翻译原则

英语翻译的原则

许多人觉得英语翻译工作是一种高深莫测,遥不可及的事情, 只有英语功底深厚的人才能涉及的专业领域. 不可否认, 好的英语翻译确实需要扎实的英语功底和与其相关的专业知识. 但是, 英语翻译是没有最好的，只有最合适的。这是我比较推崇的翻译准则。我倒不是不追求完美，只是对于学习翻译的人来说，任何“最好”不仅界限模糊，而且是十分危险的, 会使你走入一个很大的误区, 耗费很多的时间和精力. 这对于初涉翻译的学生来说是十分有害的。事实上, 找到一种合适的、实用的翻译原则要比积累一些翻译技巧更为重要。本文就此总结翻译中几项实用的原则。

1 主语确定原则

由于英语是主语显著语，构建在主谓轴上，主语决定了句法结构，而汉语为意合语言，主语的相对性较低，无主语的现象比比皆是。因此在汉英转化中，最重要的是确定主语，主语选择成功了，句子越翻越顺；选择失败了，越翻越累。因此，在翻译过程中，首先要读懂汉语的意思，找到真正的主语。

这一目标的实现，最直接的应该是老百姓住得更宽敞了，更舒服了。

The citizens will live more spaciously and comfortably, benefiting most directly from achieving the goal.

无论是外人入境，或是文化入侵，政府己无能为力。

The government cannot control who crosses their borders either physically or culturally.

1 动宾连接原则

考生在翻译动宾短语时，应先考虑宾语的成分。宾语可能为名词，名词词组和句子。不同成分的宾语决定了谓语的使用。所以要先考虑宾语是更容易翻译成词组还是句子。因此，动宾连接原则的核心思想是“先宾语，后谓语”。这样可以在翻译过程中少走弯路。

中国人民始终希望天下和平，希望各国人民友好相处。The Chinese people are always looking forward to global peace and friendship among all nations.

The Chinese people are always hoping that the world will be at peace and people of all nations will coexist friendly.

3 谓语最小化原则

如果把汉语中原文出现的所有动词都一一对应地翻译成英语动词的话，只能说明其还在翻译“入门”阶段。所以我们在翻译中一定要注意动词和其他词性的转换。常见减少谓语的方法有：

１动词转为名词 2 使用介词短语 3 使用分词短语 4 使用to引导的目的状语 5 把并列谓语中最后一个谓语处理成“which”的非限制性定语从句。

今年的亚太经济贸易合作组织会议将主要侧重两个方面：一是加强亚太经合组织成员之间的合作，共同应对可能出现的经济衰退，重数信心；二是继续推进亚太经合组织贸易投资自由化进程，推动世界贸易组织尽早开始新一轮谈判。

The APEC meeting in this year will focus mainly on two aspects: one is on strengthening the cooperation among all APEC members to cope with the possible economic recession with rebuilt-up confidence; the other is on promoting the liberalization of trade and investment among all APEC members for the start of a new round of negotiations by WTO.

显然，许多传统上支持美国的国家没有投票支持美国，以此对美国奉行的单边主义表示不满。

Many traditional U.S. supporters clearly withdrew their votes to signal displeasure over U.S. unilateralism.

4 动宾换序原则

对于较长的宾语有俩种处理方式 1 把谓语变成直接能够接宾语的表达形式。2 宾语先译出，然后再译出主谓。或使用谓语的相反含义，再接上原主语。Sustain “决定”反义就是“取决于”

在新千年，经济重心将向亚洲转移，中国将迅速崛起，世界其他地区将不得不对此作出反应。

The rest of the world will have to react to this millennial economic shift to Asia, and to the rising power of China.

研究生是否存在，大学是否存在资金偿还能力，这些都取决于项目预算。

The project budget sustains both the existence of graduate students and the fiscal solvency of the university.

5 连接原则

英语重形合，汉语重意合。所以连接原则首先要求考生具备很强的逻辑使命感，多加连词，两三句之内就要考虑句群的关系，其次还要具合句和缩句的能力，抓住主要谓语，最好，换序译法也是考生必须的技能，有时突出重点，调整语序，也是必不可少的。

A student acquires knowledge mainly from textbook and in class. （as a result,）When she graduates from

school, he can do nothing. (for)Everything is different from what teachers told him，He may be disappointed; (and)he may be frustrated; (in the end)he may be afraid to face the real world. (Obviously,)Our universities have turned out the people of no use.

6减少of原则

汉语中一出现“…的”学生马上就想到of框架，这种思维模式主要是受到了所属关系得影响。Of 英语中主要是表示所属关系，但还表示包含关系等，因此要看清句子的真正主语，而不是次要的主语，语法上的主语。比如，主主语是楼，而次主语才是质量，因此如果把句子翻译成the quality of the building is poor. 虽然没有错，但显得比较业余。另外在最后一个例子中，如译成the development of our relations has made us not only close friends but also brothers. 就显得特别功利，好像表示我们关系得发展使我们成为兄弟，而不是我们的关系。总而言之，我们并不是要刻意去减少of架构，而是把一些非定语关系的of架构转化为其他成分。

楼的质量不好the building is not well built.

经济全球化的深入发展和科学技术的迅猛进步the furthering economic globalization and rapid development of science and technology

中国的富强和发展不会对任何国家构成威胁 a strong, prosperous and developed China will pose no threat to any countries.

我们之间关系的发展，使我们不仅成为亲密的朋友，而且成为兄弟。Our relationship has grown to the point that we are not only close friends but also brothers.

7句群逻辑关系

原因

because since as for

Now that seeing that considering that 鉴于，考虑到多用句首In that 句中

His request is unreasonable in that he knows we can't afford it.

Not that, but that not because, but because not because of, but because of 不是因为，而是因为Not that she forgot to do her homework, but that she was busy nursing a sick classmate.

Just that 只是由于she looks distressed, just that she feels a bit upset about losing the game.

The reason for…is that For the reason that, on the grounds that

the reason for working is that we need to keep ourselves alive.

The child was prohibited from hanging out on the grounds that he might learn bad habits.

That is why,

介词短语Due to, owing to, thanks to, on account of, as a result of, 注owing to, due to 即可做状语也可做表语

My illness was due to bad food. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we…

This is the most commonly used metals owing to its widespread availability.

Trains were delayed on account of the bad weather

动词短语result from arise from

What by, what by what through, what through what for, what for partly, partly 部分因为He has made a mistake partly through carelessness and partly through ignorance.

What through the weather and what through the heavy load on board, the ship was late in getting to port. 结果

so therefore thus hence so that With the result that

nothing more was heard of him, with the result that people thought he was dead.

Cause lead to result in bring about give rise to as a result

条件

事实条件if 祈使+and/or/otherwise Unless除非, 否则

Work hard, and you will succeed. Work hard, or/otherwise you will fail. D on’t come, unless I call.

唯一条件句if only 只要If only I have another chance, I shall do better.

要是…就好了If only I could swim.

Only if if的强调结构只有you will succeed only if you do your best.

So long as 只要so long as we don’t lose heart, we’ll succeed.