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汉语中有大量的四字语结构,这是汉语行文的一大特色,也是一种重要的修辞手段。四字词组比较精练,念起来顺口有节奏感,结构严谨,蕴涵丰富,如果运用恰当,可使文字生动活泼,增强行文气势,提高语言的表达效果。翻译时为了使译文生动,有时可以采用下列各种四字结构。
1.运用四字对偶词组
四字对偶词组是在这个四字中,前后两对字形成对偶,往往具有相同或类似的含义。英译汉时适当采用这类对偶四字词组,可使译文显得生动活泼。例如:careless(粗心大意),vivid(生动活泼),prosperity(繁荣昌盛),ingratitude(忘恩负义)。又如:
(1)If this was a time of triumph for the many,it was a painful period for the few.多数人兴高采烈之日,却是少数人伤心失意之时。
(2)She is an awful fool of a woman.她是一个愚昧无知的女人。
(3)In his opinion,the trial was absolutely fair. 在他看来,这次审判是绝对公平合理的。
2. 运用两个四字词组
为了使译文符合忠实、通顺的标准,译者可酌情运用两个同义或近义的四字词组。例如:
(1)He showed himself calm in an emergency situation.他在情况危急时, 态度从容,镇定自若。
(2)The questions were evidently unexpected to the slow-witted spokesman,who instantly found himself tongue-tied.这些问题显然使得这位头脑迟钝的发言人感到意外,他立刻显得张口结舌,哑口无言。
3.运用词的重叠
汉语中我们经常可见到词的重叠运用,如“明白”往往说成“明明白白”,“清楚” 往往说成“清清楚楚”。英译汉时,我们可适当采用词的重叠,尤其是四字重叠词组能使译文生动活泼,通顺达意。例如:
(1)His children were as ragged and wild as if they belonged to nobody.他的那些孩子穿得破破烂烂,粗野不堪,就像没有父母亲似的。
(2)The toasts were flat.祝酒辞是平平淡淡的。
(3)The farm buildings and the wheel-house were all dim and bluish.农场房屋和水车护架都模模糊糊,显现着浅蓝色。
采用四字结构可以有以下三种基本情况:
1.把原文中的个别单词译成四字语结构,例如:
(1)The film industry continued to grow.Unknown men and women became stars overnight.电影业继续发展,默默无闻的男男女女一夜之间成为明星。
(2)Along the roads fresh flowers delighted the traveler’s eye through much of the year.(Rachel Carson:Silent Spring)一年之中的大部分时间里, 沿路的鲜花使游人目不暇接。
试比较原文的“delight”与译文“目不暇接”。译文没有拘泥于“使人高兴”,而译为“目不暇接”,更多地增加了游人参与的成分。
(3)I am not greedily selfish,blindly unjust,or wickedly ungrateful. (Charlotte Bronte:Jane Eyre)我不是一个贪心不足的利己者,也不是个瞎了眼不识好歹或是心狠手辣、忘恩负义的人。
译文没有把原文中的“greedily, unjust,wickedly, ungrateful”直译成:“贪婪的;不正直的;坏的;不知感激的”, 而是译成:四字结构“不识好歹;心狠手辣、忘恩负义”,这样使译文大添文彩。
2.把原文中的短语或词组译成四字结构,例如:
例如:He has been pursued,day by day and year by year,by a most phenomenal and astonishing luckiness. ( Mark Twain:Good Luck)日复一日,年复一年,他一直是吉星高照,无与伦比,这真是令人惊叹不已。
原文中的“day by day and year by year”译为“日复一日,年复一年”,“ a most phenomenal luckiness”译为“吉星高照,无与伦比”。
3.结合原文上下文内容采用四字结构,例如:
(1)We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many,many,many long months of struggle and of suffering.(Winston Churchill:I Have Nothing to Offer but Blood,Toil,Tears and Sweat)我们面临着一场最严峻的考验。我们面临着月复一月,年复一年的斗争与苦难。
句中“many,many,many long months”译为“月复一月,年复一年”意思不变,但比“许多许多许多漫长的月份”要顺畅得多。
(2)At this time,I feel entitled to claim the aid of all,and I say,“ Come,then,Let us go forward together with our untied strength.”(Winston Churchill:I Have Nothing to Offer but Blood,Toil,Tears and Sweat )此时此际,我认为我有权要求所有的人助我一臂之力,我呼吁:“行动起来,让我们万众一心,共赴国难。”
译文中的“助一臂之力、万众一心、共赴国难”都是汉语中的习语,准确而流畅,符合演说风格。
总之,在英汉翻译中是否运用四字结构要根据具体情况而定,不该用而滥用则会弄巧成拙,使译文偏离原意,该用而不用便使译文拖泥带水,风采暗淡。所以,在翻译中恰当地运用四字结构能使译文锦上添花,收到难得的修辞效果。
参考文献:
[1]张培基.英汉翻译教程.上海外语教育出版社,2003.
[2]彭长江.英汉—汉英翻译教程.湖南师范大学出版社,2003.
1.运用四字对偶词组
四字对偶词组是在这个四字中,前后两对字形成对偶,往往具有相同或类似的含义。英译汉时适当采用这类对偶四字词组,可使译文显得生动活泼。例如:careless(粗心大意),vivid(生动活泼),prosperity(繁荣昌盛),ingratitude(忘恩负义)。又如:
(1)If this was a time of triumph for the many,it was a painful period for the few.多数人兴高采烈之日,却是少数人伤心失意之时。
(2)She is an awful fool of a woman.她是一个愚昧无知的女人。
(3)In his opinion,the trial was absolutely fair. 在他看来,这次审判是绝对公平合理的。
2. 运用两个四字词组
为了使译文符合忠实、通顺的标准,译者可酌情运用两个同义或近义的四字词组。例如:
(1)He showed himself calm in an emergency situation.他在情况危急时, 态度从容,镇定自若。
(2)The questions were evidently unexpected to the slow-witted spokesman,who instantly found himself tongue-tied.这些问题显然使得这位头脑迟钝的发言人感到意外,他立刻显得张口结舌,哑口无言。
3.运用词的重叠
汉语中我们经常可见到词的重叠运用,如“明白”往往说成“明明白白”,“清楚” 往往说成“清清楚楚”。英译汉时,我们可适当采用词的重叠,尤其是四字重叠词组能使译文生动活泼,通顺达意。例如:
(1)His children were as ragged and wild as if they belonged to nobody.他的那些孩子穿得破破烂烂,粗野不堪,就像没有父母亲似的。
(2)The toasts were flat.祝酒辞是平平淡淡的。
(3)The farm buildings and the wheel-house were all dim and bluish.农场房屋和水车护架都模模糊糊,显现着浅蓝色。
采用四字结构可以有以下三种基本情况:
1.把原文中的个别单词译成四字语结构,例如:
(1)The film industry continued to grow.Unknown men and women became stars overnight.电影业继续发展,默默无闻的男男女女一夜之间成为明星。
(2)Along the roads fresh flowers delighted the traveler’s eye through much of the year.(Rachel Carson:Silent Spring)一年之中的大部分时间里, 沿路的鲜花使游人目不暇接。
试比较原文的“delight”与译文“目不暇接”。译文没有拘泥于“使人高兴”,而译为“目不暇接”,更多地增加了游人参与的成分。
(3)I am not greedily selfish,blindly unjust,or wickedly ungrateful. (Charlotte Bronte:Jane Eyre)我不是一个贪心不足的利己者,也不是个瞎了眼不识好歹或是心狠手辣、忘恩负义的人。
译文没有把原文中的“greedily, unjust,wickedly, ungrateful”直译成:“贪婪的;不正直的;坏的;不知感激的”, 而是译成:四字结构“不识好歹;心狠手辣、忘恩负义”,这样使译文大添文彩。
2.把原文中的短语或词组译成四字结构,例如:
例如:He has been pursued,day by day and year by year,by a most phenomenal and astonishing luckiness. ( Mark Twain:Good Luck)日复一日,年复一年,他一直是吉星高照,无与伦比,这真是令人惊叹不已。
原文中的“day by day and year by year”译为“日复一日,年复一年”,“ a most phenomenal luckiness”译为“吉星高照,无与伦比”。
3.结合原文上下文内容采用四字结构,例如:
(1)We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many,many,many long months of struggle and of suffering.(Winston Churchill:I Have Nothing to Offer but Blood,Toil,Tears and Sweat)我们面临着一场最严峻的考验。我们面临着月复一月,年复一年的斗争与苦难。
句中“many,many,many long months”译为“月复一月,年复一年”意思不变,但比“许多许多许多漫长的月份”要顺畅得多。
(2)At this time,I feel entitled to claim the aid of all,and I say,“ Come,then,Let us go forward together with our untied strength.”(Winston Churchill:I Have Nothing to Offer but Blood,Toil,Tears and Sweat )此时此际,我认为我有权要求所有的人助我一臂之力,我呼吁:“行动起来,让我们万众一心,共赴国难。”
译文中的“助一臂之力、万众一心、共赴国难”都是汉语中的习语,准确而流畅,符合演说风格。
总之,在英汉翻译中是否运用四字结构要根据具体情况而定,不该用而滥用则会弄巧成拙,使译文偏离原意,该用而不用便使译文拖泥带水,风采暗淡。所以,在翻译中恰当地运用四字结构能使译文锦上添花,收到难得的修辞效果。
参考文献:
[1]张培基.英汉翻译教程.上海外语教育出版社,2003.
[2]彭长江.英汉—汉英翻译教程.湖南师范大学出版社,2003.