topsail
英语翻译知识:剖析中的“望文生义”
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在错误中有相当一部分出乎望文生义。如者认真严肃对待,许多是可以避免的。例如:white wine 不是“白酒”(白酒应属spirits 这一类)而是“白葡萄酒”;short drink 不是“少量酒”而“浓酒”,相反long drink 不是“大量酒”而是“较淡的酒”。The old parts will no longer be supplied 中的no longer 不是指“时间不长”,而是指“旧零件将不再供应”。That’s not half bad 不是指“那不太好”而是指“那一点也不坏”或“那好极了!”;She did not marry him because she loved him 不是指“她没有和他结婚,因为她爱他,”而是指“她并不是因为爱他才和他结婚,”如此等等。
再以科技词汇中的top为例 top pressure (压力),top speed (速度),top science (尖端科学),top gear (高速档齿轮)中top的含义,作为修词或形容词,是一目了然的。但是下面复合词中的top并无“高、大”等含义;topmast(中桅)和topsail (中桅帆),在这里top一词不是形容词而是名词(“桅楼”),与另一名词构成一个专用词汇。另外,top overhaul(中修)一词因是overhaul的修饰语,容易以为是“大修”[实际上overhaul与complete, thorough 和general联用时才有全部、彻底、普遍之意,成为“大修”],其实是“初步检修”(见《英华大词典》)。
这种望文生义、似是而非,貌合神离的现象可概括为“想当然”(英语中称之为take it for granted ),是者的大忌。其产生的原因是复杂而多面的,现大致归纳如下六个面,即:一、语法结构理解不当;二、词义理解不当;三、缺乏背景知识;四、缺乏专业知识;五、习惯势力影响;六、疏忽大意。
一、语法结构理解不当
者对语法结构理解不当,如分不清词性、指代关系以及句型等,就会直接造成误。
. Magnetic fields of the former kind are geerally about a million times weaker than the arth’s field ,whereas those originating from the traveling signals of nerve cells are even weaker, some hundred million times less than the earth’s field at their strongest.
[原]前一类磁场通常只有地球磁场的一百万分之一左右,而由神经细胞传播的信号产生的磁场则更弱,的时候也只有地球磁场的几亿分之一。
[分析]此处some 不是形容词(或称determiner限定词),而是副词,经常用在数词之前,相当于about“大约”,如There were some or people there.故some hundred million 应成“约一亿”。
[]……只有地球磁场的约一亿分之一。
. Now Jeffreys points out that, if a number of observations have been found to conform to a law, it is highly probable that next one will do so whether the law is true or not.
[误]现在杰佛利指出,如果已获得大量的观察资料与一条法则一致,非常可能下一条法则也将如此,不管该法则确与否。
[分析]此句的代词one,它指代observation而不是law,否则变成“法则与法则相一致”,这在逻辑上也自相矛盾。
[]……非常可以下一次观察也与该法则相一致,不管它确与否。
二、词义理解不当
英语词汇中一词多义的情况是相当多的,如“只知其一,不知其二”,就会造成错误理解。勤查和细查词典(包括用英语解释英语的英英词典)才能避免;所谓勤查是多查几本词典,所谓细查是从头到尾地查阅,不厌其烦,才能扩大视野,并找到合适的词义。
. For the balance of the section, let’s speak in straightforward and elementary terms to describe the function and form of the electronic computer.
[误]为使这一节平衡起见,我们将用简单明了的术语来描述这种电子计算机的功能和形式。
[分析]在《朗曼当代英语词典》balance词条下可查到money or something else which remains or is left over,又见例句:May I take the balance of my holidays before the end of September ?
[]在本节的其余部分,我们将用简单明了的术语来描述这种电子计算机的功能和形式。
. We have a sales force at present of twenty-four salesmen of the road, each with his own territory.
[误]目前我们有一支由名外勤推销员组成的推销队在途中,每人有他自己的推销领域。
[分析]在商业英语中on the road =away from home use,in regular travel on business esp. as a traveling salesman (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the nglish Language) ,故salesmen on the road 作“外勤推销员”解。
[]目前我们有一支由名外勤推销员组成的推销队伍,每人有自己的推销地盘。
. Sleeping late on weekends can also disrupt your circadian rhythm.
[误]周未迟睡也会打乱人体的日夜周期。
[分析]此句 sleeping late误为“迟睡”即“睡得晚”,“晚睡”),实际上它表示“起得晚”或“睡懒觉”。《从中式英语到英语》的作者Janet Adams 写道:“Remember that sleep late means to get up late and not go to bed late.
[]周末睡懒觉也会打乱人体的日夜周期。
三、缺乏专业知识
科技往往涉及众多领域,各种专业,为了提高质量,者不仅要熟练掌握英汉两门语言,而且也应具有一定的专业知识的素养。隔行如隔山,每个专业都有各自一套术语。
. By the age of Gauss had discovered for himself and proved a remarkable theorem in number theory known as the law of quadratic reciprocity.
[误]高斯十九岁已经独立地发现并证明了数理定理——二次互反律。
[分析]将number theory 误为“数理”,系不了解专业所致,其实它在数学上是指“数论”,与“数理”是两个不同的概念。
[]……并证明了数论中的一个卓越定理,名谓二次互反律。
. Designed to predict the motions of hesavenly bodies ,it does its job with unbelievable accuracy——better than one in a hndred million for the motion of the earth around the sun——and it remains in daily use to predict the orbits of moons and planets ,comets and spacecraft.
[误]这个旨在预测天体运行的理论,其准确性令人难以置信——以地球绕太阳运转为例,其误差仅略大于一亿分之一,并且时至今日仍然每日要用它来预测卫星和行星、慧星和航天器的运行轨道。
[分析]原文并无“仅略”的含义,应删去。Better than 修饰accuracy,意为“准确度胜于”或“比……更为准确”,即“误差小于”。
[]……,其误差小于一亿分之一,……。
. When allowance is made for the separate auxiliary load the consumption can rise to nearly Ib/SHP hour and this is generally about % better than the overall fuel consumption of a steam plant at cruising speed.
[误]当考虑分开的辅机负荷时,其耗油率几乎能增加到磅/轴马力小时,一般来说比蒸汽装置的巡航总油耗大约多%。
[分析]此处better than 用来修饰“油耗”时必然指油耗低,而不是指油耗高。
[] ……,一般来说,这是比蒸汽装置在巡航速度时的总油耗约低%。
四、缺乏背景知识
者如不了解所内容的背景,也易造成望文生义。
. Anyone who has tugged heavy hand baggage down endless airport corridors, or waited for a deluged flight in a sterile lounge will bow how user unfriendly many airports are in design terms .
[误]任何人只要他曾拖着沉重的随身行李,走过无止境的机场走廊,或者曾在枯燥乏味的休息室里等候延误的班机,都会体会到许多机场在设计上对旅客多么不便。
[分析]此处endless 误为“无止境的”,实际上作“环状的”解(circular,with the ends joined ),一般大型国际机场,从候机室通向各跑道的走廊呈环状,两头是相联接的。
[] ……,走过环形的机场走廊,……
. I am/ we are carrying currency or monetary instruments over $ U.S. or foreign equivalent.
[误]我(我们)携带有货币或价值超过美元的仪器或相当于美元的外币的仪器。
[分析]原将instruments 作“仪器”解,显然是缺乏背景知识和脱离上下文所造成的失误。此处系指“证券,票据”;monetary instruments 应“金融证券”。
[]我(我们)携带超过美元或等值外币现金或金融证券。
五、习惯势力影响
习惯势力也会造成误,如下列句中的at the same time,也许这一短语太熟悉了,因此往往习惯地成“同时”,其实此处上下文并不存在时间上的关系,而是让步关系。
. In most cases,…he knows that certain manufacturing processes will have to be employed .In many instances ,the selection of a specific material may dictate what processing must be used .At the same time .when certain processes are used ,the design may have to be modified in order for the process to be utilized effectively and economically.
[原]在大多数情况下,……他知道必须采用某些制造过程。在许多情况下,选择特定的材料就规定了须用什么加工过程。同时在采用某些加过程时,可能要修改设计,以便有效地、经济地利用这些加工过程。
[分析]at the same time 有两项释义“同时”和“然而”。上句中该短语并非指时间上的关系,而是用这个短语引出一个需要人们注意的事实。英语词典中至少有八部国外出版的词典,在at the same time 条下仅列出however一项释义。据国内首届一指的《英汉大词典》编写组称:至于为何有些词典只有however解,可能编篡者不收习语的literal meaning 之故,笔者以为言之有理。
[改] ……。然而在采用某些加工过程时,……。
. The force of gravity and the friction of the air near the earth are working against the satellite.
[分析]英文可说near the earth,不能照“地球附近”,因该词语仅指位置(location),即直线距离(linear distance),但地球不是单一平面,而是球体。
[]引力和地球附近的空气阻力对卫星起阻碍作用。
六、疏忽大意
有些作总体上说是高质量的,但也有望文生义的现象,如不属于本文上述五个面的原因,则可能是疏忽大意所致。
. Feedback, which one-way communication like the printed page fails to provide, makes learning easy and, in the case of motor skills,is essential.
[误]反馈能使学习变得便,而象印刷品之类的单向信息传递就没有反馈。在学习驾驶摩托车时,反馈更必不可少。
[分析]in the case of“就…来说(而言),论到,提到,至于”。Motors skills 是教育学上的名称,指“运动技能”,而不是指“摩托车驾驶”。
[] ……就运动技能而言,反馈更必不可少。
. The results of that decision can now be evaluated as the first ships of the new gas turbine Navy far enough advanced to enable a comparison to be made with existing steam turbine warships.
[误] ……,并以英海军第一艘先进的新型燃气轮机舰只与现有蒸汽轮机舰只相比来估价这个决定的结果。
[按]将first 误为“第一艘”,将advanced误为“先进的”,均系不认真严肃所致。
[]现在可以来评论这一决定的结果了,因为英国海军首批新燃气轮机舰只已大有进展,足以用来和现有的汽轮机军舰作一比较。
. There is generally an advantage in being able to keep propelling machinery as far aft as a large gearbox restricts possible, but this positioning.
[误]一般来说,使推进装置尽可能远离舰尾是有利的,但是这样布置会受到大齿轮箱的限制。
[分析]如far aft 为“远离舰尾”,意思就完全颠倒了。此处far相当于much,considerably,to a great extent. Aft [a : ft ]非常接近船尾。由于“尽可能接近舰尾”这一概念已相当明确,故“非常”可不出。
[]一般来说,使推进装置尽可能靠近舰尾是有利的,但是这种布置会受到大齿轮箱的限制。
最后尚须指出,有时望文是由多种因素所造成,请看下面的句子系受词汇、专业、习惯等影响。
In practice ,a rotor weighing about tons and rotating at , r .p . m . may be so well balanced that the motion ,except for sound ,is just perceptible.
实际上,一根据重约吨、每分钟转的转子可以平衡得非常好,以致除了响声外,人们几乎觉察不出它是在转动。
[分析]此处just =almost not, hardly 曾误为“好觉察得出……”,这样意思就反了。
【也谈英汉翻译中的望文生义】 望文生义的意思是什么
摘 要:我们要遵循严复的“信,达,雅”,或者尤金・奈达的“动态对等”,关键是我们不能“因辞害义”。有人会觉得这只不过是老生常谈罢了。但是在实际的翻译实践中就有人望文生义,想当然地贸然下笔,结果自己错了不说,还误导读者,造成了不好的影响。正如彼得・纽马克在谈论奈达的理论时感慨:“诚然,理论并没有对现代英语文学翻译产生多大影响。大多数作品缺少校订者来指摘明显的错误。
关键词:翻译 正确理解 望文生义
我们在翻译时首要的是正确理解原文,然后才谈得上进行双语之间的转换。如果我们连原文理解都不正确,就谈不上有正确的译文,更别说出色的译文了。然而就是有人仅仅满足于了解文章的字面意义,而忽略了上下文语境,曲解原文的真实意图。如果我们拘泥于原文的形式意义而不注意洞察字面以下的内容就容易“因辞害义”。
我们首先来看几个例句:
Collins Cobuild English Dictionary (1987 年版,第720页):
You use “if not” to say that an amount, degree, time, etc might be even bigger, better, sooner, etc than the one you have mentioned.(该词条旁注:if not=perhaps)
The first microchip can represent hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds of investment. He is earning 50,000pounds a year, if not 60,000. I’d like to see you tonight, if not sooner.
Cambridge International Dictionary(1995年版,第702页):
例句:Such a mistake could cost us thousands, if not (=or possibly) millions of pounds.
上述解释表明,我们对if not的理解不尽正确,它所表示的是递进或选择,而不是让步。上面的译文应分别改为:
In Europe, Heath’s name was well known, if not a household word.
在欧洲,希思的名字广为人知,也可以说家喻户晓。
Such a mistake could cost us thousands, if not millions of pounds.
这种失误可能造成我们几千镑,或许几百万镑的损失。”
以上引自《翻译批评散论》(p108)。
if not果真是如同作者所言,是表示递进吗?我们来查看其它的词典:
Cambridge International Dictionary of English With Chinese Translation 《英汉双解剑桥国际英语词典》Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press
If not: Such a mistake could cost us thousands, if not (=or possibly) millions of pounds. 这样的错误会给我们造成上万,如果不是上百万英镑损失。
在The New Oxford Dictionary of English中
if not: perhaps even (used to introduce a more extreme term than one first mentioned): hundreds if not thousands of germs
在《英语常见问题解答大词典》中,if not 也有解释:
if not
【问】A good teacher thinks that all of his students has good minds, at least as good as his, if not better. (TOEFL, 79.2-4)请问上句中的if作何解释?
【答】上句中的作“即使”解,表示让步关系。全句可译为:
好教师总是认为他所有的学生都有很好智力,即使不比他的好,至少跟他的一样好。
从上面我们可以看出,if not前面的分句是说话者语义重点,后面只是表示还有其它的可能性。
我们不妨把作者引用的词典中的解释翻译为中文:
The first microchip can represent hundreds of thousands if not millions of pounds of investment.
最初的微型芯片需要起码几十万英镑,即使不到几百万英镑的投资。
He is earning 50,000pounds a year, if not 60,000.他现在一年起码挣5千英镑,即便没有6千英镑。
I’d like to see you tonight, if not sooner.我打算今晚见你,如果不提早的话。
由此可见,if not是表示让步,而不是如作者所言表示递进。Collins Cobuild English Dictionary与The New Oxford Dictionary of English的解释基本相同,都只是补充说明有更深程度的可能,而说话人要强调的是句子的前半部分。就在作者引用的Cambridge International Dictionary的双语注释版本中,其中文解释也是表示让步,而非递进。
我们再来看关于not to say的几个例句:
“The result is satisfactory, not to say the best one.
这是一个可喜的,也可以说是最为圆满的结果。
The answer is illogical, not to say totally wrong.
答案不合逻辑,甚至是完全错误的。
His language was irreverent, not to say blasphemous.
他的言谈粗俗,简直就是亵渎神灵。
It is warm, not to say hot.
天气很暖和,甚至有点儿热。”
以上四句话也引自《翻译批评散论》(p111),其作者意在说明我们对‘not to say’的理解同样有误,而且作者引用了三部原版词典来证明:
The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1990年版,第1075页)
Not to say: and indeed; or possibly even
His language was rude, not to say offensive.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (1978年版, 第745页)
not to say: and almost; or perhaps even
He sounded impolite, not to say rude.
It would be foolish, not to say mad, to sell your car.
Cambridge International Dictionary (1995年版, 第1259页)
It would be unwise, not to say (=and possibly even) stupid, to leave your first job after only six months.”
这也与我们原有的概念有冲突,于是我就查阅了其他相关的词典:
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary
Not to say: to use a milder expression than
The Oxford English Dictionary(1989)
Not to say...: used (a) to imply that the speaker is content with a more moderate statement than that which he might have made; (b) colloq.= ‘not what one may call...’, ‘not..., properly speaking’. 1736 AINSWORTH Lat.-Eng.Dict., Nedum, not to say, 1857 TROLLOPE Barchester T.xliv, ‘Am not I [growing old], my dear?’ ‘No, papa, not old-not to say old’. Mod. His language was irreverent, not to say blasphemous.
这两个例子明确表示该句型强调的是程度较轻的那一个,是表示让步。而‘possibly even’也表示一种‘uncertainty’不确定性。
而在新版的The New Oxford Dictionary of English 中
(Edited by Judy Pearsall Clarendon Press Oxford first published 1998 )
Not to say used to introduce a stronger alternative or addition to something already said: it is easy to become sensitive not to say paranoid.
与原来的牛津词典注释在表述上有所不同,但是基本意思没变,还是表示具有更深程度的“可能”。
另外还有Collins Dictionary of The English Language
Not to say: even; and indeed.
其中‘even’表示有可能,在文中潜在的意义是‘even possibly’,但不是整个句子强调的重点。
即便是作者引用的Cambridge International Dictionary它的另外一个版本Cambridge International Dictionary of English With Chinese Translation (英汉双解剑桥国际英语词典Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press)也与作者意见相左:
It would be unwise, not to say (=and possibly even) stupid, to leave your first job after only six months.
你只干了6个月就放弃了第一份工作,即使不算愚蠢,也是不明智的。
由此我们可以认为英文句子的重心是在前半部分,后面只是表示有程度更深的可能性,强调的是相对来说程度较轻的观点。
在《英语常见问题解答大词典》中也有解释:
而not to say的意义则是:even, perhaps even, and almost, if not to use a more moderate word or statement than (甚至,甚至也许,甚或,即使不…也,简直可以说)。
1. His language was irreverent, not to say blasphemous. (WBD)他的言语即使不算渎神,也是不够虔诚的。
2. He is unkind, not to say cruel. (MED)他即使不算残忍,也是够刻薄的了。
3. It is warm, not to say hot.虽不能说热,但很暖和了。
4. He sounded impolite, not to say rude. (LDCE)他的话听起来很不礼貌,甚至有些粗鲁。
5. It would be foolish, not to say mad, to sell your car. (LDCE)你要是把你的汽车卖掉,即使你不是疯了,那也是很愚蠢的。
6. His manner was discourteous, not to say offensive. 他的态度很不礼貌,甚至令人讨厌。
7. His manner was unwelcomingif notnot to saydownright rude. (CGEL)
他的态度即使不是太粗鲁,也是很令人不愉快的。
其中第4,6句表示递进,其它都表示让步。而且第7句中的括号表明if not和not to say在这里可以互相替换,或者说用法类似。
而只有一本词典的汉语解释支持作者的观点:
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Not to say: and almost; or perhaps even
He sounded annoyed, not to say furious.
听起来他是生气了,甚至可以说是大发雷霆。
It would be foolish, not to say mad, to sell your car.
你要是卖汽车就太蠢了,简直是疯了。
即使在这本词典中,英文解释也只是‘and almost; or perhaps even’强调的只是一种可能性,“差不多,近乎于…”
综上所述,not to say主要是表示让步,作为补充说明,用来表示程度有可能更深。这主要取决于说话人当时的语境,例如语气、意图、双方的利害关系冲突等。但总的来说,仅是表示一种不确定性。
由此我们可以得知作者仅根据“and almost; or perhaps even; or possibly even; and indeed”就认定“英汉词典中出错就有些不应该了”,这是草率的,不全面的,而且是不负责任的说法。
下面还有关于classless的含义:
“Winston was a very classless person.
温斯顿是个没有风度的人。或者:温斯顿是个平庸的人。”
根据是“1992年版《兰登-韦氏大学字典》词目下是这样解释的:
(of an individual)not belonging to a social class or group
1995年版《剑桥国际英语字典》中有这样一个例句及解释:
Her accent is classless (=It does not belong to a particular social class).”
以上引自《翻译批评散论》(p112)。温斯顿果真是个没有风度的人,或者平庸的人吗?我们来看
The New Oxford Dictionary of English中的解释:
Classless �adjective (of a society) not divided into social classes, ■not showing obvious signs of belonging to a particular social class: his voice was classless
我们可以把它翻译成中文:形容词(指社会)不分阶级,不带有属于任何特定社会阶级的特征:他的语气不带有任何阶级特征
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary:
Classless adj 1 of a society: free from distinctions of social class 2 of a person: belonging to no particular social class
Cambridge International Dictionary of English With Chinese Translation 英汉双解剑桥国际英语词典
Classless 无阶级的,无阶层的。Her accent is classless (=It does not belong to a particular social class).她的口音不属于任何阶层。/The prime minister claims that he wants to create a classless society (=a society without different social classes). 总理声称他想创立一个没有阶级的社会。
The Random House Dictionary Of The English Language.Second edition Unabridged Stuart Berg Flexner Editor in Chief Random House 1987 New York
Classless adj. 1. of or pertaining to a society in which there are no economic or social distinctions. 2. (of an individual) not having membership in a social or economic class or group. [1875-80; CLASS+-LESS]-class’less-ness,n.
不分阶级的社会只有在原始社会和将来的共产社会可能存在,而目前我们说某个人classless,是指他(她)的衣着、观念、言语、行为不带有阶级的特征,或没有体现出阶级观点。我们可以说一个人的clothes, accent, or belief is classless,来表明他(她)的衣着或言行举止不带有明显的阶级特征,而不是指他(她)本身没有阶级属性,只不过没有表现出来罢了。如果我们仅仅根据(of an individual)not belonging to a social class or group就把它理解为“没有风度的,平庸的”恐怕正如作者自己所言:“碰到一些看似简单和熟悉的词句时,我们往往不假思索,这反倒容易犯望文生义的毛病。”
结论
正如奈达在谈及研究词汇意义的理论原则时所言:“首先,人们认为,任何语境中词汇单位的正确意义,一般应当是最符合该语境的那个意义。就某种意义而言,这也就是说,对词语的正确解释即是给整个语境贡献最少的那个解释。换言之,正确的理解最大限度地依赖于语境,而不是最大限度地依赖于孤立的词语。我们如果根据词语的运用范围,即根据词汇单位所处语境的种类来研究词汇意义,便能清楚看到上述原则的重要意义。”(谭载喜,p148)我们如果脱离了词语的上下文语境,只根据只字片语而想当然地按照自己的主观臆念得出结论,恐怕往往会与原文作者本义相悖。
参考文献:
[1]Approaches to Translation [M]. Peter Newmark, 2001 Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
[2]Cambridge International Dictionary of English With Chinese Translation [M].英汉双解剑桥国际英语词典.Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
[3]Collins Dictionary of The English Language [M], Patrick Hanks Editor, Collins London & Glasgow.
[4]Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English New Edition (English-Chinese) [M]. The Commercial Press &Addison Wesley Longman China Limited.1998.
[5]The New Oxford Dictionary of English[M]. Edited by Judy Pearsall,Clarendon Press Oxford,first published 1998.
[6]The Oxford English Dictionary [M].Prepared by J.A.SIMPSON and E.S.C.WEINER (Second Edition. 1989), Clarendon Press, Oxford.
[7]Webster’s Third New International Dictionary[M]. Editor in Chief: Philip Babcock Gove, Ph.D. Unabridged (Copyright 1986) World Publishing Corporation, Beijing, China & Merriam-Webster Inc. Publishers.
[8]马红军.翻译批评散论[M].中国对外翻译出版公司,2000.
[9]赵振才.英语常见问题解答大词典[M].黑龙江人民出版社,1998.谭载喜.新编奈达论翻译[M].中国对外翻译出版公司,1999.
His boat,()is topsail,isfamous.(a)whose the name(b)the whose name(c)ofwhomthename(d)the name ofwhic
这个是选D the name of which吧
句子的主干是 His boat is famous.
然后中间是有一个非限制性定语从句,来修饰这个boat,定语从句的先行词是boat
如果用B的话,应该是whose name, 因为whose代替了 the boat's
whose name = the boat's name 那艘小船的名字
His boat, whose name is topsail , is famous. 他的小船,名字为topsail的小船,很有名。
选择D是因为 the name of which里面的which是代替了the boat, 也就是相当于the name of the boat 船的名字
His boat,the name of which is topsail,is famous
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