不可单词对应

第四节　不可单词对应

本节是第二节的继续，但更多地关注具体的词语选择。前面多次论述过的“能直译的就直译”仍然有效，本节标题是说那些“不能直译”的词语“不可仅仅照词直译”。目标学生的具体表现在于“直译”的比例大了一点，使用的频率高了一点，其特点是将单词直译无条件地扩大到了以句子为单位的翻译，译者的智力投入程度低，翻译工作的技术含量也就低一些，译文的质量也就差那么一点。

请同学们把“这本书”三个字译成英语，没有一个写作this copy of book，但若例子有所变化，便会出现类似于这四个单词的译文，比如第一章例9（“这种蜂蜜”）和第十一章例18（“这种设备”）。根本问题还是在译“词”，不是译“句”，更不是译“意”。即便是专有名词的译名，采用的主流方式也并非直译。比如说 “市”、“局”、“办”等机构名称核心词，第六章（例39至例45为代表）里已有充分的举证，说明单纯的“直译”用处极小。本节例句的臧否依据请见第一章第二节。同时，这些例句也可作为该节的举证。

例19　中信集团公司是我国实行对外开放的重要窗口之一。

D1. CITIC group is one of the important windows for opening to the outside world in China.

D2. CITIC group is one of the important windows for our country’s implementation of opening to the outside world.

译文D1的黑体部分是直译，译文属于严重的错译；汉语那么讲是成立的，但直译之后形成了两处重大失误。一是修辞难以成立，即a group（指代一家企业）不是一个window，正如第五章例31（“今年的八月十五是九月三十号”）中所讲的简单道理一样。二是语意不对，即中国不是使用window来opening to the outside world的。此外，in China与world紧密相连，却又远离其修饰对象，极易造成困惑。D2的主要问题与D1一样，中国一样无法用window来implement policy。两者均是“译词”而未“译意”的例证。

C. CITIC Group serves as one of the critical mediums for China’s opening to the outside world.

译文C中的medium的复数形式不对。Medium在做“（传播信息的）媒介，手段，方法”解时，复数形式为media。做“女巫，降神者，通灵的人”解时复数是mediums。由此看来，C译得还是“词”，不是“意思”。

A1. CITIC Group is a significant platform in carrying out China’s policy of opening to the outside world.

A2. The achievements of the CITIC group provide an important showcase in China’s implementation of the state policy of opening to the outside world.

A3. CITIC group is one of the important companies in implementing the national policy of opening to the outside world.

A1的platform和A2的showcase均是对原文“窗口”的“意译”。在词典释义基础上，联系具体的上下文适当引申演绎，正是“意译”在词语层面上的应用。

例20　公司要求每天工作8小时，但没有确切地规定办公时间。

C. Company demands | working 8 hours a day, but did not stipulate exactly work time.

汉语原文的下划线部分在译文C里是直译，貌似准确，其实未必；两个修改版更为“合意”。

A1. The company requires 8 hours of work a workday, but does not stipulate the exact period of time for an employee.

A2. The company requires that an employee work 8 hours per workday, but does not specify when he or she is to stay in the office.

例21　出口交货不及时现象，一定要在短期内尽快加以解决。

D1. The problem of delays in export delivery must be in a short time.

D2. The problem of delay delivery should be solve as soon as possible.

D3. The phenomenon of unduely export delivery must be solved as soon as possible.

D4. The irregularity of the export delivery must be resolved | as soon as possible in the short term.

D5. The problem of delay in export delivery must be settled as soon as possible in the short term.

本句的翻译问题与第一章例6相同。原文我们能够理解，但D3和D4的译文不成立，也就是英语读者极有可能感到难以理解。在英语里，人们不能resolve a phenomenon，也无法resolved irregularity。译文D5的问题的实质与此相似，即We do not settle a problem，尽管单独就settle查英汉词典，义项之一确实可作“解决”解。

C1. We should dispatch the ordered goods as soon as we can.

C2. The goods should be delivered as soon as possible without delay.

C3. The problem of not in time delivery must be solved as soon as possible.

译文C1和C2都有违“一般与具体”的形式逻辑。换句话说，汉语原文是一般性陈述，而这两个译文指的是一两票具体的货物。此外，D4、D5和C2还有语义重复问题，即最后一处黑体部分包含的两个短语相互重复，这在英语里称为redundancy。

A. The problem of delivery delays (in export) should be solved as soon as possible.

例22　该县打算开采和加工石英粉，使之转化为可观的经济效益。

D1. This town is planning to exploit and process the lime, and it will be the incredible profit.

D2. In order to improve the county’s economic benefit, they intend to mining and processing the quartz powder.

D3. It is a plan for the county to mine and process quartz powder, which can make remarkable economic benefits.

D4. This county plans to exploit and process quartz powder, which can be converted to economic benefits.

D5. The county is going to mining and processing quartz powder, and transforming it into considerable economic benefit.

C1. This county is planning to mine and process quartz powder to convert it into considerable economic benefit.

C2. The county plans to mine the quartz ore and process quartz powder, and transform it for considerable economic benefit.

前三个D类译文均属“语意”失误，黑体标记可资参看。D4给人的印象是石英粉都是现成的。D4至C2的共同问题在于译的是词，即“转化”。这一问题与例14“公司生产鸡蛋”的性质一样。可是，汉语原文又是对的——跨越式的结论是：所以才需要汉译英啊，所以汉译英要“译意”而不能限于“译词”啊。A类译文也可当作第十四章的例证。

B. The county plans to mine and process quartz powder, turning it into considerable economic benefits.

A1. The county is planning to mine quartz ores and process them into powder for sale. It is believed that quartz mining and processing will bring it considerable economic benefits.

A2. People in the county are planning to mine quartz ores and process them into powder for sale, believing it will be considerably profitable.

例23　在经济全球化的背景下，外经贸工作的重要性是不言而喻的。

D1. In the background of economic globalization, the work of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation　speaks for itself.

D2. Under the background of global economy, department of foreign trade and economic cooperation is without doubt very important.

D3. Backgrounded by globalized economy, the importance of the foreign trade is self-evident.

D4. In the background of the globalization, the importance of the Ministry of Commerce is understood without being told.

关于D1和D2，只需提一句：原外经贸部更名为商务部已经十年了。也许可以这么说，假如原文是“国际贸易”，译文可能会整齐一些，但是一看“外经贸”，于是译文就出现了一些花样。

A1. Along the economic globalization, the importance of international trade is self-evident.

A2. Against the background of globalization, the importance of international business cannot be exaggerated.

例24　这次博览会家电和电子产品依然是成交主力。

D1. Home appliances and electronic products are still main bargains in the exhibition.

D2. Consumer electronices and electronic products is bargian on brunt as before in this fair.

D3. Household appliances and electronic products remained major statues of trading in the exposition.

D4. Household appliances and electronic products remained main strength of an army in the exposition.

D5. Household appliances and electronic products remain the main force | reaching a deal | in this exposition.

D6. The household appliances and electronic products are still the main commodities which can fulfill the transaction in the exhibition.

C. Household appliances and electron products are still big deals in this exposition.

B. Household appliances and electronic products are the biggest deals at the exhibition.

A. Household electronic appliances made up the most deals signed /were the biggest contracts signed /were deals with the largest amount /were the largest share of successful contracts.

例25　这次调查的主要内容是房地产开发企业的财务状况等。

D1. This research mainly focus on the financial conditions of the companies aiming at the estate.

D2. The main content of the investigation is the financing status of real estate enterprises and so on.

D3. The main contents of this survey are the financial performance of estate exploitation enterprises and so on.

译文D2和D3都将“内容”译成了content或contents，这是不对的，具体解释请见第一章例1项下的解释。B和A则象例24的A类译文一样译的是“意”，而不是字面形式。

B. The main purpose in this research is to look into the financial condition of the real estate enterprises.

A. One of the main purposes of this survey /research /project is the fiscal performance of real estate developing companies.

本书例句中标记为A的译文大多可以归类为“意译”，其中有些则是一部分意群使用了直译，而另一部分则使用了意译。当然，这些译文也都融合了其他具体的方法和汉译英技巧，比如说根据内容相应地调整词序和语序。

判断何时该用直译何时该用意译，译者完全可以自己做主。句型、词语、篇章和修辞诸方面都一样，其他语境条件下感觉“不能”或不宜直译的，即译文表达形式与原文的思想内容（“意思”）不一致，都应该考虑意译，即综合应用多种方法和技巧。

了解并掌握所介绍的方法和技巧有利于甩开直译，越来越多地使用意译手段，有利于结合具体的任务要求和待译文本来熟练应用不同的方法和技巧，为实现归化译法积累一些操作经验。

练习