汉英两种语言有一个重大的差别,那就是英语不喜欢重复,如果在一句话里或相连的几句话里需要重复某个词语,则用代词来代替,或以其他手段来避免重复。所以汉译英时要千方百计避免重复,多用代称;英译汉时则要少用代称,多用实词。汉语不怕重复,连续使用某个词语是常见的事。汉语也用代词,但不如英语用得多。例如:
1.中国作为一个发展中的沿海大国,国民经济要持续发展,必须把海洋的开发和保护作为一项长期的战略任务。
[误译]As a major developing country with a long coastline,China,therefore,must take exploitation and protection of
the ocean as a long-term strategic task before China can achieve the sustainable development of its national economy.
[正译]As a major developing country with a long coastline,China,therefore,must take exploitation and protection of
the ocean as a long-term strategic task before it can achieve the sustainable development of its national economy.
[评析]指国家,可以用代词it和its,也可以用she或her。在英语里,用代词来指国家和船只时,是可以用it和its和she或her的。
2.哈佛是最早接受中国留学生的美国大学之一。中国教育界、科学界、文化界一直同哈佛大学保持着学术交流。
[误译]Harvard is among the first American universities to accept Chinese students.The Chinese educational,scientific
and cultural communities have all along maintained academic exchanges with Harvard.
[正译]Harvard is among the first American universities to accept Chinese students.The Chinese educational,scientific and
cultural communities have all along maintained academic exchanges with this university.
[评析]汉语原文“哈佛”出现两次,而正译文中Harvard只出现一次,第二次使用了代称this university。这样译,既避免了重复,又体现了两句之间的联系,译文也就显得流畅。而如果译者忽视了英语的这一特点,注意力过分集中在单个句子上,照样重复,译文便成了两个孤立的句子了。
3.在中美两国元首实现互访以后,中美之间开始致力于建设一种建设性的战略伙伴关系,发展势头本来是很好的。
[误译]Since the exchange of visits between the heads of China and of the United States,China and the United States have started
to work to build towards a constructive and strategic partnership.The momentum of growth of China-US relations has been quite good.
[正译]Since the exchange of visits between the heads of China and of the United States,the two sides have started to work to build
towards a constructive and strategic partnership.The momentum of growth of China-US relations has been quite good.
[评析]通常汉语喜欢原字重复,所以“中美”可以重复使用。英语中一般不喜欢过多重复,在译完China and the United States之后一般可改用the two sides(countries)等。英语常用代词,常变换词汇,不喜重复;汉语少用代词而喜欢用实称词,因而往往出现重复。在汉译英时,应借助英文的代词优势,务必避免重复。
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