4.4 斷句
對英漢兩種語言運用嫻熟是對譯員的素質的基本要求。首先要能從繁復的長句中理清頭緒。基本訓練先從切分句子開始。閱讀長句子時,練習快速地把長句分解為幾個小句子。
例(5) On Thursday August 10th the lines became serpentine and the people in them more anxious than querulous as news spread that the police and security services had been working overnight to interrupt a plot to blow up a dozen planes bound for America.
這例長句中包含以下3個子句:
①On Thursday August 10th the lines became serpentine
②the people in them more anxious than querulous
③news spread that the police and security services had been working overnight to interrupt a plot to blow up a dozen planes bound for America.
接下來是為了做到邊看邊譯而進行的進一步斷句。視譯中譯員靠眼睛攝入視覺詞語,因為閱讀習慣、視幅(eye span)和所需視時(fixation)等的差異,攝入信息的速度因人而異,但是讓譯員得以開口的時間差(EVS: eye-voice span筆者仿造的詞)基本上也必須是一個完整的意義單位,其長短取決于“譯員個人的知識與能力,其中包括雙語處理能力、工作記憶的運作能力、長期記憶知識的積累、組織、調動與激活等”,很難量化。(蔡小紅,2003:77)視譯中順句驅動的類型和規律(萬宏瑜、楊承淑,2005)說明即使在視譯中,語法原則、句法規范仍然普遍適用。這一點進一步說明視譯對學員的兩種工作語言水平都有較高的要求。因此在訓練斷句技能的同時不能忽視對兩種工作語言能力的不斷提升。廣泛地閱讀正好可以系統地擴大知識面,又鍛煉了抓大意、分析邏輯結構等等相關能力。
4.5 補全句子意思/預測
視譯中的閱讀不是一般的閱讀,為了能夠做到譯語流暢,譯員必須在口譯前一段內容的時候開始閱讀后一段的內容,即“一心兩用”或“分配注意力”,除了快速閱讀的能力以外,這還要求譯員能對下文進行預測。從語言學的角度來說,預測是因為話語理解有可預測性。(Gile,1995:176)最常見的語言性預測是固定搭配詞組(collocation)。最普通的搭配是動賓搭配,即一個動詞帶一個特定的名詞做賓語或者一個名詞要帶某個特定的動詞。語言性的預測能力隨著語言水平和語感的加強而提高,也可以通過敏感化(sensitization)訓練加以提高。(J歳g,1995:217)非語言性預測則是根據對講話者、主題和當時情景的了解作出的判斷。在這一部分訓練中,教師只給出句子的一部分讓學生努力完成整句話的翻譯,或者自我練習時依靠預測將句子后半段立即譯出,之后再對照原文以檢測自己預測的準確率。
例(6) On behalf of all the members of my mission, I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to our host for_____.
通過敏感化訓練,學員很容易預測并補全句子,填入諸如their earnest/warm/sincere invitation and gracious hospitality的語句。
例(7) To our amazement, this country boasts a two-decade persistent economic growth, which is___. China’s miraculous rise as____in the Asian-Pacific region has attracted a growing number of business giants to____.
這里考察的是學員對時事的了解。應該填入的信息分別為:unequalled/unparalleled/ spectacular; one of the strongest economic powers/ one of the most powerful economies; invest here.
語言性的預測例子不勝枚舉,如:
例(8) The whole world is watching with great interest the remarkable changes that are_____in China.
這里學員幾乎可以直接按照中文的搭配習慣脫口譯出“中國所發生的巨變”。
4.6 詮釋和靈活表達
因為英漢兩種語言在“形合”和“意合”方面的種種差異,又面臨巨大的時間和心理壓力,在翻譯時要靈活應變、游刃有余、流暢通達。因此在訓練期間,一句多譯、替換同義詞、擴展句子和壓縮句子是常用的靈活應變的手段。
例(9) 初秋時節的北京,萬木蔥蘢,金風送爽。今天,萬國郵政聯盟大會將在這里隆重開幕7。
Today we are gathering here for the grand opening ceremony of the Universal Postal Congress in the early golden autumn when the capital city Beijing enjoys the luxuriantly green land and refreshing and pleasant breeze.
The early golden autumn is embracing the luxuriantly green land of Beijing, bringing refreshing and pleasant breeze to the capital city. Today we are gathering here for the grand opening ceremony of the Universal Postal Congress.