汉译英的目的

第一节　汉译英的目的

汉译英工作的根本目的是要向英语国家的人或其他英语读者传达中国某人、某企业或某机构的观点或信息；显然，译文应当符合原文的基本意思。此前绝大多数例句均可说明，除了少量简单句之外，汉译英的工作过程不能是以词为单位的对译，而只能是创造性的“译意”。本节联系前面一章的主题，再借一些与“被动语态”有关的例句来说明为什么“只能是”这样。

例1　这批货检验不合格，章也没盖成。

D1. The goods was disqualification, and didn’t stamped.

D2. The goods are not up to the standards, and not sealed.

汉语是“意合”的语言，某些含糊的地方只要对话的双方明白即可。例如本句原文实际上是指：“这批货被检验之后被发现是不合格的，所以，证明其合格的检验证书上的章就没有（被）盖成”。其中的关键是“意思”，即看起来是主动的，但实际动作都是被动的。英语译文须把这些意思体现出来，而译文D1和D2没有做到。此外，D2用的动词seal是个多义词，主语是the goods的情况下，not sealed更容易被理解为“没有密封”，因为一般而言，盖章不是盖到货物上的——也就是说，“意思”不对。

D3. The certificate of this cargo wasn’t signed for its inspection failure.

D4. This batch of commodities was unqualified after being inspected, and wasn’t stamped.

D5. After the inspection, this batch of commodities was unqualified and not stamped.

本例完全可以当作上一章“宾语提前”项下的例句。这三个译文均采用了被动语态，应当表扬。只是D3的黑体部分有歧义，D4和D5都会被人理解为“在货物上盖章”或盖戳，而不是在相关文件上盖章。英语是“形合”语言，具体的语意必须体现在具体的用词及其词形和句型变化上。

C. This lot of commodity isn’t up to the standard after inspection and the relevant documents are not stamped.

译文C之所以得分为表示不及格的C，也是因为该译文没有“弥补”或补偿这种“意合”与“形合”之间的差异。汉语含糊，中国人明白“这批货检验不合格”是指“这批货经过检验之后，被认为不合格”。但是看了这个译文的前一个句子，国外读者可能会问：这批商品isn’t up to the standard，但，是因为after inspection才造成isn’t up to the standard吗？用中文来讲，这批商品检验不合格，难道是因为进行了检验才造成不合格的吗？抑或是检验之后发现它们不合格？

这个及同类问题比较微妙，正是本科阶段汉译英中应当解决的有点“技术含量”的那类问题，也正是形成本书的目标学生的“比较优势”一大方面。对于“商务英语”专业的学生来讲，要想真正解决这个以及同类问题，比较有效的做法是阅读同类内容的英语原文，然后模仿之。此外，这个译文还有一个风格问题，即主要谓语isn’t 采用缩略形式不够正式. 请对比以下的译文，注意它们的表述“形式”：

B. The cargo failed in the inspection and no certificate was signed.

A1. The certificate of this cargo wasn’t signed because the goods failed to pass an inspection.

A2. This shipment did not pass the inspection and the document was not signed /stamped for pass.

A3. This shipment failed to pass the inspection and the document …

A4. This shipment failed in the inspection, and the document …

A5. This shipment failed (in) the inspection, and for that reason the document was not signed /stamped.

上列六个译文采用了四种句型，参照同类内容的英语表达形式，以不同的方式再现了原文的意思：“这批货”已经“被”检验了，但是没有通过检验，所以“被”判定不合格，因此“章”没有“被”盖上。

例2　山西云岗石窟是在北魏中期开凿的。

D1. Shanxi Yungang Caves was built in the middle of Beiwei Period.

D2. The Yungang Cave was completed in the middle of North Wei period.

D3. The Yungang Caves in Shanxi was | caved during middle time of Beiwei dynasty.

D4. The Yungang Grotto in Shanxi was completed in the middle of North Wei dynasty.

D5. Yungang Grottoes were excavated from the mid-Northern Wei

D6. Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province were excavated | in mid-term of the BeiWei Dynasty.

D7. The Yungang Grottos, which situate in Shanxi Province, were excavated in the Northern Wei dynasty.

C. Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province was carved in the middle of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

例2是所谓的“特色汉语”被动句，完全可以当作上一章“是……的”句型项下的例证。这种句型的汉译英方法应是直译，即与“正常的”被动句相同。这一点以上八个译文全都正确。它们的问题出在黑体词语的“意思”上，均在被动语态的形式之外，请与A类译文对照阅读。A2和A3没有译出“中期”二字，因为在旅游简介中似可模糊，有“意”即可。

A1. The Yun’gang Grottoes, Shanxi Province, were cut during the middle period of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

A2. The grottoes at Yun’gang, Shanxi Province, were made in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

A3. The Yun’gang Grottoes, Shanxi Province, were sculpted during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534).

例3　现有股东有权以每股0.67港元的价格认购新股。

D. The exsisting shareholders have the right of subscribing for new stocks at the price of 0.67 HK$ per share.

C. The present shareholders have the right to buy new shares for HK$0.67 per share.

B. Existing shareholders will be entitled to acquire the new shares at HK$0.67 each.

A1. Shareholders have the right to purchase the new stock at HKD0.67 per share.

A2. New shares will be made available to current shareholders at the price of HKD0.67.

这个例子完全可以当作上一章“汉语主动句”项下的例句。希望借译文A2说明：主语决定句型，句型决定主语，两者相互制约，指望译者从中协调，根据“语意”来选择恰当的译法，其中包括是否采用被动语态。

例4　普通员工的起薪标准从原来每月900元增加到了每月1 200元。

D1. The salary standard of the general staff are raised from RMB900 per month to RMB1 200 per month.

D2. General employees’ starting salary | is increasing from RMB900 yuan per month to RMB1 200 yuan per month.

例4也可当作上一章“当然被动句”项下的例句；原句的“意思”应当是汉译英的关键。无论是D1的standard还是D2的salary，既然分别与staff和employees相关联，那单数形式就不大可能成立。D2的另一个问题是第二、三处黑体部分：salary不会自动increasing，也不会持续进行。C1也有这个问题。

C1. The standard starting salary of common workers will increase from 900 yuan per month to 1 200 yuan.

C2. Starting salaries for general staff rise from RMB 900 yuan in the past to RMB 1 200 yuan monthly.

B. Starting salaries for general staff were increased from RMB900 yuan in the past toRMB1 200 yuan a month.

译文B是C2的修改版，A1和A2又是B的修改版。A3则加注了外币换算。这四个译文全都使用了被动语态，明确了“起薪标准”与“增加”之间的逻辑关系。有关“标准”二字为什么应当省略和意译，请见第十五章例14至例16以及第十八章例7。

A1. The starting salary of a worker was increased from RMB900 yuan a month to RMB1 200.

A2. The starting monthly salary of a worker was increased from RMB900 yuan to RMB1 200.

A3. The basic salary for assembly line workers was raised from 900 yuan (US$132) per month to 1 200 yuan.

以下两个例句本来是上一章“无主语句”项下的例句，放在这里用以说明汉译英过程是再现原文“意思”的过程，所有的句型选择和词语选择应当服务于这一根本目的——亦即本节的主题。

例5　该线路项目完工后，将成立一个新公司负责运营和管理工作。

D. After finishing the route project, a new company will be set up to responsible for the operation and management.

C. A new company will be set up for running and management of this line project after the construction work will be completed.

B. When the new line project is finished, a new company will be established and it will be responsible for the operation and management.

A. A new company will be created /set up /established /founded to handle the operation and management of the new line upon its completion.

四个译文质量迥异，但无一例外都采用了被动语态，说明这四位译者都意识到在“语意”上，“一个新公司”只能是“被”成立的；得分不同是因为其他原因。

例6　去年进口了各类仪器设备1 234台（套），总值约5.67亿元人民币。

D1. Last year it imported 1 234 sets of equipment with the total value of about 56.7 million.

D2. Apparatuses and equipments (set) amounts to 1 234 with the total value of RMB 567 million Yuan were imported last year

D3. Last year imported 1 234 various apparatuses and instruments or sets of equipment, whose total value is about RMB 0.567 billion Yuan.

C. 1 234pieces of apparatuses and equipments were imported with a total value of RMB 567 million Yuan, last year.

A1. Last year, 1 234 instruments and other equipments were imported, worth about RMB567 million yuan.

A2. Imported last year were 1 234 instruments and equipments valued a total of aboutRMB567 million yuan.