铁道，要爬上那边月台，就不容易了。他用两手攀着上面，两脚再向上缩；他肥胖的身子向左微倾，显出努力的样子。这时我看见他的背影，我的泪很快地流下来了。我赶紧拭干了泪，怕他看见，也怕别人看见。我再向外看时，他已抱了朱红的橘子往回走了。过铁道时，他先将橘子散放在地上，自己慢慢爬下，再抱起橘子走。到这边时，我赶紧去搀他。他和我走到车上，将橘子一股脑儿放在我的皮大衣上。于是扑扑衣上的泥土，心里很轻松似的，过一会说，“我走了；到那边来信！〞我望着他走出去。他走了几步，回过头看见我，说，“进去吧，里边没人。〞等他的背影混入来来往往的人里，再找不着了，我便进来坐下，我的眼泪又来了。Isaid,“Dad,youmightleavenow.〞Buthelookedoutofthewindowandsaid,“I’mgoingtobuyyousometangerines.Youjuststayhere.Don'tmovearound.〞Icaughtsightofseveralvendorswaitingforcustomersoutsidetherailingsbeyondaplatform.Buttoreachthatplatformwouldrequirecrossingtherailwaytrackanddoingsomeclimbingupanddown.Thatwouldbeastrenuousjobforfather,whowasfat.Iwantedtodoallthatmyself,buthestoppedme,soIcoulddonothingbutlethimgo.Iwatchedhimhobbletowardstherailwaytrackinhisblackskullcap,blackclothmandarinjacketanddarkbluecotton-paddedclothlonggown.Hehadlittletroubleclimbingdowntherailwaytrack,butitwasalotmoredifficultforhimtoclimbupthatplatformaftercrossingtherailwaytrack.Hishandsheldontotheupperpartoftheplatform,hislegshuddledupandhiscorpulentbodytippedslightlytowardstheleft,obviouslymakinganenormousexertion.WhileIwaswatchinghimfrombehind,tearsgushedfrommyeyes.Iquicklywipedthemawaylestheorothersshouldcatchmecrying.ThenextmomentwhenIlookedoutofthewindowagain,fatherwasalreadyonthewayback,holdingbrightredtangerinesinbothhands.Incrossingtherailwaytrack,hefirstputthetangerinesontheground,climbeddownslowlyandthenpickedthemupagain.Whenhecamenearthetrain,Ihurriedouttohelphimbythehand.Afterboardingthetrainwithme,helaidallthetangerinesonmyovercoat,andpattingthedirtoffhisclothes,helookedsomewhatrelievedandsaidafterawhile,“Imustbegoingnow.Don'tforgettowritemefromBeijing!〞Igazedafterhisbackretreatingoutofthecarriage.Afterafewsteps,helookedbackatmeandsaid,“Gobacktoyourseat.Don'tleaveyourthingsalone.〞I,however,didnotgobacktomyseatuntilhisfigurewaslostamongcrowdsofpeoplehurryingtoandfroandnolongervisible.Myeyeswereagainwetwithtears.本段用特殊的角度，用饱含深情的笔触，描述父亲给儿子去买句子的情景，抒发了父子离别时深沉的爱，整个段落围绕这个中心思想展开,以时间顺序展开叙事，情节紧凑、连贯。译文根本按照原文的叙事顺序进行翻译。但是也根据英语行文习惯改变了一些句子的结构，如将“父亲是一个胖子，走过去自然要费事些〞译为“Thatwouldbeastrenuousjobforfather,whowasfat〞，使其更加符合英语的表达习惯。译文也增加了一些衔接词语，如用“but、after、however〞等词语将句子与句子自然衔接起来，使全段叙事顺序更为清晰，显得更加流畅连贯。⑷退离工作岗位，淡出社会活动，倏忽十有余年。自喜晚景静好，无虑饥寒，还赶上了百年难遇的太平岁月。虽然许多现象不免使人牵愁惹恨，总算免了提心吊胆，唯恐什么时候会来一阵防不胜防的人造风暴。坐食之余，积习难除，不免干些灾梨祸枣的闲人之业。这本来也是消磨余年的一法，犹如老农冬闲，负喧闲话，乐在其中。但现在也渐感到后难为继。〔柯灵?别了，贺年卡?〕MorethantenyearshasquicklypassedawaysinceIretiredandbegantostayawayfrompublicactivities.Icongratulatemyself,however,onspendingmydecliningyearsinpeaceandcomfort,freefromhungerandcold,andonhappeningtoliveintimeofpeaceandtranquility,whichishardtocomebyevenonceinacentury.ThoughIstillcannothelpfeelingconcernedaboutmanyaspectsofthestatusquo,Iam,nevertheless,sparedfromhavingtoliveinconstantfearofbeingovertakenunawaresbyanunpredictableman-madestorm.Inmyretirement,Ikeeptheoldhabitofwieldingmyclumsypen.Iregardi