Newmark(2001:113)指出“隱喻翻譯是一切語言翻譯的縮影,因為隱喻翻譯給譯者呈現出多種選擇方式:要么傳遞其意義,要么重塑其形象進行完美的結合,林林總總,而這一切又與語境因素、文化因素密不可分。”對于時政體裁中隱喻的翻譯,主要可以采用以下幾種方法:
(1)由于人類具有共同的思維方式以及共同的自然規律和自然現象,使英漢兩民族有著許多對應的比喻。顯然直譯法是求得形神兼備效果的最佳途徑,可以有效地保留隱喻的形象及喻義的色彩。同時,為了促進文化交流,有時不妨中英直譯對方的比喻以保存原文的形象描述,以給人一種新的視角,予人以新鮮的語言感受。
An organization is a machine that occasionally breaks down, and requires the services of an external expert to fix it. When that happens, it needs to be re-tooled to become more efficient and may even require periodic re-engineering in order to remain “cutting edge”.
譯文:一個組織機構就是一臺偶爾會出毛病的機器,它需要外部專家經常進行維護和修理。在進行維護和修理時,它需要更換零件,以便更為有效地運轉;它甚至還需要進行定期重新裝配,以保持其“犀利”。
例句原文明顯使用了隱喻,由于英語和漢語均可采用相同的隱喻方式來描寫組織機構,故漢語譯文中可以采取同原文一摸一樣的隱喻進行完全對應的翻譯。
(2)英國最近在倫敦城舉行了第二次世界大戰后規模最大的一次閱兵式,以慶祝馬島之戰的勝利。……還動用了飛機,大炮,坦克,導彈這些道具,場面可謂不小。但是,在有識之士看來,這不過是一場鬧劇。
譯文:To mark its victory in the Malvinas War, Britain held recently in the City of London a military parade, the largest of its kind since the end of WWII. Also inspected was such paraphernalia as plane, artillery pieces, tanks and missiles. A very grandiose spectacle it was indeed! But to people with keen insight, it is nothing but a farce.
(3)反腐敗的斗爭仍然只是個口號。但是,即使口號也是一個開端。腐敗地圖上最深的印跡有些正在褪色。
譯文:The war on corruption remains a slogan, but even a slogan is a start. Some of the blackest spots on the corruption map are turning paler.英漢比喻型習語常常表現出很大的共性,因而也可以用直譯法翻譯:As busy as a bee 像蜜蜂一樣勤勞
A cunning fox 一只狡猾的狐貍
As light as a feather 輕如鴻毛
As hard as a stone 堅如磐石
As bold as a lion 像獅子一樣勇猛
Rotten to the core 腐爛到核心壞透了
Throw cold water on 潑冷水