第3讲 翻译难点(1)------声色词的译法
声色词是拟声词(onomatopoetic words)和色彩词(color words)的合称。翻译这两类词语一定要注意英汉两种语言之间的差异,细心推敲,尽可能再现原文中所描绘的客观世界里的声音和色彩。
拟声词
一、英汉拟声词比较
A.同一声音在英语和汉语中用不同的拟声词来表示:
cock-a-doodle-do──喔喔喔 clip-clop──(马蹄)得得声 tick-tack──(钟表)滴答声
hoot(toot)──嘟嘟 dub-a-dub──(鼓)咚咚声 jingle-jangle──玎玲当啷
A horse neighs/whinnies/nickers.马嘶/马鸣/马萧萧。
B.同一声音在英语和汉语中用相同的拟声词来表达:
meow(或meou)──喵 hiss──嘶嘶(作声) dingdong──丁冬(声),叮当(声) ping──乒
giggle──咯咯(地笑) cuckoo──咕咕 A cow moos.母牛哞哞叫。A pigeon coos.鸽子咕咕叫。
C. 不同的声音用相同的拟声词:
babble──(婴儿)咿呀学语声;(流水)潺潺作声 smack──(拍击声、鞭打声、砸嘴声、掌掴声)
萧萧──(a horse) neighs, (the rain) patters, (the wind) whistles, (the trees) rustle
二、拟声词译法
A.英语原文中有拟声词,汉译时也用拟声词
(1) A turkey gobbles.火鸡咯咯叫。 (2) A wolf howls/growls. 狼嚎。 (3) A bee hums.蜜蜂嗡嗡地叫。
(1) The train clattered out of the station. 火车哐唧哐唧驶出车站。
(2) The girls clattered away at their luncheon. 午餐时女孩们咭咭呱呱地谈个不停
(4) The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter. 碟子碗碰得丁丁当当响。
(1) The thunder rolled in the distance. 远处雷声隆隆。
(2) There came the hum of machines. 传来了机器的隆隆声。
(1) Whee-ee-ee! Whee-ee-ee! The police whistles shrilled suddenly. "的!的!"突然警笛响了。
(2) Those standing behind whispered and chattered all the time. 站在身后的人们一直吱吱喳喳个没完。
(3) The clock ticked, the fire cracked.钟声滴滴答答,火声劈劈啪啪。
(1) About this time a brick came through the window with a splintering crash. 大约在这个时候,有人从窗户外面抛了一块砖进来,辟里啪拉砸得很响。
(2) The ship hooted down the river.呜……那船沿江而下。
(3) The clock ticked away the minutes.钟声滴答滴答地把时间打发走了。
(1) She slammed the box on the table.她把匣子砰的一下摔在桌子上。
(2) The man shut the door with a bang.那人砰的一声把门关上了。
(3) The wind whispered in the pines.风在松林中飒飒作响。
B.英语原文中用拟声词,汉语译文中不用
(1) Old beams began to crack mysteriously. 那些老屋梁神秘地发出裂开的响声。
(2) There was a large , low-ceiling room, with clacking, rattling machines. 有一大间天花板很低的屋子,里面的机器响成一片。
(3) A profound silence prevailed over all and the only thing she could hear was the tap of ivy on the pane.万籁俱寂,她唯一听到的是长青藤轻扣玻璃声。
C.英语原文中没有拟声词,汉语译文中加用拟声词
(1) He crashed down on a protesting chair. 他猛然坐到一把椅子上,椅子被压得吱吱作响。
(2) The lad rushed in , gasping for breath. 小伙子冲进来,呼哧呼哧上气不接下气。
(3) When he raised his hand, ten thousand eyes followed it.他把手儿一扬,千万人的眼睛跟着它滴溜溜地转。
颜色词
一、英汉颜色词比较
A.基本颜色词: red──红,赤 yellow──黄 purple──紫 black──黑,青 blue──蓝 white──白 brown──棕,褐 green──绿,青
green hills青山 brown sugar红糖 black tea红茶 to be brown晒黑了 brown bread黑面包 grey hair 白头发
black in face脸色铁青 white coffee牛奶咖啡 to be looking green苍白,脸上有病色 to be blue in the face with cold冻得发紫 white meat色浅的嫩牛肉、猪肉或煮熟的鸡鸭肉 a white Christmas 大雪纷飞的圣诞节
to be in the blues 闷闷不乐 a very white man 非常忠实可靠的人 a black look 恶狠狠地瞪一眼
green-eyed 忌妒的 to be in the red亏损;负债 a white lie无恶意的谎言
B.实物颜色词: grass(草)──草绿色 silver(银)──银白色 chestnut (栗)──褐色 rosy(玫瑰)──淡红色 flax(亚麻)──淡黄色 violet(紫罗兰)──紫色 canary (金丝雀)──鲜黄色 salmon (萨门鱼)──橙红色 coral (珊瑚)──红色 ivory(象牙)──淡黄色 jade (翡翠)──绿色 pearl(珍珠)──灰白色 ruby (红宝石)──鲜红色 brass(黄铜)──黄色 sand (沙)──土黄色 vermilion(朱砂)──朱红色 butter(黄油)──淡黄色 milk(牛奶)──乳白色 charcoal(炭)──黑色 fire(火)──鲜红色
二、颜色词的译法
A. 把英语颜色词译成与之相应的汉语颜色词
(1) The sun was dropping behind the farthest mountain, and the valleys were purple with something deeper than aster. 夕阳已渐渐沉没在远山的背后,壑谷间一片紫蔼,颜色比紫菀还浓。
(2)His arms and legs were thickly smeared with calamine lotion dried to a chalky white. 他四肢上涂得厚厚的炉甘石液已干成粉白色。
(3)The very dust was scorched brown, and something quivered in the atmosphere as if the air itself was panting. 连那尘土都被炙烤成褐色;大气中似乎也有什么东西在颤抖,仿佛空气本身也在气喘吁吁。
B.改换英语颜色词。
(1) The floor was covered with ochre-colored sawdust, trampled here and there into mud. 地上全是黄褐色的木屑,到处都给踩成泥糊糊的了。
(2)His face became blue with cold. 他的脸冻得发青。
(3)She dressed in a very short creamy skirt that day. 那天她穿着一条很短的米色裙子。
C.原文中无颜色词,译文中增加颜色词。
(1)And over all these, set close against the golden hair and burning cheek of lady and knight is that untroubled and sacred sky_1 . 在这一切之上,同贵夫人和骑士金色头发和红润面颊相映衬的是一片蔚蓝的天空。
(2)He didn't try in vain. 他没有白干。 (3)Her eyes became moist. 她眼圈红了。
(4)It is like a windfall, like a Godsend, like an unexpected piece of luck. 它像飞来的吉庆,像天降洪福,像意外红运。
D.原文颜色词有象征意义或意义有所引申,一般采用意译灵活处理。例如:
(1) You look blue today. What's wrong with you? 你今天看起来闷闷不乐,出了什么事?
(2) He is green with jealousy. 他醋意大发。 (3) He is a blue-blooded man. 他出身贵族。
(4)Her story immediately reminded me of a Chinese saying "The young beautiful lady will always be star-crossed." 听了有关她的故事,我立刻想到中国的一句俗语: "红颜薄命"。
翻译难点(2)--习语译法
习语是民族语言中的精华。它短小精悍、寓意深刻,具有浓郁的民族文化特色。英语习语可包括成语、谚语、俗语、俚语等,其结构既有短语、又有分句、还有句子。
一、英汉习语比较
A.英汉习语形义全同, 这类习语为数少。
Barking dogs do not bite. 吠犬不咬人。 Who is contented, enjoys. 知足者常乐。
Misfortunes never come singly. 祸不单行。 Like father, like son. 有其父必有其子。
It is harder to change human nature than to change rivers and mountains. 江山难改,本性难移。
B. 习语形义基本相同, 这类习语比上面一类在数量上要多些。
as light as a feather (or as thistle-down) 轻如鸿毛 to take a load off one's mind 如释重负
to run in the same groove; to cut from the same cloth. 如出一辙 to make a beast of oneself 形同禽兽
He that hath been bitten by a serpent is afraid of a rope. 一朝被蛇咬,十年怕草绳。
Shallow streams make most din. 水深不响,水响不深。 Money makes the mare go. 有钱能使鬼推磨。
Reckless youth makes rueful age. 少壮不努力,老大徒伤悲。
C.英汉习语形似义异,这类习语相当多
When a dog is drowning every one offers him drink. 狗若落水人人救 / 救了落水狗,反咬你一口
Ignorance of the law is no excuse of breaking it. 法盲犯法不可恕. / 不知者无罪
Strike while the iron is hot. 趁热打铁
Lock the stable-door after the horse is stolen. 亡羊补牢
D.英汉习语形异义似
A word spoken is past recalling. 一言既出,驷马难追。 Great boast, small roast.干打雷,不下雨。
Take not a musket to kill a butterfly. 杀鸡焉用宰牛刀。 as dumb as an oyster 守口如瓶
to hit someone below the belt/to stab someone in the back 暗箭伤人 as weak as water 弱不禁风
E.英汉习语形义完全不同
cast one's bread upon the waters不期望报答所作之事 keep the wolf from the door免于饥饿,勉强度日
make one's blood freeze令人恐惧 have bats in the belfry头脑有点古怪 see the sun活着
二、英语习语的译法
A. 直译
to be armed to the teeth 武装到牙齿 Time is money. 时间就是金钱 to shed crocodile tears 掉鳄鱼眼泪 as cold as ice 冰冷 to trim the sail to the wind看风使帆 Too many cooks spoil the broth. 厨子多了煮坏汤。
Blood is thicker than water. 血浓于水。
B. 直译加注法
a bull in a china shop公牛闯进瓷器店──肆意捣乱 to shed crocodile tears流鳄鱼眼泪──假慈悲
People considered that what he had played on that occasion was no more than a Judas kiss.人们认为他在那种场合所表演的不过是犹大之吻──居心险恶。
The favors of Government are like the box of Pandora, with this important difference; that they rarely leave hope at bottom. 政府的恩惠如同潘多拉的盒子,后患无穷,主要不同之处是:盒底很少留有希望。
The best fish swim (are) near the bottom. 好鱼居水底--有价值的东西不能轻易得到。
Fish begins to stink at the end.鱼要腐烂头先烂--上梁不正下梁歪。
The apples on the other side of the wall are the sweetest. 隔墙的苹果最甜--这山看着那山高。
Don't forget to cross your t's. 写时不要忘记 t上面那一横--一言一行都不要马虎草率。
C.套译
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. 宁为鸡首,不为牛后。
Some prefer turnips and others pears. 萝卜白菜,各有所爱。 as lean as a rail 骨瘦如柴 clean hand 两袖清风 It was by no means a bed of rose. 这决不是安乐窝。 He cries wine and sells vinegar. 挂羊头,卖狗肉。 as pale (or white) as ashes( or sheet or death) 面如土色 as red as rose 艳如桃李 as clear as daylight 洞若观火 All shall be well, Jack shall have Jill. 有情人终成眷属。
He robs Peter to pay Paul. 拆东墙补西墙。 Diamonds cut Diamonds. 棋逢对手,将遇良才。
Pay on the spot and borrow a lot; pay slow and you'll get no dough. 好借好还,再借不难。
D. 意译
to come like a dog at a whistle 一呼即来 Hilter was once as proud as a peacock. 希特勒曾是一个不可一世的家伙。 Mary and her mother are as like as two peas. 玛丽和她妈妈长得一模一样。
She likes to rubber-neck. 她爱问长问短。 start a hare 话离本题 to bring down the house 全场喝彩
plain sailing 一帆风顺 to show one's clean heels 逃之夭夭 to go on a wild goose chase 枉费心机
as greedy as a wolf 贪得无厌 Every bean has its black. 人皆有短处。
E.直译加意译
laugh off one's head笑掉了牙 break the earth破土动工 wash off one's hands洗手不干
There is no rose without a thorn. 玫瑰皆有刺,乐中必有苦。 Every flow has its ebb. 潮有涨落日,人有盛衰时。 A rolling stone gathers no moss. 滚石不生苔, 转业不聚财。 Every family is said to have at least one skeleton in the cupboard. 俗话说,衣柜里面藏骷髅,见不得人的事儿家家有。
F. 意译加注
throw in the sponge 认输,投降 pour oil on troubled waters 平息风波,息事宁人 open sesame 敲门砖,过难关的秘诀 Good wine needs no bush. 酒好客自来。
三、翻译英语习语应注意的几个问题
A. 准确理解习语,切毋望文生义,弄出笑话来。
John likes to pat himself on the back. 约翰喜欢捶自己的背。(正确译法:约翰喜欢自吹。
He kissed the hare's foot. 他吻了兔子的脚。(正确译法:他迟到了。)
(1) It is a good horse that never stumbles. 好马也有失蹄时。(不宜译成"良马不失蹄")
(3)It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest. 再坏的鸟也不至于弄脏自己的窝。
(4) Time and tide wait for no man. 时光如潮水,不等任何人。
(5) Of soup and love, the first is the best. 恋爱如喝汤,头一碗最香。
(6)In choosing a wife and buying a sword we ought not to trust another. 择妻如选剑,不能靠别人。
(8) People will be long forgetting her. 人们会长久记住她的。(不宜译为 "人们在很长时间内会忘记她"。)
B. 采用套译法时,要特别注意避免使用民族特色太浓的汉语成语来套译英语习语.
(1) Beauty lies in lover's eyes. 情人眼里出美人。(不宜译作"情人眼里出西施"。)
(2) Many heads are better than one. 一人不及众人计。(不宜译作"三个臭皮匠,顶个诸葛亮"。)
(3)Never offer to teach fish to swim.不要教鱼儿游泳。(不宜译作"不要班门弄斧"。)
(4) A miss is as good as a mile. 错无大小,其错一样。(不宜译作"失之毫厘,谬以千里"。)
(5) a big fish in a small pond 山中无老虎,猴子也称王。(或:林中无鸟雀称王。不是 "小塘容不下大鱼"。)
C.有些习语有多种译法,哪种译法恰当要视具体语境而定:
(1)Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves. 积少自然成多。/小事谨慎,大事自成。
(2)One swallow does not make a summer. 一燕不成夏。/轻率推论必成大错。/一关渡过并非万事大吉。
(3) Still water runs deep. 静水流深。/外表淡漠然而内心深情。/沉默者深谋。
(4)Don't cross the bridge till you get to it. 到了桥边才过桥。/不必担心太早。/不必自寻烦恼。
(5)He laughs best who laughs last. 谁笑在最后,谁笑得最好(鼓励)。/不要高兴得太早(警告)。
(6)Don't cast out the foul water till you bring in the clean. 清水未来,莫泼脏水。/新的不来,旧的莫丢
翻译难点(3)--名称译法
一、英语人名的译法
(一)名从主人原则
(二)约定俗成原则
(三)简略原则
(四)用字避免产生不好的联想意义原则
二、书名、影视片名的译法
(一)直译
The Canterbury Tales 《坎特伯雷故事集》;The Prince and the Pauper 《王子和贫儿》 The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland 《艾丽丝漫游记》 The Great Expectation 《远大前程》;A Tale of Two Cities 《双城记》
Aesop's Fables 《伊索寓言》;Sister Carrie 《嘉丽妹妹》 Vanity Fair《名利场》;A Farewell to Arms《永别了,武器》 The Merry Wives of Windsor《温莎的风流娘儿们》 The Age of Innocence《纯真年代》;Dances with Wolves《与狼共舞》 Jurassic Park《侏罗纪公园》
(二)直译与意译
St. Mark《马克福音》 Robinson Crusoe 《鲁宾逊漂流记》 The Mayor of Casterbridge《卡斯特桥市长》 Dombey and Son《董贝父子》 A River Runs Through It《一条流过记忆的河》 Sleepless in Seattle《西雅图夜未眠》 Patton《巴顿将军》 The Net《网络情缘》 Moonstruck《月色撩人》 Sand and Blood《碧血黄沙》
(三)意译
Uncle Tom's Cabin《黑奴吁天录》 The Bridges of Madison County《廊桥遗梦》(试比较:《梅德逊郡桥》)
First Knight《剑侠风流》;Sabrina《情归巴黎》 Oliver Twist 《雾都孤儿》;Pygmalion 《皮格马利翁》
Red Star Over China 《西行漫记》; Gone with the Wind 《乱世佳人》 Pinocchio 《木偶奇遇记》;As You Like It《皆大欢喜》 The Pilgrim's Progress《天路历程》;For Whom the Bell Tolls《战地钟声》
(四)音译
Jane Eye 《简.爱》 Robin Hood 《罗宾汉》 Martin Eden 《马丁·伊登》
三、报刊杂志名的译法
(一)美国报刊与杂志:
New York Times《纽约时报》 Washington Post 《华盛顿邮报》 Los Angeles Times 《洛杉矶时报》 Christian Science Monitor 《基督教科学箴言报》International Herald Tribune 《国际先驱论坛报》 Wall Street Journal 《华尔街日报》 The Baltimore Sun 《巴尔的摩太阳报》;Chicago Tribunes《芝加哥论坛报》 The Boston Globe《波士顿环球报》;Time《时代周刊》 Reader's Digest《读者文摘》 Life 《生活》(画刊);Playboy《花花公子》 Fortune 《幸福》;G.E.O 《地理》;U.S.A. Today 《今日美国》 National Geographic Magazine 《国家地理杂志》 Business Week 《商业周刊》 Newsweek 《新闻周刊》
(二)英国报刊杂志:
The Times 《泰晤士报》;Daily Telegraph 《每日电讯报》 Guardian 《卫报》;Sunday Times 《星期日泰晤士报》 Observer 《观察家报》;Daily Mail 《每日邮报》;The Guardian 《前卫》 Daily Mirror 《每日镜报》;News of the World 《世界新闻报》
四、地名的译法
英语地名主要采用音译方法.
地名的第二种译法是意译。 Ivory Coast象牙海岸;Mediterranean Sea地中海;Little Rock小石城(美国)
Midway Island 中途岛(美国);Pearl Harbor 珍珠港(美国)Red Sea红海 Great Canyon大峡谷(美国);Long Island长岛(美国);West Point西点(美国) Port-au-Prince太子港(海地);Big Rapids大瀑布城(美国);Golden Triangle 金三角
地名的第三种译法是音义兼译(即加注): Cambridge(剑桥), Grand Malvina(大马尔维纳岛),Mesabi Range(米萨比山脉),Cape York(约克角),New Zealand(新西兰),New England(新英格兰),不过象 New York, Newfoundland仍分别音译为"纽约"和"纽芬兰"。
地名翻译除使用上述方法外,还应注意以下几点:
(一)有些译名译自其他外国语,需遵循名从主人的原则,即按原语言的发音来译,这就造成汉语译名与英语地名发音不一致的现象。
(二)有些英语地名未按标准读音来译,但译文却因历史等原因而流传已久,为人所熟悉,故一般不重译,仍可继续使用。
(三)音译地名不易过长,遵循简略原则,不明显的音不必机械的逐个译出,
(四)有些英语地名的后缀部分比较有规律,选用汉字时应尽量一致,如少数欧洲地名以 -barrow, -borough , -burg 结尾的,现在一般都译为"堡".
(五)有些英语地名读音不规则,翻译时要注意。
(六)英语中有不少人地同名。
(七)地名翻译还要注意英语中的日语地名的转译。日语地名译成英语时,英语译音,而再从英文译成汉语,则须用日语中原有的汉字。如Tokyo译为"东京",Okinawa译为"冲绳",Hiroshima译为"广岛"
(八)英语的地名虽然以译音为主,但有其固定的译法,不能按发音随意取字译名。遇到具体地名须查阅辛华编撰的《世界地名译名手册》(商务印书馆出版)。
五、机构名称的汉译
(Reuters) Reuters News Agency 路透社;(AP) Associated Press美联社 (NHK)Nippon Hoso Kyokai 日本放送协会;(VOA) Voice of America 美国之音 (UPI) United Press International合众国际社;(Kyodo) Kyodo News Service 共同社 (TASS)Telegraphic Agency of the Soviet Union 塔斯社; (TBS)Tokyo Broadcasting System 东京广播公司;(SC)Security Council 安全理事会 (BBC )British Broadcasting Corporation 英国广播公司 (CBS) Columbia Broadcasting System 哥伦比亚广播公司 ((NATO) North Atlantic Treaty Organization北大西洋公约组织 (OPEC)Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries 石油输出国组织 (ABC) American Broadcasting Company 美国广播公司 (ASEAN)Association of South East Asian Nations 东盟(东南亚国家联盟) (EC)European Economic Community 欧共体
六、商标的译法
(一)音译
Simens 西门子;Hilton希尔顿; Intel 英特尔; Haier 海尔(电器) Phillip 菲利普;Nike 耐克;Adidas 阿迪达斯;Santana 桑塔那; Rolls Royce 劳斯莱斯;Gillette吉列;Cadillac卡迪拉克
(二)谐音取意法
Budweiser 百威(啤酒);McDonald 麦当劳(食品);Coca Cola可口可乐(饮料) Pepsi 百事可乐(饮料); Mazda 马自达(汽车); Benz 奔驰(汽车)Sprite 雪碧(饮料) Pentium 奔腾(计算机处理器); Avon 雅芳; Mobile 美孚;Kent 健牌(香烟) ; Marlboro 万宝路(香烟)
(三)意译
Camel 骆驼(香烟);Lark 云雀(香烟);Crown皇冠(汽车);Jaguar美洲虎
Microsoft 微软;Playboy 花花公子;Crocodile 鳄鱼牌(皮具);Shell壳牌
(四)转译、改译和音意结合法
Toshiba东芝;Hitachi日立;Isuzu五十铃; Mitsubishi三菱;Honda本田Toyota丰田; 洗发水Rejoice本意为"高兴、喜悦",却译为"飘柔". 7-up译为"七喜", up的向上之意被转为"喜"。洗发水Head & Shoulders 译为"海飞丝" IBM (International Business Machines), 3M (Mimmesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.)等。
翻译难点(4)-- 英语修辞格译法
一、什么是修辞格
修辞格(figures of speech)是提高语言表达效果的语言艺术。
(一)音韵修辞格(phonological rhetorical devices)
Presently there came the click of high-heeled shoes. 高跟皮鞋声阁阁地传了过来。
(1)Peter Piper picked a peck of picking pepper. 皮特.派特咽下了一口腌菜用的胡椒粉。
(2)With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. (assonance) 怀着这个信念,我们能把绝望的大山凿成希望的磐石。
(二)词义修辞格(semantic rhetorical devices)
词义修辞格主要借助语义的联想和语言的变化等特点创造出来的修辞手法。它们主要包括 simile, metaphor, allusion, metonymy, transferred epithet, personification, hyperbole, irony, euphemism, pun, oxymoron, zeugma, contrast 等。
A. simile,metaphor;allusion
They are like streetcars running contentedly on their rails. 这些人犹如街上的有轨电车,满足于在自己的轨道上运行。
Metaphor兼有汉语隐喻、借喻及拟物的特点,即把甲事物当作乙事物来描写。如:
(1)Experience is the mother of wisdom. 经验为智慧之母。(隐喻)
(2)She is shedding crocodile tears. 她在掉鳄鱼眼泪。(借喻)
(3) Mark my words, the first woman who fishes for him, hooks him. 瞧着吧,不管什么女人钓他,他就会上钩。(拟物)
as thick as thieves亲密无间(不是"像贼一样厚") as old as the hills古老(不是"像山一样老")
The ship plows the sea. 船在乘风破浪地前进。(不是"船在犁海")
Allusion与汉语的暗引相近似。
(1)Grammar may be his heel of Achilles.语法是他的大弱点。
(2)The project is an economic albatross from the start. 这个项目从一开始就是一个摆脱不了的经济难题。B. metonymy; transferred epithet
Metonymy、synecdoche和_1antonomasia都是不直接说出事物的本来名称,而换用另一个名称或另一个说法。它们大体上相当于汉语的借代(分为旁借和对代两类)。如Crown(王冠)可喻指君主、王权、王国政府等;doll(玩具)可喻指姑娘、宝贝等。再如:
(1)The baby was brought up on the bottle. 这个婴儿是喝牛奶或羊奶长大的.
(2)Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest.某个沉默的、无名诗人也许在此长眠。
Transferred epithet与汉语中的移就基本相似。例如:
The doctor's face expressed a kind of doubting admiration. (用"疑惑"修饰限定"钦佩")医生的脸上流露出钦佩而又带有疑惑的神情。
C. personification; hyperbole
personification与汉语拟人完全相同,就是赋予物以人的言语属性。
Words pay no debts. 空话还不了债。
Hyperbole与汉语的夸张完全相同。
His words made my blood freeze. 听了他的话,我的血都快凝固了。
D. irony; euphemism;pun
Irony的含义比汉语的反语广泛。Verbal irony与汉语反语的特点完全相同,也是正话反说,反话正说,
She talked about great people as if she had the fee-simple of May Fair, and when the court went into mourning, she always wore black. 她一开口就是某某勋爵某某大人,那口气竟好象她生来就是贵族。宫里有了丧事,她没有一回不穿孝。
Euphemism就是用转弯抹角的说法来代替直截了当的话,把原来显得粗鲁或令人尴尬的语言温和、含蓄地表达出来。这在汉语中叫委婉语。例如:
用sanitation engineer替代garbage man(清洁工) 用the disadvantaged替代the poor(穷人)
用industrial action替代strike(罢工)
E. oxymoron; zeugma ; contrast
Oxymoron(矛盾修辞法)如:sweet sorrow 忧喜参半 (不是甜蜜的悲伤); proud humility 不卑不亢 (不是骄傲的谦卑) She opened the door and her heart to the homeless boy. 她对这个无家可归的孩子打开了自己的大门,也打开了自己的心扉。 United we stand, divided we fall. 合则存,分则亡。
(三)句法修辞格(syntactical rhetorical devices)
(1)I have written in bed and written out of it, written day and night. 我卧床写,起床写;白天写,晚上也写。
(2)The gods, they say, give breath, and they take it away. But the same could be said-could it not? 人都说老天爷把气赐予生灵,又把气夺走。不过这话用在小小的逗号上,何尝不是如此?
(3)Man proposes, God disposes. 谋事在人,成事在天。
(4)Up went the balloon into the cloudless sky. 气球腾空而起,飘入万里无云的蓝天。
二、修辞格的译法
A. 直译
(1)They were only crying crocodile tears at the old man's funeral because nobody had really liked him.在老头子的葬礼上,他们只不过挤了几滴鳄鱼的眼泪,因为老头子在世时他们都不喜欢他。
(2) The book set off a firestorm of reaction. 这本书引起风暴般的反应。
(4) I would my horse had the speed of your tongue.但愿我的马有你的嘴那样快。
(6)On the 14th of March, at a quarter to three in the afternoon, the greatest living thinker ceased to think.3月14日下午两点三刻,当代最伟大的思想家停止思想了。
B.加注
(1) Christ, to hear some of those sailors' myths, you'd think bloody FortKnox was on every ship that sailed. 天哪,要是听信有些水手的胡说八道,你会以为每条出海的船上都有该死的诺克斯堡哩。
(2) They did not reopen the Pandora's Box they had peeked into in 1972. 他们在1972年曾挖掘过这些丑事,如今却不再打开这个潘朵拉的盒子。
(3)-Why are parliamentary reports called "Blue Books"? --Because they are never red.
──为什么议会报告称为"蓝皮书"? ──因为他们从来就不是红的。
C. 释义
as drunk as a fiddler酩町大醉
(1)They prolonged the clasp for the photographers, exchanging smiling words.他们延长握手的时间,让摄影师照相,同时微笑着交谈。
(3)You want your pound of flesh, don't you? 你要逼债,是吗?
(4)I spoke to them in hesitant English.我结结巴巴用英语对他们说。
(5)He is the mouth of the House in its relations with the Crown.他是议会对王室的发言人。
(6) Clearly a tug of war over key policies continues between the pragmatic and ideological camps.不言而喻,注重务实的和强调意识形态的两大营垒还会在重大政策上争吵不休。
D. 归化
(1) He was so fond of talking that his comrades nicknamed him "magpie". 他如此唠叨,同伴们给他起了个"麻雀"的外号。
(2) "Don't be scared, chickens!" came her voice with teasing gaiety. "别害怕,你们这些胆小如鼠的东西!"只听得她用戏谑的口气说道。
(3)It is regrettable that our appeal remained a dead letter.遗憾的是,我们当时的呼吁石沉大海。
(4) And I suppose she'll tell all the boys, the old cat. 我猜想她会告诉所有的男人,这个长舌的老太婆! (5) Up and down he walked, up and down across the library floor.他在书房里走过来又走过去,走过去又走过来。 (7)Mrs. Macbeth has a heart as hard as flint.麦克白夫人生来一副铁石心肠。
E. 切分
(1)She lost her heart and necklace at a ball. 在一次舞会上,她倾心爱上了一个人,但却丢失了她的项链。
(2) He was restlessly tired, even as he lay in bed.他累了,然而一点也不安宁,即使躺在床上也还是这样。
(3)Franklin Roosevelt listened with bright-eyed smiling attention.罗斯福目光炯炯,面带微笑,聚精会神地听着。
F.数种译法并用
…when I and my sorrows are dust.当我的尸骨化为尘土,我的哀愁化作清风时……
From their slopes flow streams feeding the oases strung along the rim of inland deserts. 条条溪水,潺潺而下,滋润着镶嵌于内陆沙漠边缘的片片绿洲。
G.英语原文无修辞格,翻译成汉语时用修辞格
(1)He determined to satisfy himself of the real state of the case. 他决心把事情弄个水落石出。
(2)I judge that there was going to be a crash by and by, but I was in now and must swim across or drown.我猜想迟早会有一天西洋镜有被拆穿,可是我既已下水,就不得不泅过水去,否则就会淹死。
(3)Flowers bloom all over the yard. 朵朵鲜花开满了庭院。