張明權(quán)? |
參考譯文:
What makes it so difficult to hire a taxi in Beijing?
Residents are having more and more complaints about the trouble of hiring a taxi in Beijing. But no one is expected to put blame on the number of cabs, for there are more than enough in the capital city to go about carrying the passengers. By the end of 2008, the taxis in business in Beijing added up to 66,646 according to Beijing Bureau of Statistics. An informed taxi driver fixes the number at more than 70,000. In contrast, the taxis in Shanghai are no more than 50,000 though it has more inhabitants than Beijing. Then with so many taxis in Beijing, where lies the problem of hiring a taxi? A few days ago, I carried out an investigation into the issue myself.
談?wù)摲g始終離不開“對(duì)等”一類的術(shù)語(yǔ),雖然世界上沒有兩片完全相同的葉子,但“對(duì)等”本身強(qiáng)調(diào)的并不是完全相同,所以我們又可以說(shuō)“部分對(duì)等”。所謂“異曲同工”,也是一種對(duì)等,成語(yǔ)詞典對(duì)此的解釋是:不同的曲調(diào),卻同樣的美妙。比喻事物的內(nèi)容或形式雖然不一樣,但卻是同樣的出色。兩種語(yǔ)言之間的對(duì)譯,恰似用不同的形式表達(dá)相同的內(nèi)容。在譯題一中,首先“打車”的翻譯就有點(diǎn)困難,問(wèn)題在于漢語(yǔ)的“打車”有兩個(gè)意思,一個(gè)強(qiáng)調(diào)“租下一輛車”,一個(gè)強(qiáng)調(diào)“乘坐一輛車”,前者最好翻譯成hire (call) a taxi,而后者才翻譯成take a taxi。在所有網(wǎng)友的譯文,只有“角落的拼圖”在標(biāo)題的翻譯中用了一個(gè)call字?!胺从吃絹?lái)越強(qiáng)烈”中,漢語(yǔ)的“反映”一詞到底是什么意思?Complain(t). 在這個(gè)詞的選擇上,各位網(wǎng)友作的比較好,不過(guò)在詞性和句型的匹配上錯(cuò)誤仍然有。例如:People in Beijing are making more and more complaints about taxi-taking。原文所要表達(dá)的“打車”難,在譯文中沒有完全交待清楚?!氨容^而言”是一個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)折語(yǔ),把上海和北京作一比較,意圖揭示北京的打車難不是由人多車少造成的,所以可以翻譯成in(by) contrast或in(by) comparison。個(gè)別網(wǎng)友漏譯了,這樣前后對(duì)照的意思可能會(huì)不明顯。最后說(shuō)一下“常住人口”的翻譯,我沒有看到上下文,但感覺這里原文作者的理解是不是有些問(wèn)題,乘坐出租車的人肯定不只是常住人口,而應(yīng)該是整個(gè)城市的人口,包括常住和流動(dòng)的人口。如果我們喜歡代原文作者思考的話,這里可以泛化翻譯成population。如果我們按原文翻譯,那就是permanent residents或inhabitants。
參考譯文:
“Air napping” is trendy relaxation for exercisers
The gyms are now offering their clients “air napping” to relax and unwind. Hammocks are available for them to take a siesta in at noon for more efficient afternoon work. There are a couple of cocoon-like blue hammocks for customers to lie in for a rest in a special classroom, where they close their eyes and fall asleep to the strains of calming music. Each session lasts 25 minutes before the trainees are awakened by the trainer gently. It is quite similar to the Antigravity Yoga popular among the Americans. Yogis have use for hammocks as well to package themselves and accomplish a variety of movements on top of their heads for the so-called spiritual tranquility.
漢譯英一種比較有效的方法就是模仿英美人寫作的類似主題的文章,這種模仿稱為“互文學(xué)習(xí)”,它不僅可以提供諸多新詞的翻譯,也可以提供一個(gè)廣義的互文語(yǔ)境供譯者參考。比如我們找到了一篇和譯題二類似的報(bào)道,其中的部分內(nèi)容摘錄如下: 'Air napping' in suspended cocoons is latest craze in bid to relax and unwind A gym in Charlotte, NC, is offering frazzled clients a class in the ultimate relaxation technique: sleeping. Air napping, the latest craze at the Flex-and-Fit gym, sees customers climbing into silken hammocks and hanging in sweet repose for 25 minutes. In what may be the least arduous gym class ever, the nappers are simply required to make themselves comfortable and fall asleep to the strains of calming music. 有了上述內(nèi)容作參考,“空中小睡”就可以翻譯成air napping,值得注意的是air napping從構(gòu)詞法的角度看是一個(gè)新的復(fù)合詞,在BNC語(yǔ)料庫(kù)中沒有找到,在google找到的網(wǎng)頁(yè)幾乎都與上述新聞為同一來(lái)源。再者nap in the air也沒有錯(cuò),與air napping的差別在于一個(gè)是短語(yǔ),一個(gè)是復(fù)合詞?!鞍采瘛本W(wǎng)友的翻譯包括:tranquilization, easing nerves, nerve-calming, quiet one’s mind, mental relaxation, relaxation, restful, mind-setting,同一個(gè)詞出現(xiàn)如此多的翻譯方法,足見翻譯標(biāo)準(zhǔn)制定有多困難。根據(jù)詞典的解釋,“安神”作動(dòng)詞可以對(duì)應(yīng)英語(yǔ)sedate和tranquilize這兩個(gè)詞,作形容詞可以翻譯成soothing, calming等詞,作名詞一般可翻譯成relaxation。在這里我傾向使用relax及其派生詞?!傲眍悺币辉~的翻譯也頗費(fèi)腦筋,金山詞霸的翻譯是a different, special, completely new or fashionable type or trend,從本文對(duì)air napping的報(bào)道來(lái)看,標(biāo)題中的另類翻譯成trendy即可,但“另類教室”應(yīng)該翻譯成special比較合適。最后說(shuō)一下“異曲同工之妙”的翻譯,中華成語(yǔ)詞典翻譯成play the same tune on different instruments,但在本文語(yǔ)境中,應(yīng)該變通翻譯。這里強(qiáng)調(diào)的是采用不同的健身方法,“反重力瑜伽”和“空中小睡”,達(dá)到相同的安神的效果。很多網(wǎng)友翻譯的時(shí)候注意到了這一點(diǎn),使用了similar一詞。
參考譯文:
Is “electronic homework” more avant-garde than convenient?
The “electronic homework” catches on in primary and middle schools with the widespread use of computer and internet. Some teachers begin to publish the daily homework on their school websites for parents to keep track of their children’s studies; some post the homework on the class blog or QQ group for parents to download; some “fads” even tweet the homework in their twitter-like “microblogs”. However, a netizen in the name of “wei yin di fan chen” complains that the electronic homework is impracticable though it appears to be handy, efficient and fashionable and has been intended to free teachers and students of the burden of transcribing the homework. According to him, students are often seen to print the downloaded homework in the copy shop nearby his home. “It takes money to finish homework”. The homework in the electronic format at least at present brings both students and parents more trouble than convenience.
首先,標(biāo)題中的二元選擇如果簡(jiǎn)單地以or銜接,意思不一定能夠表達(dá)的十分清楚,所以我覺得用more…than…翻譯更好?!啊弊衷诜g的時(shí)候是一個(gè)令人生厭的字眼,“電子化”簡(jiǎn)單的翻譯成electronization是不行的,英語(yǔ)后綴-ation的能產(chǎn)性沒有那么高,或者這樣造出的詞并不能被廣泛接受,所以這里最好翻譯成electronic homework或其省略形式e-homework?!皩⒆鳂I(yè)織進(jìn)了‘圍脖’”是“將作業(yè)發(fā)布在‘微博’上”的意思,“圍脖”與“微博”諧音雙關(guān),殊難翻譯。網(wǎng)友yaoyayao力求保持原文的諧音,翻譯成 some “new-fashioned” teachers waved their assignments into their “weibo”, the Chinese twitter,waved應(yīng)該是wove之誤,雖然weave與weibo押頭韻很好,但英語(yǔ)讀者很難把編織和寫微博聯(lián)系到一起??紤]到weibo相當(dāng)于國(guó)外的twitter,而且tweet可以作動(dòng)詞用,表示更新twitter,所以我在翻譯的時(shí)候,在tweet和twitter上作了一點(diǎn)文章,造成一個(gè)諧音,也算部分彌補(bǔ)了原文諧音的損失吧。最后一句體現(xiàn)的是漢語(yǔ)的互文照應(yīng)的修辭法,意思是“讓家長(zhǎng)和孩子都受苦受累了”,所以翻譯的時(shí)候可以合并處理成brings both students and parents more trouble than convenience。
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專家簡(jiǎn)介:
張明權(quán),安徽省固鎮(zhèn)縣人,江蘇大學(xué)外國(guó)語(yǔ)學(xué)院副教授,英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)言文學(xué)碩士,上外博士課程班進(jìn)修。主要從事英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)言學(xué)和翻譯學(xué)研究,在國(guó)內(nèi)外學(xué)術(shù)期刊發(fā)表論文10余篇,出版譯著兩部,發(fā)表其他文章20余篇,有大量翻譯實(shí)踐經(jīng)驗(yàn),翻譯總字?jǐn)?shù)接近200萬(wàn)。Email: mqzhang@ujs.edu.cn。
(作者:張明權(quán) 中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津 編輯:Julie)