-
第八节反译法
由于讲英语国家的历史、地理、社
会文化背景和生活习性与我国不同,因此
这些国家人们的思维
方式和生活习性亦与我国不同。这种差别体现在语言习惯
七,
便产生了两种语言各自不同的表达形式。在表示否定意义时,这种差异显得
尤为突出。有的英语句子形式上是否定的而实质上是肯定的,有的形式上是肯定
的而实质上是否定的。在翻译某些英文句子时,应当特别注意两点:一是英语里<
/p>
有些从正面表达的词语或句子,汉译时可以从反面来表达,即正
说反译法;二是
英语里有些从反面表达的词语或句子,汉译时
可从正面来表达,即反说正译法。
例如:
(1)The kind
of machine is far from being
complicated
.
这种机器一点也不复杂。
这个句子如果译成“这种机器离复杂甚远”就使人感到不知所
云。
(2)He wrote
three books in the first two
years
,
a record never reached
before
.
他头两
年写了
3
本书,打破了以往的记录。
原文从反面表达,译文从正面表达
。如译成“这是他从前从未达到的记录”
则显得很别扭。
(3)I have
read your articles
,
but
,
expect to meet an older
woman
.
我读过你的文章,但没料到你这样年轻。
本句如译成“我读过你文章,但我
料想会见到一个年纪更大的女人”则不符
合汉语表达习惯。
从以上例中可以看出,有些句子从正面译不顺,不妨从反面译
;反面译不
顺,则不妨从正面译,因为同一个概念,一个民族
正着说,以为是合乎表达习惯
的,而另一个民族则认为反着说
才顺口。因此,在恰当的场合灵活运用反译法不
失为确保译文语义明晰、文从字顺的有效手段。
一、正说反译法
英语中有些否定概念是通过含有否定意义或近似否定意义的词
来表达的。一
些语言学家称这些词为“含蓄否定词”
,另一些语言学家则称之为“暗指否定
词”<
/p>
。英语中的含蓄否定词或含蓄否定短语一般都要译成汉语的否定词组。
(
一
)
名词
(1
、
Shortness of
time has required the omission of some
countries
.
由于时间不够,没能访问某些国家。
(2)All international
disputes should be settled through negotiations
and avoidance
of any armed
conflicts
.
一切国际争端应通过谈判,而不是武装冲突来解决。
(3 1 There was
complete absence of information on t11e oil
deposit in that country
.
关于该国的石油储量情况,人们毫无所知。
(4)Politeness
is not always the sign of
wisdom
,
but the want of it
always leaves
room
for
.
the suspicion of
folly
.
尽管有
礼貌并不一定标志着此人有智慧,但是无礼貌却总是使人怀疑其
愚蠢。
(5)A lack of awareness of cultural
differences or local customs Can create
problems
.
不注意文化差异或当地风俗可能会产生问题。
作为名词用的含蓄否定词还有:<
/p>
defiance(
不顾,无视
)
,
denial(
否认,否
< br>
定
)
,
exclusion(
排除
)
,
p>
freedom(
不,免除
)
,
refusal(
不愿,不允许
< br>)
和
loss(
失去
)
等。
(
二
)
动词或动词短语
(1) Scientists
reject authority as an ultimate basis for
truth·
科学家不承认权威是真理的最终根据。
(2)Water is a
good lubricant, if you can devise a way to keep it
from leaking out or evaporating.
如果能设法使水不漏出来或蒸发掉,那么水就是一种很好的润滑剂。
(3)English
differ from French in having no gender for nouns.
英语和法语不同,英语名词没有性的变化。
(4)To preserve
the fiction
,
he refrained
from scolding his son until the guests left.
为了不漏破绽,他强忍着不责骂自己的儿子,直到客人们离去。
(5)An
investment in the money market fund has tied up
the money until the end
of the term of
the investment
.
投资于货币市场的资金在投资期满之前是不能动用的。
类似的
动词还有
refuse(
不愿,不肯,无法
)
,
lack(
缺乏,没有
)
,
defy(
不<
/p>
服从,不遵守,不让
)
,
forbid(
不许
)
p>
,
stop(
不准
)
和
ignore(
不理,不肯考虑<
/p>
)
等。
(
三
p>
)
形容词或形容词短语
(1)My younger brother would be the last
man to say such things
.
我弟弟决不可能说这种话。
(2)They were watching the fluid
situation with concern
.
他们关切地注视着动荡不安的局面。
(3)It is said that it is only a
marginal agreement
.
据说.那只不过是一个无关宏旨的协议。
(4)These official documents shall form
an integral part of this
contract
.
这些正式文件是合同不可分割的组成部分。
(5)These elements are shielded SO that
they are free from the influence of
magnetic field
.
这些元件已加屏蔽,因此不受磁场的影响。
类似的形容词及其短语还有:
p>
absent(
不在,不到
)
,
awkward(
不熟练,不
灵活,使用起来不方便
)
,
p>
bad(
令人不愉快的,不受欢迎的,不舒服的
)
,
blind
(
看不到,不注意
)
,
dea
d(
无生命的,无感觉的,不毛的
)
,
difficult(
不容易
的
)
,
:
foreign to(
不适合的,与??无关
)
,
short of(
不够
)
和
poor(
不好的,
不幸的
)
等。
(
四
)
p>
介词或介词词组
(1)That
kind of thing is very extraordinary. It seems
against nature.
不过那种事情很不寻常,似乎不符合自然规律。
(2)These planes were held back to
protect our home inlands instead of being used
where they were
badly needed
.
这些飞机被留在后方保卫后方本岛,未用于其他急需的地方。
(3)It was beyond your power to sign
such a contract
.
你无权签订这种合同。
(4)It is generally believed that the
men who are habitually behind time are as
habitually
behind success
.
人们普遍相信,习惯不准时的人通常也不会成功。
(5)Only one of us has ever gone to live
in the village and he was back in town
within five
months
.
< br>我们中只有一个人真正在乡村生活过,不过这个人待了不到
5
个月就返回了城里。
(
五
)
副词
(1)Slowly the old man pulled the letter
out of the envelope
,
and
unfolded it
.
这位老人不慌不忙地从信封里抽出信纸,然后打了开来。
(2)The officers and soldiers blazed
away until they had no ammunition
left
.
官兵们连续不断地射击,直到用尽所有的子弹。
(3)The subversion attempts of the enemy
proved predictably futile
.
不出所料,敌人的颠覆活动证明毫无效果。
(4)Time is what we want
most
,
but what many use
worst
·
时间是我们最缺少的,但许多人却最不善于利用时间。
(5)So far
,
experts
have had about the same degree of success as
stock
—
market
forecasters
,
which
is to say they do badly
.
p>
到目前为止,汇率预测专家的成功率与股票市场上的预测者大体一样,
这就是说他们做得不好。
(
六
)
连接词及其短语
(1)He is too careful not to have
noticed it
.
他那么小心,不会不注意到这一点的。
(2)Unless English team improves their
game
,
they are going to lose
the match.
如果英格兰队不改进打法,就会榆掉这场比赛。
(3)The old lady would rather be buried
with her money under a mountain of rock
than trust another
bank
.
老太太
宁可和她的钱一起被葬入石山下,也不再相信任何一家银行了。
(4)Until he spoke I had not realized he
was foreign
.
他要是不说话,我还一直不知道他是外国人。
(
七
)
某些固定短语
(1)The restaurant was anything
but satisfactory
.
这家餐馆太不让人满意了。
(2)Both sides thought that the peace
proposal was one they could accept with
dignity
.
双方认为,那个和平建议他们可以接受,而又不失体面。
(3)1 was at a loss to understand what
she alluded to
.
我无法领会她谈话中的所指。
(4)The escaped criminal is still at
large
.
逃犯仍未捉拿归案。
(5)The
islanders in this small country found themselves
far from ready to fight the
war
.
这个小国的岛民们发现自己远远没有做好作战准备。
(6)There are many energy sources in
store
.
The problem has been
to use the
energy at a reasonable
cost
.
有许多
能源尚未开发。问题在于要以一个合理的代价利用这些能源。
(
八
)
句子
(1)Let me watch you at it
again
.
再让我逮着,可饶不了你。
(2)If it worked
once
,
it Can work
twice
.
一次得手,再次不愁。
(3)It
’
S human
nature to want something
better
.
人总是不满足于现状。
(4)We
are wiser than to believe such
stories
.
我们还不至于蠢到竟然相信这种谎言。
(5)Her grandfather is already
80
,
but he carries his years
lightly
她祖父已
80
岁了,可是并不显老。
(
九
p>
)
某些含有否定意义的谚语和警句
p>
英语中有些谚语和警句翻成汉语时,也可采用正说反译法,尽可能用简练的
< br>
汉语或相应的汉语成语来表达。例如:
(1)Seeing is
believing
.
百闻不如一见。
(2)Better to reign in hell than serve
in heaven
.
宁为鸡头,不为牛后。
(3)Let sleeping dog
lie
.
莫惹事生非。
(4)Bite
off more than one Can chew·
贪多嚼不烂。
(5)Call a
spade a spade
.
直言不讳。
(6)A bird
in the hand is worth two in the bush
双鸟在林不如一鸟在手。
二、反说正译法
反说正译法指的是将英语中有些与
n
ot
等否定词连用的词语或带有否定词缀
的词语译成汉语的肯定形式。这样做有时是为了将原文中某些否定形式所具有的
<
/p>
肯定含义清楚地表达出来;在另外一些时候也许是为了将译文组织得更加自然流
畅。当然,也常常可能两种目的兼而有之。
<
/p>
(
一
)
名词
p>
(1)It was said that someone
had sown discord among us.
据说有人在我们中间挑拨离间。
(2)The dishonesty of the government
officials was exposed by the newspaper.
政府官员们的欺诈行为在报纸上披露了出来。
(3)A look of disbelief replaced the
smile on her face
.
怀疑的神色取代了她脸上的微笑。
(4)He manifested a strong dislike for
his mother
’
s
job
.
他对他母亲的工作表示出强烈的厌恶情绪。
(5)These slums ale a disgrace to the
city government.
这些贫民窟是市政府的耻辱。
(6)They were puzzled by the sudden
disappearance of their guide.
他们向导的突然失踪使他们感到困惑不解。
(7)There has been serious disagreement
between the two countries over this
question
.