七、习语和固定表达的翻译
1.习语
习语(idiom)是作为一个单位使用, 意义不能从其独立的组成部分得出的一种表达法。习语和固定表达(fixed expression)是不能随意改动的,其语序和语法结构不能随意改变,更不能增减或替换其中的词汇。除非说话人或作者开玩笑或故意玩文字游戏,如:
There was too much buck passing.(正常的习语是pass the
buck=推诿责任),否则在使用时习语通常不能进行如下几种情况的改动:
改变词序: fight tooth and nail(拼命厮打)→
fight nail and tooth
删词: spill the beans(有意或无意泄露机密)→
spill beans
增词: face the music(勇敢面对困难)→
face the classical music
替换: rain cats and dogs (倾盘大雨)→
rain cats and pigs
改变语法结构: follow the crowd (随大流)→
the crowd was followed
但固定表达和谚语不同于习语,它们的意思通常比较容易推断。如 Ladies
and Gentlemen (女士们,先生们), Generally speaking (一般而言), Time and tide
wait for no one. ( 时不我待 ) 等等。 同时固定表达的使用又都与特定的情境和语域有关。如 Merry Christmas,年年有余等。
当然,固定表达和谚语的意思不是各个单词意思的简单叠加,我们必须把它当作一个整体来推断其含义。
2.习语翻译的难点
在英汉习语翻译中,译者遇到的第一个难题是认出习语。有些习语比较容易辨认,比如:
(1)违背常理的句子。
It's raining cats and dogs .
天下倾盘大雨。
My neighbours are continually quarrelling, but it is usually a storm in a tea-cup .
我的邻居们老是争吵不休,常常是为了点小事儿大吵大闹。
There is no need to jump down his throat, it wasn't his fault.
没有必要对他发火,那不是他的过错。
(2)违背语法规则的表达。
He was blown to kingdom come.
他被炸死了。
A lot of the fellows that went to the Saturday night discos spent more time leaning on the wall or drinking in the bar than tripping the light fantastic and so the girls danced with each other, or got fed up and stopped going.
许多去参加周末迪斯科夜总会的人大多数时间不是跳舞,而是靠着墙边站着或者在酒吧间里喝酒,姑娘们只好自己搭档跳舞,有的厌倦了干脆不来了。
I'm afraid this sudden wet weather has put paid to ( =finish, destroy ) our picnic.
恐怕这突如其来的雨天已使我们的野炊泡汤了 。
(3)以like, as等简单的词开头的习语。
Broiled chicken disappeared from before us like magic.
烧鸡像变戏法似地从我们眼前消失了。
He accepted his defeat like a lamb ( =meekly ) .
他毫无反抗地接受了自己的失败。
They're the same height, or as near as (=nearly; almost) makes no difference.
他们全是一般高,分不出谁高谁矮。
总之,字面意思越是不容易看懂的句子,译者越容易认出其中的习语。但是,一些从字面上看似乎意思很明确的表达,就很容易误导译者。如:
This was manly, as the world goes (=according to customary standard) .
按一般的标准,这还算是有男子气概。
I can't turn up as I have other fish to fry.
我另有它事不能到。
有的习语字面意义和习惯意义兼有,就更难辨认了。如:
Mary went out with (= on dates with) Jim for two years before they were married.
玛丽和吉姆谈恋爱两年了才结婚。
( go out with 既有“跟某人出去”字面意义又有“跟某人谈恋爱”的习惯意义。)
Helen felt the vanity of human affairs and it was in those securities that she would have liked to cast anchor.
海伦感到人世渺茫,只望手里有些产业,安心度日。
(cast/drop anchor既有“抛锚”的字面意思,又有“定居;过安定生活”的习惯意义。)
有些习语从字面上看在目的语有十分接近的对应表达,也容易误译。 如:
He said that no one could beat him at tennis, but had to eat his words (= admit that sth one has said was wrong) after losing several games.
他说过打网球谁都赢不了他,可是输了几场之后, 他不得不收回前言。
(这里 eat one's words 很容易被误译为“食言”。)
If you're going to regard every suggestion I make as criticism, then I must wash my hands of the whole matter (= refuse to accept any responsibility for (sth or sb).
如果你把我的每一项建议都看作是批评,那我就不再过问这件事了。
(wash one's hands of 在这里很容易被误译为“洗手不干了”,实际上是“拒绝负任何责任”。)
总之,译者必须根据上下文的逻辑关系,语法结构,词汇搭配等因素,并通过认真查阅有关参考书,来辨认习语,不仅要准确理解习语,还要把握意义和感情上的细微差别。而习语翻译中的难点则不同于习语辨认中所碰到的问题,归纳起来主要有以下几点:
A .在目的语中没有对等的习语或固定表达。这种情况经常是文化差异造成的。如
carry coals to Newcastle (“多此一举”,因为 Newcastle 是英国的一个煤炭输出地) 、yours
respectfully/
faithfully/sincerely、年年有余、岁寒三友、恭颂秋安/秋祺等等。
B .在目标语中有相似表达,但适用语境不同,因此内涵也不同。如 to sing
a different tune 和“唱对台戏”,前者指“改变对某人或某事的观点、态度”而后者是指“采取与对方相反地的行动,来反对或搞垮对方”。
C .原语中使用的习语兼用其字面和习语意义。双关语经常属于此种情况。
I am reminded of the saying “ Let George do it ”, George , I'll have a few things for you to do. ( Time Dec .27, 1982 )
我想起了这句俗语:“让乔治来干吧!” 乔治,我有几件事要你来干。
( “ Let George(s) do it ”是一句美国习语,源自法国路易十二的口头禅,每当有什么苦差使没人愿意干时,他总是说:“ Let Georges do it ” ( Georges 是他的大臣Cardinal Georges )。本例背景是美国前国务卿黑格辞职,而由 George Schultz 接任。当时的里根总统在 George Schultz 宣誓就职时说了这句俏皮话。“ Let Georges do it ” . 一方面指“让 George Schultz 来接任吧!”的意思,另一方面又意含“(既然黑格不干,)就让别人来干的吧!( Let someone else do it )”。)
3.习语翻译的策略
习语翻译常用的策略主要有:
(1)用意义相近的习语来翻译。
More haste, less speed. 欲速则不达。
To fish in troubled waters. 混水摸鱼。
To kill two birds with one stone. 一箭双雕。
castles in the air 空中楼阁
坐失良机 miss the boat
充耳不闻 turn a deaf ear to
破釜沉舟 burn your boat
千钧一发 hang by a hair
(2)用直译法。
break silence 打破沉默
The policeman found a clue to the burglary.
警察找到了盗窃案的线索。
跑得了和尚跑不了庙。
The monk can run away, but not the monastery.
竹篮打水一场空。
To draw water in a bamboo basket.
(3)用意译法。
Don't get wise with me , young man.
别对我无礼,小伙子!
But the die was cast , he could not go back.
但事已决定,他不能翻悔。
他把你的话,一五一十,都告诉我了。
He has recounted everything you said in detail to me.
万一你有个三长两短,
If anything should happen to you,
(4)兼用直译和意译。
The captain scratched the beginnings of five o'clock shadow and look away.
上校一边用手抓着下午五点钟长出来的络腮胡子茬,一边向远处望去。(这句里的 ”five o'clock shadow”, 如果直译为“五点钟的阴影”,中国读者一定难以理解,只好一部分直译,一部分意译。)
她单身一人,无亲无故。
She is all by herself and far from home, without
a single relative or friend to help her.
(这里把“无亲无故”直译为 ”without a single relative or friend”,然后加上意译 ”to
help her”,使意思更明确。)
(5)直译加注。
Don't know, Captain, but it sounds like Grace is in there talking to her boss at NIS. She mentioned killing off the investigation. Sounds to me like some serious circling of wagons has been going on.
不知道,上校,不过听起来葛瑞丝好像正和她的调查局老板谈话,她提及撤消调查。听起来像是真的要把大篷车围起来了。( circling of wagons 涉及美国的文化背景,因此可以先直译,再加注:美国人从东部向西部移民时,路上常遇印第安人袭击,于是他们就把大篷车围起来自卫。此处指当权者怕调查深入,火烧到自己身上,于是撤销调查自保。)
司马昭之心,故已路人皆知。
This Sima Zhao trick is obvious to every man in the street. ( Sima Zhao trick 如果不加注是无法理解的,所以加注: Sima Zhao was a prime minister of Wei (220-265 A.D.) who nursed a secret ambition to usurp the throne. The emperor once remarked, “Sima Zhao's intention is obvious to every man in the street.” )
(6)略去不译。
当源语中有些习语或固定表达本身有语义重复,或是在目标语中既找不到对应表达,也难以使用意译,或者是两种语言表达风格不同不宜译成习语时,可以将原习语部分或全部略去不译。如:
忽闻有人在牡丹亭畔长吁短叹。
Suddenly he heard a rustle in the peony pavilion and someone sighing deeply.
冷淡的阳光照着他们的愁眉苦脸和长发白眼 。
Cold pale sunlight illuminated their gloomy faces, long hair and lusterless eyes.
Could you help me in any way ?
你能帮忙一下吗?
As it happens , we did not meet there.
我们在那里并没有碰头。
(7)增添法。
根据英汉语习语的内涵和有关上下文的需要,在译文中增补一些原语习语中所没有的内容,把缺失的信息补上以帮助目标语读者正确理解译文。
milk and water → 牛奶掺水,淡而无味
to shed crocodile tears → 鳄鱼掉泪——假慈悲
树倒猢狲散 → Once the tree falls, the
monkeys on it will flee helter-skelter
(8)还原法。
一些习语源于外语,翻译时可使之还原。例如“ 夹着尾巴”应写成“with the tail between the legs”;“战争贩子
”是英文“war-monger”的中译;“蓝图” 则是“blue-print”等。 |