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汉译英基础翻译 要点. 汉译英常见错误例析. 造成汉译英常见错误的原因错综复杂,但究其原因主要有两个:一是运用英语知识的实践能力差,尽管道理和规则记得很熟,但由于练习较少,动笔时容易出错;二是受汉语的影响,常见的错误往往是用英语套用汉语的表达方式、习惯说法和思维模式等。. 10.1 生搬硬套型错误 这类错误就是把汉语的表达意思逐词照搬地直译成英语。. 例 1 .欢迎你参加英语角活动。 误: Welcome you to join our English corner activities !
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汉译英基础翻译 要点 汉译英常见错误例析
造成汉译英常见错误的原因错综复杂,但究其原因主要有两个:一是运用英语知识的实践能力差,尽管道理和规则记得很熟,但由于练习较少,动笔时容易出错;二是受汉语的影响,常见的错误往往是用英语套用汉语的表达方式、习惯说法和思维模式等。造成汉译英常见错误的原因错综复杂,但究其原因主要有两个:一是运用英语知识的实践能力差,尽管道理和规则记得很熟,但由于练习较少,动笔时容易出错;二是受汉语的影响,常见的错误往往是用英语套用汉语的表达方式、习惯说法和思维模式等。
10.1 生搬硬套型错误 • 这类错误就是把汉语的表达意思逐词照搬地直译成英语。
例1.欢迎你参加英语角活动。 • 误:Welcome you to join our English corner activities! • 正:You are welcome to join our English Corner! • (or: Welcome to join our English Corner!)
例2.不要搞一刀切。 • 误: Do not cut off at one stroke. • 正: Do not impose uniformity in all cases. • 例2 原文是带有汉语特色的比喻说法,意为“不可不顾实际情况,用一切方法处理问题”。翻译时不可拘泥于原文字句,“对号如座”。
例3.我们改革开放的步子要迈得更大一些。 • 误:Our steps of economic reform and open policy should be bigger. • 正:Take a broader approach to economic reform and opening up.
例4.热烈欢迎国内外嘉宾参加贸易洽谈会。 • 误:Warmly welcome all guests of honor at home and abroad to attend to this symposium! • 正:Warm welcome to all honored guests both at home and abroad to attend the Trade Talks!
例5。有空就到我们家来聊天吧。 • 误:If you are free, please come to our family to have a talk.正:Drop in on us for a chat at any odd moment.
例6.我们的事业从胜利走向胜利。 • 误:Our cause has won victories one after another. • 正:We have won one victory after another for our cause. • 或译为被动语态: • A series of victories have been won for our cause.
说明:句中cause是没有生命的,而win victories的主语一般是人,二者用在一起,就把cause拟人化了,而这种修饰方法在英文中被视为毛病。原文虽在语法上没有错误,但却不符合英语习惯用法,不是地道的英语。
A.时间的先与后不合乎逻辑,例如: • 例1.对不起,我没有看见你。 • 误:Sorry I don’t see you. • 正:Sorry I didn’t see you.
例2.我不知道你在这儿。 • 误:I don’t know you are here. • 正:I didn’t know you are here.
例3. 从图书馆借来的那本书已找到。 • 误:The book which was borrowed from the library had been found. • 正:The book which had been borrowed from the library was found.
B. 不定式的逻辑主语问题 • 虽然不定式没有语法上的主语,但有逻辑主语。不定的 • 逻辑主语与句子的主语要一致。不定式的语态与逻辑主语有关。逻辑主语是行为的执行者,要用主动不定式;若逻辑主语是行为的承受者,要用被动不定式,如:
例1.为了在科研中取得成功,需要坚持不懈。例1.为了在科研中取得成功,需要坚持不懈。 • 误: To succeed in a scientific research, persistence is needed. • 正:To succeed in a scientific research, one needs to be persistent. • 说明:原译中不定式的逻辑主语与句子的主语不一致,改译后句子用主动语态,增补one做主语
例2. 要做出决定,你应该考虑各种因素。 • 误:To make a decision, everything must be taken into consideration. • 正:To make a decision, you should take everything into consideration.
例3.这本书需要翻译成英语。 • 误:The book is required to put into English. • 正:The book is required to be put into English.
例4.他挨了批评真是遗憾。 • 误:It is a pity for him to have criticized. • 正:It is a pity for him to be criticized. • 说明:在例3、例4中,不定式的逻辑主语是行为的承受者,故要改用被动不定式。
A. 分词的逻辑主语问题 • 分词的逻辑主语必须与句中的主语相一致,否则 便成为垂悬分词,属于语病。如:
例1.看着窗外,他想起了自己的童年。 • 误:Looking out of the window, thoughts of his childhood came to him. • 正:Looking out of the window, he thought of his childhood.
例2.老虎在笼子里,因而我不怕。 • 误:Being in a cage, I was not afraid of it. • 正:The tiger being in a cage, I was not afraid of it.
例3.从山顶上看下去,这座城市就像个漂亮的花园。例3.从山顶上看下去,这座城市就像个漂亮的花园。 • 误:Seeing from the top of the hill, the city looks like a beautiful garden. • 正:Seen from the top of the hill, the city looks like a beautiful garden.
例4.听到这消息,他满眼是泪。 • 误: Hearing the news, his eyes were filled with tears. • 正:When he heard the news, his eyes were filled with tears.
B. 动名词的逻辑主语问题 • 动名词的逻辑主语若与句中的主语不一致,也属于语病。如
例1.在挤公共车时,我的钱包丢了。 • 误:On squeezing on to the bus, my wallet was lost. • 正:On squeezing on to the bus, I lost my wallet.
例2.他大学毕业后,他父亲想让他去美国继续深造。例2.他大学毕业后,他父亲想让他去美国继续深造。 • 误:After graduating from college, his father wanted him to pursue his education in America. • 正:After he graduated from college, his father wanted him to pursue his education in America.
例3.未接到邀请他就参加了晚会。 • 误:He attended the party without inviting. • 正:He attended the party without being invited.
C. 不合乎逻辑的比较 • 不合乎逻辑的比较指在译成英语的句子中形成了非等同物之间的比较。如:
例1.你们班的女生比我们班的更活跃。 • 误:The girls in your class are more active than our class. • 正:The girls in your class are more active than those in our class. • 说明:若不加those, 就变成了 girls和 our class比较。
例2.这里的气候像北京。 • 误:The climate here is like Beijing. • 正:The climate here is like that of Beijing. • 说明:若不加 that , 就变成了 climate和 Beijing比较。
例3.她的脸圆圆的,跟孩子的一样。 • 误:Her face is as round as a child. • 正:Her face is as round as a child’s (face).
10.2 语法型错误 • 语法规律和句型是汉译英必备的基本要素。汉译英中所谓的大错,多半是指语法错误(上节谈的逻辑性错误实际上也是语法错误,只不过是从思维逻辑的角度归了一类而已)。常见的有:名词单复数变化错误;冠词、介词错用漏用;比较级、最高级错用或不一致;主谓关系不一致;主从关系混乱;非谓语动词以及虚拟语气表达错误等等,如:
例1.他本来想要多给你一点帮助的,只是他太忙了。例1.他本来想要多给你一点帮助的,只是他太忙了。 • 误:He wanted to give you more help, but he has been so busy recently. • 正:He would have given you more help, but he has been so busy recently. • 说明:根据原文的含义,前半句应译为虚拟语气,后半句译为一般陈述句。
例2.许多人不但不植树,反而砍树。 • 误:Many people not only don’t plant trees but also cut trees. • 正:Many people don’t plant trees, instead, they cut trees. • 说明:误译,用错连词,使句子意思面目全非。
例3.他养成了大量阅读的习惯,因而在头脑储存了很多有价值的信息。例3.他养成了大量阅读的习惯,因而在头脑储存了很多有价值的信息。 • 误:He formed the habit of reading a great deal. Thus storing his mind with much valuable information. • 正:He formed the habit of reading a great deal, thus storing his mind with much valuable information. • 说明:thus storing….是现在分词语,在句中作结果状语,所以不能把它视为单独的句子。
例4.他们屡战屡败。 • 误:They fought again and again and they are repeatedly defeated. • 正:They are repeatedly defeated although they fought again and again. • 说明:原句的重点在“败”,“屡战屡败”之间是让步关系,故用although连接构成主从句。
例5.他们刚要走过街角就听到了枪声。 • 误:They were just turning the corner, when they heard the noise of a shot. • 正:Just as they were turning the corner, they heard the noise of a shot. • 说明:句子要表达的主要信息是“听到枪声”,应放在复合句的主句中。
例6.要把一个人的情感完全隐藏起来几乎是不可能的。例6.要把一个人的情感完全隐藏起来几乎是不可能的。 • 误:Entirely to conceal one’s feelings is almost impossible • 正:To entirely conceal one’s feelings is almost impossible.
10.3语义结构型错误 • 由于容易受到汉语字面说法的干扰,汉译英时要特别重视语义结构(也可称为词语搭配)。有时汉语同一个词要译成英语不同的词语,而有时汉语不同的词语要译成英语的同一个词语。这是由于汉英语义结构不同造成的。比如“吃药”要译成take medicine,“吃奶”要译成suck the breast,“吃苹果”要译成eat an apple。“遇见”有时译成meet,“迎接”有时译成meet,“满足”有时也译成meet,“应付”有时也译成meet,等等。
再如汉语“看”根据其后不同的宾语可能要译成see, look, view, watch, look after, take care of regard, reckon, consider, think, go to, observe, call on, visit, depend on, mind, bear, treat, perceive, tell, penetrate, notice, catch, read等等。若语义结构(或词语搭配)不当,就会造成误译。如:
例1.我能看出你的心事。 • 误:I can see your mind. • 正:I can read your mind. • 例2.从他的话音里,我能听出东西来。 • 误:I can hear something from the tone of his voice. • 正:I can tell something from the tone of his voice.
例3.通过不断实践学习英语。 • 误:Study knowledge of English by constant practice. • 正:Acquire knowledge of English by constant practice. • 说明:“学习知识”在英文中英说成“获取知识”。动词还可以用attain, get等等。在英语中可以说Acquire knowledge by study.(通过学习获取知识)。
例4.我们享受公费医疗。 • 误:We enjoy free medical care. • 正:We are entitled to free medical care. • 说明:从英语的角度看,无论什么样的medical care都不会是“享受”(enjoy),be entitled to….是“有权利,有资格得到什么”的意思。
例5.我们的当务之急是深化改革。 • 误:To deepen reform is the most urgent task. • 正:To deepen our commitment to reform is the top priority.
例6.这个故事发生在上海。 • 误:The story takes place in Shanghai. • 正:The story is set in Shanghai.
单从语法上看,上述误译例句似无可挑剔,但均在语义结构上出了毛病。前5个误例是动词和宾语不搭配,最后一个是主语story和谓语take place不搭配。从某中意义上说,掌握英语就是要善于实现英汉两种语义结构的相互转化,这种能力只有通过递归式反复实践(recursive manipulation)才能习得。
10.4 汉译英常见误例选编 • 汉译英常见错误很多,尤其是语法方面,可谓形形色色。正误对比分析是通过实践掌握英语的主要手段之一。下面误例供参考。
例1.昨天晚上我们整晚在看电视。 • 误:We spent last evening watching the television. • 正:We spent last evening watching television. • 说明:television是一个不可数名词,不能加冠词,也不能变成复数,但加有set一字时则非加冠词不可。如:She won’t leave the television set even though her husband is waiting for his supper.
例2.旅行社告诉我们了许多关于夏威夷的情形。例2.旅行社告诉我们了许多关于夏威夷的情形。 • 误:The travel agency sent us many informations about the Hawaiian Islands. • 正:The travel agency sent us much information about the Hawaiian Islands. • 说明:information也是一个不可数名词,不能用复数。