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1、-翻译中词义的具体化与抽象化-第 6 页翻译中词义的具体化与抽象化英语或以物质名词取代抽象名词,或以人的某种表情或动作揭示人的内心世界,或寓深刻哲理于栩栩的形象之中,诸如此类的以“实”喻“虚”的表达花抽象为具体,变空洞为形象,令读者如睹其物,如闻其声,经久不忘。有人认为:翻译中学会抓住精神实质,摆脱原文表层结构的束缚,防止从“实”到“实”的转换,做到licentious是至关重要的问题。此观点尚欠推敲。对于英语中以实喻虚的形象表现手法,翻译时应想方设法维系原文的具体性及形象性,一个常用的手段即是从“实”到“实”,将英语的以实喻虚译成汉语的以实喻虚。最近读到这样一句:The magic spad
2、es of archaeology have given us the whole lost world of Egypt.其译文是:考古学家变魔术似的把古埃及的整个世界都给我们发掘出来了。且不论magic一词译成“像变魔术似的”是否恰当,译者将原文中用得绝妙的spades隐去不译,不能不说是一大缺憾。若将spades一词直译如何?如译:考古学家神气的铁铲把古埃及的整个世界都给我们发掘出来了。尽管英汉两种语言属于不同语系,各自具有自身的特点和习惯,但却“共享”着为数甚众的以实喻虚的类似表达,许多形象语汇的引申义及其引起的联想也是“不谋而合”的。汉译时,尽可采取事半功倍的从“实”到“实”的“拿来
3、主义”,直译无妨。如:But when youve learned English,youll find it a bridge to so much knowledge.但是,当你学会了英语,你就会发现它是通向如此丰富的知识的桥梁。The invention of printing was a mile-stone in human progress.印刷术的发明是人类进步的一个里程碑。I hope to avoid straying on the one hand into the sands of foreign policy,and on the other into the mars
4、hes of international law.我希望不要偏离正题,一方面避免误入外交政策的沙漠,另一方面避免陷入国际法的沼泽。Chaucer is buried in thePoetsCorner,as might have been expected,but interestingly enough,not because he is the father of English poetry,but because he happened to be Clerk of the Works when he died in 1400.不出所料,乔叟安葬在“诗人之角”,但是有趣的是,他被葬在这
5、里,并非因为他是英国诗歌之父,而是因为他在1400年去世时,恰好这项工程的主管。If we attack quickly,we can nip the enemys plans in the bud.如果我们迅速进攻,我们可以把敌人的计划消灭在萌芽状态。We want to learn to laugh in the face of the inevitable,to smile at the looming of the death.我们需要学会对不可避免的事情报以大笑,甚至以微笑面对死亡的威胁。至于哪些形象词汇可以作如上直译,哪些需意译,在相当程度取决于汉语遣词造句的习惯,似无规律可循。同
6、一个物质名词在此句可直译,在彼句则需意译。如:His novel is a mirror of the times.他的小说是时代的一面镜子。The newspaper claims to be the mirror of public opinions.该报宣称忠实反映了公众的意见。上文谈及的spades一词可以直译,但同一篇文章中的pick and shovel却无法直译。如:It has taken many a pick and shovel to prove to the world that the history of Greece went back long before t
7、he year 776BC.向世人证明希腊的历史可以追溯到公元前776年做了大量的考古发掘工作。当然,我们所说的想方设法维系原文的具体性和形象性是以统筹“信达雅”之间的辨证关系为先决条件的,并不是一味地求形象而偏废其他翻译要义的“削足适履”式的硬译。If the term sounds unscientific to the 20th-century ears,let us remember there is a definite connection between marshy lands and malaria.若将上句中的ears译成“耳朵”,岂非可笑?What is learned
8、in the cradle is carried to the grave.句中的the cradle和the grave十分具体形象,读来韵感强烈,但若直译成:一个人在摇篮中所学的东西会带到坟墓中去。从汉语的欣赏习惯来看,译文就显得过直过露,委实有点欠“雅”。不若意译成:少时所学,到老不忘。将以实喻虚表达中的“实”作“虚”译也是一种常用的方法,但是,这仅是在直译行不通的情况下的一种方法。精彩的以实喻虚的表达仅能囫囵意译,也是一种“不可译性”的体现。原文的妙处也只能由译者“独享”及“意会”,而无法以汉语“言传”,与读者“同享”。How do we account for this split
9、between the critics and the readers,the head and the heart?评论家和读者之间,也就是理智和感情之间的这种分歧如何解释呢?Sam knows he can depend on his family,rain or shine.山木知道不论境遇如何,他都可把家庭作为靠山。There is a mixture of the tiger and the ape in the character of the colonialists.殖民主义者的性格既残暴,又狡猾。在很多情况下,无法通过直译来保持原文的具体性及形象性的时候,意译也并非就是唯一的
10、办法。“变通”也是一条理想的出路。所谓“变通”,即在“信”的前提下,扬汉语之长,用间接的、灵活的手段来维系原文的具体性。具体言之,有以下两种常见的方法。首先,舍去原文中原有的具体形象,借用或套用本族语中为人熟知的形象或借喻,这是一种值得重视的翻译工作中富有创造性意义的劳动。实践证明,汉语的形象词汇浩如烟海,用之不竭。Betty stands head and shoulder above her classmates in playing tennis.名词词组head and shoulder作状语,形象传神,是否可以活用汉语成语“鹤立鸡群”,而将原句译成:贝蒂打网球的水平鹤立全班。He g
11、ave up the sword for the plough.The sword和the plough的内涵意义为:military service和agriculture。若将此句硬译成“放下了刀剑,拿起来犁耙”则有悖于汉语习惯,是否可套用成语,译成:他解甲归农了。The history teacher told us that making an outline kills two birds with one stone,it makes us study the lesson till we understand it,and it gives us notes to review
12、before the test.历史老师说立出提纲可以一箭双雕,既可以帮助我们理解课文,又为我们复习应试提供材料。We ourselves are separated from the wise desicion on these important issues by only the lightest curtain.我们对这些重要问题作出明智的决定仅一步之遥。其次,运用“增补词汇”的方法。How do you expect me to fall in love with someone who speaks like a book all the time?你怎么能指望我去钟情于一个专爱
13、咬文嚼字的书呆子呢?There is much woman about him.他的举止颇带女人气。That peninsula tongues southward into the sea.那个半岛呈舌形伸入海中。The discovery of penicillin was a monument in medical research.青霉素的发现是医学研究史上的一块丰碑。He bombarded her with questions.他连珠炮似的向她提出了许多问题。说及以“变通”的方法来维系原文的具体性及形象性,英谚汉译为我们提供了不少值得借鉴的有益经验,如:He who has a m
14、ind to beat his dog will easily find his stick.欲加其罪,何患无辞。Two dogs fight for a bone,and a third runs away with it.鹬蚌相争,渔翁得利。Faults are thick where love is thin.一朝情义淡,样样不顺眼。He that will thrive must rise at five.五更起床,百业兴旺。采取所谓“变通”的办法,同样不能停留在语言的表层结构做机械的转换。John knew he was skating on the ice,but he could
15、 not resist teasing her sister about her boyfriend.句中的skating on the ice貌似与汉语成语“如履薄冰”相吻合,但一经斟酌,我们便发现,此成语用于弟弟同姐姐就其男友问题而开玩笑的情景,未免有点危言耸听,言之过甚。不如将skating on the ice“虚”译成“可不是闹着玩的”。文章的语体属性也始终应在译者的头脑中占有一席之地。如:a.The church frowned on palmistry because of its pagan origin.b.Mary wanted to go to Europe by her
16、self,but her parents frowned on the idea.句a宜意译:教会反对看手相,因为它源于异教。句b则可直译:马里欲独自去欧洲,对此其父母紧蹙双眉。以上所述是英语中以实喻虚的表达汉译的问题,下面谈一下英语中以虚代实,即以抽象名词指具体的人或物质的汉译问题。有人认为:有必要把它们(指抽象名词)译的比较具体、明确来保证与原文相适应的可读性。我们需要首先弄清的一个问题是:将抽象名词译的比较具体、明确,究竟是指通过“译”这一手段将其“加工”成含义具体的名词呢?还是此类抽象名词本身即含有具体的意义?这是一个涉及如何正确理解及认识英语中一部分抽象名词的带普遍性意义的问题。客观
17、情况是:英语中的一些抽象名词在特定的上下文中的含义是具体的而并非是抽象的。以有人所引的例句为例:As a boy,he was the despair of all his teachers.句中的despair的固有含义之一是:somebody that causes loss of hope,令人失望的人。以虚代实的抽象名词能大大简洁英语的表达,是一种不为鲜见的语言现象。就其特征而言,此类抽象名词可作何种分类呢?据笔者管见,似可分成两大类。一类是指形形色色的“人”的抽象名词,如:Is Jane a possibility(=a suitable person)as a wife for R
18、ichard?简是做理查德妻子的合适人选吗?Our son has been a disappointment(=someone dissapointing)to us.我们的儿子成了令我们失望的人。Hes an influence(=the person that has the power to produce a good moral effect)for good in the town.他是这城里影响他人行善的人。His skill at games made him the admiration(=a person that causes such feelings)of his
19、friends.他的运动技巧使他成为友人称羡的人。His new car made him the envy(=a person that makes someone wish to be like the person)of every boy in the neighbourhood.他拥有一辆新轿车,为此他成了邻里男孩们的羡慕者。My dad has three dependents(=a person who depends on another for material support):my mother,my sister and I.爸爸需养活三口人:妈妈、姐姐和我。另一类是指
20、各种各样具体物质的抽象名词,如:Have you read any humour(=something designed to induce laughter or amusement)recently?近来你读了什么幽默作品吗?The big house on the hill is my ambition.(=the object desired).山上的那间大屋是我企望得到的东西。Whats your greatest desire(=something longed for)?你最想得到的是什么东西?This is not a real gun,but it is a good imi
21、tation(=a thing that imitates something else).这不是一支真枪,但却是一件极好的仿制品。Have the party invitations(=a written request)been sent out?晚会的请柬发出去了吗?Their transportation(=a means of transport)was camel.他们的运输工具是骆驼。Im reading all the chief criticisms(=a review or other article expressing such judgement and evalua
22、tion)of the play.我正在阅读有关此剧本的主要批评文章。最后值得一提的是:人类的语言在其丰富多彩的语言实践中不断发展变化着。比较而言,具体形象的表达总是更易博得人们的青睐。英语中若干具体形象的表达也在影响着汉语,以至于汉语中也出现了若干从英语脱胎而来的新鲜的形象词汇。如:It was in the 1960s that people in Britain began to talk about thepermissive societyand thegeneration gap.此句中的generation gap曾被先后译作“长辈与年轻一代之间的隔阂”以及“世代隔阂”,今天已被广泛地译成“代沟”。与此同时,“代沟”一词亦已始见于国内的书刊及报端,而1978年首版的现代汉语词典尚未收入“代沟”一词。一个新的词汇的出现及其使用是一个复杂的约定俗成的社会性问题。在翻译中切不可为求形象性而主观杜撰令人误解甚至大惑不解的冷词涩字。