2019专八翻译汉译英谓语的翻译技巧

2019专八翻译汉译英谓语的翻译技巧

　　一.汉英语言谓语的差异

　　1.英语谓语的基本特征

　　1)英语谓语必须以动词为基础和核心，除了动词，任何其它次类都不能取代谓语动词这个主体成分。

　　2)英语谓语动词和主语必须一致认，即concord(或agreement，指动词的形式和主语的人称和数必须一致)。

　　构成英语主谓一致这一规范的原则包括：

　　A.语法原则(Grammatical Principle)

　　例：Trousers often bag at the knees.

　　裤子常在膝盖处松垂得像个袋子。

　　B.逻辑原则(Logical Principle)

　　例： Half theboys are here.(可数)

　　Half the vehicle has been damaged.(不可数)

　　C.靠近原则(Principle of Proximity)

　　谓语动词的人称和数可以与最靠近它的词语取得一致。

　　例：Not only the students but the teacher objects to the plan.

　　例：Either my children or I am going.

　　D.惯用法原则(Principle of Idiomaticness)

　　例：There is more than one opinion in this case.

　　例：Five times eight is forty.

　　例：Only one out of five were present.

　　2.汉语谓语的独立性、自足性较强

　　所谓“独立性”，指谓语可以不受主语人称与数的支配，保持形态上的“原形”。

　　所谓“自足性”，指汉语的谓语不必非与主语搭配，不论有没有主语，谓语本身的句法功能自能显现。

　　就以上两点而言，汉语谓语远强于英语。

　　3.汉语谓语构成成分复杂多样

　　汉语谓语不必是动词性的，很多词类都可以充当谓语。汉语中可以构成谓语的词统称谓词，分为三大类：

　　动词性谓词

　　形容词性谓词

　　代词性谓词

　　例：诚招天下客。(招：动词)

　　Honesty wins over wider patronage. (patronage: customers’support for a shop, restaurant, etc.)

　　例：这种行为很不道德。(不道德：形容词)

　　This conduct is immoral.

　　例：你们厂里情况怎么样?(怎么样：不定代词)

　　What do you think of your factory?

　　例：七月二十二日她生日。(她生日：名词词组)

　　July22 is her birthday.

　　例：老秤一斤十六两。(十六两：数量词组)

　　Sixteen“liang” makes one “jin” by the old system of weights.

　　例：那个侦探足智多谋。(足智多谋：联合词组)

　　The detective is very resourceful.

　　例：河畔草青青。(青青：修饰语)

　　The grass is green by the riverside.

　　二.汉译英中谓语转换的对策

　　1.对应

　　汉译英中谓语对应式翻译的情况并不少见，在公文、经贸、科技文体中尤其如此。其得以实现的依据是人类感知的共性，这种共性使思维——语言形式获得了同构。

　　例：中华文明历来注重以民为本。

　　The Chinese civilization has always given prominence to the people.

　　例：耶鲁大学是中美教育合作的先行者。

　　Yale is a forerunner in Sino-US educational exchanges.

　　2.调整

　　例：令行禁止

　　Orders and prohibitions are made to be enforced.(语态调整)

　　例：包袱放不下，工作就搞不好。

　　The load must be taken off your mind before you can work well.(语态调整)

　　例：红脸好唱，白脸不好唱。

　　Positive characters are easy to be performed while the negatives ones difficult.

　　例：纪律松懈

　　The discipline is weak.(词类调整)

　　例：银根奇紧

　　Money is getting tighter and tighter. (词类调整)

　　3.补充

　　汉语缺乏形态标定，句子可以非常简约(或缺主，或缺谓，或主谓皆缺)。这就迫使我们添词补义，从汉语原文中引出主谓来。

　　例：“说我?那当然，过去够意思。可以把人逗得如痴如醉。如今，变了，不是我，是人。喜怒哀乐天天变。”

　　(“你说的是我吗?那当然，我过去是够意思的。我可以把人逗得如痴如醉。如今，情况变了。不是我变，而是人变了：人们的喜怒哀乐天天在变。”)

　　“You mean me? Well, yes, I think I could make people dance to my tune. But today it’s another story. It’s not me but others who have changed. People’s moods change everyday.”

　　三.汉译英中谓语的处理

　　由于缺乏形态标记，汉语动词在句子中占明显优势。许多汉语句子中包括多个谓语动词。而英语动词由于所受约束多，在句子中不占优势。除少数并列句外，大多数英语句子只包含一个谓语动词，其他动态语义由动词的分词、不定式等非谓语形式表达，或由其他词类替代。

　　1.汉语连动谓语句的翻译

　　连动谓语指在同一主语下，谓语部分由两个或两个以上的动词构成。这两个或多个谓语可以表现出并列、从属或链接等关系。在翻译汉语的连动谓语句时，首先要判断原句谓语动词结构关系，并选择响应的英语连接词、不定式、分词、介词短语、副词等词汇或语法手段进行英译。

　　A.并列式连动句

　　英译比较简单，一般情况下，两个或多个谓语动词按时间顺序先后出现，译成英语时只需加上并列连接词and，or，then等;或者采用融合的方法，力求动态对应。

　　例：看一步，走一步

　　wait and see

　　例：大吃大喝

　　eat and drink to one’s heart’s content

　　例：刷牙洗脸上床睡觉

　　brush one’s teeth, wash oneself and go to bed

　　例：丢人现眼(融合)

　　make afool of oneself

　　例：动手动脚(融合)

　　get fresh with somebody

　　例：他每天都是会客赴宴。

　　He receives visitors and attends dinner parties as a routine.

　　但对于那些看似并列的谓语形式要多加小心，按时间顺序并列出现的汉语谓语动词在英译时只需一个谓语动词，其他动词以分词或不定式的形式表达。

　　例：他们设法吸引大家，留住他们，使他们充分发挥才能。

　　They seek to attract, retain and develop other people to their full abilities.

　　例：我批上衬衫，带上门，悄悄离开了。

　　Putting on my shirt, I left the room quietly, leaving the door closed.

　　例：我站在他旁边，手指放在按钮上，等候命令。

　　I stood by him, my finger on the button, waiting for the order.

　　例：总裁一读报告，就铁青着脸，带着我急冲冲地朝工厂赶去。

　　On seeing the report, the president became livid with rage and hurried to the workshop, accompanied by me.

　　课堂练习：

　　1.他特别喜欢吃面条，一天三顿也不厌。

　　He loved noodles and was never tired of them.

　　B.从属式连动句

　　汉语连动谓语句动词之间可以存在多种逻辑关系，如条件、目的、方式、对象等。这些关系很难从动词形式上判断，其逻辑关系取决于语义判断。

　　例：你做完作业就回家吧。(条件关系)

　　You may go home as soon as you finish your homework.

　　例：他每天早上都开窗换气。(目的关系)

　　He opens the window to let in the fresh air every morning.

　　例：被警察用枪指着，劫匪只有举手投降了。(方式关系)

　　Being aimed at by the police, the robber had to put up his hands to surrender.

　　例：你找我干什么?(对象关系)

　　What do you ask me for?

　　课堂练习：

　　1.我知道多少就告诉你多少。

　　Iwill tell you as much as I know.

　　2.我今天早起赶头班车。

　　Igot up early today to catch the first bus.

　　3.她从来不用筷子吃饭。

　　She never uses chopsticks when dining.

　　4 她的丈夫是某酒店的点心师，每天清晨4点便起床上班。(pastry cook)

　　Her husband was a pastry cook working for a hotel. Every morning he had to get up at four o’clock to go to work.

　　C.链接式连动句

　　这是较为复杂的谓语连动形式。它是指同一主语按一定顺序或逻辑关系实施多个行为的结构。此类机构结构英译的关键，仍然是确定一个或两个动词为谓语动词，其他部分用分词、不定式、介词短语、从句等结构表达。

　　例：她请假坐飞机回家探亲去了。

　　She has asked for a leave to go home by air to see her family.

　　例：咱们哪天打电话约个时间见面谈谈好吗?

　　Why don’t we fix an appointment over the phone to meet for a chat some time?

　　例：每星期天一早，从七点开始，人们就起身上馆子，边喝茶，边吃早饭，边和朋友聊天。

　　On Sunday people in Guangzhou are up since 7 o’clock and are already chatting with friends while sipping tea and having breakfast in restaurants.

　　课堂练习：

　　1 我放下笔，三步两步奔到厨房。(dash)

　　Dropping the pen, I dashed into the kitchen.

　　2 她任教的小学离我家很近，每天放学她就直奔我家，帮我家洗衣服，忙农活。(do the laundry)

　　The elementary school she worked for was close to my home. When she finished work every day, she went directly to my home, did the laundry for us and helped with our farm work.

　　2.汉语兼语式谓语句的英译

　　兼语式谓语句，简称兼语句，句中有两个谓语动词，但不共有一个主语，事实上，前一个谓语动词的宾语是后一个动词的主语。

　　例：我们真心祝你们幸福。

　　We cordially wish you happy.

　　例：老师批评他做事马虎。

　　His teacher criticized him for his carelessness.

　　汉语兼语句与英语的复合宾语结构相似。汉语中常用于兼语句的动词有：叫，让，要，请，劝，使，选，派，批评，表扬，喜欢，讨厌，宁愿等，可译成英语中相应的动词，兼语部分动词以分词，不定式，名词，形容词，或介词等形式表达。

　　例：他劝我接受他的请求。

　　He advised me to accept his request.

　　例：弟弟让我帮他做作业。

　　My little brother asked me to help him with his homework.

　　课堂练习：

　　1.她的优雅举止令大家惊叹。

　　Her graceful manners amazed all.

　　2.昨晚的大雪使整个城市成了白色的世界。

　　Last night’s heavy snow turned the whole city into a white world.

　　3.英译时语气、时态、语态的表现与处理

　　英语是显性语法体系，汉语为隐性语法体系。英语借助形态变化和语序体现语法关系，而汉语主要靠语序体现语法关系。在汉译英时，要将隐含的时态、语态、语气用规范的英语形态表达出来。

　　例：我到美国已快三个月了，衣食住行都不习惯。到了地方之后，休息了两天，可是晚上睡不着觉，白天还不敢睡，怕时差改不过来，真有日夜颠倒之感。

　　It is nearly three months since I arrived in the US. I am not accustomed to life here – clothing, food, lodging and transport all included. After I had arrived, I had two days to recover, but I could not sleep well at night, and dared not go to sleep during the day, as I was afraid that I could not be able to adapt myself to the time difference. The world seemed to have been upside down.

　　After-classExercise

　　1.虽然六十多了，他身板硬实，牙口好，还是爱吃抻面条(hand-pulled noodles)。

　　Though he was well past sixty, he was still in great health, with good teeth, and he still loved hand-pulled noodles.

　　2.星期天女儿来了，看见他瞅着碗里的米饭皱起眉头，也不下筷。

　　On Sunday, when his daughter came to visit him, she found him frowning at the ricein his bowl, refusing to touch it.

　　3.她不得不出个高价，向厨师买了一斤抻面条。

　　She had to buy five hundred grams of hand-pulled noodles at a high price from the cook.

　　4.我又伏案奋笔疾书了。

　　I was busy writing at the desk again.

　　5.我决心已定，要用生命的泉水，培育好散文这朵俊美的花儿。

　　I have made up my mind to water, with my life, this beautiful flower of prose.

　　6.从此，她就经常对着镜子想张医生。

　　From then on, she would think of Dr.Zhang when she looked in the mirror.

　　7.我们要先找到旅馆，休息休息再游湖。

　　We want to find a hotel and take a rest before we tour the lake.

　　8.父亲为了给我联系工作，整天忙前忙后，还要给人家大包小包的送礼。

　　To help me find a job, my father was busy all day long, sending big gifts and small gifts to his connections.

　　9.我有一个战友，现在是县人大(the county’s People’s Congress)主任，他刚开了一家酒店，正缺人，我跟他说起你，他说如果你愿意，明天就上班。

　　I have an old army friend. He’s now the chairman of the county’s People’s Congress. He has just opened a restaurant and still needs workers. I mentioned you when I was talking with him. He said if you like, you can start working for him tomorrow.

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