(1)词组与搭配
a human-rights report with a twist 一份歪曲事实的人权报告
good chemistry 志趣相投
economic plan 经济方略
be widely reprinted 广为转载
turn combustible 激怒反目
a far cry from 相去甚远;天壤之别;大相径庭;截然不同;迥然不同
(2)例句分析
Achieving those targets will be a breeze.
实现这些目标易如反掌。
We (my wife and I ) have had 23 years investing in each other.
我们婚后23年一直相亲相爱。(*互相之间互相投资)动词+宾语+补语[现在分词短语]结构。
They overwhelmed the police as much with courtesy as with force.
他们软磨硬闯,冲破了警察的阻拦。(*不仅以礼貌的言词,而且还使出力气)
Premier seemed a pleasant but rather dull man in a grey suit, a far cry from Interior Minister.
首相身着一套灰色西装,看上去和蔼可亲,但却相当单调乏味,与内务部长相比,相去甚远。
Their anxiety had reached a clinical condition.
他们焦虑成病。(*焦虑达到了临床状态)
All the ones we have seen here have four-star abilities with five-star ambitions.
我们在此看到的所有的人都是些眼高手低之辈。(*四星级的能力,五星级的抱负)
In three years as US Secretary of Transportation, Skinner has emerged as the administration''s top crisis manager, a loyalist whose tenacity and competence have earned him Bush''s respect and admiration.
作为美国的交通部长,斯金纳三年中表现出他是行政当局处理危机事务的高手,且忠心耿耿,坚毅能干。这些使他赢得了布什的尊重和赞赏。tenacity and competence译为“坚毅能干”。
These people will tend to flood the cities,worsening already strained urban resources.
这些人往往大批涌往城市,使市区本已负荷过重[不堪重负]的各种设施雪上加霜。
Our Good Society is disfigured by huge debts:entrenched poverty,persistent racial tension,the breakdown of the family and staggering budget deficits.
我们这个美好的社会因存在大量的债务而变得丑陋:难以消除的贫困现象,旷日持久的种族对立,分崩离析的家庭细胞,骇人听闻的财政赤字。
The reality of a nurse''s job is still appalling pay,mounting workloads and dismal living conditions.
护士工作的现实仍然是:工资收入低微,工资负荷增加,生活境况凄苦。
But the firms have gone to greater and greater lengths to hold on to their star employees,the ones who really produce the profits.
但是这些公司一直在不遗余力地留住才干出众的雇员,他们是真正能给公司创造利润的人。
Star(a.)有名的;有才华的;极具有吸引力的;不同凡响的;
The premier wants to take another star turn on the world stage,even (if) his troubles are mounting back home.
即便首相在国内面临的困难与麻烦有增无减,他还是想在国际舞台上再做出一个不同凡响的举动。
*They assert that scientists lack ethics,morals,and a sense of responsibility,and that they have let the public down on too many occasions;they conclude that gene technology must be banned from Switzerland,signaling the rest of the world to follow suit.
结构分析:句子框架是They assert that.and that.;they conclude that.分号连接两个并列句。前面的并列分句套嵌两个并列的that引导的宾语从句,做assert的宾语;后面的并列分句套嵌一个that引导的宾语从句,做conclude的宾语。两个分句的主语they指前句提到的proponents of the initiative.另外on…occasions意为“在……场合或(重大的)时刻”;signal在此处为动词,译为“向……示意”;follow suit译为“跟着做,依样行事”。
参考译文:他们(支持该动议的人)声称科学家缺乏伦理、道德、责任感;科学家辜负了公众的时候太多了。由此,他们得出结论,认为基因技术应该在瑞士得到严令禁止,并示意世界其他国家依样行事。
*This assumption rests on the fallacy of the inherent laziness in human nature;actually,aside from abnormally lazy people,there would be very few who would not want to earn more than the minimum,and who would prefer to do nothing rather than work.
结构分析:句子的框架是This assumption rests on……;actually,aside from……,there would be very few who would……,and who would……。分号连接两个并列分句。在第二个分句中,介问短语aside from abnormally(特别地)lazy people作状语,主句是一个there be存在句,包含两个并列的由关系代词who引导的定语从句,修饰few.Rest on在此意为“依据”。aside from相当于“except”,泽为“除了”。
参考译文:这种假设是依据这样一种谬论:人的天性中就存在遗传惰性。而实际上,除了特别懒惰的人以外,几乎没有人愿意挣只相当于最低生活维持费的钱,也没有人愿意饱食终日,无所用心。
“扩充词义”可以指下列方面的操作:
(1)译文增字法:即对原文的某个词做“放大”或“延伸”处理。它是需要译者根据原文的特定的上下文在汉译句中适当增加几个字或一句话,以使句义在逻辑上更忠实于原文的内涵。
例如一些抽象名词、形容词可译为:
Respect尊敬→受人尊敬
Affection喜爱→惹人喜爱
Banquet宴会→摆宴席、搞宴请
Breakdown of equipment and morale装备逐渐破损、士气不振
Be always quite difficult是很困难的→一直困难重重
1.A settlement and peace will remain elusive.
*解决与和平仍然是一件毫无把握的事。
解决问题,实现和平,仍然是一件毫无把握的事。
2.In California,hundreds of billions of dollars ride on the success of earthquake prediction.
*在加利福尼亚,地震预报的成功关系到千百亿美元。
在加利福尼亚州,地震预测的成功与否关系到千百亿美元的财产和投资。
3.At this difficult stage,ex-president of the USA may have more celebrity than influence.
*在这个困难阶段,前任美国总统可能仍会有声望,但已无影响。
在这个困难阶段,前任美国总统可能仍会享有声望,但已无影响力可言。
4.Rushing to the scene to congratulate his troops on a textbook performance,Interior Minister Charles Pasqua told reporters,The nightmare is over.
内政部长查尔斯·巴士奎赶到现场,祝贺内务部队官兵干得漂亮而又完全符合规范。他对在场的记者说:“噩梦已经结束”。
5.Britains will have the chance in the next few months to try out an emerging technology that could put mobile telephones within the reach of even modest domestic budgets.
*英国人在未来的几个月里可能研制出一种新兴的技术,这种技术能使中等收入的家庭也能用得起移动电话。
英国人在未来的几个月里可能研制出一种新兴的技术,这种技术一投入使用,即使是中等收入的家庭也能用得起移动电话。
*What science strives for is an utmost acuteness and clarity of concepts as regards their mutual relation and their correspondence to sensory data.
结构分析:句子的框架是What science strives for is……as regards their mutual relation and their correspondence to sensory data.这是一个主从复合句。名词性从句What science strives for作主语。介词短语as regards their mutual relation and their correspondence to sensory date作状语。介词短语as regards也作regarding,意为“关于”。Sensory data意为“感性材料”。
参考译文:科学为之奋斗的目标,就是要使概念之间的相互关系以及与感性材料的一致性尽最大可能地准确与清楚。
*If we desire sincerely and passionately the safety,the welfare and the free development of the talents of all men, we shall not be in want of the means to approach such a state.
结构分析:句子的框架是if we desire……,the welfare and the free development……,we shall not be in want of……。if引导条件状语从句。desire的宾语被状语sincerely and passionately隔开。In want of相当于“in need of”,在此句中译为“缺乏”。approach在此作动词意为“靠近”。
参考译文:如果我们真心实意而又满腔热情地希望整个人类能享有安全与幸福并且自由地发展其才干,我们就不会缺少去达到这一境界的方法。
*While we consider this to be the best form of democracy, it is not without difficulties and possible limitations, some of which may become apparent in this case.
结构分析:句子框架是While…,it is not without difficulties and possible limitations.“while引导让步状语从句。相当于though,修饰主句。指示代词this指代前面提到的公众投票来决策问题的做法。主句中又套嵌数量词some of加关系代词which引导的定语从句修饰difficulties and possible limitations.Not without为双重否定的介词短语,做表语,可以译成肯定句。
参考译文:虽然我们认为这是民主的最完美的形式,但它还有各种困难和潜在的缺陷;在这种情况下有些问题变得明显了。
*But such a system would not only be the beginning of real freedom of contract between employers and employees; its principal advantage would be the improvement of freedom in interpersonal relationships in every sphere of daily life.
结构分析:句子的框架是But such a system would not only be……its principal advantage would be the improvement of。叫分号连接两个并列分句。sphere意为“领域”。
参考译文:但是,这样一种制度将不只是雇主和雇员之间真正自由签署合同的开始;它的主要优点是在日常生活的每一个领域中使人际关系吏为自由。
(2)译文解释法。这种“扩充词义”的操作策略是:使用添加一定的解释性、说明性的行文。由于中西文化和社会习俗的差异,英语的有些词汇不能直译出来,有必要对汉语的词汇表达进行解释性、说明性的翻译。