孙致礼《新编英汉翻译教程》(第2版)笔记和考研真题详解
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3.2 翻译示例汇总

一、异化法

1. The Gardiners stayed a week at Longbourn; and what with the Philipses, the Lucases, and the officers, there was not a day without its engagement.(J. Austen: Pride and Prejudice, Ch.2, V.

【译文】加德纳夫妇在朗伯恩住了一个星期,由于有菲利普斯家、卢卡斯家和军官们礼尚往来,每天都少不了要饮宴一番。

【解析】这是《傲慢与偏见》里的一句话。嘉丁纳夫妇来浪伯恩看望外甥女一家,住了一个星期。前后文交代得清清楚楚:他们天天都受到一次宴请(总共应是七次);多半(想必应是四次)是在外甥女家,还有几次(想必应是三次)是外出赴宴。what with是个英语成语,意为“因为、由于……(的缘故)”,具体到这里,就是“由于有……礼尚往来”。译文采取异化译法,既贴近原文的句式结构,又原原本本地传达了原文的意思。

2. I supposed I should be condemned in Hareton Earnshaw’s heart, if not by his mouth, to the lowest pit in the infernal regions…(E. Bronte: Wuthering Heights, Ch.18, V.

【译文】我想,哈雷顿·厄恩肖即便嘴里不说,心里也要诅咒我下到地狱的最底层。

【解析】to the lowest pit若译为“十八层地狱”虽顺畅,但其是佛教术语,这样会造成“文化错位”。为了避免给译语读者造成错觉,还是应该以原语文化为依托,译成下到地狱的最底层。

3. Unless you’ve an ace up your sleeve, we are dished.

【译文】除非你袖中藏有王牌,否则我们是输定了。

【解析】通常an ace up one’s sleeve会被传译为“锦囊妙计”,但从异化的角度来看,这一译法存在一个不容忽视的问题:英语的an ace up one’s sleeve是西方玩牌赌博时藏在袖中的“王牌”,而“锦囊妙计”则是中国古代宫廷争斗或疆场征战时封在“锦囊”中的神妙计策,彼此有着截然不同的文化背景和内涵,因而能引起不同的联想,如果用来互译,势必给译语读者带来错觉。所以还是采取异化译法为好,译为“袖中藏有王牌”。

4. He has fished in Manhattan’s wallet and dug out coins…(E. B. White: “The Three New Yorks”)

【译文】他(们)把手伸进曼哈顿的钱囊里捞钱,只捞到几个小钱……

【解析】这里描写的是纽约市普通劳动者的艰辛经历。作者使用了形象的语言fish in Manhattan’s wallet,译文采取异化译法,保留原文的形象性,读者读了就会觉得耳目一新。

5. As I remained in the Third Fourth three times as long as anyone else, I had three times as much of it. I learned it thoroughly. Thus I got into my bones the essential structure of the ordinary English sentence—which is a noble thing.(W. Churchill: “Harrow”)

【译文】因为我在四年级三班待的时间是别人的三倍,所以我所受的这种训练也是别人的三倍。我掌握得很彻底。就这样,普通英语句子的基本结构便深入到我的骨髓里——这可是件了不起的事。(P)

【解析】get something into one’s bones是一个英语成语,意思为“牢固掌握”。若照此翻译,意思是出来了,但是因为舍弃了原文的形象语言,就会觉得比较平淡。译者吸取了原语的表达方式,将其译作“深入到我的骨髓里”,读来就比较生动。

6. My uncle Cassidy give me money! Pigs might fly if they had wings!

【译文】我的卡西迪叔叔会给我钱?那猪也会长翅飞上天啦!(P)

【解析】pigs might fly(if they had wings)是个英语谚语,意义与汉语的“除非太阳从西边出来”有些相似。鉴于猪在中国的形象一直不佳,有人建议这个谚语最好采取归化的译法,比如译成“除非太阳从西边出来”或“除非公鸡会下蛋”。可所引译文用了一个“那猪也会长翅飞上天了”的异化译法,似乎给中国读者带来了更新的审美愉悦,取得了归化译法难以比拟的效果。

7. Consequently Mr. Micawber was soon so overcome, that he mingled his tears with hers and mine.(C. Dickens: David Copperfield, Ch.12)

【译文】结果是,一会儿米考伯先生也受不住了,和她和我,眼泪对流起来了。

【解析】异化译法绝不是“一对一”的死译,若把mingle直译成“混合”,真让读者感到困惑,因为谁也搞不清这几个人的眼泪是如何“混合”的。其实,说谁与谁mingle their tears,只不过是“一起哭”的意思,并非真指眼泪“混合”在一起。

8. “I know, Dad,” she said, “I’m a selfish Pig. I’ll think about it ...”(J. Galsworthy: A Modem Comedy, p.47)

【译文】“我知道,爸。”她说,“我是个自私鬼。我会考虑这个问题的……”

【解析】文中的“她”是英国的大家闺秀,硬让她称呼自己“猪”,实在令人不可思议。其实,在英语中,pig除了“猪”之外,还有一个“像猪一样的人”的引申意思,英文释义是:one thought to resemble or suggest a pig in habits or behavior (as in dirtiness, greediness, selfishness)。因此,文中的这位女士称自己是a selfish pig,重点并非放在pig上,而是放在她所具有的pig的习性selfish上,这一说法虽然带有一定的贬义意味,但也只是自责而已,切不可拿汉语的“猪”来对译,因为在汉语里,说某人是“猪”,那简直是表示极度厌恶的骂人话。译文中用汉语的“自私鬼”来传译英语的pig,虽然换了形象,表达的却是大致对等的概念。

二、归化法

1. Miss Sedley was almost as flurried at the act of defiance as Miss Jemima had been; for, consider, it was but one minute that she had left school, and the impressions of six years are not got over in that space of time.(W. M. Thackeray: Vanity Fair, Ch.1)

【译文】赛特笠小姐看见这样大胆的行为。差不多跟吉米玛小姐一样吃惊。你想,她刚刚跨出校门一分钟,六年来受的教诲,哪里能在这么短短的一刹那给忘掉呢?(P)

【解析】夏泼小姐在校学习六年期间,受尽了校长平克顿小姐的欺凌,因而对她恨之入骨。就在离校的当儿,她把吉米玛小姐以校长名义送她的字典“老实不客气”地扔在花园里,赛特笠小姐见了大吃一惊,于是便产生了上述想法。impression在英汉词典里的释义是“印象”“影响”,若照此译成“六年来得到的印象”,或“六年来所受的影响”,都会给人一种别别扭扭、不得要领的感觉。而译者经过融会贯通,按照汉语的表达习惯,将其译成“教诲”二字,可谓文从字顺,至当不易。

2. She could not desert Tara; she belonged to the red acres far more than they could ever belong to her.(M. Mitchell: Gone with the Wind, p.20)

【译文】她不能放弃塔拉;这块红土地是属于她的,而她更是永远属于这块红土地。

【解析】译文将英文的分析式的“形合”结构,改为汉语的排调式的“意合”结构,逻辑关系交代得清清楚楚,读起来就会感到轻省得多。

3. The yeomanry are precisely the order of people with whom I feel I can have nothing to do. A degree 0r two lower, and a creditable appearance might interest me; I might have hope to be useful to their families in some way or other. But a farmer can need none of my help, and is therefore in one sense as much above my notice as in every other he is below it.(J. Austen: Emma, Ch.4, V.

【译文】自耕农正是我感到与我无关的那种人。一个地位低一二等而外貌看来还可靠的人可能引起我的兴趣;我可以希望从这个方面或者从另一个方面给他们家帮点儿忙。不过,一个庄稼汉不可能需要我的帮助,他一方面不需要我关心,另一方面又不值得我关心。

【解析】原文中notice在此已不再是“注意”的意思,而是“关心”(regard)的意思。

4. I was not made to think. I was made to eat. My God, yes. Eat and drink and sleep with Catherine. Tonight maybe. No that was impossible. But tomorrow night, and a good meal and sheets and never going away again except together.(Ernest Hemingway: A Farewell to Arms, Ch.32)

【译文】我生来不多思考。我生来就好吃。上帝啊。是的。吃饭,喝酒,跟凯瑟琳睡觉。也许今天夜里吧。不,这不可能。但是明天夜里,美餐一顿,同床共枕,永不分离,要走就一起走。

【解析】在原书中,作者几次提到sheets一词,比如第二十八章就写到:Catherine was in bed now between two sheets。到了这一章,该词并非在言“物”,而是强调其功能:暗指男女主人公在床上相亲相爱。原文用的是含蓄表达法。译文采取归化翻译方法,用“同床共枕”来译sheets,至少有这样几个好处:一是意义比较接近,转换比较自然,二是能使译文保持语义上的连贯和顺畅,三是“同床共枕”也算个较为委婉的说法,只是含蓄度要低于sheets。

5. Each of us has his carrot and stick. In my case, the stick is my slackening physical condition, which keeps me from beating opponents at tennis whom I overwhelmed two years ago. My carrot is to win.(C. Tucker: “Fear of Dearth”)

【译文】我们人人都有自己的压力和动力。就我而言,这压力就是我日趋衰弱的身体状况,两年前还是我手下败将的网球对手,现在却打不过了。我的动力就是想赢球。

【解析】作者在此讨论为什么许多人喜欢跑步,文中使用的carrot and stick。查一查词典,就会发现这两个词用在这里,carrot是“诱惑(物)”(something suitable for use as a means of enticement)的意思,stick则是“强迫(力),威胁(力)”(something suitable for use as a means of compulsion)的意思。照此理解,将这两个词归化成汉语的“压力”和“动力”,就畅达自如多了。

6. “Didn’t know you were in the States, Mitty,” groaned Remington. “Coals to Newcastle, bringing Mitford and me up here for a tertiary.”(J. Thurber: “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”)

【译文】“我不知道你就在美国,密蒂,”雷明顿嘟囔说。“把米特福德和我叫来治这第三期梅毒病,岂不是多此一举。”

【解析】Coals to Newcastle是英语成语to carry coals to Newcastle的变体,意指纽卡斯尔本是英国的煤都,再运煤到那里就是多余的举动。鉴于这个成语已经陈旧,渐渐演变成了一个普通词汇,传译时没有必要异化成“运煤到纽卡斯尔”,归化成“多此一举”即可。

7. A man of honor could not have doubted the intention, but Mr. Darcy chose to doubt it—or to treat it as a merely conditional recommendation, and to assert that I have forfeited all claim to it by extravagance, imprudence, in short anything or nothing.(J. Austen: Pride and Prejudice, Ch.16, V.

【译文】一个体面的人是不会怀疑先人的意图的,可是达西先生却偏要怀疑——或者说偏要把那视为只是有条件地举荐我,还一口断定我完全失去了受举荐的资格,说我生活铺张,举止鲁莽,总之,欲加之罪,何患无辞。

【解析】威克姆是一个反面人物,为了赢得女主角的欢心,就竭力编派达西的坏话,反咬达西给他加了一些莫须有的罪名。Anything or nothing是非常凶狠有力的语言,在这里,若是借用汉语成语“欲加之罪,何患无辞”,就能充分展示无耻之徒善于反咬一口的恶毒口吻。

8. Barbara Tober observes that the bridesmaids, in the days when many brides were mere children, were called upon to assist her with dressing and with the logistics of moving to her new home.(T. Tuleja: “Wedding Attendants”)

【译文】巴巴拉·托伯说,过去许多新娘只不过是孩子。因此便请来女傧相帮助她们梳妆打扮,并做好其搬往新家的后勤工作。

【解析】西方所说的新娘moving to her new home,不能说没有一个去婆家的,但这种情况绝非普遍,特别是在生活水平较高的国家,新人往往另置自己的新房。所以不能归化译为“过门”。

9. Of course it may, said Angel. “was it not proved nineteen hundred years ago—if I may trespass upon your domain a little?”(T. Hardy: Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Ch.25)

【译文】“当然可以啦。”安琪说道。“恕我冒昧地说一句你们的行话:这个事实不是一千九百年以前就被证明过了吗?”

三、异化、归化并用互补

1. I passed out of my mind, and the next thing I knew I was sitting down on the ground, very cold in the shadows, and looking up at the rock where I had been within an eyelash of eternity...There are such reflections, and for some of them I have the names.(N. S. Momaday: “The End of My Childhood”)

【译文】我当时晕了过去。等醒来时,发现自己坐在地上,阴影笼罩中,只觉浑身冷冰冰的。我抬头看看上面的石壁。我刚才撑在那里险些丧生……现在我还有这样的回忆,其中有一些我还能说出名目来。

【解析】这段译文,可以说是异化和归化交错运用的产物。比如,the next thing I knew不是译作“我所知道的下一件事”,而是译作“等醒来时,发现”;within an eyelash of eternity不是译成“距来生只有毫发之差”,而是译成“险些丧生”,这都属于归化译法;而将for some of them I have the names译作“其中有一些我还能说出名目来”,则属于异化译法。

2. Second, there is the New York of the commuter—the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night.(E. B. White: “The Three New Yorks”)

【译文】其次是家住郊区、乘公交车到市内上班的人们的纽约—这座城市每到白天就被如蝗的人群吞噬进去,每到晚上又给吐出来。

【解析】这句话描写纽约的上班族上下班的情景,虽然只有短短的一句话,但写得既形象又生动,特别是将潮水般来去的人群比作locusts,早上devour纽约,晚上又将纽约spit out,翻译中应尽量采用同样的形象语言。译文采取了异化译法,devoured译作“吞噬”,spat out译作“吐出来”,跟原文惟一不同的是,locusts本是暗喻,译成中文改成了明喻“如蝗的人群”。总的说来,这样的译文取得了“形神皆似”的效果。

3. ... while the abilities of the nine-hundredth abridger of the History of England ... are eulogized by a thousand pens, there seems almost a general wish of decrying the capacity and undervaluing the labor of the novelist ...(J. Austen: Northanger Abbey, Ch.5, V.

【译文】……有人抛出《英国史》的不知是第几百个删节本……诸如此般的才干受到了上千文人墨客的赞颂;然而人们几乎总是愿意诋毁小说家的才能,贬损小说家的劳动……(P)

【解析】这句话中,the nine-hundredth abridger of the History of England直译过来是“《英国史》的第九百个删节本作者”。显然,“第九百个”是夸张说法,意思是说《英国史》有着多如牛毛的删节本。如果照直翻译怕引起中国读者的疑惑,不妨略作变通,译为“不知是第几百个删节本”,既贴近作者的表达方式,又符合汉语的语言习惯,一身兼有异化和归化的因素。

4. With determination, with luck, and with the help from lots of good people, I was able to rise from the ashes.

【译文】凭着我的决心,我的运气,还有许多善良人们的帮助,我终于获得新生。(P)

【解析】to rise from the ashes是个英语成语,来自埃及神话里凤凰生死循环的故事。如果我们一味要传达原文的形象语言,将这句话译作“我终于从灰烬中再生”,那就会使人不知所云。因而,与其坚持异化译法弄巧成拙,不如采取归化译法让读者看个明白。

5. Mr. Weston was a great favorite, and there was not a creature in the world to whom she spoke with such unreserve, as to his wife; not any one, to whom she related with such conviction of being listened to and understood, of being always interesting and always intelligible, the little affairs, arrangements, perplexities and pleasures of her father and herself.(J. Austen: Emma, Ch.14, V.

【译文】她非常喜欢韦斯顿先生,而他的那位太太。则是她天下最能推心置腹的人;她和父亲但凡有什么安排,或者遇到什么琐碎的、为难的或高兴的事,还就爱跟那位太太讲,知道她喜欢听,善解人意,而且总是很感兴趣,总能心领神会。

【解析】在这个译文中,译者考虑到英汉两种语言的句法差异,把英语中后置的as to his wife,译成汉语中前置的“而他的那位太太”,形成了整句话的转折点,然后根据汉语的行文习惯,有条不紊地陈述下去,其中还调整了little affairs,arrangements,perplexities and pleasures的次序,并恰如其分地使用了“推心置腹”“善解人意”“心领神会”等汉语成语,可谓文从字顺,既忠实地传达了原文的意义,又能使读者领略到阅读的情趣。