nds.

解析:以上译文对汉语句子的结构进行了重组,原文的主语是“人们”,但是考虑到全文的主题是“红色”,考生可以把和主题紧密相关的“红信封”作为主语,起到突出重点信息的作用。

例2. 随着中国的改革开放,如今很多年轻人都喜欢举办西式婚礼。

译文:With the reform and opening-up in China, western weddings are increasingly popular among young people.

解析:这里汉语原文的主语是“年轻人”,考生也可以对句式结构进行相应的调整,将“西式婚礼”用作译文句子的主语,主题突出,和下文的“白色婚纱”起到呼应的作用,信息上更加流畅。

例3. 因此务必记住,白花一定不要用作祝人康复的礼物,尤其不要送给老年人或危重病人。

译文:Thus what we should keep in mind is that white flowers do not make a suitable get well present, especially if given to the elderly or critically ill.

解析:这里的汉语句子以“务必记住”起头,是典型的汉语无主句,也就是说该句子只有谓语部分而没有主语。本句翻译时考生可增补主语we,使句子完整。当然,如果把“务必记住”翻译成名词性结构what we should keep in mind,并将其用作英语句子的主语,就能够起到强调信息的作用。

技巧三:转译

汉语中动词和形容词较多,使用频率远高于英语,而英语相对而言用名词、介词等来体现动词或形容词意义的情况较为突出。汉译英时,考生要善于采用转译的方法,转变词性来翻译,使译文更为地道。

例1:红色在中国流行的另一个原因是人们把它与中国革命和共产党相联系。

译文:Red also enjoys popularity in China because of its association with the Chinese revolution and the Communist Party.

解析:汉语原文的动词“流行”和“与……相联系”可以采用抽象名词popularity和association来翻译,这样使译文更加正式与庄重,具备书面语言的特征。

例2:然而,红色并不总是代表好运和快乐。

译文:However, red is not always a byword for good fortune and joy.

解析:本句将动词“代表”采用名词byword来翻译,具备英语的书面语言特征。

例3:在中国文化中,黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色,因为它具有独特的象征意义。

译文:Yellow is a color of great significance in Chinese culture because of its distinctive symbolic meaning.

解析:本句的形容词“重要”采用了抽象名词significance来翻译,比采用形容词翻译要显得更为正式。

技巧四:小句的连接

汉语多采用句子为单位,动词多,小句也多,小句之间只要意思关联就可以连着出现,无需连接词语。英语重形合,诸多相关联的信息往往通过各种连接词语和多种句法手段衔接在一起。因此,翻译时分析汉语各小句间的逻辑关系,选择恰当的连接词语,利用多种句法手段来连接汉语小句,是汉译英的关键。

例1:新娘在婚礼上穿白色婚纱,因为白色被认为是纯洁的象征。

译文1:At the wedding, the bride is dressed in white which is seen as a symbol of purity.

译文2:At the wedding, the bride is dressed in white because white is seen as a symbol of purity.

解析:译文1采用定语从句来翻译,代词which指代上文的white。译文2采用状语从句来连接两个小句,用because来体现两个句子的因果关系。

例2:那时,黄色专为皇帝使用的颜色,皇家宫殿全部漆成黄色,皇袍总是黄色的,而普通老百姓是禁止穿黄色衣服的。

译文1:Yellow is the emperor’s color, with all the imperial palaces and robes being yellow.However, it is forbidden for common people to wear yellow clothes.

译文2:Yellow is the emperor’s color, with all the imperial palaces and robes being yellow,while common people are forbidden to wear yellow clothes.

解析:本句由多个小句来构成,其中“皇家宫殿”“皇袍”是对上文“黄色专为皇帝使用的颜色”具体的说明,我们可以把具体说明的小句用介词with来衔接到总述上。译文1将“普通老百姓”和前文相反的情况另起一句,用however来体现这种转折关系。当然,考生也可以像译文2这样翻译,把相反的两种状况用while连接,while放在两个分句中间,往往能够体现两个分句的对比关系。

例3:秋天庄稼成熟时,田野变得一片黄甲。人们兴高采烈,庆祝丰收。

译文:When the fields are blanketed in yellow with ripe crops in autumn, the people will celebrate the harvest in jubilation.

解析:本句的译文把汉语原文的四个小句连成了一个英语复合句,具体的做法是把“秋天庄稼成熟”翻译成两个介词短语——with ripe crops和in autumn,把“兴高采烈”译成介词短语in jubilation来作为“庆祝丰收”的状语,这样我们只需要用when把两个英语句子连接成层次清晰的复杂句,译文具有正式、庄重的效果。

真题参考译文

试题一 :在中国文化中,红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福。在春节和其他喜庆场合,红色到处可见。人们把现金作为礼物送给家人或亲密朋友时,通常放在红信封里。红色在中国流行的另一个原因是人们把它与中国革命和共产党相联系。然而,红色并不总是代表好运和快乐。因为从前死者的名字常用红色书写,用红墨水书写中国人名被看成是一种冒犯行为。

参考译文: In Chinese culture, the color red is a general symbol of good luck, longevity and happiness. It is ubiquitous in the Spring Festival and on other festive occasions. Red envelopes are used to hold gift money for family members and intimate friends. Red also enjoys popularity in China because of its association with the Chinese revolution and the Communist Party. However, red is not always a byword for good fortune and joy. The names of the deceased, for example, used to be written in red, so the writing of the Chinese names in red ink is seen as an offence.

试题二:随着中国的改革开放,如今很多年轻人都喜欢举办西式婚礼。新娘在婚礼上穿白色婚纱,因为白色被认为是纯洁的象征。然而,在中国的传统文化中,白色经常是葬礼上使用的颜色。因此务必记住,白花一定不要用作祝人康复的礼物,尤其不要送给老年人或危重病人。同样,礼金不能装在白色信封里,而要装在红色信封里。

参考译文:With the reform and opening-up in China, western weddings are increasingly popular among young people. At the wedding, the bride is dressed in white which is seen as a symbol of purity. However, white is also the color for funerals in traditional Chinese culture. Thus what we should keep in mind is that white flowers do not make a suitable get well present, especially if given to the elderly or critically ill. Similarly, gift money is not supposed to be in white envelopes but rather in red ones.

试题三:在中国文化中,黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色,因为它具有独特的象征意义。在封建(feudal)社会中,它象征统治者的权力和权威。那时,黄色专为皇帝使用的颜色,皇家宫殿全部漆成黄色,皇袍总是黄色的,而普通老百姓是禁止穿黄色衣服的。在中国,黄色也是收获的象征。秋天庄稼成熟时,田野变得一片黄甲。人们兴高采烈,庆祝丰收。

参考译文:Yellow is a color of great significance in Chinese culture because of its distinctive symbolic meaning. In feudal society, it symbolizes the ruler’s dominant power and authority. Yellow is the emperor’s color, with all the imperial palaces and robes being yellow. However, it is forbidden for common people to wear yellow clothes. Yellow is also the symbol of harvest in China. When the fields are blanketed in yellow with ripe crops in autumn, the people will celebrate the harvest in jubilation.

作者简介

张曦,上海交通大学文学博士,美国佛罗里达大学访问学者。东华大学副教授,在英语系教授英语精读、高级口译、同声传译、科技英语翻译、文学翻译等专业课程,出版《14天!完美攻克四六级新题型之汉译英》、《读懂外媒必备英语2000词》、《译道》、《译境》等著作近40本,拥有多年口译和笔译经验。

来源;新东方英语

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