英汉翻译常用的方法和技巧

英汉翻译常用的方法和技巧(一)

词义的选择

英汉语言中都有一词多类、一词多义的现象。

一词多类指一个词往往属于几个词类，具有不同的意义。

一词多义就是说同一个词在同一类中，又往往有几个不同的词义。

在英汉翻译过程中，我们在弄清原句结构后要善于选择和确定原句中关键词的词义：

一、根据词在句中的词类来选择和确定词义

选择某个词的词义，首先判明这个词在原句中应属于哪一种词类，再确定词义

----Like charges repel; unlike charges attract( 相同的电荷相斥，不同的电荷相吸) adj

---He likes mathematics more than physics ( 他喜欢数学甚于喜欢物理学) v

---In the sunbeam passing through the window ther are fine grains of dust shining like gold.

在射入窗内的阳光里，细微的尘埃象金子一般在闪闪发亮。（前置词）

---Like knows like. 英雄识英雄（名词）

二、根据上下文练习以及词在句中的搭配关系来选择和确定词义

英语中同一个词，同一词类，在不同场合往往也有不同含义。

----He is the last man to come 他是最后来的

---He is the last man to do it 他绝不会干那件事

---He is the last person for such a job. 他最不配干这个工作

---He should be the last (man) to blame. 怎么也不该怪他

---He is the last man to consult. 根本不宜找他商量

---This is the last place where i expected to meet you. 我怎么也没料到会在这个地方见到你

---To take off her boots or to put them on was an agony to her,but it had been an agony for years. 脱鞋或穿鞋对她是一种痛苦，但这已是多年以来的痛苦了。

---He always sits on the very edge of his chair when he is working, as though about to take off. 她工作的时候，总是坐在椅子边上，好像随时都会跳起身来的样子。

词义的引申

英译汉时，遇到某些词在英语辞典上找不到适当的词义。这是就根据上下文和逻辑关系，从该词的根本含义出发，进一步引申，选择比较恰当的汉语词表达。

一、将词义作抽象化的引申

现代英语中，常用一个表示具体形象的词来表示一种属性、事物或概念，这时需要将词义抽象化引申，译文才能流畅自然。

1. 将表示具体形象的词译成该形象所代表的属性的词

---Ther is a mixture of the tiger and the ape in the character of the imperialists.

帝国主义者的性格既残暴，又狡猾

---Every life has its roses and thorns 每个人的生活都有甜有苦

2 将带有特征形象的词译成该形象所代表的概念的词

---In fact, the bavarian enriroment was so charged with Nazi sentiment throughtout the 1920s that Hitler's storm toops goosestepped( 鹅步，正步) into power in Furth in 1930.

事实上，在整个二十年代，纳粹党在巴伐利亚一带已博得公众好感，以至于在1930 年，西特勒的冲锋队员就耀武扬威地夺取了非尔特镇的权力。

---See-sawing( 跷跷板)between partly good and faintly ominous(不吉利的; 坏兆头的), the news for the next four weeks was never distinct. 在那以后的四个星期内，消息时而部分有所好转，时而又有点不妙，两种情况不断地交替出现，一直没有明朗化。

二、将词义作具体化的引申

1 英语中也有用代表抽象概念或属性的词来表示一种具体事物，译成汉语时要具体化引申

---As the Politburo gave the go-ahead to Brezhnev, Nixon and Kissinger were meeting in the President's Kremlin apartment, prepared to accept a setback on

SALT 在政治局向勃列日列夫开放绿灯时，尼克松和基辛格正在克里姆林宫的

总统下榻处开会，准备承受限制战略武器会谈失败的挫折。

2 英语中有些词在特定的上下文中，其含义时清楚的，但译成汉语时还必须作具体化的引申，否则就不清楚。

---The car in frong of me stalled and i missed the green. 我牵头的那辆车停住了，我错过了绿灯

词义的褒贬

一、英语中有些词本身就有褒贬意义，汉译时就应相应地表达出来

---The tasks carried out by them are praiseworthy 他们进行地事业时值得赞扬的

---Henry keeps boasting that he has talked to the President 亨利总是吹嘘说他曾同总统谈过话

二、英语中有些词义是中立的，本身不表示褒义或贬义，但在一定的上下文中有褒贬的意味。

1. 需要用褒义的词来表达

----Once, early in 1974, while driving along the San Diego Freeway from Clementeto Los Angeles, he was asked to reflect on his hopes and ambitions 1974 年初，有人同他一起驱车从克利门蒂沿圣地亚哥公路去洛杉矶，途中请他谈了他的希望和抱负。

2. 需要用贬义的词来表达

---He was a man of integrity, but infortuantely he had a certain reputation. i believe the reputation was not deserved. 他是一个正直诚实的人，但不幸有某种坏名声。我相信他这个坏名声是不该有的

---He had lied to me and made me the tool of his wicked deeds. 他欺骗了我，使我乘了他进行罪恶勾当的工具

---Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it 凡是忘掉过去的人注定要重蹈覆辙

增词法

一、根据句法上的需要

（一）增补原文回答句中的省略部分

---Is this your book? yes,it is.(=yes,it is mine)

---Rebecca:"What! don't you love him (Amelia's brother)?"

Amelia: "Yes, of coure, i do"(=yes, of course i love him)

（二）增补原文句子中所省略的动词

---Reading makes a full man; conference (...)a ready man; writing (...) an exact man.

读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，写作使人准确

---An Eagle and a Fox had long lived together as good neighbors; the Eagle (...)at the summit of a hig tree, the Fox(...) in a hole at the foot of it.

一只鹰和一只狐狸长期友好地住在一起，鹰住在一棵高高的树顶上，狐狸住在树下一个洞里。

---We don't retreat, we never have (...) and never will (...). 我们不后退，我们从没有后退过，将来也决不后退

---"No!" Jesse jumped up. "no, i believed that too. but i don't (...) now".

“不！”杰西跳起来。“不，过去我也是相信的。可是现在，我不相信了。”

--he remembered the incident , as had his wife (...) 他记得这件事，他的妻子早就记起了

---everything was on a larger scale for him, the highs were higher, the lows(...) lower.

他总是喜欢夸大事实，高的说得更高，低的说得更低

（三）增补原文比较句中的省略部分

---the footmen were as ready to serve her as they were their own mistress

仆人们愿意服侍她，就象他们愿意服侍他们的女主人一样

---Better be wise by the defeat of others than by your own.

从别人的失败中吸取教训比从自己的失败中吸取教训更好。

---i can say to you, without any flattery, that the Chinese way of co-operations is more inventive and fruitful than others. 我可以对你说－－我这样说没有任何奉承之意－－中国的合作方式比别国的合作方式更有特色，更有成果

（四）增补原文含蓄条件句中的省略部分

---we didn't admint it (escape) was impossible. to do so would have been to surrender one of our few hopes.

我们认为越狱不是不可能的。如果认为不可能，那就等于把我们仅存的一点希望也放弃了。

---At the time of Kennedy's assassination, kissinger felt that a second term would have led either to greatness or to disaster. 肯尼迪遇刺时，基辛格认为，如果肯尼迪再任一届总统的话，大概不是立大功，就是闯大祸。

---He could understand a passive opposition from Kenndy loyalists, but an open one would have dire consequences

他了解到忠于肯尼迪的那些人在消极反对他，但是如果他们公开反对，那就会产生可怕的后果。

---But without Adolf Hitler, there almost certainly would never have been a Third Reich.

然而如果没有阿道夫希特勒，那就几乎可以肯定不会有第三帝国。

（五）增补承上启下的词

---Theory is sth. but practice is everything. 理论固然必要，实践尤其重要

---Water shortages are a global problem, expecially in big cities. 缺水是一个全球性的问题，大城市尤为如此

---When the play was over, the Mayor went up to the stage, shaking hands with the actors and offering his congratulations 演出一结束，市长走上舞台，与全体演员一一握手，并且祝贺他们演出成功

省略法（减词法）

省略是删去一些可有可无的，或者有了反嫌累赘或违背译文语言习惯的词。但省略并不是把原文的某些思想内容删去。

一、从语法角度来看

（一）省代词

1. 省略作主语的人称代词

（1 ）根据汉语习惯，前句出现一个主语，后句如仍为同一主语，就不必重复出现。

---He was thin and haggard and he looked miserable. 他消瘦而憔悴，（...... ）看上去一副可怜相

---but it's the way i am, and try as i might, i haven't been able to change it

但我就是这个脾气，（...... ）虽然几经努力，（...... ）却未能改变过来

---Laura wished now that she was not holding that peice of bread-and-butter, but there was nowhere to put it and she couldn't possilby throw it away.

这时劳拉宁愿（...... ）手里没有这块涂上黄油的面包，拿着又没有地方放，（...... ）又不可能扔掉。

（2 ）泛指的英语人称代词作主语时，即使是作第一个主语，译文中往往也可以省略。

---We live and learn (......) 活到老，学到老

---You can never tell （...... ）很难说

---Everywhere you can find new types of men and objects in New Chna 新中国（...... ）处处可以看到新人新事物

---Even as the doctor was recommending rest, he knew that this in itself was not enough, that one could never get real rest without a peaceful mind.

医生尽管建议休息，他也知道本身休息本身是不够的，如果心情不平静，（...... ）是休息不好的

2. 省略作宾语的代词

英语中有些作宾语的代词，不管前面是否提到过，翻译时往往可以省略

---the more he tried to hide his scars, the more he revealed them

他越是要掩盖他的伤疤，就越是会暴露（）

---she laid her hand lightly on his arm as if to thank him for it

她轻轻地把手放在他的胳膊上，好像表示感谢（）

3. 省略物主代词

英语中的物主代词，汉译时往往可以省略，如i wash my face in the morning

---she felt the flowers were in her fingers, on her lips, growing in her breast

她觉得（）手里和（）唇上都是花儿，（）胸中也生长着花儿。

---he shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up his eyes, but said nothing.

她耸耸（）肩，摇摇（）头，（）两眼看天，一句话也不说。

（二）省略非人称的或强势句中的it

1. 非人称的it

---outside it was pitch dark and it was raining cats and dogs 外面一团漆黑，大雨倾盆

---he glanced at his watch; it was 7:15 他一看表，是。。。

---it was just growing dark, as she shut the garden gate. 她关上园门时，已是暮色苍茫了

2. 强势用it

---it was only then that i began to have doubts whether my story would ever be told

只是在这个时候，我才开始怀疑，我的经历究竟能不能公诸于众呢

－--it was with some difficulty that he found the way to his own house 他费了不少劲才找到回家的路

（三）省略连接词

汉语词语之间连接词用得不多，其上下逻辑关系常常是暗含的，由词语的词序来表示

1. 省略并列连词

---he looked gloomy and troubled 他看上去有些忧愁不安

---the sun is bright, and the sky is clear 阳光明媚，晴空万里

2. 省略从属连接词

（1 ）省略表示原因的连接词：英语因果句中一般用连接词表示原因，而汉语则往往通过词序先后来表示因果关系，因在前，果在后。

---we knew spring was coming as (because)we had seen a robin 我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天快到了

---because the departure was not easy, we made it brief 话别叫人难受，我们只说了几句就分手

（2 ）省略表示条件的连接词

---if winter comes, can spring be far behind 冬天来了，春天还会远吗

---if i had known it, i would not have joined in it 早知如此，我就不参加了

---"yo've got to be careful of these lawyers. if you are not careful, the'll take you and turn you inside out"

你得提防这些律师。一不小心，他们就会抓着你，把你整得够呛

（3）省略表示时间得连词：表示时间关系的when和as等，汉译时一般用“当。。。时”，或仅用“时”。但如汉语时间先后次序明显，为了简略，往往可以省略

---john rose gloomily as the train stopped, for he was thinkiing of his sick mother

火车停了，john 郁郁地站了起来，因为他想起了病中的母亲

---he stood there, handsome, reserved---somehow those four stars seemed visible even when he was in civvies( 便服）

他站在那里，漂亮而矜持，他穿着便服，然而他那上将的四颗星似乎隐约可见

（四）省略冠词

英语有冠词，汉语没有冠词

---a teacher should have patience in his work 老师应该有耐心

---the horse is a useful animal 马是有益的动物

---the moon was slowly rising above the sea. 月亮慢慢从海上升起

在某些场合，冠词不能省略

---he left without saying a word ( 不定冠词a 或an 指“一”时不能省)

---the children are of an age.

---Egbert said he was getting a dollar a mile （不定冠词a 或an 指“每一”时不能省）

---people saw the little party climb ashore. （定冠词the 强调“这”“那”时，不宜省）

（五）省略前置词

一般来说，表示时间和地点的英语前置词，译成汉语如出现在句首，大都可以省略，出现在句尾大都不省略

1. 省略表示时间的前置词

---the people's republic of china was founded in 1949

1949 年中华人民共和国成立（中华人民共和国成立于1949 年）

（前置词译成汉语在句首时可省略，在句尾就没有省略）

---in july, 1956, Egypt had seized the suez canal 1956 年，埃及占领了苏伊士运河（句首省略）

2. 省略表示地点的前置词

---smoking is prohibited in public places 公共场所不准吸烟

---now complaints are heard in all parts of that country 该国各地目前怨声载道

---rumours had already spread along the streets and lanes 大街小巷早就传遍了各种流言蜚语

表示地点的英语前置词在译文句首往往可以省略，但放在动词后面一般不省略

---he stood by the desk 他站在桌旁

---she hid behind the door 她躲在门后

---i stayed in my brother's house 我住在弟弟家里