這些翻譯意識(shí)你具備嗎？

翻譯意識(shí)和技巧的培養(yǎng)需要涉及以下幾個(gè)方面：

第一：要對(duì)翻譯的重要性有深刻的、充分的認(rèn)識(shí)，翻譯的對(duì)與錯(cuò)、好與壞有時(shí)會(huì)產(chǎn)生絕然不同的效果。例如，天涯海角：不是the End of the World (應(yīng)為L(zhǎng)and’s End / End of the Earth) 。再如，一小時(shí)內(nèi)免費(fèi)送機(jī)票上門：不是We give you tickets free of charge within one hour.(應(yīng)為We offer free delivery of your air tickets within one hour after your booking confirmation.)

第二：要善于仔細(xì)地、深入地、準(zhǔn)確地理解中文原文的意思。這是因?yàn)闇?zhǔn)確的理解是做好翻譯的前提。例如，摸著石頭過河：不是crossing the river by feeling the stones。(而是wade across the stream by feeling the way )正確的做法應(yīng)該是按照下面的步驟去做：

1.“摸著石頭過河”的字面意思如何理解?

2.它有什么暗含或延伸的意思?

3.英語里有沒有相同或類似的說法?.如果有，就可以直接借用;如果沒有，是進(jìn)行直譯還是意譯?

4.如果直譯為 crossing the river by feeling the stones是否能被外國(guó)人理解?

5.過河是乘船過(crossing by boat)還是淌水過(wading across)，動(dòng)詞用什么形式?

6.這里的河是大河、中河還是小河 (river, stream, brook, etc.)?

7.摸的方式是用手摸還是用腳觸?

8.石頭是大石頭還是小石頭(rock, stone, pebble, etc.)?

9.如果意譯為 learning by experiment / by trial and error是否可取?

10.直譯和意譯相結(jié)合wading across the stream by feeling the way如何?

第三：中文和英文的對(duì)應(yīng)詞有時(shí)意思并不相同或者不完全相同，不能照字面翻譯。例如，他的英語說得真好，就像外國(guó)人一樣。不是He speaks English so well, he sounds like a foreigner.而是He speaks English so well, he sounds like a native speaker.

拉動(dòng)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)：不是pull economic growth，而是push/lift/increase/boost/stimulate/spur/drive/fuel/speed up/accelerate/generate/ fire up/ propel/ facilitate/reinforce/aid/assist/support/promote/encourage/foster/(sustain/maintain)。素質(zhì)教育：不是quality education，而是caliber-focused education 或trait-centered education。

第四：有時(shí)候中文字面的意思表達(dá)不充分，部分信息被省略了或被隱藏起來了。例如，特區(qū)是個(gè)窗口，是技術(shù)的窗口，管理的窗口，知識(shí)的窗口，也是對(duì)外政策的窗口。不是：The special zone is a window. It is a widow for introducing technology, management and knowledge. It is also a window for foreign policy. 而是The special economic zones are a window opening onto the outside world. They are a window through which to bring in from abroad sophisticated technology, advanced managerial expertise and up-to-date know-how. It is also a window through which to disseminate China’s external policies.

再如，退耕還林：不是return farmland to forest，而應(yīng)該是restore “woodland-converted farm-plots” back for afforesting 。春運(yùn)：不是spring transportation，而是the rush / peak season of passenger transportation during the Spring Festival。

第五：有些中文詞語沒有什么特殊涵義，而與之相對(duì)應(yīng)的英文詞語卻有著特殊的涵義。例如，與“便宜”、“價(jià)廉”相對(duì)應(yīng)的“cheap,”它有時(shí)候會(huì)帶有貶義，成為“質(zhì)次價(jià)低”的意，如cheap jewelries, cheap dresses, cheap furniture 等。我們可以說I bought a cheap watch for my child，對(duì)小孩無所謂;但不能說I bought a cheap dress for my girlfriend. 因?yàn)檫@樣說會(huì)冒犯對(duì)方。在后一種情況下必須用inexpensive一詞。

第六：避免用中式英語進(jìn)行表達(dá)，而要盡量用地道的英語進(jìn)行表達(dá)。假如我們要把“我過去學(xué)過一些法語，但現(xiàn)在都忘了，都還給老師了”這句話翻譯成英語，最好不要說 I learned some French in the past. Now I have forgotten it. I’ve returned it to the teacher. 比較好的說法是 I used to know some French, but I’ve forgotten it. It has found its way back to my teacher.

再比如我們要用英語說“我攢了一大堆贓衣服，等著周末來洗，”最好不要說I have accumulated a large amount of dirty clothes. I’m going to wash them at the weekend. 比較好的說法是 I have a lot of laundry to catch up at the weekend.

第七：根據(jù)不同場(chǎng)合，英語的表達(dá)有莊重(formal) 與隨意(informal) 之分。比如“禁止吸煙”(No Smoking)、“請(qǐng)勿吸煙”(Thank you for not smoking) 和“為了您和他人的健康，請(qǐng)勿在此吸煙”(For hygiene’s sake, please refrain yourself from smoking in this room.)下面兩組例子中都各包含有formal- normal - informal 三種文體風(fēng)格(style):

Please await instructions before dispatching items.

Please wait for instructions before sending items off.

Don’t send anything off until you’re told to do so.

Essential measures should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity.

One should undertake any necessary measures at the earliest opportunity.

You should do whatever you have to as soon as you can.

第八：要注意各行各業(yè)的不同術(shù)語的選擇。比如我們要把“專業(yè)簽證人員”翻譯成英語，那么我們就要按照外交用語的習(xí)慣把它翻譯為visa officers，而不應(yīng)該照字面上翻譯成specialized visa personnel。“安居工程” 的英譯不是housing project for low-income urban residents，而應(yīng)該按照社會(huì)經(jīng)濟(jì)用語的習(xí)慣翻譯為the Affordable Housing Program; “信息化”的英譯不是informatization 或informationization，而應(yīng)該按照高科技行業(yè)習(xí)慣翻譯為the spreading / sweeping information explosion / the information explosion process / trend; “外資企業(yè)”的英譯不是overseas-funded enterprises,而應(yīng)該按照外貿(mào)行業(yè)習(xí)慣翻譯為enterprises with foreign investment / enterprises with foreign elements;再比如，高速公路上的警示語“請(qǐng)勿疲勞駕駛，”翻譯成英語不是Don’t drive tiredly，按照交通法規(guī)術(shù)語應(yīng)該翻譯為Drowsy driving is dangerous 或Drive alert, arrive alive。

第九：注意漢語和英語之間的文化差異。把“相聲”翻譯成英語不能只是翻譯其形式，還要翻譯其內(nèi)涵。翻譯成cross talk 外國(guó)人不明白;不如翻譯為comic dialogue 更好懂。再如，假設(shè)我們要把“以外貿(mào)為龍頭”翻譯成英語，能不能直接翻譯為with foreign trade as the dragon head呢?這樣翻譯是很難讓外國(guó)人明白的，因?yàn)?ldquo;以……為龍頭”這個(gè)說法是源自耍龍燈的習(xí)俗，而多數(shù)外國(guó)人不一定熟悉中國(guó)人的這一習(xí)俗。為了取得好的翻譯效果，最好是用能夠跨越文化障礙的表達(dá)方法，如“火車頭”或“旗艦”：with foreign trade as the locomotive / flagship。

但是不能機(jī)械地對(duì)待一切類似的翻譯問題，我們的頭腦里應(yīng)該有一點(diǎn)辯證法。比如漢語的“魚米之鄉(xiāng)”(land of fish and rice)，在英語里有一個(gè)類似的說法land of milk and honey，但由于land of fish and rice 外國(guó)人也能理解，不會(huì)造成跨化交流的障礙，所以我們可以采用land of fish and rice的說法，以保留一點(diǎn)中國(guó)的特色。

第十：對(duì)于暗含的意思，必須把它明白地翻譯出來，這樣便于外國(guó)讀者理解。例如，”東邊日出西邊雨，道是無晴卻有晴”中的“晴”字，它是個(gè)雙關(guān)語，有“天晴”和“愛情”的雙重意思。我們?cè)诜g的時(shí)候，必須做到二者兼顧：

It’s sunny in the east but in the west it’s raining hard.

Whether rain or sunshine, he’s the sunshine in my heart.

再如，“這種鞋油為您足下增光”中的“足下”也是個(gè)雙關(guān)語，翻譯的時(shí)候也必須把兩層意思都表達(dá)出來：This shoe shine shines your shoes and you look great.

第十一：有時(shí)候，比如翻譯詩句，光翻譯字面上的意思是不夠的，還必須把字里行間的深度、力量和美感表達(dá)出來。例如，朱門酒肉臭，路有凍死骨：不是 Wines and meats become rotten in the mansions; Dead bones become rotten at the doors of them， 而是：In the mansions, rolling luxury allows wine and meat to go rotten away;On the streets, grinding poverty causes dead bodies to freeze and decay.

第十二：漢語和英語在語法語序和句子結(jié)構(gòu)上都有很大的差別。因此，在進(jìn)行中譯英的時(shí)候必須要考慮到這些方面的變化。例如，改革開放開放取得了巨大的成就：不是The economic reform and the opening-up have made great achievements. 而是把“巨大的成就”當(dāng)作主語，把主動(dòng)語態(tài)變成被動(dòng)語態(tài)：Great achievements have been made in the economic reform and in our efforts to open-up China to the outside world.

綜上所述，一個(gè)好的翻譯人員必須具有高屋見瓴的視角，要懂得翻譯的真諦是什么。要想提高漢英翻譯水平，必須加強(qiáng)對(duì)上述各種意識(shí)的培養(yǎng)。必須養(yǎng)成多層次、多角度的思維習(xí)慣。