译文是否准确规范,简练精辟,是否符合该语言使用者的表达习惯了。
5) 顺序法
顺序法翻译不改变原文表达语序,不会影响对原文内容的理解。
例1 即使在我们关掉床头灯甜甜地进入梦乡时,电仍然为我们工作:开动电冰箱,把水加热,或使室内空调机继续运转。
译文: Even when we turn off the bedside lamp and are fast asleep , electricity is working for us, driving our refrigerators, heating our water, or keeping our rooms air-conditioned.
在句子中,句子前半部分是一个让步状语从句,后半句的“开动”,“加热”,“使??运转”都是“电在为我们工作”的具体内容。因而在译文中,译者将这三个并行动作处理成了V-ing 形式,补充说明working的内容。译文按照原句的语序完全传达了原文的意思,采用顺序法翻译,达到了“精确,通顺”的目的。
例2 It was a Saturday evening, when Tom was lying on the bench of the school listening to a blackbird and composing a lyric, that he saw the girls running among the trees, with the red-cheeked Joe in swift pursuit.
译文: 那是周六的傍晚,汤姆正躺在学校的长凳上,一面听画眉鸟唱歌,一面写一首抒情诗,忽然看见女孩子们在树林里奔跑,后面紧跟着那红脸的乔。
原句里一连串出现了一系列的动词如:lying, listening, composing, saw,这是按汤姆进行这些动作的先后顺序来描述的,如果在译文中打乱这些顺序,就反而会显得凌乱,没有逻辑。
6)逆序法
逆序法根据目标语使用者表达习惯与目标语读者的认知能力,按原文语序反向翻译,以便更好地传达原文的内容。
例3 他经常做礼拜的时候,总坐在固定的座位上,可是那天他们发现他不坐在老地方。 请读者比较下面两句译文,你认为哪一句较好?
译文1:When he attended worship, he always took a certain seat, but they found that he took a different one that day.
译文2:They remarked how he took a different seat from that which he usually occupied when he chose to attend worship.
两种译文都忠实传达了原文内容。第一种为顺序翻译,第二种为逆序翻译。第一种显得有些冗长拖沓,且前后简单句主语不一致(前半句主语为he,后半句主语是they),给人表述混乱之感。第二种由于采用了逆序法将原句意思用一个复合句表达出来,内容清晰,结构紧凑。
顺序法和逆序法主要是针对翻译长句而言,六级新题型汉译英题不会涉及此类译法,但作为翻译策略之一,应有所了解。
附录一:英语满分作文必背20句
1.According to a recent survey, four million people die each year from diseases linked to smoking.
依照最近的一项调查,每年有4,000,000人死于与吸烟有关的疾病。
2. The latest surveys show that quite a few children have unpleasant associations with ho
* 26 *
mework.
最近的调查显示相当多的孩子对家庭作业没什么好感。
3. No invention has received more praise and abuse than Internet. 没有一项发明像互联网一样同时受到如此多的赞扬和批评。
4. People seem to fail to take into account the fact that education does not end with graduation.
人们似乎忽视了教育不应该随着毕业而结束这一事实。
5. An increasing number of people are beginning to realize that education is not complete with graduation.
越来越多的人开始意识到教育不能随着毕业而结束。
6. When it comes to education, the majority of people believe that education is a lifetime study.
说到教育,大部分人认为其是一个终生的学习。
7. Many experts point out that physical exercise contributes directly to a person’s physical fitness.
许多专家指出体育锻炼直接有助于身体健康。
8. Proper measures must be taken to limit the number of foreign tourists and the great efforts should be made to protect local environment and history from the harmful effects of international tourism.
应该采取适当的措施限制外国旅游者的数量,努力保护当地环境和历史不受国际旅游业的不利影响。
9. An increasing number ;of experts believe that migrants will exert positive effects on construction of city. However, this opinion is now being questioned by more and more city residents, who complain that the migrants have brought many serious problems like crime and prostitution.
越来越多的专家相信移民对城市的建设起到积极作用。然而,越来越多的城市居民却怀疑这种说法,他们抱怨民工给城市带来了许多严重的问题,像犯罪和**。
10. Many city residents complain that it is so few buses in their city that they have to spend much more time waiting for a bus, which is usually crowded with a large number of passengers.
许多市民抱怨城市的公交车太少,以至于他们要花很长时间等一辆公交车,而车上可能已满载乘客。
11. There is no denying the fact that air pollution is an extremely serious problem: the city authorities should take strong measures to deal with it.
无可否认,空气污染是一个极其严重的问题:城市当局应该采取有力措施来解决它。
12. An investigation shows that female workers tend to have a favorable attitude toward re
* 27 *
tirement.
一项调查显示妇女欢迎退休。
13. A proper part-time job does not occupy students’ too much time. In fact, it is unhealthy for them to spend all of time on their study. As an old saying goes: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
一份适当的业余工作并不会占用学生太多的时间,事实上,把全部的时间都用到学习上并不健康,正如那句老话:只工作,不玩耍,聪明的孩子会变傻。
14. Any government, which is blind to this point, may pay a heavy price. 任何政府忽视这一点都将付出巨大的代价。
15.Nowadays, many students always go into raptures at the mere mention of the coming life of high school or college they will begin. Unfortunately, for most young people, it is not pleasant experience on their first day on campus.
当前,一提到即将开始的学校生活,许多学生都会兴高采烈。然而,对多数年轻人来说,校园刚开始的日子并不是什么愉快的经历。
16. In view of the seriousness of this problem, effective measures should be taken before things get worse.
考虑到问题的严重性,在事态进一步恶化之前,必须采取有效的措施。
17. The majority of students believe that part-time job will provide them with more opportunities to develop their interpersonal skills, which may put them in a favorable position in the future job markets.
大部分学生相信业余工作会使他们有更多机会发展人际交往能力,而这对他们未来找工作是非常有好处的。
18. It is indisputable that there are millions of people who still have a miserable life and have to face the dangers of starvation and exposure. 无可争辩,现在有成千上万的人仍过着挨饿受冻的痛苦生活。
19. Although this view is wildly held, this is little evidence that education can be obtained at any age and at any place.
尽管这一观点被广泛接受,很少有证据表明教育能够在任何地点、任何年龄进行。
20. No one can deny the fact that a person’s education is the most important aspect of his life.
没有人能否认:教育是人生最重要的一方面。
附录二:一百个英语四级常考短语
1. at the thought of一想到…
* 28 *
2. as a whole (=in general) 就整体而论 3. at will 随心所欲
4. (be) abundant in(be rich in; be well supplied with) 富于,富有 5. access(to) (不可数名词) 解
6. by accident(=by chance, accidentally)偶然地,意外. Without accident(=safely) 安全地, 7. of one’s own accord(=without being asked; willingly; freely)自愿地 ,主动地 8. in accord with 与…一致 . out of one’s accord with 同….不一致
9. with one accord (=with everybody agreeing)一致地 10. in accordance with (=in ) 依照,根据 11. on one’s own account 1) 为了某人的缘故, 利益
2) (=at one’s own risk) 自行负责 3) (=by oneself)依靠自己
12. take…into account(=consider)把...考虑进去 13. give sb. an account of 说明, 解释 (理由)
14. account for (=give an explanation or reason for) 解释, 说明. 15. on account of (=because of) 由于,因为.
16. on no account(=in no case, for no reason)绝不要,无论如何不要(放句首时句子要倒装) 17. accuse…of…(=charge…with; blame sb. for sth. ; blame sth. on sb. ; complain about) 指控,控告
18. be accustomed to (=be in the habit of, be used to)习惯于. 19. be (=to have knowledge of) 了解; (=to have met socially) 熟悉 20. act on 奉行,按照…行动; act as 扮演; act for 代理 21. adapt oneself to(=adjust oneself to) 使自己适应于
22. adapt…(for) (=make sth. Suitable for a new need) 改编, 改写(以适应新的需要) 23. in addition (=besides) 此外, 又, 加之
24. in addition to(=as well as, besides, other than)除…外
25. adhere to (=abide by, conform to, comply with, cling to, insist on, persist in, observe, opinion, belief ) 粘附; 坚持, 遵循
* 29 *
26. adjacent(=next to, close to) 毗邻的, 临近的 27. adjust..(to) (=change slightly)调节; 适应;
28. admit of (=be capable of, leave room for) …的可能,留有…的余地. 29. in advance (before in time) 预告, 事先. 30. to advantage 有利的,使优点更加突出地. 31. have an advantage over 胜过. have the advantage of 由于…处于有利条件 have the advantage of sb.知道某人所不知道的事
32. take advantage of (=make the best of, utilize, make use of, profit from, harness)利用. 33. agree with 赞同(某人意见) agree to 同意 34. in agreement (with) 同意, 一致
35. ahead of 在…之前, 超过…;……………. ahead of time 提前. 36. in the air 1)不肯定, 不具体. 2)在谣传中.
37. above all (=especially, most important of all) 尤其是, 最重要的. 38. in all (=counting everyone or everything, altogether) 总共, 总计 39. after all 毕竟,到底; (not) at all 一点也不;
all at once(=suddenly)突然; once and for all 只此一次; above all 最重要的; first of all 首先; all in all 大体上说; be all in 累极了; all but 几乎.
40. allow for (=take into consideration, take into account) 考虑到, 估计到. 41. amount to (=to be equal to) 总计, 等于.
42. answer for (undertake responsibility for, be liable for, take charge for) 对…负责. 43. answer to (=conform to) 适合,符合.
44. be anxious about 为…焦急不安; 或anxious for 45. apologize to sb. for sth. 为…向…道歉
46. appeal to sb. for sth. 为某事向某人呼吁. appeal to sb. 对某人有吸引力 47. apply to sb. for sth. 为…向…申请; apply for申请; apply to 适用. 48. apply to 与…有关;适用
49. approve of (=consent to, be in favor of, favor, agree to, consider good, right) 赞成,
* 30 *