例14
目前假冒“白象”电池大多集中在一些小文具店、小超市、小百货店、个体摊点等小规模经营场所。
原译:At present,fake White Elephant cells are primarily found in some of small-scale marketplaces
like tiny stationery shops, small self-service shops, little department stores, and kiosks.
说明:在亚洲,尤其是东南亚,白象是吉祥和祝福的象征,也是皇权和昌盛的象征。而在英语文化中,“白象( white elephant)”表示昂贵而又无用的累赘。若白象直译为White Elephant,电池卖到欧美,当地人则不会购买,因为这一商标暗示贵而无用。
改译:At present,fake Elephant cells are primarily found in some of small marketplaces like tiny stationery
shops,small self-service shops.little department stores,and kiosks.
中国历史上,龙一直视为皇帝与皇权的象征。汉语中含有“龙”的词语几乎都是褒义词。龙文化蕴含了中国人探索进取、摆脱困境、超越自我的信心和勇气,是中华民族精神的象征。而在西方文化中,“dragon”一词通常是邪恶力量的化身,是恐怖的象征。鉴于dragon一词与中国“龙”的含义和象征存在着巨大反差,在汉英翻译时,应该采用形象替代、借词等方式进行转换,否则,译文效果会适得其反。例如,“母亲望子成龙心切”不要译为“The mother longs for her son to be a dragon”,而应该译为“The mother longs for her son to be a success”; “龙风呈祥”不要译为“The dragon and the phoenix abode well”,而应该译为“The dove and the olive branch abode Well”。
例15
从20世纪60年代开始,亚洲的韩国、新加坡和中国台湾、中国香港推行出口导向型战略,重点发展劳动密集型的加工产业,在短时间内实现了经济的腾飞。它们也因此被称为“亚洲四小龙”。
Since the 1960s,Asia's South Korea,Singapore,Chinese Taiwan and Hong Kong have
implemented export-oriented strategies that focus on the development of labor-intensive
manufacturing industry,achieving an economic boom in a short span of time.
Thus,they are referred to as “Asia's Four Tigers”.
最后一个值得注意的问题是,英汉词汇在褒贬意义上不一致。汉语中的褒义词(如“宣传”)在英语中可能是贬义词(如“propaganda/propagandize”),或汉语的贬义词(如“个人主义”)在英语中可能是褒义词(如“individualism”)。这是由英汉两种历史文化背景和意识形态的不同而造成的。不仅如此,英语词汇本身就有褒贬之分,如famous(褒)与notorious(贬),statesman(褒)与politician(贬),如此等等,不一而足。因此,译者选词时应该充分考虑这些因素,以免造成误译。
例16
我们要积极适应社会主义市场经济条件下人们思想观念、道德观念、行为方式和生活方式的变化,把交通安全宣传教育纳入普法教育、精神文明创建活动,使交通法制意识和安全观念走进千家万户。
原译:We must take the initiative to accommodate the changes in people's world views, moral values, ways of
behavior and life in the context of socialist market economy,and include the propaganda and education of road
safety in_popularized education on law and promotion of civilized civics, pushing the awareness of traffic laws
and sense of road safety into hundreds and thousands of households.
说明:propaganda(宣传)是贬义词,表示对谎言的大肆宣传,因此我国的“宣传部”不能译为ministry of propaganda,而要用中性词publicity,动词可用publicize或preach 。
改译: We must take the initiative to accommodate the changes in people's
world views, moral values, ways of behavior and life in the context of socialist
market economy, and include the publicity campaign and education of road safety
in popularized education on law and promotion of civilized civics, pushing the
awareness of traffic laws and sense of road safety into hundreds and thousands of
Households.