这些翻译意识你具备吗？

2012-04-01 00:00:00来源：沪江英语网

　　翻译意识和技巧的培养需要涉及以下几个方面：

　　第一：要对翻译的重要性有深刻的、充分的认识，翻译的对与错、好与坏有时会产生绝然不同的效果。例如，天涯海角：不是the End of the World (应为Land’s End / End of the Earth) 。再如，一小时内免费送机票上门：不是We give you tickets free of charge within one hour.（应为We offer free delivery of your air tickets within one hour after your booking confirmation.）

　　第二：要善于仔细地、深入地、准确地理解中文原文的意思。这是因为准确的理解是做好翻译的前提。例如，摸着石头过河：不是crossing the river by feeling the stones。(而是wade across the stream by feeling the way )正确的做法应该是按照下面的步骤去做：

　　1.“摸着石头过河”的字面意思如何理解？

　　2.它有什么暗含或延伸的意思？

　　3.英语里有没有相同或类似的说法？.如果有，就可以直接借用；如果没有，是进行直译还是意译？

　　4.如果直译为 crossing the river by feeling the stones是否能被外国人理解？

　　5.过河是乘船过(crossing by boat)还是淌水过(wading across)，动词用什么形式？

　　6.这里的河是大河、中河还是小河 (river, stream, brook, etc.)？

　　7.摸的方式是用手摸还是用脚触？

　　8.石头是大石头还是小石头(rock, stone, pebble, etc.)？

　　9.如果意译为 learning by experiment / by trial and error是否可取？

　　10.直译和意译相结合wading across the stream by feeling the way如何？

　　第三：中文和英文的对应词有时意思并不相同或者不完全相同，不能照字面翻译。例如，他的英语说得真好，就像外国人一样。不是He speaks English so well, he sounds like a foreigner.而是He speaks English so well, he sounds like a native speaker.

　　拉动经济增长：不是pull economic growth，而是push/lift/increase/boost/stimulate/spur/drive/fuel/speed up/accelerate/generate/ fire up/ propel/ facilitate/reinforce/aid/assist/support/promote/encourage/foster/(sustain/maintain)。素质教育：不是quality education，而是caliber-focused education 或trait-centered education。

　　第四：有时候中文字面的意思表达不充分，部分信息被省略了或被隐藏起来了。例如，特区是个窗口，是技术的窗口，管理的窗口，知识的窗口，也是对外政策的窗口。不是：The special zone is a window. It is a widow for introducing technology, management and knowledge. It is also a window for foreign policy. 而是The special economic zones are a window opening onto the outside world. They are a window through which to bring in from abroad sophisticated technology, advanced managerial expertise and up-to-date know-how. It is also a window through which to disseminate China’s external policies.

　　再如，退耕还林：不是return farmland to forest，而应该是restore “woodland-converted farm-plots” back for afforesting 。春运：不是spring transportation，而是the rush / peak season of passenger transportation during the Spring Festival。

　　第五：有些中文词语没有什么特殊涵义，而与之相对应的英文词语却有着特殊的涵义。例如，与“便宜”、“价廉”相对应的“cheap,”它有时候会带有贬义，成为“质次价低”的意，如cheap jewelries, cheap dresses, cheap furniture 等。我们可以说I bought a cheap watch for my child，对小孩无所谓；但不能说I bought a cheap dress for my girlfriend. 因为这样说会冒犯对方。在后一种情况下必须用inexpensive一词。

　　第六：避免用中式英语进行表达，而要尽量用地道的英语进行表达。假如我们要把“我过去学过一些法语，但现在都忘了，都还给老师了”这句话翻译成英语，最好不要说 I learned some French in the past. Now I have forgotten it. I’ve returned it to the teacher. 比较好的说法是 I used to know some French, but I’ve forgotten it. It has found its way back to my teacher.

本文关键字: 翻译的重要性