背景材料添加

6.2　背景材料添加

大量研究与实践表明，汉英电视新闻翻译绝非一般意义上的翻译。正如张健(2003:165)所述，对外报道的翻译是用外文进行“再创造”，而背景材料添加就是这个“再创造”过程中的重要环节。一方面，背景解释本身就是新闻写作的重要元素。在谈到为新闻报道增添背景材料时，许明武(2006:190)也有着如下论述:新闻报道中的新闻背景，是指新闻事实之外，对新闻事实或新闻事实的某一部分进行解释、补充、烘托的材料。交代新闻背景是新闻报道中一个不可忽视的环节。一篇新闻报道是否成功，一般取决于是否有一个精彩的导语，另一半取决于新闻背景是否交代得充分，其安排穿插是否巧妙。窦卫霖等(2006:269)认为，新闻里的背景是新闻内容的重要组成部分，是记者于新闻之外提供的另外一些相关事实，它或对新闻中的何人、何地、何时、何事、何因等新闻要素做必要补充，或辅助主要新闻事实以形成更加完整的新闻画面，或帮助读者更好地理解新闻的内容和意义。在通过对《中国日报》和英国《金融时报》的经济新闻报道进行的对比研究之后，他们得出的结论是，中国记者在思维方式上趋向综合，注重经验，而西方记者更注重逻辑分析，因此对新闻事件的来龙去脉更为关注。东西方思维方式的差异决定了中国记者在新闻写作中更多地关注新闻事件本身，较少给读者提供易于理解新闻事实的背景材料，而西方记者表现出分析型思维倾向，在新闻正文写作时给予新闻背景更多的关注。上述对比研究的结果进一步有力地证明了在外宣新闻翻译的过程中，对于内宣新闻稿件中或出于写作习惯或由于没有必要而导致的背景材料明显缺乏现象，译者必须十分重视并且做出必要的添加。

从另一方面来讲，背景材料在对外新闻中占有十分重要的位置，这不仅因为外国人对中国的情况不了解，需要通过交代背景加以解释，更因为任何一个事物都是从它和其他事物的关联中才能体现出它的意义。外国记者非常重视在新闻中运用背景材料，他们称之为解释性报道(汪仁霖，2005:68-69)。在对外宣传报道中，由于目的受众是外国人，而外国人对于中国的情况大多缺乏了解。吴自选(2005:24)指出，一般英语受众对中国及其文化的了解相当有限，甚至一无所知。因此，在很多情况下，如果一篇内宣新闻报道已经非常完整的话，以这篇内宣新闻稿为基础翻译而来的对外报道新闻稿有必要增添一些必要的背景，这些背景在中国人看来或许是多余的，但是在对外报道中却是不可或缺的。中文新闻中必然包含大量反映中国特有背景的词语和文化内涵，中国人在阅读时可自动借助其背景知识来获得正确理解，但外宣英语新闻的受众则很有可能不具备这种背景知识，所以在外宣电视新闻翻译时，我们必须对这类词语进行补充说明。比如，2007年4月6日，英文《上海日报》总编辑张慈!在北京举行的“中译外——中国走向世界之路”高层论坛上发言时指出，中国的人民，特别是中国的政府还有党的官员非常喜欢创造新的说法，把他们所有的想法、政策和方案都用数字来标明，如“两个基本点”、“三个代表”、“三个面向”、“三讲”教育、“三乱”、“四个中心”、“四个率先”、“五纵七横”、“211工程”、“985工程”等，这些数字式略语在第一次使用之后，在今后使用的时候就再也不解释了。可是，问题在于，这种中国特有的表达方式如果在对外报道中不做背景解释，外国受众很少会有人能理解，因此，在每次出现在英语新闻报道中的时候，最好在新闻中的适当位置予以穿插介绍。比如，提到“985工程”的时候，有必要提供如下解释:Project 985 is a constructive project forfounding world-class universities in the 21st century conducted by the government of the People's Republic of China．上述解释取自网络百科全书维基百科Wikipedia，它对于各种专门用语的解释是比较权威的，从而说明上述关于“985工程”的英文背景解释是可靠的，其语言的地道更是可以保证的。又如，另一个关于我国高校建设的发展计划“211工程”，维基百科同样提供了很详细的解释:Project 211 is a project of 106(as of 2007)Key universities and colleges in the 21st century initiated in 1995 by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China．The project aims at cultivating high-level elite for national economic and social development strategies．The project began from the idea that，in the mid 1990s，the 30 elite universities at the time were too low by international research standards．Inclusion in the project means that universities have to meet scientific，technical and HR standards and to offer set advanced degree programs．The figure of 21 and 1 within 211 are from the abbreviation of the 21st century and approximate 100 universities respectively．

张健(2003:165)指出，善于运用背景解释是加强英语对外报道可读性的关键之一，这不仅因为外国人不太了解中国的情况，需要通过交代背景加以解释，更因为任何一个事物都是从它和其他事物的关联中才能体现出它的意义。这里所说的和其他事物的关联，实质上指的是当前新闻报道是否全面，比如说是否做到了以点带面、以小见大;在多大程度上具有关注价值;当前新闻是否具有更加广泛的针对性和社会性等。一个新闻事件只有将其置于一个更大的背景之中，这样的新闻报道才更有意义，才能更加出彩。中国外文局资深译审梁良兴(2005:167)也指出，在对外报道中，一个好的翻译应该牢固树立处处为外国读者着想的概念，例如一个为国内读者熟悉的事件、地名、人名或词汇，对于外国读者未必如此，这时候，在翻译中增添一些背景知识、注释或解释性的文字就成为翻译过程中必须做的工作了，如在“五四运动”前或后加上“1919年爆发的反帝反封建运动”，在“辛亥革命”后加上“1911年爆发的推翻中国封建王朝建立共和国的事件”等。翟树耀(2005:124-125)则表达得更加言简意赅:我们每一次采写对外报道时都把外国读者当做对中国的知识一无所知，准没有错。他指出，善于运用背景解释，使对外新闻通俗易懂，不仅是对外宣传的一种写作技巧，而且是对外宣传的一项基本原则和特殊要求。实践证明，我国在写作对外新闻时要随时随地设想到外国读者可能不懂的用语和提法，要不厌其烦地提供必要的背景解释，凡是遇到中国的政治、经济、社会、文化等各个领域所特有的事物，都要进行解释和交代背景。尤其是改革开放以来，中国的发展变化很快，新事物、新名词、新概念、新用语层出不穷，非常需要向外国人做说明和解释。一些在中国家喻户晓的事物，对外国人来说却是十分陌生的，这就需要我们在对外报道中恰当地、反复地进行解释，说明其内容和意义，其产生和发展的来龙去脉……西方记者是很善于在新闻写作中运用背景解释的。

关于西方记者在新闻写作中善于运用背景材料，美国《纽约时报》2008年10月1日的一篇新闻报道很能说明问题:

Somali Pirates tell all:they're in it for the money

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

NY Times

October 1，2008

［1］NAIROBI，Kenya—The Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukrainian freighter loaded with tanks，artillery，grenade launchers and ammunition said in an interview on Tuesday that they had no idea the ship was carrying arms when they seized it on the high seas．

［2］“We just saw a big ship，”the pirates'spokesman，Sugule Ali，said in a telephone interview．“So we stopped it．”

［3］The pirates quickly learned，though，that their booty was an estimated"30 million worth of heavy weaponry，heading for Kenya or Sudan，depending on whom you ask．

［4］In a 45-minute interview，Mr．Sugule spoke on everything from what the pirates wanted(“just money”)to why they were doing this(“to stop illegal fishing and dumping in our waters”)to what they had to eat on board(rice，meat，bread，spaghetti，“you know，normal human-being food”)．

［5］He said that so far，in the eyes of the world，the pirates had been misunderstood．“We don't consider ourselves sea bandits，”he said．“We consider sea bandits those who illegally fish in our seas and dump waste in our seas and carry weapons in our seas．We are simply patrolling our seas．Think of us like a coast guard．”

［6］The pirates who answered the phone call on Tuesday morning said they were speaking by satellite phone from the bridge of the Faina，the Ukrainian cargo ship that was hijacked about 200 miles off the coast of Somalia on Thursday．Several pirates talked but said that only Mr．Sugule was authorized to be quoted．Mr．Sugule acknowledged that they were now surrounded by American warships，but he did not sound afraid．“You only die once，”Mr．Sugule said．

［7］He said that all was peaceful on the ship，despite unconfirmed reports from maritime organizations in Kenya that three pirates were killed in a shootout among themselves on Sunday or Monday night．

［8］He insisted that the pirates were not interested in the weapons and had no plans to sell them to Islamist insurgents battling Somalia's weak transitional government．“Somalia has suffered from many years of destruction because of all these weapons，”he said．“We don't want that suffering and chaos to continue．We are not going to offload the weapons．We just want the money．”

［9］He said the pirates were asking for"20 million in cash;“we don't use any other system than cash．”But he added that they were willing to bargain．“That's deal-making，”he explained．

［10］Piracy in Somalia is a highly organized，lucrative，ransom-driven business．Just this year，pirates hijacked more than 25 ships，and in many cases，they were paid million-dollar ransoms to release them．The juicy payoffs have attracted gunmen from across Somalia，and the pirates are thought to number in the thousands．

［11］The piracy industry started about 10 to 15 years ago，Somali officials said，as a response to illegal fishing．Somalia's central government imploded in 1991， casting the country into chaos．With no patrols along the shoreline，Somalia's tuna-rich waters were soon plundered by commercial fishing fleets from around the world．Somali fishermen armed themselves and turned into vigilantes by confronting illegal fishing boats and demanding that they pay a tax．

［12］“From there，they got greedy，”said Mohamed Osman Aden，a Somali diplomat in Kenya．“They starting attacking everyone．”

［13］By the early 2000s，many of the fishermen had traded in their nets for machine guns and were hijacking any vessel they could catch:sailboat，oil tanker，United Nations-chartered food ship．

［14］“It's true that the pirates started to defend the fishing business，”Mr．Mohamed said．“And illegal fishing is a real problem for us．But this does not justify these boys to now act like guardians．They are criminals．The world must help us crack down on them．”

［15］The United States and several European countries，in particular France，have been talking about ways to patrol the waters together．The United Nations is even considering something like a maritime peacekeeping force．Because of all the hijackings，the waters off Somalia's coast are considered the most dangerous shipping lanes in the world．

［16］On Tuesday，several American warships—around five，according to one Western diplomat—had the hijacked freighter cornered along the craggy Somali coastline．The American ships allowed the pirates to bring food and water on board，but not to take weapons off．A Russian frigate is also on its way to the area．

［17］Lt．Nathan Christensen，a Navy spokesman，said on Tuesday that he had heard the unconfirmed reports about the pirate-on-pirate shootout，but that the Navy had no more information．“To be honest，we're not seeing a whole lot of activity”on the ship，he said．

［18］In Washington，Geoff Morrell，the Pentagon press secretary，declined to discuss any possible American military operations to capture the ship．

［19］“Our concern is right now making sure that there's a peaceful resolution to this，that this cargo does not end up in the hands of anyone who would use it in a way that would be destabilizing to the region，”Mr．Morrell told reporters at the Pentagon．He said the United States government was not involved in any negotiations with the pirates．He also said he had no information about reports that the pirates had exchanged gunfire among themselves．

［20］Kenyan officials continued to maintain that the weapons aboard were part of a legitimate arms deal for the Kenyan military，even though several Western diplomats，Somali officials and the pirates themselves said the arms were part of a secret deal to funnel weapons to southern Sudan．

［21］Somali officials are urging the Western navies to storm the ship and arrest the pirates because they say that paying ransoms only fuels the problem．Western diplomats，however，have said that such a commando operation would be very difficult because the ship is full of explosives and the pirates could use the 20 crew members as human shields．

［22］Mr．Sugule said his men were treating the crew members well．(The pirates would not let the crew members speak on the phone，saying it was against their rules．)“Killing is not in our plans，”he said．“We only want money so we can protect ourselves from hunger．”

［23］When asked why the pirates needed"20 million to protect themselves from hunger，Mr．Sugule laughed and said，“Because we have a lot of men．”

上述报道的新闻由头是，2008年9月25日，一艘载有33辆T-72型主战坦克和大量弹药的乌克兰货船“法伊尼”号在索马里附近海域遭劫持，这一事件再次将全球目光吸引到这片号称世界上最危险的海域上。但是，如果这个新闻报道仅仅就这一事件进行报道，新闻报道的内容就不够饱满，显然不能很好地体现新闻价值以及当前事态的严重性。因此，作者在文章中以夹叙夹议的方式添加了许多背景材料，第10段到第15段全部是关于索马里海盗的背景，介绍了索马里海盗活动日益猖獗的多方面原因，包括索马里自1991年以来长期处于无政府状态，没有海军、空军或海岸警卫队，内战几乎从未间断过。其次，被劫船只的船主通常都愿意支付高额赎金，以避免船员受到伤害，这助长了海盗的气焰，也使得更多穷困的索马里人加入海盗行列。第三，国际社会虽然注意到索马里海盗活动日益猖獗的趋势，但至今仍没有采取真正有效的打击行动。正是有了如此丰富的背景材料添加，受众才能更好地理解该新闻报道，同时也能更加全面地了解索马里海盗的真面目，知道他们是要钱不要命(这些海盗都是亡命之徒，但基本上不伤及被劫人质)，同时也得知素有“海上黑手党”之称的索马里海盗如何因为在短时间内制造的一连串劫持事件而触犯了国际社会的众怒。

根据许明武(2006:190)，新闻报道中的背景穿插并无固定格式，巧妙穿插是其基本特点。新闻报道的体裁没有固定的背景段，背景在新闻报道中所处的位置以需要而定，应是招之即来，呼之即出。哪里需要助阵，哪里就需要背景出现。对于上述新闻报道背景添加的原则，我们其实应该更加确切地说，这种手法是典型的西方国家英语新闻写作手法，而既然我们的英语新闻的目标受众就是西方国家的人民，那么我们自然有理由让我们翻译的英语新闻尽可能贴近和靠拢西方国家的英语新闻写作风格。为了了解西方国家的英语新闻中对于背景穿插的处理，我们不妨首先来看美联社的一篇关于南非前总统曼德拉欢度90大寿的英语新闻报道:

Dignitaries attend grand party for Mandela's 90th

By CELEAN JACOBSON

Associated Press Writer

Sat Jul 19，11:25 PM ET

［1］QUNU，South Africa—Songs，laughter，teasing and tender words marked Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration Saturday as presidents，village elders and African royalty joined him for a festive luncheon on his rural homestead．

［2］The Nobel Peace Prize winner celebrated privately with his family in this rural southeastern village Friday，the day he turned 90．Saturday was a grand occasion，held in a tent outside his homestead in Qunu，600 miles south of Johannesburg，where as a boy he herded cattle in the hills．

［3］The anti-apartheid icon walked into the tent with his successor to the South African presidency，Thabo Mbeki，and African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma，stopping to personally greet some of the 500 guests as he made his way to the head table．

［4］The guests，many dressed in traditional beaded cloths，animals skins and feather headdresses，stood and cheered while a Xhosa choir sang:“Here is our hope!”

［5］Wearing an intricately patterned shirt in shades of brown，Mandela looked relaxed and cheerful as he listened attentively to the accolades being heaped on him．

［6］Mbeki called Mandela a“great liberator．”Zuma said the gathering was a celebration of“a life and legacy of a father，grandfather，comrade，warrior，soldier，nation builder and statesman．”

［7］Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda caught the festive mood with a tuneful solo of“Happy Birthday，”followed by a teasing verse:“How old are you?State secret!”Then the 84-year-old Kaunda jogged over to shake Mandela's hand．

［8］The event also marked the 10th anniversary of his marriage to child rights activist Graca Machel and—despite the large number of guests—had a feeling of an intimate family affair．

［9］Flowers at the head table were arranged in vases of tin，a traditional material for 10th anniversary gifts，and the couple sat close together，nodding and clapping appreciatively as family members gave moving tributes．

［10］“This birthday celebration is one of the very small ways that we as your family can show our love，respect and appreciation for all you have done，”said one of Mandela's granddaughters，Nandi Mandela．

［11］Machel's daughter Josina said the couple symbolized hope．“The two of you have taught us a lot about the virtues of love，”she said．

［12］In the climax of the afternoon，master of ceremonies and lawmaker Bantu Holomisa toasted the couple．“All of you join me in wishing them both all our love，happiness and long life，”he said．“Long life!”

［13］To the sound of ululating，Mandela was presented with an aluminum-bound album of family photographs and testimonials，compiled by his children and grandchildren．

［14］Mandela beamed with pleasure as he and Machel eagerly tore off the wrappings and ribbons，surrounded by grandchildren who also assisted him in blowing out the candles on a large cake．The cake had nine gold candles to mark Mandela's birthday and 10 silver ones to mark the anniversary．

［15］Eager to thank his guests，Mandela rose to his feet and spoke for a few minutes with his characteristic self-deprecating humor．

［16］“As you know I am not a speaker at all，and I am not going to make any exception on this occasion，except to say thank you for all you have done for me，”he said．

［17］Mandela was imprisoned for nearly three decades for his fight against apartheid．He was released in 1990 to lead negotiations that ended decades of racist white rule，then was elected president in South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994．

［18］He completed his term in 1999 and did not run again，but has continued to take a leading role in the fight against poverty，illiteracy and AIDS in Africa．Age has slowed him in recent years，but many still remain in awe of his stamina．Just last month，he was the honored guest for a huge charity concert in London's Hyde Park．

［19］“I would say that for a 90-year-old man who has been through what he has been through，he is in exceptional shape，”one of his doctors，Peter Friedland，said at the party Saturday．

［20］Mandela looked and sounded vigorous Friday when he gave a brief interview to a small group of reporters from The Associated Press and other media，his first such exchange in several years．

［21］During Friday's interview，he expressed deep concern about the poverty that still grips wide swaths of South Africa and said the wealthy must do more．

［22］While Saturday's occasion was celebratory，there were also a few somber moments．

［23］Nandi Mandela called on her grandfather's fans to emulate him by“making a difference in your own communities．”

［24］“This is one of the gifts you can give him，”she said as her grandfather nodded．

［25］George Bizos，a lawyer who defended Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders during the era of white rule，urged young and old to try and understand what his old friend stood for．

［26］“It's the solution to the problems that are facing the country，facing the continent，facing the world，”he said．

上述新闻报道中出现了多处背景添加，如第2段中的斜体部分交代了曼德拉庆祝90寿诞的活动地点的背景，因为在以美国为代表的英语新闻报道中，凡是提到地名就必定告知其方位，而凡是提到人名，就必定告知其身份，这已经成为一种行业惯例。因此，在第8段中就出现了另一个新闻背景，即曼德拉与现任妻子格拉萨·马谢尔结婚10周年这一背景。交代这样一个背景不但使新闻更加完整，同时也有着特殊意义，因为曼德拉现在这位妻子并非普通人士，而是莫桑比克前总统萨莫拉的遗孀，两人于1998年7月18日结婚。1996年，曼德拉在巴黎的一次宴会上宣布他与马谢尔的恋情时吸引了来自全球的惊愕目光，而在此之后两人经常相拥合影，或者当众亲吻，不避闲言，更是吸引众人眼球。此外，马谢尔也是全球唯一一位两度成为国家元首妻子的女性。2008年7月18日又是曼德拉和马谢尔结婚10周年纪念日，为了这个不同寻常的日子，曼德拉特意把自己的90华诞庆典延后一天，而从新闻报道的第2段可以看出，曼德拉的生日应该是在7月17日。如此精彩纷呈的背景，如果在整个新闻报道中不提及，这个新闻报道也就难以算得上全面。第17段和第18段则是用较长篇幅对曼德拉坎坷而又辉煌的人生做了概述，这个背景的重要性是不言而喻的，缺少了这个部分，整个新闻报道会顿时显得黯然失色。这几处背景在整个新闻中出现的位置也非常符合西方国家英语新闻的分散穿插背景，哪里有需要，哪里就出现背景的特点。

毫无疑问，在新闻报道中，添加背景是为了使得新闻报道更加全面和完整，换言之，背景能够把新闻事件的来龙去脉交代得更加清楚，更加全面，从而有利于读者/观众更好地了解新闻内容。而且，这种背景添加无论是大是小，都是一篇理想的新闻报道所不可或缺的组成部分。我们再看美联社的一篇英语新闻报道，说的是关于俄罗斯前首富霍多尔科夫斯基被捕的新闻事件。

Russia detains head of largest oil company

Associated Press

October 25，2003

［1］Mikhail Khodorkovsky，the head of Russia's largest oil producer，Yukos，was detained early Saturday by security forces at an airport in Siberia，the Interfax news agency reported，citing Yukos company officials．

［2］For months，the Russian prosecutor's office has been investigating Yukos company officials and Yukos shareholders seeking evidence of tax evasion and theft of state property．

［3］Yukos spokesman Alexander Shadrin was quoted by Interfax as saying that the plane was surrounded by trucks after it landed in Novosibirsk for a refueling stop．

［4］Special forces in camouflage and black uniform boarded the plane，reportedly shouting“FSB，put your weapons down or we'll shoot．”The FSB is the acronym for the Federal Security Service．A representative of the security forces then told Khodorkovsky to accompany them and he agreed．

［5］The prosecutor's office confirmed that Khodorkovsky was detained because he had failed to appear for questioning on Friday as summoned，according to Interfax．

［6］“In the framework of the criminal case，M．Khodorkovsky was summoned for questioning Friday．However，he deliberately ignored the summons for questioning，and in conjunction with that，a decision was made to force his appearance，which was done，”the prosecutor general's office said．

［7］Earlier this week，Russian prosecutors searched a company for evidence in connection with the criminal probe into Yukos，according to Interfax．

［8］The company，Strategic Communications Agency，allegedly holds computer databases for companies controlled by the Russian oil giant，and Interfax said prosecutors hoped to find evidence of tax evasion on the databases．

［9］Yukos denied that it had any connection to the company．

［10］The investigation began in July with the arrest of Platon Lebedev，a top Yukos shareholder and board chairman of Menatep Group，on charges of theft of state property during the 1994 privatization of a fertilizer plant．Lebedev has remained in jail awaiting trial．

［11］Last week，prosecutors also filed tax evasion charges against a Yukos manager，Vasily Shakhnovsky，who oversees day-to-day company operations and is responsible for customer relations and auditing．

［12］Prosecutors also have carried out searches of Yukos-owned companies and the homes of Yukos shareholders．

［13］Yukos recently completed its merger with its smaller rival Sibneft to create one of the world's top oil producers，and will formally become the new entity after a November shareholder meeting．

［14］When he was detained on Saturday，Khodorkovsky was on his way from the Volga River town of Nizhny Novgorod to Irkutsk in central Siberia on a business trip．He had been expected back in Moscow on Monday，Interfax reported．

［15］When the plane landed in Novosibirsk shortly before dawn，two buses full of men in camouflage drove up the plane．Khodorovsky was taken away from the airport．“At present，the oil company Yukos is unaware of the whereabouts of M．Khodorkovsky，”Interfax quoted Shadrin as saying．

在上述新闻中，第1段中的背景交代了霍多尔科夫斯基的身份，这一点无疑非常重要。第4段中的斜体部分看似一个不起眼的背景添加，实际上非常重要，它不仅仅交代了FSB乃是俄罗斯联邦安全局的首字母缩写简称，更透露了一个惊人的背景，即俄罗斯总统普京解决霍多尔科夫斯基这个俄罗斯首富时动用的不是一般的警察，而是俗称秘密警察的联邦安全局特工，而联邦安全局的前身就是冷战时期大名鼎鼎的苏联间谍机构克格勃。克格勃出身的普京动用继承克格勃衣钵的联邦安全局来对付霍多尔科夫斯基，不但可以看出其手段之老辣，同时也可以反映其斩除俄罗斯金融寡头伸向政坛的触角的决心。如此背景添加顿时使得这篇看似短小的新闻报道顿时变得颇有分量。第9～12段的背景添加则介绍了俄罗斯政府给霍多尔科夫斯基定的什么罪名以及相关调查的进展情况，这样才使得霍多尔科夫斯基在一个远离莫斯科的城市被逮捕这一新闻事件的发生不会显得突兀。

从上述两篇美联社的英语新闻报道不难看出，背景材料的添加不但是英语新闻写作的基本要素，同时也很好地起到了说明、补充、烘托新闻事件的作用，从而使读者/观众更加全面地了解新闻的来龙去脉。许明武(2006:190)在其论述中援引美国著名新闻学者、哥伦比亚大学教授曼切尔斯的观点指出，不使用背景材料，几乎没有什么报道是全面的。忽视这个忠告的记者绝不可能给读者提供充分的信息。

有鉴于此，我们在进行对外新闻报道的翻译时，也必须高度重视与新闻事件相关的背景材料的添加。在具体实践中，新闻翻译时添加背景有着以下几种情况:

1．对人物进行背景介绍

这是最常见的新闻背景添加，原因很简单:我们的对外新闻报道的目标受众是外国人，他们对于中国的情况严重缺乏了解，哪怕是在中国家喻户晓的知名人士，对于他们来说也有可能是一个没有任何意义的人物，因此，背景添加非常必要，也非常重要。为了说明问题，以下对一些实例进行分析。

实例一

周总理生前座机赴合肥展出

【口导】2003年底安徽一企业，在合肥市拍得停放在连云港的周恩来总理座机“50050三叉戟”，该机今天从连云港启运合肥。

【配音】据悉，这架“50050三叉戟”是20世纪60年代从英国进口的，属于我国进口的第一批专用大型喷气式客机。飞机身长40米，宽30米，飞行高度可达12 000米，时速900～1 000千米，有“空中美男子”之称。这架飞机购进后进行了改建和装修，长期用做党和国家领导人的专机。20世纪80年代，这架飞机退役，1997年被连云港市一家企业购得用做商业展示。2003年底被合肥市宝丽鲜农业科技开发有限公司以100多万元拍得。记者了解到，飞机经宁连高速运抵合肥市巢湖岸边的烟墩乡庙卫村后，将计划放在占地100多公顷的生态农业科技园内供人参观。

Ex-premier's plane to be on display in Anhui

［lead］The special plane of China's late premier Zhou Enlai will be put on display in Hefei，capital of east China's Anhui Province．The plane was formerly parked in Lianyungang City of Jiangsu Province since it was bought by an enterprise there in 1997．

［voice］The Trident 50050 plane，used by Zhou Enlai and a host of other leaders，will be parked at an ecological agriculture and tourism base in Hefei，said the buyer Wu Shoubin，chairman of the Baoxianli Company，a local private firm，adding that he expects many people to visit the exhibit．Once serving Chinese leaders in the 1970s，the Trident has special cultural and educational significance．Zhou，one of the important leaders of China，was China's prime minister from 1949-1976 and foreign minister from 1949-1958．He died in January 1976 at the age of 77．

The plane originally went on display through a deal between the Beijing Military Museum and a Lianyungang-based company．Since then，the plane has greeted some 1.6 million visitors．

After the term of the agreement expired，the company had difficulties finding accommodation for the 35-meter-long plane with a 30-meter wingspan．In an auction in 2003，the plane was purchased by the Baoxianli Company at the price of 1.27 million yuan．The company's initial aim was to use it in advertising，but they decided to exhibit it instead．

在上述新闻的英语译文中，配音第一段中的最后两个句子以简明扼要的方式介绍了周恩来总理的生平。如果没有这样的一个背景添加，对于我们对外新闻报道的目标受众来说，整个新闻就难以让他们感到重要性，本新闻的价值也无法得到体现。

实例二

张闻天纪念馆开馆

【配音】张闻天陈列馆今天在南京河海大学开馆。张闻天同志是伟大的马克思主义者、杰出的无产阶级革命家和理论家。1917—1919年张闻天求学于河海大学的前身全国水利局河海专门学校，在这里他开始了追求真理、掌握真理、献身真理的革命生涯。陈列馆收集了有关照片、书籍和生活用品300多件。张闻天思想研讨会也于今天举行。

Museum in honor of late CPC leader opens

［lead in］Jiangsu Nanjing based Hohai University inaugurated on Friday the memorial of Zhang Wentian，an outstanding proletarian revolutionary．The opening of the memorial is part of the celebrations of Hohai's 90th anniversary．

［voice over］Putting on display in the memorial are photos，books and personal belongings of Zhang Wentian．A high level forum on Zhang Wentian's thoughts was kicked off on the same day．

Between 1917 and 1919，Zhang studied in Hohai Hydraulic School，the predecessor of Hohai University．

Born in 1900 and died in 1976，Zhang was a devoted Marxist and an outstanding proletarian revolutionary，who made monumental contributions to China and its people during his long career of revolution and socialist construction．Zhang held several important posts of the Communist Party of China during his life．

这个新闻报道同样在译文中增添了不可缺少的背景。虽然张闻天在中国颇具知名度，但是张闻天在外国受众中则可以说是默默无闻了，因此，在翻译这个新闻报道的过程中，适当增添一些人物背景，无疑有助于外国受众更好地理解。

其实，对人物进行背景介绍不仅仅限于知名人士，就是普通百姓，只要他们是新闻主角，新闻报道中也应该对其身份进行背景介绍。

实例三

镇江:民间艺人烙画纪念巴金诞辰

【口导】今天是一代文学宗师巴金先生诞辰102周年纪念日，镇江民间艺人盛珏为此特别制作了一幅名为《笑容》的烙铁画，纪念这位为我国的文学赢得世界性荣誉的“人民作家”。

Folk artist remembers Ba Jin

Jue，a famous folk artist of south Jiangsu's Zhenj

［lead in］Shengiang City，made an iron painting to celebrate the 102nd birthday of Ba Jin，one of the most prominent Chinese writers，who passed away last month．

在这个电视新闻导语中，对民间艺人这个普通人物和巴金这个一代文学巨匠的身份背景都做了简明扼要的交代。尤其是由于这个新闻发表于巴金去世不久，因此，译者根据对外新闻报道翻译是一种再创造的特点，还增添上了巴金在上月去世的这样一个新闻背景，从而使得该导语更加饱满。

在对新闻人物的背景进行补充时，并非总是以简明扼要的方式，有时候，为了能够把新闻的来龙去脉完整地告诉受众，这样的背景越详细越好。如在2008年5月12日中国四川汶川特大地震灾难中，一位名叫宋馨懿的3岁小女孩在父母的保护下得以死里逃生，可是其父母为了把生的机会留给女儿却不幸遇难，伟大的父爱母爱感动天地，同时，由于在把她从废墟之下抢救出来之后火速送往医院的路上，正在指导抗震救灾工作的温家宝总理也马上给护送她的担架让路，这个小姑娘顿时成为新闻主角。2008年5月27日，她被转移到江苏做进一步治疗后，江苏电视台在几天之后的“六一国际儿童节”介绍了她在江苏的治疗情况。由于她的故事已经家喻户晓，内宣新闻稿件中并未提及其获救的经过，而在外宣报道中补充这一背景则十分必要，否则外国受众无法了解整个新闻事件的来龙去脉，因此，在翻译过程中就增添了以下人物背景:

In the massive earthquake that struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12，Song Xinyi was shielded by the bodies of her parents，surviving the catastrophe that claimed some 70，000 lives and left more than 5 million homeless．Rescuers found Song Xinyi on the morning of May 13，but were unable to pull her out right away due to fears the debris above her would collapse．She was fed and shielded from the rain until rescuers extricated her from the rubble after she was buried in the ruins for more than 40 hours．

2．对地理名称进行背景介绍

在以美国为代表的英语新闻中，只要出现一个地理名称就必定会介绍一下该地点所处的方位或者该地点是属于省(州)、市、县、区，还是镇、村，以便帮助读者了解新闻事件的发生地点。如果是一个较小的地点，那么其方位就会以一个比较知名的大城市作为参照。在语言形式上，这个地理方位背景介绍通常是在地点后面接上一个同位语结构。如上文提到的南非前总统曼德拉生日庆典的地点Qunu是一个不为外界所知的小地方，但是，后面的背景介绍600 miles south of Johannesburg则告诉了我们它的位置。

又如:Nevada Department of Wildlife officials authorized a special hunt of 200 antelope and the relocation of up to 350 others after determining the blackened rangeland is unable to support the herd of more than 1，000 animals northwest of Elko，about 290 miles east of Reno．

在美联社2006年9月4日的这篇英语新闻报道中出现的地名Elko后接一个名词短语就是告知该地方所处位置。

为此，我们在翻译对外新闻报道的时候，也应该遵循这一新闻特征，对新闻报道中出现的地点告知方位背景，虽然这些地名在我国的文化背景和思维定式之下基本上是不需要进行解释的。这么做的另外一个原因是，外国读者/观众对于中国地理名称缺乏最起码的感性认识，概念模糊。

实例一

江苏援建的首批2 000套活动板房基本完工明天交付

【口导】明天，江苏省将向绵竹交付首批2 000套建成可供灾区群众居住的活动板房。

Jiangsu delivers 2，000 temporary houses to quake areas

［lead in］East China's Jiangsu Province will deliver on Thursday 2，000 prefab houses to the quake-ravaged Mianzhu City，Southwest China's Sichuan Province，to house the people who were left homeless by the devastating earthquake on May 12．

实例二

云南7个国家级口岸可办理签证

【口播】云南省旅游局近日在2005中国国际旅游交易会上介绍，与老挝、缅甸、越南三国接壤的云南省目前已有8个口岸允许第三国公民出入境，其中7个口岸可办理签证手续。

7 Yunnan border crossings to handle visa application

［lead in］Seven ports in Southwest China's Yunnan will handle visa application，the province's tourism authority said recently at the China International Tourism Trade Fair．The province，bordering Laos，Myanmar and Vietnam，has eight border crossings．7 of them are now permitted to handle visa and border pass application．

实例三

我省18名民警赴苏丹执行维和任务

【口导】由我省公安机关组建的第一支整建制维和警队今天从南京启程，赴苏丹执行为期一年的维和任务。

18 Jiangsu police to work in Sudan for peacekeeping mission

［lead in］The first peacekeeping team of 18 police officers from east China's Jiangsu Province left Nanjing on Thursday for Sudan where they will work for one year under the UN flag．

上述对外新闻报道的中文稿件中，地名均未交代其在中国的所处方位，但是，在英语译文中却进行了背景补充(斜体部分)。这样的翻译方法也是当前我国中央级媒体，如CCTV-9和新华社采用的普遍做法。

3．对机构组织进行背景介绍

中国的机构组织名称，尤其是政府机构，外国人同样是无法准确理解的，因此，在翻译的过程中就需要对这些机构名称尽量做一个简短的背景说明。如“全国人大”，光是将其翻译为The National People's Congress还不够，而是最好再加上一个背景解释China's top legislature，提醒外国受众，这是中国的最高立法机关。同理，“全国人大常委会委员长”，除了将其译为Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress之外，还可以加上China's top legislator这样一个背景解释，从而更容易被我们对外新闻报道的目的受众所理解。“全国政治协商会议”则就是the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference再加上一个背景解释China's top advisory body。有时候，这种背景解释可能会更加详细，比如说，China Daily 2004年2月27日的一篇新闻报道是这样解释的:The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC)is a Chinese people's patriotic united front organization，a key institution of multi-party cooperation and political consultations under the leadership of the Communist Party of China(CPC)，and a major channel for promoting socialist democracy．在介绍“国家发展与改革委员会”时，除了将其翻译为the National Development and Reform Commission之外，还应该加上China's(top)economic planner这样一个背景介绍，从而使得外国受众对于这个机构的性质有一个明确了解。

实例

China steps up checks on capital inflow

China's top economic planner has announced much more stringent checks on foreign direct investment，to curb illicit inflows of speculative“hot money”．

The National Development and Reform Commission has ordered local branches to implement existing regulations．And this means large foreign investments now need approval from the central agency，and not just from local authorities．This latest move from the NDRC follows recent action taken by the Foreign Exchange Regulator，to strengthen monitoring of export revenues．

This requires that such funds are transferred to temporary accounts，so that officials can verify that they are the result of actual trade transactions．

上面这则新闻是CCTV-9 2008年7月19日播报的一篇新闻，在这个以“国家发展与改革委员会”为新闻主角的新闻中，导语中并非首先出现该机构的英语译名，而是对其进行了背景解释——China's top economic planner，通过上下文关联，受众很容易把它与正文中的the National Development and Reform Commission联系起来。

4．对新闻报道进行历史背景补充

中国有着悠久的历史，其中的一些历史背景，虽然对于本国人民来说非常熟悉，但是，一般外国受众对中国了解很少。因此，在翻译新闻报道时，如果涉及历史背景，那么，进行适当的背景补充是很有必要的。有时候，这种历史背景补充只是微观的，也就是说针对新闻中的某一个细节，比如，“秦始皇兵马俑”除了译为the terra-cotta warriors in the tomb of Qin Shihuang之外，还可以对“秦始皇”进行历史背景介绍如下:the first emperor who unified China。

另外，历史背景介绍有时不是针对某一个人、某一个地点、某一个事件，而是针对整个新闻而言的。

实例

江苏黄埔军校同学会聚首南京

【口导】11月29日至30日，江苏省黄埔军校同学会三届三次理事会议在南京举行，来自省内的黄埔同学、黄埔后代以及各市委统战部有关人员近60人参加了会议。

Jiangsu Whampoa veterans gather in Nanjing

［lead in］The Whampoa Military Academy Alumni Association in east China's Jiangsu Province convened its third session of the council meeting Monday in Nanjing．The two-day event attracted some 60 participants，including Jiangsubased Whampoa veterans and their descendents and officials from Nanjing City Government．

［voice over］Dr．Sun Yat-sen，the father of China's first democratic revolution and founder of the Kuomintang，established the academy on June 16，1924，to train military officers for the National Revolutionary Army．

Whampoa was the setting for the first real cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China．It eventually became a major source of commanders for both parties in the Chinese civil war and the War of Resistance against Japan．

Chiang Kai-shek，who was later to take control of the Kuomintang，was the school's first president．Zhou Enlai，who went on to become China's premier，was director of the academy's political department．

The academy was a locus for some of the most talented revolutionary military personnel of the time．Many of its students later became noted generals and marshals both in the Communist army and the Kuomintang army．

上面这则新闻报道的译文虽然增添的历史背景较多，但是考虑到黄埔军校在近代中国历史上占据的特殊地位和分量，同时考虑到背景介绍如果过于简单就不能说明问题，因此，这样的处理还是可行的，否则，外国受众很难正确理解。

5．对整个新闻进行一个大背景的补充

目前在中国有相当一些省市的电视台开播了英语新闻节目，这些英语新闻节目所报道的内容基本上以本地新闻为主。但是，在很多时候，有些新闻事件是具有全国性的大背景的，也就是说这个新闻事件是在全国范围内进行的，本地的活动只是全国活动的一个组成部分。在这种情况下，为了使新闻内容更加充实，新闻报道更加全面，适当地补充一些全国性的背景是很有必要的。

实例一

南京台湾直航包机:一切准备就绪!

【口导】7月4日，首架直航包机将从南京直接飞往台湾。目前，东航江苏公司和南京禄口国际机场已在各方面做好了充足的准备，全力确保两岸周末包机的首度“飞天”。

【配音】在南京禄口国际机场的停机坪上，我们见到了此次将执飞南京至台北包机首航任务的空客“A321”客机。在这架可以搭乘177名旅客的飞机上，机务维修人员正对驾驶舱进行全面细致的最后维护，清洁人员也在忙碌地进行着客舱的细部清洁。目前，一切事项都已准备就绪，为了保证顺利，7月4日当天还将有一名机修师全程跟随首航。至于票价，记者了解到，目前南京飞台湾的经济舱散客往返初步定价为3 500元，往返团体价为3 000元左右，头等舱往返价格在6 000元左右。

今天，东航江苏公司专门为直航包机准备的空姐服装也揭开了神秘面纱。富贵竹、牡丹花、龙凤呈祥……一组组由南京云锦织就的特色图案让江南水乡的婉约气质尽情流露，这一件件造价不菲的云锦制服，一定会让乘客们对南京留下美好的印象。

【同期】东航江苏公司×××

【配音】在三个小时的旅途中，机组将向乘客播放台湾风光和旅游注意事项。飞机上提供的食品也将尽显两岸特色，既有南京的糍粑和扬州的开胃小菜，又有台湾本土的三杯鸡、卤肉饭等小吃，务必让每位乘客都能满意。而更让人惊喜的是，所有旅客都将收到一份特殊的礼物。由于南京是今年两岸包机中新增的直航点，为了铭记这一历史特殊时刻，在首航航班中，每位旅客将能获赠一幅价格不菲的云锦挂画，而在以后的航班中，所有旅客都能拥有一件由南京特有的雨花石做成的特色饰品。

Nanjing-Taiwan charter flight ready for maiden takeoff

The Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines Corp．Ltd．and Nanjing Lukou International Airport have been fully prepared for the maiden weekend non-stop charter flight to Taiwan to be inaugurated this Friday．

Both the air carrier and the airport have completed preparations for the formal launch of cross-Strait chartered flights on weekends starting from July 4．China Eastern will fly four round flights each week，and its Nanjing-Taipei round flight will be launched each Friday．The flight will be carried by Airbus A321 aircraft，which is configured with 177 seats．

At present，aircraft maintenance staff are conducting carefully the last round of maintenance to the pilot's cockpit to keep it in the best condition．In the meantime，cleaning personnel is also busy cleaning the passenger cabin．To ensure a smooth maiden flight，an aircraft repair technician will be on board this Friday．

According to China Eastern，the round-trip economy class ticket for individual travelers is set at 3，500 yuan，while tour groups will pay about 3，000 yuan for the return ticket．The round-trip first class ticket costs about 6，000 yuan．

The airline unveiled Tuesday the special uniform for the air stewardess serving on the weekend charter flights．Made of exquisite Cloud Pattern Brocade，the traditional raised woven fabrics produced in Nanjing，the uniform will impress passengers with its unique patterns such as the peony flower，which is known as the queen of flowers in China．

During the three-hour flight，the air crew will broadcast to travelers the beautiful scenery in Taiwan as well as some tips for tourists．Meals will also be specially prepared to suit the different tastes of people from both sides．Specialties of Nanjing and Taiwan will be served in the flight．

Nanjing，capital city of east China's Jiangsu Province，is the newly added destination for weed direct chartered flights．Therefore，a launching ceremony will be held to mark the special moment．

In addition，all passengers aboard Friday's maiden flight will receive a picture made of Cloud Pattern Brocade as a gift to celebrate this historical occasion．Travelers who take the weekend charter flights after July 4 will get a special ornament made of Rain Flower or Yuhua pebbles，a local product of Nanjing that is treasured as a remarkable rarity among the stones for appreciation．

The mainland's Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation signed two agreements on flights and tourism on June 13 after the organizations resumed talks after nine years．

The two sides agreed on starting weekend chartered flights across the Strait from July 4．So far，the service is only in operation during four major Chinese festivals．

The service will include 36 return flights for every weekend，from each Friday to the following Monday，and the number will increase according to demand，according to the deal．The flights will be divided evenly between mainland and Taiwan airlines．

The mainland will first open Beijing，Shanghai，Guangzhou，Xiamen and Nanjing to the flights，and will gradually add Chengdu，Chongqing，Hangzhou，Dalian，Guilin and Shenzhen，and possibly more if needed．

Taiwan will have eight terminals，including Taipei Taoyuan，Taipei Songshan，Kaohsiung，Taichung，Penghu，Hualien，Kinmen and Taitung．

All five of Taiwan's active scheduled carriers have been authorized to operate the new flights，namely，China Airlines，EVA Air，Mandarin Airlines，TransAsia Airways and UNI Air．Mainland has authorized six of its carriers，that is，Air China，China Eastern，China Southern，Hainan Airlines，Shanghai Airlines and Xiamen Airlines．

在上面这则新闻报道的英译中，最后的6段是中文新闻稿件中没有的，那是因为这一事件通过媒体报道已经广为人知，而且，本国受众很容易理解这一事件的来龙去脉。但是，对于外国受众而言，如果缺乏最后的背景补充，再加上海峡两岸复杂的关系，他们对本新闻的理解必定会大打折扣。由此可见，本新闻译文中增加的整块背景介绍是很有必要的，也是相当重要的。

实例二

江苏援建德阳市受灾群众过渡安置房

【口导】今天下午，江苏省支援四川省德阳的第一批救灾物资，经过日夜兼程，终于抵达德阳重灾区绵竹市。

【现场】救灾物资送达及交接仪式现场(记者出镜)

【配音】国家建设部副部长黄卫，江苏省政府副秘书长李一宁，以及规划设计、施工单位，一起参加了江苏省援建德阳市受灾群众过渡安置房绵竹建设点的启动仪式。

【现场】卸车现场

【同期】(省略)

【配音】绵竹市是四川省最早的小康县之一，曾连续多年在四川省的十强县评比中名列前茅。这个原本美丽、富裕的城市在这次汶川大地震中受灾十分严重。目前，有近45万受灾群众无家可归，解决受灾群众的住房问题十分紧迫。

【同期】绵竹市人民政府×××市长

【配音】此次江苏省要在绵竹地区援建2万间，共计40万平米的活动板房，搭建工作将在6月25日之前全部完成。江苏省委省政府十分重视绵竹地区活动板房的建设，5月19日接到任务以后，省建设厅紧急调集20亿元的活动板房原材料组织生产加工，工人们赶了三个通宵加班加点完成生产任务;并在全省建筑系统招募了一支5 000人的施工队伍分批进入绵竹负责施工搭建。

【同期】江苏省建设厅副厅长×××

【同期】江苏省建筑工程管理局副局长×××

【配音】为了让受灾群众的生活更加方便，活动板房设计成每20平米一户，还配有厕所、厨房、浴室;在一定比例的范围里，还将设置医院、幼儿园和商业设施。在条件允许的情况下，还将为群众配备体育文化和休闲设施。

Jiangsu delivers makeshift houses to quake-hit zones

［lead in］20，000 makeshift houses sent by east China's Jiangsu Province arrived Friday afternoon in Mianzhu，one of the badly-affected cities in the massive May 12 earthquake．

［voice］A ceremony was held to launch the construction of makeshift houses．Huang Wei，Deputy Minister of the Construction Ministry，and Li Yining，Vice General-Secretary of Jiangsu provincial government，attended the ceremony．These movable houses were the first batch of relief materials provided by Jiangsu．

Mianzhu，one of the most prosperous county-level cities in Sichuan Province，has been badly affected in the devastating catastrophe．At present，nearly 450，000 local residents are homeless．

The makeshift house construction is scheduled to be completed before June 25th．On May 19th，Jiangsu Construction Department organized the production of movable houses worth 2 billion yuan．To fulfill the urgent task，many workers worked around the clock for three days．Meanwhile，the province has dispatched 5，000 construction workers to Mianzhu to build temporary houses of 400，000 square meters．

To facilitate quake survivors'life，the 20-square meter makeshift house includes a kitchen and a bathroom．Hospitals，kindergartens，and business，sports and recreation facilities will be built accordingly．

As of Friday noon，443，340 tents and 18，334 makeshift houses，the most urgently needed relief supplies，had been delivered to China's quake-hit regions．

Since the massive earthquake destroyed many houses，and reconstruction would take time，tents and makeshift shelters are in great need in these regions．

The Chinese government said it needs some three million tents to house the nearly 5 million people displaced by the 8 magnitude earthquake on May 12 in southwestern Sichuan Province．

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited two tent manufacturers in east China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday，urging them to produce more qualified tents to meet the needs of the quake-hit zone．

在上述新闻的英语译文中，最后4段属于全国性的背景补充，这样的补充应该说是很有必要的，因为只有把江苏的抗震救灾工作置于全国一盘棋之下，才能显示出相关工作有多么重要，同时也可以使得本新闻报道在内容上更加全面，以点带面，突出地方，统筹全国。

在查询全国性背景方面，除了依靠GOOGLE设置关键词进行检索外，另外一个途径是登录我国的中央级网站的英文版网站，主要有中国网(http://www.china.org.cn)、人民网(http://english.peopledaily.com.cn)、新华网(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english)、央视网(http://english.cctv.com/index.shtml)、中国日报网(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn)、中国国际广播电台网(http://english.cri.cn)、中华网(http://english.china.com)、中国国际电子商务网(http://en.ec.com.cn)等。这些网站拥有强大的新闻记者编辑队伍和翻译审校班子，还聘请有外籍专家，它们提供的译文应该是相当可靠的。