杂感集(节录)
Random Thoughts

黄药眠
Huang Yaomian

| 译文摘自张培基《英译中国散文选二》

佛晓前的灯光,尽管明亮,但怎能同刚出来的磅礴的晨曦争胜呢?
Predawn lamplight, bright as it is, can never outshine the majestic rising sun.

要点
1,这是一个反问句,之前讲过三种译法:否定句,一般疑问句,特殊疑问句,此处的反问句意在表达否定的观点,因此译为否定句
2,“争胜”此处译为outshine,他除了有“胜过”的意思外,还具有“比…闪亮”的含义,较outdo更适合

综述
注意常见的反问句译法

金刚石虽然能发出闪灼的亮光,可是没有热。
Diamond glitters but gives off no heat.

要点:“没有热”即“不会发出热量”译为give off no heat,其中give off意为“发出放出”时,主要指热量

爱夸耀过去成绩的人,大概对于未来已没有多大的兴趣了吧!
He who is given to bragging about his past achievements must have lost interest in his own future.

要点
1,be given to意为“爱好”“有…的习惯”
2,常用来表示夸耀的词还有boast,crow,gloat,shuck swagger,vaunt

综述:本句就是一个基础的定语从句,注意积累同义词就好

燃烧着的木柴是决不懊悔它自己之成为灰烬的。
Firewood, while burning, never regrets having itself reduced to ashes.

要点:have reduced to=be reduced to,意为使陷入(更坏的)境地;使沦落;使陷入窘境,这个见过多次了。从第一册的《我坐了木船》《背影》就开始出现,一定要引起重视。

更多的事前考虑,就可以有更少的事后追悔。
More thinking beforehand, less after-the-event remorse.

要点:after-the-event意为“事后”,如be wise after the event意即“事后聪明;马后炮”,注意本句“事前”“事后”的译法

让偏见守着心灵,那么真理的声音就难于流进他的耳朵里了。
A prejudiced mind keeps the voice of truth from entering the ear.

要点:格言的一大特色便是简洁,因此译者翻译时整合意思,译为一句即“怀有偏见的心灵听不到真理之音”。

谦虚的工作者常易取得热情的支持,浮夸的工作者则常受到冷淡的对待。
Modesty will win warm support; boastfulness will be cold shouldered.

要点:关于cold shoulder,我们最常见的就是give sb a cold shoulder,但此be cold shouldered意为“遭受冷遇”cold-shoulder单独使用意为“不搭理,看不上,对…冷淡”,如:She cold - shouldered her ex - fiance. (她看不上她从前的未婚夫.)

陀螺尽管转得勤,但就是没有前进!
A top makes no headway no matter how hard it spins.

要点:将两句用no matter how连接,不仅精简了句子,还凸显了两句的逻辑关系。

你出生入死得来的荣誉,也许会在衣香鬓影的欢乐的华筵中欢笑掉。
The honor you have gained by going through fire and water may be lost amidst gay laughter at a joyous grand banquet graced by gorgeously dressed women.

要点
1,“出生入死”译为going through fire and water,此外going through fire and water也常做“赴汤蹈火”讲。
2,“衣香鬓影的欢乐的华筵”中的“衣香鬓影”可理解为“衣着华丽的美女云集”,“华筵”即“华丽的筵席”,因此这个短语译为a joyous grand banquet graced by gorgeously dressed women.其中 to grace意为“使增色”属增益成分

欢笑掉的东西,难道能用眼泪哭得回来么?
Can that which is lost in the midst of the gay laughter be regained by tears of regret?

要点
1,“欢笑掉的”即“迷失在欢乐中的”,译为is lost in the midst of the gay laughter
2,tears of regret意为“悔恨的泪水”,of regret为增益成分,起到补充说明的作用

综述:注意以上两句的增译。

宁可预告少而贡献多,切勿先作许多诺言,而最后只能拿出半杯凉水。
Few promises and more contributions, rather than more promises and few contributions.

要点:“最后只能拿出半杯凉水”意即“贡献很少”,意译为few contributions

你单纯,因为你除了为无产阶级和劳动人民而奋斗终身以外,便没有任何别的要求和欲望。你复杂,因为你对于敌人的阴谋诡计、威胁恫吓、利诱和美人计,都能一一予以识破,加以反击,获得胜利。
You are simple because you have no wants apart from dedicating your life to the welfare of the proletariat and the working people. You are complicated because you can defeat your enemy by seeing through one by one his plots, threats, lures and sex-traps.

1,“要求和欲望”译为wants,干净利落
2,“一一予以识破,加以反击,获得胜利”本句话有三个动词,主要动词为“反击”译为defeat(既有“反击”又有“战胜”之意),而“识破”是“反击并取得胜利”的方式,译为by引导的方式状语即可

逃跑必然会引起追击,让子弹从背后射进去是可耻的。
Running away will inevitably result in the pursuit and attack of the enemy; it is disgraceful to be hit in the back by a bullet.

嫉妒别人的才能,也许正好说明自己的无能。
Showing jealously of other people’s abilities is clear proof of your own incompetence.

要点:“说明”译为be clear proof of,是个比较新颖的译法,除了记住这个表述以外,我们要学会这种以be+名词的结构代替动词的译法,以增强句子的灵活性。

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