词义概略化

5.3　词义概略化

原文:It's nothing than take honest men's bread out of their mouth．

译文:这完全是在抢老实人的饭碗。

原文:“Good work！”says the teacher．“Boys and girls，I think it's wonderful that Kiko over here knows the answer．”

译文:“答得好！”老师说。“同学们，坐在这儿的木子同学答对了，真了不起。”

原文:The United States is often depicted as a nation that has been devouring the world's mineral resources．

译文:人们常把美国说成是一个挥霍世界矿物资源的国家。

原文:In order to survive，to feed，clothe，and shelter himself and his children，man has to learn how to use things he finds in nature，and this means that he has to study and learn about nature．

译文:为了生存，为了自身及后代的衣、食、住，人类必须学会如何使用从自然界获得的东西，也就是说，人类必须研究并了解自然界。

原文:In the modern world salt has many uses beyond the dinning table．

译文:在当今世界，盐除了供食用外，还有许多其他用途。

原文:Pregnant women and women breastfeeding their children may need vitamins．

译文:孕妇和哺乳期的妇女可能需要维生素。

原文:He has traveled the length and breadth of China．

译文:他走遍了全中国。

词义概略化，不仅见诸英汉翻译，汉英翻译中也时有所见，下面就来看一些实例。

原文:不要胡子眉毛一把抓。

译文:Don't try to attend to big and small matters all at once．

原文:别忘了是你娘一把屎，一把尿地把你拉扯大的。

译文:Don't forget it is your mother who has taken great pains to bring you up．

原文:战士们直向敌人进来的沟口飞跑，不管三七二十一……是沟跳沟，是崖跳崖。

译文:The soldiers rushed towards the mouth of the gorge．．．They let nothing stop them．

原文:合同既已签了，生米煮成了熟饭，只好如此了。

译文:As the contract has been signed，what's done is done and can't be undone．

原文:怕什么呢？死了张屠夫，还有李屠夫，人多得很。

译文:What are you afraid of？He is not the only pebble on the beach．

原文:又不贪图人的富贵，又不侍候人的颜色，天不管，地不管，倒也快活。

译文:I don't want to be rich and mighty，or to make up to any man，and I'm my own master．Isn't it a pleasure？

原文:精练就是使语言表达作者的思想感情到了恰到好处的地步。多一段则太多，少一段则太少；多一句不成，少一句也不成；多一个字不好，少一个字也不好。

译文:A writer achieves brevity in language by expressing his thoughts and feelings with such propriety and precision that it would not be possible to add or detract a single paragraph，line or word．

原文:忽见素云进来说:“我们奶奶请二位姑娘商议要紧的事呢。二姑娘、三姑娘、四姑娘、史姑娘、宝二爷，都等着呢”。

译文:Just then Su-yun came in to announce，“Our mistress wants you both to go and discuss important business．All the other young ladies are there with Master Pao．”

注:

［1］碎催，即打杂儿的。

［2］由于种种原因，propaganda一字在现实生活中仍偶尔有见。《英语世界》某文写美国的情况，里面即有Propaganda Department。沙博理英译《邓小平的文革岁月》，也将其中的“宣传部”处理成了Propaganda Department，这或许是专门针对那段非常时期而言者。此外，段连城也曾对“宣传部”的英译是否应该更改谈过个人意见，他在《怎样对外介绍中国》一书中说:“我不认为中央和地方的宣传部也应改变译名，现在译为Department of Propaganda，已是‘约定俗成’。但下属的外宣处（科）是否可译为Overseas Information Division（Section）呢？按字典回译成中文，是‘海外新闻处（科）’，恐怕通不过，但那是硬译害人，许多非社会主义国家的宣传部不是都叫Ministry of Information（新闻部）吗？至少也可略去一个Propaganda，称为Overseas Division（Section），Department of Propaganda（宣传部对外处或科）。对外交往中，一位Information Officer（一般译为‘新闻官’，不尽准确），比一位Propaganda Chief（可理解为‘宣传头目’）的形象更可亲些。”

［3］董桥《浏览这样的中英文》里某文也谈到中文的“关注”与英文的concern，有关文字如下:“‘关注’是担心、重视、关怀，等于英文的concern，总是带着worry，即使所‘关注’的事很interesting，却一定颇为important。”

［4］见到“建设”二字，人们首先想到的英文表达往往是construction，其实，在好多情况下，“建设”并不宜译作construction。比如，1）国家建设:national reconstruction/national economic development；2）国防建设:the building of national defense；3）城乡建设:urban and rural development；4）社会主义现代化建设:socialist modernization drive；5）加强文化建设: strengthen cultural development efforts；6）加强廉政建设:strengthen efforts to ensure clean government；7）加强制度建设:improve the regulatory system；8）加强军队思想政治建设: strengthen ideological and political work among servicemen；9）加强青少年思想道德建设: cultivate ideals and ethics among young people；10）加强国防和军队建设:strengthen（modernize）national defense and build up the armed services（forces）；11）基础设施建设成就显著:The infrastructure improved remarkably．12）交通建设空前发展:Transport developed on an unprecedented scale．13）民主政治建设不断加强:Democracy has been improved steadily.14）国家创新体系建设积极推进:Significant progress was made in establishing China's innovation system．