贴切传神搞翻译:打破公式

贴切传神搞翻译:打破公式

从大量的翻译实践中我们可以看到，要灵活翻译，把原义真实表达出来，其中一个关键的问题就是必须打破头脑中的一些机械对等的公式。      看来这些“公式”和我们一开始学习英语时所采用的错误教法有关，它们在我们头脑中往往先入为主，根深蒂固。而要打破头脑中机械对等的公式套用的习惯，就必须养成一种整体情景分析的习惯。

      我们不妨阅读一下下列文字：

      Aunt Helen wasa married to a clergyman, the vicar of a nearby parish. A conscientious but reserved man. It was Aunt Helen who ran the parish. With incredible efficiency, she organised charity bazaars and subscriptions, rebuked the erring, bullied committees and entertained a daily gathering of helpers, voluntary and conscripted, to tea, cake and instructions. It was she who gave me a bicycle for a Christmas present: I was in this way betterequipped for her numerous errands. She was an admirable woman, whom I take the great pains not to resemble.

      按照原文的形式，若作机械对等的公式翻译：“她是一位我尽量不去学她那样子的令人钦佩的女子。”这显然与原文其它部分是矛盾的。作者的海伦姑妈负责教区管理，她以令人难以置信的办事效率组织义卖市场和慈善事业，在圣诞节时还送给作者一辆自行车作为礼物。

      在这儿，whom导出的非限制性定语从句，在形式上是描绘性的。但实际上，前后两个是表示转折的单句。根据上文所描绘的，作者的姑妈确实令人敬佩。但她那怪僻的性格，实在令作者不敢效仿。所以，本句应按照它的基本概念进行翻译：

      “她是一位令人钦佩的女性，可是我尽量不去学她那个样子。”

英语有固有的框架结构和语言形式。而对于译者来说，应该在头脑中冲破这个“桎梏”，一切从整体情景出发，该怎么理解就怎么翻译。

      1. He sang sentimentally, if a little hoarsely, about his passion for the sea, which we knew he had never seen.

      2. After a song, the lady was persuaded to give an encore, which was loudly applauded.

      3. I would listen with one part of my mind, which was interested, but wonder with the other part whether one day I might wind up like Grandma Mary myself.