英语论文-浅谈英语新闻标题的翻译

浅谈英语新闻标题的翻译

【Abstract】This dissertation focuses on introducing some translating skills according to the features of English news headline. First, it is about translation of lexical items in English news headline, including translation of acronym, new words and midget words. As for the limitation of newspaper space, lexical items are commonly used in headline so this part is regarded to be essential and critical for the dissertation. Second, the paper discusses translation of proper punctuations not all punctuations are used in news headline. This part mainly introduces some translating techniques of frequently used ones such as comma, colon, and dash and so on. Third, the translation of rhetorical devices is the highlight of this paper. News headline is quite likely to produce striking effect by means of figure of speech. It could be translated literally at the most of time and sometimes it should be translated flexibly for the different culture backgrounds between china and English-speaking countries. Finally, this part focuses on the translation in terms of the grammar features of news headline which often differ from ones we usually accept, such as the omission of articles, auxiliary verbs, conjunctions and flexible use of tense, voice and

non-predicate verbs.

【Key Words】translation; News headline; English

【摘要】本文结合英语新闻标题的主要特点,通过具体的例子,介绍了英语新闻标题的翻译技巧.首先是英语新闻标题中词语(包括首字母缩略语、新词、小词)的译法.报纸有限的空间使得新闻标题常用词语来表达,因此词语的译法是论文的一个重要组成部分,其次是关于某些在新闻标题中常用的标点符号所代表的意思的翻译.再者,新闻标题中修辞手法的翻译是论文的重点,新闻标题经常借助各种修辞来增强其表达效果,大多数情况下可采用直译,但由于中英国家不同的文化背景,必要事需要采取灵活的翻译技巧.最后,值得注意的是,英语新闻标题的一些语法特征不同于我们平常所接受的语法特点,新闻标题经常省略冠词、连词、助动词等一些虚词,其时态、语法及非谓语动词的使用也十分灵活.

【关键词】翻译；新闻标题；英语

1. Introduction

At a time when the pace of life is getting faster and faster, everything seems to be bidding for people?s attention, and newspaper is no exception. As the eye of the news, headline sits in a position to capture the essence of the event, demonstrate the readability of the news and attract readers? attention. A good headline, generally speaking, should include such features as accuracy, brevity and clarity which are generally developed by lexical items, punctuation, rhetorical devices, and grammar. Put it in detail, first, as for words selection, such items as acronym, new words and midget words are commonly chosen for the headline. Second, not all punctuations could appear in headline, and the frequently used ones like comma, colon, and dash also indicate specific meaning of the headline. Third, in order to lead force to an idea, to heighten effect, or to create atmosphere, headline is usually written figuratively. Finally, the limited space of newspaper demands that headline be concise and brief, and therefore it has developed its own grammatical style. The major

difference of the grammar rules used for daily English and news headlines lies in the frequent omission of function words(article, auxiliary verbs, conjunctions and so on), and unique practice of tense, voice and non-predicate verbs. Such features of English news headline as mentioned above are essential and critical for readers to understand the connotation of news headline, and also are the difficulties and problems needed settling in translating English news headline. This essay focuses on introducing some correspondent translating techniques with these features of English news headline.

2. Translation of lexical items in English news headline

2.1. Translation of acronym

Acronym (word formed from the initial letters of a group of words) is one main form of English news title?s glossary variation. Since newspapers are limited in time and space, acronym meets the need, saving the space of newspaper. This chapter attempts to discuss some skills in translating acronym.

2.1.1. Translate according to its pronunciation

For example:

(1) OPEC 22nd Session Ends

(OPEC =Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries石油输出国组织，即欧佩克)

---欧佩克第二届会议结束

(2) AIDS---The Risk to Heterosexual

(AIDS=Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome艾滋病,即后天免疫缺损综合症)

---艾滋病危及异性恋爱者

2.1.2. Translating and shortening the full name

For example:

(1) NATO to Seek New Secretary General

(NATO=North Atlantic Treaty Organization北大西洋公约组织,简称北约)

---北约寻求新任秘书长

(2) USSR Dissolves, Mikhail CorbachevResigns: Boris Yeltsin Takes over

(USSR=Union of Soviet Socialist Republics苏维埃社会主义共和国联盟,简称苏联)

---苏联解体,戈尔巴乔夫辞职,叶利钦上台

2.1.

3. Explaining all letters

In view of the fact that not all acronyms can be translated according to the pronunciation; otherwise readers would be confused. The translator had better point out the meaning of all letters. It can be clearly seen in the below examples:

(1) BBC Considering Starting Global Television Service

(BBC=British Broadcasting Corporation)

---英国广播公司拟开通全球电视服务

(2) PLO Says Israeli Drive ahead

(PLO=Palestine Liberation Organization)

---巴勒斯坦解放组织说以色列即将大举进攻

(3) START Announced to Begin June29

(START=Strategic Arms Reductions Talks)

---裁减战略武器会谈于六月而十九日开始

(4) 36th WTTC triumphantly closes in Yugoslavia.

(WTTC=World Table Tennis Championships)

---第三十六届世界乒乓球锦标赛在南斯拉夫胜利闭幕

(5) Government Is Covering up UFO Evidence?

(UFO=Unidentified Flying Object)

---美政府一直隐瞒不明飞行物真相？

(6) Hollywood Helps CIA Come in From the Cold

(CIA=Central Intelligence Agency)

---好莱坞为中央情报局重塑形象

2.2. Translation of new words in English news headline

As science and technology of the world swiftly develop, the contact among countries increasingly expands, more and more new English words are born to the world. In order to draw close to the social life, grasp the times pulse, news report need to create massive new words to reflect the world?s new things, new thoughts, new phenomenon and new prevailing customs to attract readers? attention. “T his kind of words may be divided into two types: one is to give old words new meaning. For example, …clone? means …无性系繁殖?and then it is exuded to be …复制?；…Bug ?means …机器的毛病?now refers in particular to …计算机千年虫问题?；Sept.11 or 9/11 has the special meaning because the terrorists attacked the US world trade building. The other is completely new words ,namely, coin age, mainly in the fields of science technology, such as Internetese(因特网语言），com, e-mail, e-commerce（电子商务），cyberspace（电脑空间）, bio-chips(生物芯片），techno-millionaire（高科技百万富翁）and so on. ”[1]P108

For example：

(1) Year 2000 Bug Unstoppable for Some Corporations

---计算机千年虫问题迫在眉睫

(2) American Online: Often Down, Never Out

---美国在线公司:屡挫不倒

(3) What Is Dateline?

---何为征婚热线？

(4) The Sandbaggers

---用沙袋治沙的人们

(5) Cold-Fighting Drug May Be Used Against SARS

---千呼万唤始出来抗非典药物有望面世

(6) Asia Pledge Action on Bird flu

---亚洲国家表示采取一致措施控制禽流感

(7) Yahoo Awards World?s Best Cyber cafés

---雅虎评选全球最佳网吧

2.3. Translation of midget words

“Midget words are verbs or nouns that are shorter or fewer syllable but more vivid employed in news headline to make it easier for readers to understand.”[2]P98 At this point, the translator should seek to produce something relatively equivalent to this kind of words in Chinese.

For example:

(1) War Strains and the Production of Killers.

---战争压力与杀戮者的产生

(2) The U.S. Proposal and Its Chances.

---美国的建议及其机会

(3) The Pressure on Cherbourg and the Enemy?s Di stress

---瑟堡吃紧敌军凄苦

(4) A Fertile Valley and Its Scourge

---肥沃河谷的灾难

Further examples:

(1) Report Backs Methadone for Addicts

---报道支持吸毒者使用镁沙酮镇定剂

(2) Nuclear Blast Seepage Is Found

---核爆炸渗漏物被发现

“The words …back? and …blast? are shorter than the words …support? and …explosion?, but there are no Chinese words Correspondent with them to express the difference in visually between …back? and …support?, …blast? and …explosion?, so it is only translated literally to be …支持?and …爆炸?，stressing in th e significance transmission in spite of losing English midget words? language characteristic.”[3]P98

(3) British Student Knifed in France

---英国学生在法被刺

Here if “knife” is translated to be “刀刺”，it would gild the lily.

(4) Chun Axes 37 Judges in Shape-up

---全斗焕在改组中撤掉37名法官

“If the word …axe? is translated literally to be …斧砍? in Chinese, it is possible to cause two penalties: one is to make the divergence ---全斗焕在改组中用斧头砍伤了37名法官；the other is that the scale of formality of Chinese word …斧砍? makes it quite alien to the phrases …改组?, …法

官? and …全斗焕?.”[4]P98 Under such circumstances, we are concerned with the essential meaning implied in the words. When words or phases in the English news headline are meaningless or misleading if translated literally into Chinese, one is obliged to make some adjustments in translation to guarantee the headline pass into Chinese without losing its essence.

3. Translation of proper punctuations

News title is always simplified in structure; accordingly, punctuation plays a very important role

in news headline. More often than not, certain punctuation can produce some kind of special result. The translator should pay attention to the concrete meaning of these punctuations while translating them.

3.1. Comma (,)

“Comma expresses the stop bet ween the compound ingredients in title, and it is also used to replace …and? in order to save space, generally being translated to be …和? in Chinese.”[5]P29

For example:

(1) Australia，U.S. Seek More Ways to Promote Trade

(=Australia and U.S .Seek More Ways to Pro-mote Trade)

---澳大利亚和美国寻求更多途径以促进两国贸易

(2) UN, Iraq Talk on Refugee Aid

---联合国和伊拉克谈判援助难民问题

(3) China, CIS States May Share Cables

---中国和独联体国家合作开发光电通讯

(4) Ready, aim, flambé: Army, Marine Cooks Battle Each Other

---预备、瞄准、开火:海陆两军交“火”厨师各显神通(“The two commas in front of the colon are used to indicate display, and function as Chinese slight-pause; the last comma then is equal to …and?." [6]P67)

3.2. Colon (:)

In the English news title, the most eye-catching information is always put in front, and then some supplement information is drawn out to make up the subject after colon. The similarities in Chinese and English expression provide a series of parallelisms of content in translation.

Look at the examples:

(1)The＄2 billion Makeover: Australia?s Olympic City Gets Ready for the Games

---二十亿美元的大改造：澳大利亚的奥林匹克城准备迎接奥运会

(2) War Plan: the West?s Military Options

---战争计划：西方的军事选择

“Colon is also used to take place of relation verbs, and it is always translated to be …说?、…宣称?、…是? in Chinese.”[7]P29

For example:

(1) Renminbi to Remain Reliable, Strong: Li

---李鹏说人民币保持可靠和坚挺

When colon is used to show the source of a quotation, that is, equal to the Chinese word“说”, in English it can be put in head of or after the speaker, while in Chinese it can only be placed after the speaker.

(2) Health Survey: New Yorkers Fitter, Slimmer

---健康调查称纽约人更加健康和苗条

(3) Poll on Trial: Why Weren?t the Victim Cries Heeded?

---笼罩着审讯的疑云是为什么受害者的呼救没人理睬

3.3. Quotatio n mark (…?)

Generally speaking, single quotation mark is used in English news headline instead of double quotation marks. To be accordant with Chinese natural expression, it is better for translator to change it into double quotation marks in Chinese.

Look at the following examples:

(1) Abadan Oil Refinery …Destroyed?

---阿巴丹炼油厂“被毁”

(2) Arafat to Reagan: …We Are Still Here?

---阿拉法特告诫里根：“我们仍然存在”

3.4. Dash(—)

Dash is used to separate each independent clause in the title, and also frequently used to draw out the speaker before or after the subscript without the quotation mark. It is often translated to be

“说” in Chinese in order to draw out the speaker, and to be “再”in order to emphasize something. For example:

(1) Labor Council Face Bankruptcy — Officials

---官员们说劳动党委员会面临崩溃

(2) Our Differences Can Be Overcome — Rockefeller

---我们的分歧是能够克服的—洛克菲勒(说)

(3) Yeltsin in Hospital — Again

---叶利钦再次住院

(4) World Unity against Terrorism Needed — Blair

---英国首相布莱尔说：世界各国在反恐问题上需要加强联合

4. The translation of rhetorical devices

Headline implies its meaning and is made to produce more striking effect by means of figure of speech such as alliteration, rhyme, metaphor, pun, allusion, exaggeration and so on. It becomes more difficult for translation because of the different culture backgrounds and the gap between the writer?s range of knowledge and experience and the readers. In order not to confuse Chinese readers, the translation of English news titles can “ret ain the rhetoric characteristics of the original text to achieve the same dissemination effect”[8]P95. The translator also should pay attention to making the translation “conform to Chinese title?s features and cater to Chinese readers? reading habits”[9]P95.

4.1. Alliteration and rhyme

Alliteration and rhyme are often used in English news headline to create the demeanor effect, exaggerate the atmosphere, and bring to readers? attention and interest. It is hard to get accordance with the original alliteration and rhyme in translation, so certain figure patterns must often be substituted for the proper expressions of Chinese.

For instance:

(1) Protestants Protest (alliteration)

---新教教徒示威抗议

(2) Soldiers Salaries Soar (alliteration)

---士兵薪水剧增

(3) Young Wheelers, Big Dealers (rhyme)

---驾驶摩托小青年，保险公司大主顾

(4) Who?s Near to Reagan? ear?(rhyme)

---里根耳朵，谁愿听说？

(5) Jazzy in Jeans, Sassy in Sweater (alliteration)

---穿上牛仔裤,活泼利索;套上毛线衫,潇洒俊俏

(6) After the Boom, Everything Is Gloom (rhyme)

---繁荣好景不在, 萧条接踵而来

Further examples:

(1) Desperate Need, Desperate Deed

. ---燃眉之机,十万火急

This translation shows the good understanding of original text, and Chinese words “机”and

“急” get up to the rhyme effect.

(2) The Sister Vs. World Taunts! Tautrums! Talents!

---姐妹对垒全世界辱骂! 奚落! 天才!

“This title with three harmonics is uneasy to understand. On the one hand, it expresses the intensively competitive rhythm of sports; on the other, it indicates the highlight of the subject. It is well known that U.S. is a society with strong compatibility, but as for the black sisters who may draw little attention in the tennis world almost ruled by the white, this rhyme title in Times actually shows the strong effect caused by the black si sters.”[10]P67

4.2. Metaphor

“A metaphor always makes a comparison betweens two unlike elements, and this comparison is implied rather than stated.”[11]P166 The proper use of metaphor in news headline can produce vivid, striking effect and attract more readers.

For example:

(1) Middle East:：A Cradle of Terror

中东---恐怖主义的摇篮

(2) Russian Reform:：Old Wine in New Bottle

俄罗斯改革---新瓶装陈酒

(3) An Afghan Joan of Arc

---阿富汗的贞德(“Comparing 17 year-old Afghan female soldier to 15 century French nationality heritress Arc”[12]P29)

(4) The Open Barn Door

---敞开的粮仓大门(“Implying that it is easy to get the US scientific and technical information”[13]P29)

(5) Carlo Ponti in Hot Water Again

---卡洛,庞蒂再陷困境(…in hot water? means …in trouble? )

4.3. Pun

Pun is an amusing use of a word or phrase that has two meaning, or of words having the same sound but different meaning. “To pun is to play on words, or rather to play with the form and meaning of words, for a witty or humorous effect.”[14]P221 When translating these kinds of words or phrases, the translation must be in accordance with the context of the particular message. For example:

(1) Soccer Kicks off with Violence

---足球开踢，拳打脚踢(…kick off ?means both“球赛开始”and“拳打脚踢”）

(2) Climbers Hold Summit Talks

---登山运动员会师峰顶

“The original meaning of …Summit Talks? is …首脑会议?。But this news report concerned the situation that China, Japan and the Nepalese three national destinies mobilized to Mount Qomolangma.”[15]P68 The pun here gives a rise to the expression.

(3) No Bellas.

---寥寥粉黛诺贝尔

“…No Bellas? and …Nobel? are homophones, and Bella is a girl?s name. The title gets two meaning

at the same time: for hundred years rare females have got the Nobel Prize and the translator uses Chinese rhetoric metonymy, making the translation more implicit.”[16]P54

(4) Royal Ballet Keeps Fans on Their Toes.

---皇家芭蕾，奉献绝技

“Here the rhetoric of exaggeration and pun not only refers to the fact that the actress dances with toe, but also refers to dancing fans watch the dance standing on tiptoes ,which kills two birds with one stone.”[17]P230

(5) No Bill, No Bell.

---美以首脑会议不欢而散

“This report is about Clinton meets Israeli Premier Netanyahu, and both sides haven?t obtained the anticipated result in some questions. As we know, Bill is Clinton?s nickname, while Bell is Netanyahu?s. They haven?t called each other?s nickname during the discussion, and the atmosphere is not harmonious. The editor use …No Bill, No Bell? to describe that the summits meeting between US and Israel is not completely satisfactory.”[18]P99 In this point, content is regarded as much more important than form. The headline is translated free rather than literally. 4.4. Allusion

Allusions are references to well-known persons, things, or events that writers assume are familiar to their readers. They serve to add clarity and significance to ideas and descriptions. Since these allusions are quite familiar to readers, the translation can also copy the original translating form.

For example:

(1) For Many in Cinema. All Roads Led to Wilder

---对许多影迷而言，条条道路通威尔德

“It is from the famous saying …All roads lead to Rome.? Billy Wilder is the outstanding American satire movie director, who passed away in Los Angeles in March, 2002 at the age of 95.”[19]P109 (2) A Tale of Two Hearts

---双心记

“Under this title tells a story about a patient w as replaced with an artificial heart. This title copies mechanically the Dickens famous work A Tale of Cities ---《双城记》”[20]P30

(3) Liberty Is the True Mother of Invention

---自由是发明之母

(“Copying from the saying Necessity Is the Mother of I nvention 需要是发明之母”[21]P30）(4) Queen Lear

---李尔“皇”今昔

“This article describes US nowadays one of the biggest feminine patent monopolies ---W.P.Lear, from the Shakespeare?s works King Lear.”[22]P30

(5) Measure for Measure

--- 一报还一报

“It is quoted form Holy Bible. The news is about the Princess Diana whose death is said to be related with the Prince Charles. If Charles gives up the throne and the Prince William takes the seat, and then Diana would rest.”[23]P96 This tra nslation is quite acceptable since it clearly and briefly reveals the content of the news, and at the same time it even gets correspondent with the

original form.

Further examples:

(1) Lame-duck Presidents: AUS Oddity

--- 跛鸭总统：美国奇闻

It is slang, referring to elected official in his final period of office.

(2) The Liberty …Golden Oldies?

---（美国）自由派的金牌老朽们

…Golden oldies? is a proverb which satirizes American Liberal.

(3) To Arm or Not to Arm—That Is the Question

--- (英国警察)携带武器还是不携带武器是个问题

（“copying mechanically the famous saying from Hamlet …To be or not to be, that is the question ?”[24]P53）

(4) Don?t Cry for Me, England

---英格兰，别为我哭泣

（from a song that enjoys great popularity—Don?t cry for me, Argentina）

(5) W here there?s Smoke, There?s Cash.

---有烟才有钱

“The title copies the proverb …Where there?s reek, there?s heat? to satirize the politics of the America?s interest group. Cigarette is nearly pressed by everyone in the US, but it cannot be overthrown actually, because the politicians need political donation from the tobacconists, and after receiving, they take care of the benefit of the tobacconists.”[25]P98 The title can apply to the translation pattern of the original idiom. The translation maintained the original text?s succinct and concise features.

4.5. Exaggeration

“Exaggeration is an effective device to intensify emotion, to elevate a person or thing to heroic or mythical status, or to poke fun at or ridicule. Moreover, its form, too, can vary from a phrase, a sentence, to a paragraph or paragraphs of description.”[26]P199 The translator should try to seek the same or similar effect while translating.

For example:

(1) Vow to Zip His Lips

---誓将守口如瓶

Obviously the author used the exaggeration to strengthen the language and achieve the humorous and emphasis effect.

(2) Decision and Division.

---判决和分歧

It has a sub-headline that is …For Ten Minutes Last Week, America Stood Still—上星期，美国静止了十分钟?. Here author also utilizes exaggeration in order to express people?s great surprising.

5. Translation in terms of the grammar features.

The linguistic characteristics of the English news headline in the grammar are also displayed in omission, unique usage of tense, voice and non-predicate verbs as well. Tense usage is simple but flexible in news title, referring to past, present and future. However, tense and voice application in

the title is not completely out of the rule. Usually, general present is used to express past, infinitive refers to the future, present participle expresses the occurring matter, and passive voice is frequently expressed directly only by the verb past participle without linking verb.

5.1. Omission.

“Omission is the most common device in E nglish news headline. Since such items as articles, auxiliary verbs, relative verbs, conjunctions, pronouns and so on in headline only indicate their grammatical functions, by no means of the same weight or importance in meaning; generally they can also be omitted in translation.”[27]P108

For example:

(1) Italian Ex-mayor Murdered

(= An Italian Ex-mayor was murdered)

---意大利前市长遇刺身亡.(Omitting article and relative verbs)

(2) Pompeii Reported Seriously Damaged

（=Pompeii Is Reported to Have Been Seriously Damaged )

---据报道庞培遗址已严重损毁(omitting auxiliary verb)

(3) Forecast of Mexican Quake Accurate, But Ignored

(=The Forecast of Mexican Quake Is Accurate, But It Is Ignored)

---墨西哥地震预报准确,但未被重视(omitting article, relative verb and pronoun)

(4) China Appoints First Governor in World Bank.

(=China Appoints its First Governor in World Bank.)

---中国任命第一位驻世界银行代表。

(5) Florida Freeze to Increase Area Produce Prices.

(= The Florida Freeze Is to Increase the Area Produce Prices.

---佛罗里达严寒，将使本地区农产品涨价。

5.2. Present tense expresses past:

(1) A Ground War Begins.

---场地面战争打响了.

(2) Sweden Defeats China.

---瑞典队战胜中国队.

(3) UC Journalism Suffers Rough Year in Credibility.

---年来美国新闻界信誉下降.

(4)Two Scientists Receive State Award.

---两名科学家获得国家级奖.

However, sometimes the author also uses present to express future or present occurrence.

For example:

China Daily Delegation Flies to US.

---《中国日报》代表团将飞往美国.

“Sometimes past tense also refers to the past things, which often occurs when present tense is unable appropriately to transmit the original meaning or is unable to achieve the right logic in grammar.”[28]P6

For example:

(1) They Thought They Were Better