第二節(jié)　意合與形合

前面多次講到“語(yǔ)意正確”最重要；其實(shí)何止被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)，其他各章的主題內(nèi)容也都可以拿來印證本章的主題。與此同時(shí)，本章舉證說明的道理，也適用于對(duì)其他章節(jié)中大多數(shù)漢譯英例句的B類和A類譯文的解釋。

漢字是方塊字，形式變化較少，英語(yǔ)是拼音文字，形式變化較多。漢譯英的過程在詞語(yǔ)層面上的意合與形合，便是實(shí)現(xiàn)這種轉(zhuǎn)化的過程。最為簡(jiǎn)單，同時(shí)又是目標(biāo)學(xué)生常見問題的是冠詞、單復(fù)數(shù)和動(dòng)詞時(shí)態(tài)變化，即高中反復(fù)學(xué)習(xí)過的基礎(chǔ)知識(shí)。例如“原文作者”譯作the original author便是只有形合而沒有意合，也就是“意思”不對(duì)。僅僅調(diào)整一下詞序（第九章第一節(jié)），改為the author of the original (article, paper, essay, etc.)就對(duì)了。

又如“利用網(wǎng)絡(luò)”、“網(wǎng)絡(luò)流量激增”和“經(jīng)營(yíng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司”這三個(gè)短語(yǔ)，正確（未必是最好）的譯文分別是to use the Internet, boom in Internet traffic和manage an Internet startup。漢語(yǔ)原文中“網(wǎng)絡(luò)”一詞沒有任何形式變化，而英語(yǔ)則變化較大：是否需要冠詞，如果需要，是定冠詞還是不定冠詞。再如：

例7　我公司產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量穩(wěn)定可靠，深受用戶歡迎。

D. Quality of our company’s product is steady and reliable and is welcomed by customers.

從表層結(jié)構(gòu)上看，譯文與原文幾乎完全一致。那么這個(gè)譯文對(duì)不對(duì)、好不好呢？我們認(rèn)為它不對(duì)也不好，別看它似乎很簡(jiǎn)單。讓我們分成兩個(gè)問題來分析一下。第一個(gè)是句型（本章開頭第一段），漢語(yǔ)的“產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量穩(wěn)定可靠”，主語(yǔ)是“產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量”，猶如“我心臟不好”一句中的“我心臟”，“我車胎氣不足了”中的“車胎”；而后半句“深受用戶歡迎”的邏輯主語(yǔ)是“產(chǎn)品”，不是“產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量”。漢語(yǔ)是說由于產(chǎn)品的質(zhì)量穩(wěn)定可靠，所以產(chǎn)品才深受用戶的歡迎，其中前后兩個(gè)分句之間的“意思”是相互“契合”的，但英語(yǔ)前后兩個(gè)句子主謂形式不合，也就是譯文不對(duì)；如果有人認(rèn)為對(duì)，那他潛意識(shí)中是先譯成漢語(yǔ)再來理解的。

譯文錯(cuò)在沒有意識(shí)到漢語(yǔ)“意合”得有點(diǎn)“隨意”，而英語(yǔ)句型側(cè)重“形合”，形式上比較嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)。漢語(yǔ)的并列句，兩個(gè)分句之間的邏輯關(guān)系可松可緊，例如“我心臟不好，但能吃能睡”，“我車胎氣不足了，不能開快了，但還能將就到家”。而英語(yǔ)比較注意形式上的相互照應(yīng)，即講究“形合”，一般來說句界明顯，要求及時(shí)結(jié)束句子，因此漢語(yǔ)的分句譯成英語(yǔ)時(shí)需要注意變換主語(yǔ)，如果原文是兩個(gè)分句，第二個(gè)可能需要更換主語(yǔ)。

第二個(gè)問題是詞語(yǔ)選擇，似有四點(diǎn)需要考慮。英文的可數(shù)名詞用不定冠詞修飾時(shí)是泛指，用定冠詞修飾為特指，按照英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)法的要求，quality在這里應(yīng)該有定冠詞，product應(yīng)該有冠詞或者復(fù)數(shù)的變化；既然深受歡迎，那應(yīng)當(dāng)已經(jīng)行銷一段時(shí)間了，這就需要有時(shí)態(tài)的變化；“受”字是被動(dòng)句的變體形式，譯成英語(yǔ)時(shí)應(yīng)當(dāng)在語(yǔ)態(tài)方面有所變化；英語(yǔ)詞匯有內(nèi)部的屈折變化，動(dòng)詞可以改為形容詞表示相同的意思，尤其是人們喜好、感覺等詞匯。

兩個(gè)問題的實(shí)則都是應(yīng)當(dāng)“譯意”，不應(yīng)該“譯詞”，均為漢譯英的過程本身，均需打破字面形式，利用英語(yǔ)對(duì)應(yīng)的結(jié)構(gòu)形式來表達(dá)相同或相近的含義。綜合考慮之后，似可改譯為以下這些不同的說法：

B. The products of our company have been steady in quality and customers like it.

A1. The quality of our products is steady and customers welcome it.

A2. The quality of our products has been steady, and they are quite popular.

A3. Our products have a stable quality and are widely accepted by customers.

A4. Our products are popular because of their high quality.

A5. The product of our company is reliable and popular with customers.

A6. With reliable quality, our products enjoy popularity among customers.

A7. The reliable quality of our products has earned the loyalty of our customers.

A8. The reliable quality of our products has earned a wide base of loyal customers.

A9. Dongfang products have proved popular for their reliability /quality /durability.

其中A4以降已然屬于編譯了，超越了本章的主題，但并未脫離漢譯英的范疇（限于這套教材的定位以及對(duì)目標(biāo)學(xué)生的評(píng)估，本書不討論編譯）。這個(gè)句子完全可以直接用作廣告，在可能的條件下還是與廠家名稱聯(lián)系起來的好，這是附上A9的理由。

例8　參與促銷活動(dòng)的車型是新推出的國(guó)產(chǎn)XY。

D1. The promotion is for the newly launched XY, which produced | domosticly.

D2. The motorcycle type participating in this promotional activity is the new XY, which is made in China.

D3. XY, the new car style, which was made in China, has appeared in the activities of the sales promotions.

這個(gè)例句至少有三個(gè)地方需要表現(xiàn)出由“意合”向“形合”的轉(zhuǎn)化。一是“參與促銷活動(dòng)的車型”表面看來是這種車型自個(gè)兒跑來參加的，但“意思”上仍然是人把它運(yùn)來參展的。漢語(yǔ)像原文那么講是正常的，但D1和D2類譯文那樣的英語(yǔ)不可以。二是“國(guó)產(chǎn)”二字，照詞直譯當(dāng)然可以是D1的黑體部分那樣，只是放在句子里不合英語(yǔ)的“形式”。三是“國(guó)產(chǎn)XY”是類別詞，而“參與促銷活動(dòng)”的只能是一兩輛。一個(gè)大類和一兩個(gè)具體的產(chǎn)品，漢語(yǔ)可意合即可以采用同一個(gè)表達(dá)形式，而英語(yǔ)應(yīng)當(dāng)明確表現(xiàn)出來。也就是說，motorcycle type、the new car style和the new XY都是類別，而is made的只能是一輛。

C1. The type of car in promotion is the new XY made in China.

C2. the type of car exhibited in the promotion activity was the latest home-built XY.

C2的第二處黑體部分容易造成誤會(huì)。聯(lián)系第十一章來講，采用被動(dòng)語(yǔ)態(tài)和“枝形”結(jié)構(gòu)有利于區(qū)分一個(gè)事物的兩種動(dòng)作或狀態(tài)。這里連同句型提供了三個(gè)B類譯文，目的在于示意譯法。沒有A類譯文是因?yàn)闊o法判斷“國(guó)產(chǎn)”的具體含義。至于是manufactured還是assembled，應(yīng)當(dāng)由譯者根據(jù)具體情況選擇。

B1. The car on sale is the latest domestic model XY.

B2. The car make being promoted is XY, a new model assembled in China.

B3. The make of the car being promoted is the new XY manufactured in China.

例9　我們要建設(shè)節(jié)水型城市，實(shí)現(xiàn)可持續(xù)發(fā)展。

D1. We should construct a water-saving city and realize | the sustainable development.

D2. We should pay efforts to construct a water-efficient city and realize sustainable development.

C1. We need to build a water-efficient city for sustainable development.

C2. We should build a water-saving city, making sustainable development come true.

譯文D2沒有就pay efforts和realize兩處黑體部分查閱詞典。以上譯文共同的問題在于“語(yǔ)意”不對(duì)。漢語(yǔ)原文那么講，沒有人會(huì)理解為放棄現(xiàn)有城市，另行建設(shè)一座，但construct /build a water-efficient city云云，說的卻都是那個(gè)意思——一個(gè)小小的a，在表達(dá)形式上強(qiáng)化了這種理解，而譯文的目標(biāo)讀者看不到或看不懂中文原文，便有可能認(rèn)為這句話是這個(gè)意思。以下三個(gè)譯文改變了句型（特意選擇了不同的句型），采用了“枝形”結(jié)構(gòu)，在“合譯”的同時(shí)如實(shí)轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)了原文的意思。正如在句型模塊中反復(fù)論證的那樣，“枝形”結(jié)構(gòu)和“合譯”都是利用英語(yǔ)“形合”特征的常用技巧。

B. Let’s make this a city that conserves water. What we need is sustainable development.

A1. We should make our cities water efficient for sustainable development.

A2. We should try to sustain development by making our cities more efficient in water use.

例10　商品檢驗(yàn)和form A產(chǎn)地證可以在同一個(gè)機(jī)關(guān)辦理。

D. Commodities inspection and certificate of origin of Form A can be managed in an organ.

譯文D有板有眼，但僅僅譯了漢語(yǔ)原文的“形”，未能體現(xiàn)英語(yǔ)的“形合”即形式（本章開頭第三段）。若把主謂部分連起來看即能發(fā)現(xiàn)：我們可以在同一個(gè)機(jī)關(guān)既“辦理檢驗(yàn)”又“辦理產(chǎn)地證”，但英語(yǔ)無法manage commodities inspection，也無法manage certificate of origin。這與例7項(xiàng)下討論句型的時(shí)候所講的性質(zhì)一樣：漢語(yǔ)前后“意合”的兩個(gè)分句，在英語(yǔ)里需要分譯。

C. Both the inspection of commodity and issue of the FORM A of certificate of Origin can be done in the same government body.

B1. Commodity inspection and form A certificates of origin can be applied at the same agency.

B2. Procedures like commodity inspection and certificate of origin of Form A can be handled under the same office.

C的問題與D類似：We do not do inspection and issue，但因選用的動(dòng)詞do含義十分廣泛而勉強(qiáng)成立——另一方面，也會(huì)因此而顯得不夠“專業(yè)”。譯文A1是C2的修改版，A2是B1的修改版，A3是B2的修改版。

A1. Both the inspection of commodities and issue of the FORM A certificates of origin can be processed in the same government department.

A2. Commodity inspection and form A certificates of origin can be applied for from the same government agency.

A3. Procedures like application to commodity inspection and issuance of Form A certificates of origin can be handled in the same office.

A4. Paperwork such as commodity inspection and Form A certificates of origin can be applied to and issued by the same office.

A5. You can apply to the same government department for both the inspection of (your) commodities and issuance of FORM A certificates of origin.

例11　老百姓免費(fèi)使用了幾十年的塑料袋如今成為了歷史。

D. The bags made by plastic and used freely many years by people had been history today.

成為“歷史”的不是“塑料袋”，而是“免費(fèi)使用塑料袋”這種做法。問題的實(shí)質(zhì)仍然是：漢語(yǔ)原文就那么說了，可以說沒人會(huì)指責(zé)其表述不合邏輯，但英語(yǔ)比較重視表達(dá)的形式邏輯。譯文D看似嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)且在語(yǔ)法結(jié)構(gòu)和核心詞選擇兩個(gè)方面全都合乎原文，但是整體“語(yǔ)意”失誤。B的問題較為直觀：僅僅是兩處黑體部分?jǐn)?shù)量上前后不一致。

B. People had used the free plastic bags for decades but it became a history now.

A1. The free plastic bags, which shoppers had been supplied free for years, are now no longer available.

A2. Gone are the days when shoppers were provided with plastic bags free.

A類譯文采用了“枝形”結(jié)構(gòu)（第十章），語(yǔ)法正確，主次分明，關(guān)系清楚。

例12　最近開通了兩條公交線路，以提高小區(qū)居民的出行質(zhì)量。

D1. Two public transportation routes has been opened in order to improve the convenience of residents going out recently.

D2. To improve the transportation quality for the people living in the community, two lines of buses have been set up recently.

D3. In order to improve the transportation quality of the community, two public bus lines have been newly established recently.

漢語(yǔ)原文系摘自媒體的原文，最后四個(gè)字需要梳理。或者說，需要在表達(dá)階段選擇合乎英語(yǔ)習(xí)慣的搭配，即要譯“意”。

B1. Two new bus lines are added recently to improve the local residents’ transporting condition.

B2. Recently, two lines have been opened to traffic in order to provide convenience for residences of nearby neighbourhoods.

A. Two transit routes were recently mapped out to facilitate residents in this area.