沖擊波英語專八系列:翻譯之漢譯英--哲學(xué)類(2)
一個(gè)人生活在世上,就好像水泥攪拌器里的石子一樣,運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)起來之后,身不由己。使我們感覺到,不是某一個(gè)人的問題,而是社會(huì)問題,而是文化問題。耶穌臨死的時(shí)候說:“寬容他們!他們做的他們不知道?!蹦贻p時(shí)候讀這句話,覺得稀松平常,長(zhǎng)大之后,也覺得這句話沒有力量。但是到了我現(xiàn)在這個(gè)年齡,才發(fā)現(xiàn)這句話多么深?yuàn)W,多么痛心。使我想到我們中國(guó)人,成了今天這個(gè)樣子,我們的丑陋,來自于我們不知道我們丑陋。我到愛荷華,我們夫婦的經(jīng)費(fèi)是由愛荷華大學(xué)出一半,再由私人捐助一半,捐助一半的是愛荷華燕京飯店老板,一位從沒有回過中國(guó)的中國(guó)人裴竹章先生,我們從前沒見過面,捐了一個(gè)這么大的數(shù)目,使我感動(dòng)。他和我談話,他說:“我在沒有看你的書之前,我覺得中國(guó)人了不起,看了你的書之后,才覺得不是那么一回事,所以說,我想請(qǐng)你當(dāng)面指教?!?/p>
背景介紹
《丑陋的中國(guó)人》是臺(tái)灣作家柏楊先生的著名作品,其實(shí)是一部他在各地以《丑陋的中國(guó)人》為題演講的合集。作者指出中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)文化有一種濾過性疾病,這種疾病使我們的子子孫孫受感染,到今天也不能痊愈。這篇雜文雖不如魯迅先生的雜文來得犀利,但是更為深刻,翻譯時(shí)要注意用詞。
難點(diǎn)解析
1. “一個(gè)人生活在世上 ……”:這里 “一個(gè)人生活在世上” ,無需譯成 “when people live in this world”, 只需要翻譯成“l(fā)ife is like...”,這樣更顯簡(jiǎn)練。?
2. 運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)起來之后:這里用“toss”更好,因?yàn)槭窃谒鄶嚢杵骼?,“toss”更能體現(xiàn)出攪拌的意味。?
3. 身不由己:這里的意思是身處社會(huì)中,人失去對(duì)自己的控制 ,所以用 “l(fā)oses control of its own existence”更為貼切。?
4. “使我們感覺到,不是某一個(gè)人的問題,而是社會(huì)問題,而是文化問題?!保涸谶@句話的翻譯中,作者增譯 “I could cite similar analogies”以此作為強(qiáng)調(diào)?!安皇?……而是 ……”可以使用 “not ...but ...”句型 ,中文喜用散句 ,而英文喜用整句 ,故此句可合譯為一句話 : “The conclusion I always come to is that the problems of the Chinese people are not individual but rather social and cultural problems.”。
5. 耶穌臨死的時(shí)候說:“寬容他們!他們做的他們不知道?!保菏ソ?jīng)中多用簡(jiǎn)單詞匯;所以即使沒有讀過圣經(jīng),也可以譯出。全句譯為:Before he died, Jesus said, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do”。?
6. “年輕時(shí)候讀這句話 ,覺得稀松平?!保?“稀松平常”如果翻譯成 “common things”則太顯平淡,如用兩個(gè)形容詞“bland”和“frivolous”表明“稀松”和 “平常”則更奪人眼球。?
7.“……這句話沒有力量” :說 明作者覺得上述所言缺乏實(shí)質(zhì) ,不能給人力量 ,故可譯為 “l(fā)acked substance”,如若譯成: “statement lacks power.”則顯得不地道 。?
8.“但是到了我現(xiàn)在這個(gè)年齡”:此句中“到了我現(xiàn)在這個(gè)年齡”如若譯成 “when it comes to my age”略顯累贅,只需譯為“now”就可以了。?
9. “……才發(fā)現(xiàn)這句話多么深?yuàn)W,多么痛心”: “才發(fā)現(xiàn) …… ” 可用強(qiáng)調(diào)句式“Only...”的倒裝句,“發(fā)現(xiàn)”一詞可以用“appreciate” ,透露出作者隨年齡增長(zhǎng)能品味出 “Jesus’ statement”的意義。全句譯為:“Only now do I appreciate its profundity and bitter irony.”這里用“bitter irony”來表明作者的痛苦,諷刺 。?
10. “使我想到我們中國(guó)人,成了今天這個(gè)樣子,我們的丑陋,來自于我們不知道我們丑 陋” :整句話缺少一個(gè)主語 ,但是從整個(gè)句子可以看出,主語為“Jesus’ statement” , 但因前文已用過 “statement”一詞 ,故此處可以用“word”代替?!皝碜杂凇笨梢宰g成“grow out of”, “out of”有“出于……”的意思。全句譯為:“Jesus’ words taught me that the Chinese people’s ugliness grows out of our own ignorance of the fact that we are ugly.”。
參考譯文?
Life is a little bit like a stone in a cement mixer; when it gets tossed around with the other ingredients, it loses control of its own existence. I could cite similar analogies, but the conclusion I always come to is that the problems of the Chinese people are not individual but rather social and cultural problems. Before he died, Jesus said, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do”. When I ?rst heard that statement as a child, I thought it rather bland and frivolous, and as I grew older I continued to feel that it lacked substance. Only now do I appreciate its profundity and bitter irony. Jesus’ words taught me that the Chinese people’s ugliness grows out of our own ignorance of the fact that we are ugly. The expenses for our trip to the United States were borne by Iowa University and Pei Zhuzhang, the owner of the Yenching Restaurant in Iowa City. Pei is a Chinese-American who had never set foot on China, nor met me before.?
His generosity moved me deeply. He said, “Before reading your books, I felt that the Chinese people were a great people. After reading them my thinking changed entirely. Your books inspired me and made me want to hear you speak in person.”?
選自 《丑陋的中國(guó)人 》
- 相關(guān)熱點(diǎn):
- 英語專業(yè)八級(jí)考試
- 專四專八
- 英語音標(biāo)發(fā)音