例如,把海南岛的“天涯海角”翻译成了“世界末日”: the End of the World (应为Land’s End / End of the Earth)。再如某航空公司的广告中承诺的“一小时内免费送机票上门”变成了“一小时内送免费机票上门”:We give you tickets free of charge within one hour.(应为We offer free delivery of your air ticketswithin one hour after your booking confirmation.)
这是因为准确的理解是做好翻译的前提。例如,我们常用“摸着石头过河”这个俗语来形容我国的改革开放事业是没有先例。那么“摸着石头过河”应如何翻译成英语呢?有的人把它按字面翻译为crossing the river byfeeling thestones。翻译的人根本就没有去认真地理解“摸着石头过河”是什么意思,应该怎样表达才能让外国人能够理解。 正确的做法应该是按照下面的步骤去做: 1.“摸着石头过河”的字面意思如何理解?
Since there is no previous experience to fall back on, we have to”wade across the stream by feeling the way,” as we say in Chinese.
例如下面例子中的“外国人”和foreigner:如果我们要把“他的英语说得真好,就像外国人一样。”翻译成这样的英语He speaks English so well, he soundslike a foreigner.那么这里的修饰语like a foreigner是指说得不好,听起来很别扭。这种看上去非常准确的翻译其效果却适得其反。正确的翻译方法应该是:He speaks English sowell, he sounds like a native speaker. “拉动经济增长”不能翻译为pull economic growth,这不符合英语的表达习惯,而要用下列动词才能与economic growth相匹配: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)。 我们也不能把“素质教育”翻译成quality education,那是指“高质量的教育”。正确的翻译应该是caliber-focused education 或trait-centered education。
例如下面的例子:特区是个窗口,是技术的窗口,管理的窗口,知识的窗口,也是对外政策的窗口。有人把它翻译为:The special zone is a window. It is a widow forintroducing technology, management and knowledge. It is also a windowfor foreign policy. 这样的翻译外国人是无法理解的,我们必须把那些被省略了或被隐藏起来的信息都翻译出来:The special economiczones are a window opening onto the outside world. They are a windowthrough which to bring in from abroad sophisticated technology,advanced managerial expertise and up-to-date know-how. It is also awindow through which to disseminate China’s external policies. 与此相似的例子还有很多,如“退耕还林”不是return farmland toforest(把耕地退还给森林),而应该是restore “woodland-converted farm-plots” back forafforesting (把从林地开垦出来的耕地还原成林地,即重新进行植树造林)。“春运”也不能简单地说成是springtransportation(春季的运输) 而是the rush / peak season of passengertransportation during the Spring Festival(春节期间的客运高峰)。
例如,与“便宜”、“价廉”相对应的“cheap,”它有时候会带有贬义,成为“质次价低”的意,如cheap jewelries, cheap dresses, cheap furniture等。我们可以说I bought a cheap watch for my child,对小孩无所谓;但不能说I bought a cheapdress for my girlfriend. 因为这样说会冒犯对方。在后一种情况下必须用inexpensive一词。 |
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