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英译汉

先是母亲生病住院，体质本就赢弱的父亲，因为焦虑过度，也随即病倒，父母双双住进了医院。

First, my mother was hospitalized with an illness. Shortly thereafter, anxiety for her overtook my father, whose health was already fragile, so both had to stay in the hospital. (sentence-based)

（1）今天的发展不能以牺牲将来为代价。（2）应该看到中国过去二十年的经济迅速发展带来很大的代价。（3）我们喝的水被污染了，我们呼吸的空气被污染了。（4）森林越来越少了。（5）这个代价还不只是环境上的。代价还有社会风气的变坏。

1) Today?s progress should not come at tomorrow?s expense. 2), 3), 4) It should be recognized that China?s remarkable economic growth in the last two decades has come with a huge cost: the water we drink and the air we breathe are polluted, and the forest is diminishing. 5) The cost is not only environmental; it is also more serious in terms of the decline in public morals

戴帽子：Be branded as; be labeled;

Be branded as a counterrevolutionary 戴上反革命帽子

就怕人多电影票不够分。

青草吃得羊很肥。

I am afraid there wouldn?t be enough film tickets to go around, because of the great number of people.

I am afraid there wouldn?t be enough film tickets to go around, since there are too many people.

I am afraid there wouldn?t be one ticket for each person, because we?ve got too many people.

The green grass fed the goat up.

Feed…up: make (a person or animal) fatter and healthier by providing lots of good food

The goat feeding on the green grass became very stout and fat.

2002 年是中国农历的马年,在马年的新春里,天津动物园的河马、斑马、野马和果下马四个家庭中各有一名于马年之中产仔…孕妇?,这一现象是天津动物繁殖史上的一个惊奇而有趣的现象.

“2002 is the? Year of Horse? by the Chinese Lunar calendar. In the spring of 2002, a hippo, a zebra, a wild horse and a Guoxia horse gave birth at the Tianjin Zoo. In China, hippo and zebra are generally called …horse?, while the Guoxia horse is a kind of pony in Southwest china. So to the locals, four …horses? gave birth in the spring of the …Horse Year?. To know more about this amusing coincidence, follow us to visit the Z oo.”(吴自选,2004:3)

2.1.2 文化、语言与汉英翻译的关系

语言与文化密不可分，文化的差异可以通过语言反映出来。

一、自然条件的差异

汉语文化中，“东风”即“春天的风”，英国报告春天消息的却是

西风。东风在中国文学作品中频繁出现，如：“东风夜放花千树”、

“等闲识得东风面，万紫千红总是春”等。而东风在英国呢？举例

为证：Biting east winds; a piercing east wind; How many

winter days have I seen him, standing blue-nosed in the snow

and east wind!可见东风在英国是刺骨的寒风。

西风在英国为暖风，代表春天的来临。（雪莱----《西风颂》）

英国是一个岛国，渔业和航海业发达，看以下词语：waste money like water 花钱如流水

fish in the air 水中捞月

have other fish to fry 另有要事

drink like a fish 牛饮

a cold fish 一个冷漠的人

al l is fish that comes to one?s net 凡能到手的都要

You can?t make a crab walk straight. 江山易改，本性难移。

She sailed through the hall. 她自由自在地走过大厅。

know the ropes 懂得诀窍

只有具备相关背景知识，才能更好地理解文化词汇的含义，从

而准确进行翻译。

二、习俗的差异

汉英习俗的差异是多方面的。如对狗的态度：狗在汉语文

化中是一种卑微的动物，与狗相关得表达一般含有贬义，如

“走狗、狗腿子、狗东西、癞皮狗、狗急跳墙、狗仗人势、狗

眼看人低、狼心狗肺”等。英语文化中人们则欣赏狗的勇敢和

忠诚，如“a lucky dog(幸运儿)”、“Love me, love my

dog(爱

屋及乌)”、“Every dog has his day(凡人皆有得意日)”

等。

又如颜色方面，中国人喜爱红色，认为它代表热情、喜悦和兴

旺。传统中国婚礼上新娘子总是红色的奇葩，以示吉利；新房

也必由大红“喜”字。

但英美文化中红色常与暴力、流血和战争有关。因而为避免读

者误解，著名翻译家David Hawkes不但把《红楼梦》翻译成

“The story of the Stone”，还将全书的“红”字都译为“green”。

同样的差异还体现在白色、绿色等颜色上。

2.2 中英思维方式对比

2.2.1中国人注重伦理(ethics);英美人注重认知(congnition)

“以儒家为代表的先哲对世界的认识主要不是出于对自然奥秘

的好奇，而是出于对现实政治和伦理道德的关注”。儒家思想

“关心的是人道，而非天道，是人生之理，而非自然之性”。

而海洋性地理环境中发展起来的英美文化促使英美人对天文

地理的浓厚兴趣，使他们形成了探求自然的奥秘，向自然索

取的认知传统。

如：顺其自然（Let nature take its course in accordance with its natural tendancy）、听其自然（leave the matter as

it is; take the world as it is）、听天由命(be at the mercy of

nature; be left to God?s mercy; let fate have i ts way; submit

the will of Heaven; wait for one?s fate)、听天安命(accept

the situation).

重伦理思想观念还体现在汉语与英语的亲属称谓翻译对比。

翻译“张明和李丹是表亲。张明的母亲是李丹的姑母，李丹的

母亲是张明的舅母。”

2.2.2中国人重整体（integrity）、重综合性

(synthetic)思维;英美人重个体(individuality）、

重分析性(analytic)思维

它收敛了它的花纹、图案，隐藏了它的粉墨、彩色，逸

出了繁华的花丛、停止了它翱翔的姿态，变成了一张憔悴

的，干枯了的，甚至不是枯黄的，而是枯槁的，如同死灰颜

色的枯叶。（徐迟---- 枯叶蝴蝶）

When it gathers its wings full of exquisite patterns, it

conceals its beautiful colors. When it flutters out from a cluster of blooming flowers and alights somewhere in the

middle of its graceful flight, it turns into a dried leaf, not even of a withering yellow, but of a deathly grey.

2.2.3中国人重直觉（intuition）、重形象思

维(figurative thinking);英美人重实证

(evidence）、重逻辑思维(logical thinking)

1）中国人的形象思维体现在用具体形象的词语比喻抽象的事物，以物表感、状物言志。如：明枪易躲，暗箭难防（It is easy to dodge a spear thrust in the open, but difficult to guard against an arrow shot from hiding）、脚踩两只船（straddle two boats; have a foot in either camp）、脚踏实地（have a down-to-earth manner）、丢盔弃甲（throw away everything in headlong flight）蒙在鼓里（be kept in the dark）等。

2）汉语的量词数量多，文化内涵丰富、生动，也是形象化的体现。如：一面镜子（?）、一朵花（?）、一把椅子（?）、一张桌子（?）、一位客人（?）等。

2.3.1 汉英文字对比

汉语属汉藏语系（Sino-Tibetan Family），英语属印欧语系(Indo-European Family)。

古汉字是表意文字（ideograpic script）

英语是拼音文字（alphabetic script）

汉语主要有4种方法造字。

（1）象形字（pictagraph），它是有关自然现象，人或物的原始图形文字，是一种象形符号.e.g. 果,雨,山老张进门看见他的儿子在床上睡成一个“大”

字。

Lao Zhang came in and saw his son lying spread-eagled on the bed.

（2）指事字（indicative），它是以表达某种意思的抽象符号，或在形象符号中加上指事性符号构成。

e.g.上，下

（3）会意字（associative），它是由两个或两个以上的指事性符号构成，其意义为该符号引起的联想意义。e.g. 从，森，祭

（4）形声字（morpheme-phonetic character），它由表意的形符和表声的音符组成。 e.g. 烤

2.3.2 汉英语音对比

汉语是声调语言（tonal language）。声调不仅是汉语的重要语音表达手段，还能帮助辨义。汉语的单音节词只有一个重读音节（stressed syllable），双音节词可能两个音节都重读，也可能只有一个音节重读。“英语是语调语言（intonation language）。语调的单位一般是句群或小句，调核一般在语句的末尾。

语调既有语法作用，能分开陈述句，疑问句或反意问句，也有独特的表意作用，具有很强的表情功能，不同的语调可以表示不同的态度，口气和思想感情。

此外，语调还赋予英语一种旋律美，有的语音学家形象地将语调比做英语的灵魂。”

2.3.3 汉英词义对比

词是具备形、音、义，可以独立运用的最小语言单位，也

是最小的语法单位。词具有指称意义和蕴涵意义，因而难译。

下面几例是“道”在<<红楼梦>>第三回的4种译法.“道”在早期文言中,是“说”的意思.

宝玉初见黛玉,送她“颦颦”为别名,探春问宝玉取此名的缘由,宝玉引经据典说得头头是道,然后便有了以下的对话.

1) 探春笑道:“只恐又是你的杜撰.” 宝玉笑道:“除<<四书>>外, 杜撰的太多,偏只我是杜撰不成?”

“ You?re making that up, I?m afraid," teased Tan Chun.

“Most works, apart from the FOUR BOOKS, are made up; am I the only one who made things up?” he retorted with a grin.

(杨宪益,戴乃迭译)

2)贾母笑道:“你不认得他,它是我们这里有名的一个泼皮破落户儿,南省俗谓作…辣子?,你只叫他…凤辣子?就是了.”

“You don?t know her,” said Grandmother Ji a merrily. “She?s a holy terror this one. what we used to call in Nanking a …peppercorn?. You just call her …Peppercorn Feng?. She?ll know who you mean!”(David Hawkes 译)

3) 贾母因笑道:“外客未见,就脱了衣裳,还不去见你妹妹!”

With a smile at Pao-yu, the Lady Dowager scolded, “Fancy changing your clothes before greeting

our visitor. Hurry up now and pay your respects to your cousin.”

(杨宪益,戴乃迭译)

4) 贾母笑道:“可又是胡说,你又何曾见过他?”

“You?re talking nonsense again,” said his grandmother, laughing. “How could you possibly have met her ?”

(杨宪益,戴乃迭译)

英汉词汇意义的对应程度，大致有以下三种情况

1）词义相符(semantic correspondence)

如: 山(mountain), 学生(student),

环境保护(environmental protection)

在寻找语义相符的对应语时,易犯逐词翻译的毛病,找到假对应词,如:

学习知识to learn knowledge (to acquire knowledge)

盐水salt water (salt solution)

2)二.词义相异(semantic non-correspondence)

词义相异有两种情况.第一种是指称意义相符,蕴涵意义相异.

松、梅、竹（岁寒三友，蕴含不畏唁函，傲然风雪的品德）然而，英语中pine trees, plum blossoms,bamboo不具备上述蕴含意义。

“羊”在古汉语中就是吉祥的意思.如“三羊开泰”(Three Rams Bring Bliss) ram 在英语中除表示“公羊”外，还表示“撞击装置”。

第二种情况是指称意义和蕴涵意义相异.

phoenix(凤凰): mythical bird of the Arabian desert, said to live for several hundred years before burning itself and then rising born again from its ashes

“龙凤呈祥”(Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity)

3) 词义空缺(semantic zero)

词语意义的空缺是文化现象空缺的结果.

翻译是需要用音译,意译或其他方式表示其义.

糖葫芦Tanghulu, a sugar-coated fruit on the stick which is a kind of children?s favorite food in winter

特困生the most needy students

乌纱帽an official post

站票standing-room-only tickets

钱先生周岁时“抓周”,抓了一本书,因此得名“钟书”.

When Qian was just one year old, he was told by his parents to choose one thing among many others, he picked up a book of all things. Thereupon his father very gladly gave him the name: Zhongshu (=book lover).

2.3.4 汉英句法对比

汉语句子特点是“以意统形”.因而汉语的句法特征是意合(parataxis),强调逻辑关联与意义关联而不在意词语之间和句际之间的形式衔接.

英语句子的特点是强调形式和功能,因而英语的句法特点是形合(hypotaxis).句子成分之间的关系要求用形式标记表明. 请看下例:

1)我常见许多青年的朋友,2)聪明用功,3)成绩优异,4)而语文程度不足以达意,5)甚至写一封信亦难得通顺,6)问其故则曰其兴趣不在语文方面.

倘若完全按原文的句法特征将其译成英文,可能是:

1)I have come across a great many young friends, 2)Bright and diligent, 3)Do exceedingly well in studies, 4)but they are rather weak in Chinese, 5)even can?t write a smooth Chinese letter. 6)When asked why, they?ll say they are not interested in Chinese.

请看张培基先生的译文:

I have come across a great many bright and diligent young friends who have done exceedingly well in their studies, but are rather weak in Chinese. They cannot even write a letter in correct Chinese. When I asked them why, they said they were not interested in the Chinese language.

英语的从句前必须根据其语法功能用when, where, who,that, an等表示关联词将其与主句衔接起来.这也是汉语语法隐含性(covertness)的一种表现.

而英语的语法呈外显性(overtness),体现了英美人重个体,重分析的思维方式.

汉语的语法特征也体现了文化对语言生成和发展的影响.中国人的祖先居住在亚洲东部北温带,气候比较温和,较少受台风,海啸的袭击.半封闭的大陆型地理环境与自给自足的小农经济使他们形成了“天人合一”的哲学思想.

他们崇尚和谐,相信任何自然的和谐共存,相信主客体是: 重伦理,重悟性,重简约.

这种心理文化在汉语语法中的表现形式是:以意统形,强调意义的连贯,但不在意形式标记.句法特征为意合(parataxis),语法特征为隐性(covertness),词语的意义往往只能在句子或一定的语境中才能确定.

而英国人的祖先居住在干燥的平原和海岸边,长年累

月受到暴雨风霜的袭击,在物质文化和制度文化不发达的时代,自然的伟力和凶残均不可预测.为了生存,人们只能冷静地面对自然,向自然作斗争.

自然作为人的对立面而存在,久而久之,英国人就形成了观察自然,分析自认,了解自然继而控制自然的习惯.

对人与自然对立关系的认识可以说是西方文化的基本概念,也是英国心理文化的重要特征.因此,英语的语法特征是显性(overtness),句法特征是形合(hypotaxis).

2.3.5 汉英篇章对比

信息结构(information structure)

篇章信息功能----- 句子信息结构

汉语是主题显著(topic-prominent)语言。汉语的句子强调意义和

功能，建构在意念主轴(thought-pivot)上，句子跟思想的简单明

确的顺序一致。如：

关于春游，你们建议去哪儿？

盐城，那是我的家乡。

为了完成这个作业，他熬了一个通宵。

上述划线部分均为主题，而不是主语。

英语是主语显著(subject-prominent)语言。英语句子重形式和功能，句子建

构在主谓主轴(subject-predicate-pivot)上，主语和谓语之间存在一种形式上

的一致关系。

衔接手段(cohesive devices)

一、指称衔接

词与所指对象之间的语义关系称为指称衔接，也称为照应。分类有外指和内指；回指和下指。

如：1）张明是我的一个朋友。（外指，“张明”存在于客观世界中）

2）张明是我的一个朋友。他是江苏人。（内指，“他”

回指“张明”）

3）他在那边！张明。（内指，“他”下指“张明”）

4）这幅画是一部用思考和修养完成的杰作，它既有历史感又有

现代艺术语言的独特性。

The painting is a masterpiece reflecting deep insight and artistic

attainments; it expresses a sense of history by using specific

modern artistic vocabulary.

二、结构衔接

结构衔接指信息结构之间的衔接，可通过主位-述位结构或替代、省略、对偶、排比、反复等修辞格实现。如：

（1）我仍旧站在那棵柿子树下，望着树梢上那个孤零零的小火

柿子。（2）它那红得透亮的色泽，依然给人一种喜盈盈的感觉。

（3）可是我却哭了。（4）哭那陌生的，但却疼爱我的卖灶糖的

老汉。

I stood under the persimmon tree, looking at the lone little

persimmon. (2) Its flaming redness was a joyous sight, but I

cried for the strange old candy peddlaer who had been so fond

of me.

I stood under the persimmon tree, looking at the lone little

persimmon. (2) Its flaming redness was a joyous sight, but I

cried.(3) I cried for the strange old candy peddlaer who had

been so fond of me.

三、词汇衔接

词汇衔接可归纳为词的反复和搭配两大类。词的反复指使用相同的词、同义词或近义词，上义词和下义词。如：

孔乙己便涨红了脸，额头上的青筋条条绽出，争辩道，“窃书不能算偷……窃

书……读书人的事，能算偷么？”

At that Kong Yiji would flush, the veins on his forehead standing out as he

protested, “ Taking books can?t be counted stealing … Taking books … for a

scholar … can?t be counted stealing.”

词语的自然搭配，体现在主语和谓语的搭配、动词和名词的搭配、英语动词短

语中动词与介词的搭配、名词与介词的搭配等。

黄浦的夕潮不知怎的已经涨上了，现在沿这苏州河的两岸的各色船只都浮得高

高的，舱面比码头还高了约半英尺。

The evening tide from the whangpoo had turned imperceptibly, and now the

assortment of boats along both sides of the creek were

riding high, their

decks some six inches above the landing-stages.

Translation of Words (1)

词语的翻译

Denotative meaning vs. Connotative meaning

§Denotative meaning(指称意义) refers to the primary meaning of a lexical item, involving its relationship to the non-linguistic entities which it represents.

§Connotative meaning(蕴涵意义): additional meaning which a lexical item acquired beyond its primary, referential meaning.

1. 徐霞客在考察的过程中, 从不盲目迷信书上的结

论.( TEM-8)

迷信: superstitious

而在英语中superstitious 有这样的意思吗?

1 a: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of

the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation b: an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition2: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary

⒍[迷信]

①信仰神仙鬼怪和命运等：愚昧者～信。～信者愚昧。

对于搞～信活动者，按治安法规处罚；若有罪行，则按《刑法》惩办。

②盲目信仰和崇拜：切莫～信。

Blindly worship; blindly believe; take…for granted;

In the course of his exploration, he never took what have been recorded in books for granted.

2. 我们要继续保持国民经济快速、健康发展，加强

精神文明建设和民主法制建设，促进社会全面进步。

§We should also continue to maintain the rapid and sound development of the economy and make greater efforts to promote spiritual civilization, democracy and the legal system, so as to promote overall social progress.

§Civilization is always contrast to the word “ barbarian” etc. if we say that we have been promoting spiritual civilization, it implies that we are still in an uncivilized way spiritually speaking. Therefore, here 精神文明has to be specified according to the true conditions of our country. §1 a: a relatively high level of cultural and technological development; specifically: the stage of cultural development at which writing and the keeping of written records is attained. §b: the culture characteristic of a particular time or place §Here, it is better translated into: to promote the

development of socialist cultural and ideological values. 3．在全社会形成共同理想和精神支柱，是有中国特色社会主义文化建设的根本。

Can we translate “Jingshenzhizhu” into “the spiritual pillar”?

支柱：

a: a firm upright support for a superstructure : post b: a usually ornamental column or shaft; especially : one standing alone for a monument2 a: a supporting, integral, or upstanding member or part b: a fundamental precept 3: a solid mass of coal, rock, or ore left standing to support a mine roof4: a body part that resembles a column

The translation is: Fostering common ideals and aspirations in the whole society is the basic objective of our culture advancement with Chinese characteristics.

我们应该加强精神文明建设。§We should step up efforts to promote cultural and ethical progress. §双方见面寒暄了几句§Coldly talk for a while §Version: when two strangers are introduced to each other, they will greet each other briefly. §你的建议值得商榷。§商榷

shāngquè商讨提出几点意见,与诸位商榷我们所发表的意见,都允许大家讨论、商榷。——《要造成一种民主空气》§Your suggestion is worthy of discussion. §Your suggestion is open to question.

以外贸企业为龙头。

With foreign trade enterprises as the dragon ahead

Why the teacher sentence use “the head of dragon?” because “dragon” is considere d as a holy animal which will bring luck. In the ancient times, emperors are considered as dragon. But in English, dragon means a large imaginary animal that has wings and a long tail and can breath out fire.

Here, “longtou” doesn?t mean the head of drago n, but means “引导，领头，先锋作用。”

龙头1①自来水管的放水活门，有旋转装置可以打开或关上。龙头也用在其他液体容器上。②〈方〉自行车的把（bǎ）。龙头2 [lóngtóu]①比喻带头的、起主导作用的事物：～企业。②〈方〉江湖上称帮会的头领。