5.3　詞義概略化

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

譯文:這完全是在搶老實(shí)人的飯碗。

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

譯文:“答得好！”老師說。“同學(xué)們，坐在這兒的木子同學(xué)答對了，真了不起?！?/p>

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

譯文:人們常把美國說成是一個(gè)揮霍世界礦物資源的國家。

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．

譯文:為了生存，為了自身及后代的衣、食、住，人類必須學(xué)會如何使用從自然界獲得的東西，也就是說，人類必須研究并了解自然界。

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

譯文:在當(dāng)今世界，鹽除了供食用外，還有許多其他用途。

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

譯文:孕婦和哺乳期的婦女可能需要維生素。

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

譯文:他走遍了全中國。

詞義概略化，不僅見諸英漢翻譯，漢英翻譯中也時(shí)有所見，下面就來看一些實(shí)例。

原文:不要胡子眉毛一把抓。

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

原文:別忘了是你娘一把屎，一把尿地把你拉扯大的。

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

原文:戰(zhàn)士們直向敵人進(jìn)來的溝口飛跑，不管三七二十一……是溝跳溝，是崖跳崖。

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

原文:合同既已簽了，生米煮成了熟飯，只好如此了。

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

原文:怕什么呢？死了張屠夫，還有李屠夫，人多得很。

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

原文:又不貪圖人的富貴，又不侍候人的顏色，天不管，地不管，倒也快活。

譯文: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:精練就是使語言表達(dá)作者的思想感情到了恰到好處的地步。多一段則太多，少一段則太少；多一句不成，少一句也不成；多一個(gè)字不好，少一個(gè)字也不好。

譯文: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:忽見素云進(jìn)來說:“我們奶奶請二位姑娘商議要緊的事呢。二姑娘、三姑娘、四姑娘、史姑娘、寶二爺，都等著呢”。

譯文: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，即打雜兒的。

［2］由于種種原因，propaganda一字在現(xiàn)實(shí)生活中仍偶爾有見?！队⒄Z世界》某文寫美國的情況，里面即有Propaganda Department。沙博理英譯《鄧小平的文革歲月》，也將其中的“宣傳部”處理成了Propaganda Department，這或許是專門針對那段非常時(shí)期而言者。此外，段連城也曾對“宣傳部”的英譯是否應(yīng)該更改談過個(gè)人意見，他在《怎樣對外介紹中國》一書中說:“我不認(rèn)為中央和地方的宣傳部也應(yīng)改變譯名，現(xiàn)在譯為Department of Propaganda，已是‘約定俗成’。但下屬的外宣處（科）是否可譯為Overseas Information Division（Section）呢？按字典回譯成中文，是‘海外新聞處（科）’，恐怕通不過，但那是硬譯害人，許多非社會主義國家的宣傳部不是都叫Ministry of Information（新聞部）嗎？至少也可略去一個(gè)Propaganda，稱為Overseas Division（Section），Department of Propaganda（宣傳部對外處或科）。對外交往中，一位Information Officer（一般譯為‘新聞官’，不盡準(zhǔn)確），比一位Propaganda Chief（可理解為‘宣傳頭目’）的形象更可親些。”

［3］董橋《瀏覽這樣的中英文》里某文也談到中文的“關(guān)注”與英文的concern，有關(guān)文字如下:“‘關(guān)注’是擔(dān)心、重視、關(guān)懷，等于英文的concern，總是帶著worry，即使所‘關(guān)注’的事很interesting，卻一定頗為important。”

［4］見到“建設(shè)”二字，人們首先想到的英文表達(dá)往往是construction，其實(shí)，在好多情況下，“建設(shè)”并不宜譯作construction。比如，1）國家建設(shè):national reconstruction/national economic development；2）國防建設(shè):the building of national defense；3）城鄉(xiāng)建設(shè):urban and rural development；4）社會主義現(xiàn)代化建設(shè):socialist modernization drive；5）加強(qiáng)文化建設(shè): strengthen cultural development efforts；6）加強(qiáng)廉政建設(shè):strengthen efforts to ensure clean government；7）加強(qiáng)制度建設(shè):improve the regulatory system；8）加強(qiáng)軍隊(duì)思想政治建設(shè): strengthen ideological and political work among servicemen；9）加強(qiáng)青少年思想道德建設(shè): cultivate ideals and ethics among young people；10）加強(qiáng)國防和軍隊(duì)建設(shè):strengthen（modernize）national defense and build up the armed services（forces）；11）基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施建設(shè)成就顯著:The infrastructure improved remarkably．12）交通建設(shè)空前發(fā)展:Transport developed on an unprecedented scale．13）民主政治建設(shè)不斷加強(qiáng):Democracy has been improved steadily.14）國家創(chuàng)新體系建設(shè)積極推進(jìn):Significant progress was made in establishing China's innovation system．