三、表達方式轉換
英漢兩種語言在表達方式上往往因角度不同而異。要克服這些差異,翻譯時也就常有必要把一種表達方式轉換為另一種表達方式,使譯文符合漢語表達習慣。
(一) 英語中有一些計量詞,如score, dozen, decade, quarter等,在漢語中沒有相應的表達方式,所以在漢譯時得對其加以轉換。例如:
(1) Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
100年以前,一位偉大的美國人簽署了解放宣言,我們現在就站在他象征性的庇蔭中。
(2) A dozen and a half aeroplanes poured out into the airport during that five minutes.
那5分鐘內,有18架飛機涌進了機場。
(3) Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation.
87年前,我們的先輩在這個大陸上創建了一個新的國家。
(4) They had a dozen children, six boys and six girls, in seventeen years.
在17年中,他們生了12個孩子,6男6女。
(二) 由于英漢兩種語言在表述角度上不盡相同,翻譯時常常有必要轉換角度,才能使意思明白清楚、表達自然。例如:
(1) She has been a widow only for six months.
她丈夫死了至今才不過半年。
(原文是從妻子的角度加以陳述的,而譯文是從丈夫的角度加以陳述的。如果不改變表達方式,而搬用原來的表達方式,那譯文就是:"她只當了6個月的寡婦。"這就會給人以錯覺:她很快就改嫁了。)
(2) ──Is there a special rate by the month?
──Yes, there is a 10% discount.
──按月計算有什么優惠嗎?
──有,可以打9折。
四、 自然語序與倒裝語序轉換
句子的自然語序是主語在前,謂語在后。倒裝語序主要是指主謂倒裝。英語中使用倒裝語序,主要是為了加強語氣、突出重點、平衡句子結構等;而漢語中使用倒裝語序相對較少,所以英譯漢時,常常得將倒裝語序轉換為自然語序。例如:
(1) Away ran the boy.男孩跑開了。
(2) Slowly climbs the summer moon.夏天的月亮慢慢地爬上來了。
五、 正面表達與反面表達轉換
由于思維方式的不同,英語中有些從正面表達的東西在漢語中習慣從反面來表達;而有些從反面來表達的東西在漢語中則習慣從正面來表達。因此,英譯漢時常常有必要進行轉換。這就是通常所說的"正說反譯、反說正譯"法。英語正面表達這里指的是不帶否定詞no, not , never否定前綴non-, in-, im-, ir-, dis-和否定后綴-less等的句子,漢語正面表達則是指不帶"不"、"沒"、"非"、"未"、 "否"、 "無"、 "莫"、"勿"、"別"等否定詞語的句子;反之則是反面表達。
(一)英語正面表達轉換為漢語反面表達
frost-free refrigerator無霜冰箱
Freeze! 別動!
Wet paint! 油漆未干!
mortally ill 不治之癥
(1) The proposal was carried by a very narrow margin. 這項建議差點通不過。
(2)We believe that the younger generation will prove worthy of our trust. 我們相信,年輕一代將不會辜負我們的信任。
(3) He went to an outdoor phone booth and dialed Chicago, then New York, then San Francisco. Silence. Silence. Silence. 他到一個戶外公用電話亭,先給芝加哥、又給紐約、舊金山打了電話。
(4) As a place to live, it left much to be desired. As a secret training base for a revolutionary new plane, it was an excellent site, its remoteness effectively masking its activity. 作為居住的地方,這里有許多不足之處,但作為改革性的新飛機秘密訓練基地,卻是非常理想的。因為它地處邊陲,人們不易發覺其中的活動。
(5) The pictures that linger in his mind, called up in a moment by such sensations as the smell of roses or of new-mown hay, are of a simpler nature. 然而,縈繞心頭的畫面,那些一經嗅到玫瑰花香或新鮮干草的氣息便會倏地闖入記憶的情景,其實并不復雜。
(6) As he sipped his coffee, he opened a still damp morning paper; and began reading. 他一面喝咖啡,一面翻開油墨未干的晨報,看了起來。
(7) Father's attitude toward anybody who wasn't his kind used to puzzle me. 以前我總不懂父親為什么對那些脾氣跟他不一樣的人采取那么個態度。
(8) Sadly, Edward died before he could see the new church, but his beautiful tomb is still there, with the tombs of the Kings and Queens of England who came after him. 遺憾的是,愛德華未能看見新教堂就去世了,但是他那幽雅的墳墓和嗣后的英國國王和王后的墳墓還都留在那里。
(二)英語反面表達轉換為漢語正面表達
(1) You can't be too careful. 你要特別小心。
(2) The significance of these incidents wasn't lost on us. 這些事件引起了我們的重視。
(3) Such flights couldn't long escape notice. 這類飛行遲早會被人發覺的。
(4) The human system can hold out for a while against the gas from a leaking, damped-down coal stove, but soon after unconsciousness comes death. 煤氣若是從封上火的煤爐漏出,人體可以忍受一些時候,但人昏迷之后,不用很久就會死亡。
(5) But there is another story, a family saga, that may turn out to be important to unlocking the mystery of what actually happened between Lewinsky and the President. 但是,萊溫斯基和總統之間究竟發生了什么事,另外一個故事,即家史,最終對解開這個謎十分重要。
(6) Maintaining credibility requires confronting potential adversaries with the objective, unambiguous facts of our counter-balancing military capabilities, our political strengths and economic advantages, and our clear resolution to use these for our defense if necessary. 保持這種可靠性需要以下客觀的、明確的事實來對付潛在的對手:我們達到平衡的軍事能力、我們的政治實力和經濟優勢以及我們必要時使用這些手段進行自衛的毫不含糊的決心。
n. 神秘,秘密,奧秘,神秘的人或事物