|
關(guān)于漢譯英，我想談三個(gè)要點(diǎn)：1.替代（substitution）；2.主謂（subject-predicate）；3.主從(subordination)。這三個(gè)要點(diǎn)用英語(yǔ)表述，第一個(gè)字母都是S，因此可以簡(jiǎn)稱“三S要點(diǎn)”。譯文質(zhì)量不高，往往是因?yàn)檫@三個(gè)問(wèn)題沒(méi)有處理好。換言之，若這三個(gè)問(wèn)題處理得較好，可以為譯文增色不少。這一講，就集中談“替代”。
英語(yǔ)不喜歡重復(fù)，如果在一句話里或相連的幾句話里需要重復(fù)某個(gè)詞語(yǔ)，則用代詞來(lái)代替，或以其他手段來(lái)避免重復(fù)。漢語(yǔ)不怕重復(fù)，連續(xù)使用某個(gè)詞語(yǔ)是常見(jiàn)的事。所以漢譯英時(shí)要千方百計(jì)避免重復(fù)，多用代稱；英譯漢時(shí)則要少用代稱，多用實(shí)詞。
說(shuō)起“替代”，我們當(dāng)然首先想到代詞。
代詞的使用，在英語(yǔ)和漢語(yǔ)里有很大的不同?？偟恼f(shuō)來(lái)，英語(yǔ)代詞用得多，漢語(yǔ)代詞用得少。因此，英譯漢時(shí)，有些代詞可以不譯。漢譯英時(shí)則要在適當(dāng)?shù)牡胤皆黾哟~，特別是物主代詞。用代詞以避免重復(fù)的例子，更是比比皆是。
例1．一切都要從這個(gè)實(shí)際出發(fā)，根據(jù)這個(gè)實(shí)際來(lái)制訂規(guī)劃。
In everything we do we must proceed from this reality, and all planning must be consistent with it.
例2．走社會(huì)主義道路,就是要逐步實(shí)現(xiàn)共同富裕。共同富裕的構(gòu)想是這樣提出的：一部分地區(qū)有條件先發(fā)展起來(lái)，一部分地區(qū)發(fā)展慢點(diǎn)，先發(fā)展起來(lái)的地區(qū)帶動(dòng)后發(fā)展的地區(qū)，最終達(dá)到共同富裕?！鉀Q的辦法之一，就是先富起來(lái)的地區(qū)多交點(diǎn)利稅，支持貧困地區(qū)的發(fā)展。
To take the road to socialism is to realize common prosperity step by step. Our plan is as follows: where conditions permit, some areas may develop faster than others; those that develop faster can help promote the progress of those that lag behind, until all become prosperous…. One way is for the areas that become prosperous first to support the poor ones by paying more taxes or turning in more profits to the state.
例3．要提倡科學(xué)，靠科學(xué)才有希望。
We must promote science, for that is where our hope lies.
例4．目前我們國(guó)內(nèi)正在進(jìn)行改革。我是主張改革的，不改革就沒(méi)有出路。
China is now carrying out a reform. I am all in favor of that. There is no other solution for us.
例5．最近，有的外國(guó)人議論，馬克思主義是打不倒的。打不倒，并不是因?yàn)榇蟊咀佣?，而是因?yàn)轳R克思主義的真理顛撲不破。
Recently, some foreigners said that Marxism cannot be defeated. That is so not because there are so many big books, but because Marxism is the irrefutable truth.
以上五例都用了代詞以避免重復(fù)。例1用it代替this reality，例2用others，those和ones代替areas，例3至例5都用that概括了前面的話。
說(shuō)起代詞，還有兩點(diǎn)值得注意。一是英語(yǔ)常用she（her）代替某個(gè)國(guó)家或某一條船。
例6．The delta and the narrow Nile Valley to the south make up only 3 percent of Egypt’s land but are home to 96 percent of her population. (National Geographic)
例7．Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? (Helen Keller, The Story of My Life)
例8．現(xiàn)階段中國(guó)已經(jīng)實(shí)現(xiàn)了糧食基本自給，在未來(lái)的發(fā)展過(guò)程中，中國(guó)依靠自己的力量實(shí)現(xiàn)糧食基本自給，客觀上具備諸多有利因素。
China has basically achieved self-sufficiency in grain at the present stage, and there are many favorable objective factors for her to maintain such achievement by her own efforts in the course of future development.
例9．社會(huì)主義中國(guó)應(yīng)該用實(shí)踐向世界表明，中國(guó)反對(duì)霸權(quán)主義、強(qiáng)權(quán)政治，永不稱霸。
Socialist China should show the world through its actions that it is opposed to hegemonism and power politics and will never seek hegemony.
這種用she（her）指國(guó)家和船只的用法由來(lái)已久，現(xiàn)在指國(guó)家，倒是用it（its）的較為多見(jiàn)。Michael Swan所著《英語(yǔ)用法指南》（Practical English Usage）第227條對(duì)這一問(wèn)題作了詳細(xì)的說(shuō)明。
還有一種現(xiàn)象值得注意，那就是用they指單數(shù)。2004年出版的《牛津高階英漢雙解詞典》（第6版）有這樣的例句：
例10．Everyone must accept their share of the blame. (見(jiàn)share條)
例11．Should anyone call (= if anyone calls), please tell them I’m busy. (見(jiàn)should條)
例12．Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. (見(jiàn)entitle條)
用they指單數(shù)就可避免he or she之類的累贅說(shuō)法。上述《英語(yǔ)用法指南》第505條也對(duì)這一問(wèn)題作了詳細(xì)的說(shuō)明。
|
