和谐英语

英语四级翻译的原则与方法(五)

2007-10-19来源:
    三、正反译与反正译
        
           通常翻译时,英语原文是肯定句或否定句,译为汉语时也采取相应的形式即可。但有时,如果一味的按照原文的肯定形式或否定形式来翻译,会出现表达不通顺,或不符合汉语习惯的情况。这时,就需要将原文的反面表达(否定形式)转换为正面表达(肯定形式),或将原文的正面表达(肯定形式)转换为反面表达(否定形式)。这样才能既不改变原文意思,又使语句通顺流畅。
        
          1.正反译
        
          所谓正反译是指原文通过正面(肯定形式)表达的词或句子,译文以反面(否定形式)来表
        
          达。
        
          1)动词及短语,例如:
        
          As a result, many people avoided the very attempts that are the source of true happiness.
        
          译文:结果,很多人没有尝试,而这些尝试正是幸福的源泉。
        
          He felt ill at ease.
        
          译文:他感到不自在。
        
          2)有些形容词的比较级和最高级可表示否定意义,例如:
        
           At present it is generally accepted, although more as a self-evident statement than on the base of a closely-reasoned scientific proof.
        
          译文:目前,这个观点已被普遍接受,虽然它是不言而喻的,并不是根据科学严密推理而证明的。
        
          3)形容词及其短语,例如:
        
          The light in the classroom is poor.
        
          译文:教室里的光线不足。
        
          4)介词及其短语,例如:
        
          His answer is beside the mark.
        
          译文:他的回答文不对题。
        
          5)连接词,例如:
        
          The soldiers would fight to death before they surrendered.
        
          译文:战士们宁愿战死也决不投降。
        
          6)名词,例如:
        
          Behave yourself during my absence.
        
          译文:我不在时要规矩点。
        
          7)习惯用法,例如:
        
          He is anything but a writer.
        
          译文:他决不是一个作家。
        
          The islanders found themselves far from ready to fight the war.
        
          译文:岛民发现自己远远没有做好作战准备。
        
          The decision has to come.
        
          译文:决定尚未作出。
        
          It is a wise father that knows his own child.
        
          译文:无论怎样聪明的父亲也不见得了解自己的孩子。
        
          2.反正译
        
          所谓反正译是指原文通过反面(否定形式)表达的词或句子,译文以正面(肯定形式)来表达。
        
          1)动词及短语,例如:
        
          The doubt was still unsolved after his repeated explanations.
        
          译文:虽经他一再解释,疑团仍然存在。
        
          The examination left no doubt that the patient had died of cancer.
        
          译文:调查结果清楚的说明病人死于癌症。
        
          2)副词,例如:
        
          It is the only possession that I have not given up.
        
          译文:这是我所保留的唯一财产。
        
          3)形容词及其短语,例如:
        
          He was an indecisive sort of person and always capricious(反复无常的).
        
          译文:他这个人优柔寡断,而且总是反复无常。
        
          4)介词及其短语,例如:
        
          The whole gun was no longer than eight inches.
        
          译文:整枝枪的长度只有8英寸。
        
          The problem is not beyond our reach.
        
          译文:这个问题我们能解决。
        
          5)名词,例如:
        
          He showed a strong dislike for father’s business.
        
          译文:他对他父亲的生意表现出强烈的厌恶。
        
          6)句子,例如:
        
          The significance of these incidents wasn’t lost on us.
        
          译文:这些事件引起了我们的重视。