表达方式转换译法

第一节　表达方式转换译法

英语和汉语中均有从正面或反面来表达一种概念的现象，但由于文化和思维方式等的不同，两种语言在正反表达方式上存在一定差异。因此在翻译时，英语中有些从正面表达的内容在汉语中习惯从反面来表达；而有些从反面来表达的内容在汉语中则习惯从正面来表达，这种翻译手法称为表达方式转换译法。例如：

I don’t think she is right.

我认为她不对。

Before he could stop me,I had rushed out of the classroom.

在他还没来得及挡住我前，我已经跑出教室了。

上面两个例句一个有否定形式，另一个没有，如果两句都采用直译的方式，会给读者留下很生硬的感觉，而采用了表达方式转换译法后，既表达出原文的本意，又符合汉语的表达方式。

从上面的例子我们看到英语原文里的否定形式未必在中文译语里也相应地采用否定形式，反之亦然。这里使用正反表达转换技巧的关键在于既能够使译文充分表达原文的意义，同时读起来也不会让人感到别扭、不地道，而给人自然得体的感觉。

那么英语中具有否定形式或否定意义的表达方式有哪些呢？我们大致可以分为以下几种：

1.否定词：no、not、none、never、nothing、nobody、nowhere、neither、nor；

2.部分否定词：not every、not all、not both、not much、not many、not always等；

3.半否定词：hardly、scarcely、seldom、barely、few、little等；

4.形式肯定意义否定的词：fail、without、beyond、until、unless、lest、ignorant、refrain、refuse、neglect、absence、instead of、other than、except、rather than等；

5.否定前缀non-、in-、im-、ir-、dis-和否定后缀-less。

汉语的否定词比英语少。在汉语中没有词形变化，只能用一些明显具有否定意义的副词、形容词和动词来表达否定意义，比如：不、非、无、没、没有、未、否、别、休、甭、孬、莫、勿、毋等字。因此，英译汉时常常有必要根据不同的语境进行转换。

一、英语正面表达转换为汉语反面表达

（一）单词转换

词际转换是指将英语中没有否定形式却表示否定意义的词译为汉语的否定词。例如：

Freeze！

不许动！

frost-free refrigerator

无霜冰箱

Such a chance was denied to her.

她没有得到这样一个机会。

The first shot missed the target.

头一枪没有打中目标。

This winter is predictably colder.

不出意外，今年冬天更加寒冷。

The actual process is totally beyond our comprehension.

我们完全不能理解实际的操作工序。

Time is what we want most,what,alas,many use worst.

时间是我们最缺少的，哎，也是很多人最不善于利用的。

It was beyond his power to sign such a contract.

他无权签订这种合同。

The soldiers would fight to death before they surrender.

战士们宁愿战死也不投降。

They feel great anxiety about his sickness.

他们对他的病情感到焦虑不安。

The proposal was carried by a very narrow margin.

这项建议差点通不过。

He went to an outdoor phone booth and dialed Chicago,then New York,then San Francisco.Silence.Silence.Silence.

他来到一个户外公用电话亭，先拨给芝加哥，再给纽约、旧金山打了电话。没有回复。没有回复。还是没有回复。

Father’s attitude toward anybody who wasn’t his kind used to puzzle me.

过去我一直弄不懂父亲为何对那些和他不对脾气的人是那样的态度。

（二）短语转换

短语转换是指将英语中没有否定形式却表示否定意义的短语翻译为汉语的含有否定词的短语。例如：

Wet paint!

油漆未干！

fatal deases

不治之症

The evidence is conclusive and beyond doubt.

证据确凿，毋庸置疑。

The chain reaction is far from ending.

这个连锁反应远没结束。

The runaway jaguar is still at large.

那只逃脱的美洲虎还未捉到。

We believe that the younger generation will prove worthy of our trust.

我们相信，年轻一代将不会辜负我们的信任。

（三）句子转换

句子转换是指将英语中没有否定形式却表示否定意义的句子翻译为汉语的含有否定词的句子。例如：

He carries his age very well.He looks 50 but in fact he’s nearly 60.

他不显老，看上去像50岁，其实他已经60多了。

More haste,less speed.

欲速则不达。

If you believe in unlimited quality and act in all your business dealings with total integrity,the rest will take care of itself.—Frank Perdue

如果你坚信好品质无极限，并且在所有生意往来里都秉承诚信，其余的事情便不用操心了。——弗兰克·普渡

The pictures that linger in his mind,called up in a moment by such sensations as the smell of roses or of new-mown hay,are of a simpler nature.

然而，萦绕心头的画面，那些一经嗅到玫瑰花香或新鲜干草的气息便会倏地闯入记忆的情景，其实并不复杂。（陈宏薇，1988）

As he sipped his coffee,he opened a still damp morning paper,and began reading.

他一边啜着咖啡，一边打开油墨未干的晨报，看了起来。

Like those of little experience,he was easily elated by success and deflated by failure.

正如没经历过大事的人一样，他是经不起成功也经不起失败的。

You may leave at once for all I care.

你尽可以马上离开，我才不管呢。

二、英语反面表达转换为汉语正面表达

（一）单词转换

People generally take an instinctive dislike to troubles.

人们普遍本能地讨厌麻烦。

When it comes to our own pursuits of happiness,we agree to disagree.

在追求快乐方面，我们求同存异。

He carelessly glanced through the note and got away.

他随便地扫了一眼那张便条就走了。

He was dishonorably discharged from the army for his cowardice in the battle.

因其在战场上的懦弱行为，他灰溜溜地地被部队开除了。

The mother gently disengaged her hand from that of her sleeping baby.

母亲轻轻地把手从沉睡的宝宝手里抽了出来。

Hitler’s undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with world-wide condemnation.

希特勒公然迫害犹太人的行径遭到了全世界的谴责。

（二）短语转换

You can’t be too careful.

你要特别小心。

Don’t lose time in posting this letter.

赶紧把信寄出去。

Such behavior couldn’t long escape notice.

这样的行为早晚会被人发觉的。

The examination left no doubt that the patient had died of cancer.

检查结果清楚地表明病人是死于癌症。

Students,with no exception,are to have physical examinations this afternoon.

今天下午全体学生都要进行体检。

（三）句子转换

No man can have too much knowledge and practice.

知识和实践多多益善。

No comrade in the Party must ever forget this bitter lesson and we must all take warning from it.

这个惨痛的历史教训，我们全党同志一定要永远记住，引以为鉴。

Suddenly he heard a sound behind him,and realized he was not alone in the garage.

他忽然听见背后有动静，便意识到车库里还有别人。

The significance of these incidents wasn’t lost on us.

这些事件的影响引发了我们的注意。

I never go past the house but I think of the happy moments I spent there.

我每次走过那所房子，都会想起在那里度过的快乐时光。

The human system can hold out for a while against the gas from a leaking,damped-down coal stove,but soon after unconsciousness comes death.

煤气若是从封上火的煤炉漏出，人体可以承受一段时间，可一旦昏迷，很快就会死亡。

Unlocking the mystery of what had really happened to his grandparents was his life pursuit,even if it might lead to a skeleton in the family cupboard.

他的祖父母到底怎么样了成为他毕生要解开的一个谜，即使这可能最终是一个不为人知的家丑。

Maintaining credibility requires confronting potential adversaries with the objective,unambiguous facts of our counter-balancing military capabilities,our political strengths and economic advantages,and our clear resolution to use these for our defense if necessary.

保持这种可靠性需要以下客观的、明确的事实来对付潜在的对手：我们达到平衡的军事能力、我们的政治实力和经济优势，以及我们必要时使用这些手段进行自卫的毫不含糊的决心。

三、英语双重否定转换为汉语正面表达

There is no rule that has no exception.

任何规则都有例外。

There is not any advantage without disadvantage.

有利必有弊。

It is impossible but that a man will make some mistakes.

人无完人。

You cannot be too careful in proofreading.

校对时越仔细越好。