(一)叠词的种类及基本译法

叠词是汉语里使用非常普遍的词汇现象,一般指词和词的重叠使用,多见于三字和四字形式。其主要形式有:1. AA(天天)2.ABB(红彤彤) 3.AABB(日日夜夜)等~是翻译的重点和难点,下面小编从汉译英,英译汉以及英语中的叠词三个方面介绍叠词的翻译技巧。

一,汉译英中叠词的译法

1.用every或 every- /all/each等词语,例如:

①这些古镇个个都美得令人难以忘怀。

Each one of these ancient towns is hauntingly beautiful.  

②件件衣服都很漂亮。

All of these suits of clothes are beautiful.

③绿化祖国,人人有责。

It's everybody's duty to make our motherland green。

2,同一个词连续反复使用,表达出重复或强调或连续的含义

(1,)用介词(after, by, in, to, upon, with等)连接起来使用,

Day by day I am getting better and better.

我在一天天地好转。

(2,)用and连接

l他们走啊走,走到了森林的深处。

They walked and walked even deeper into the wood.

也可以重复介词,如:

l他们走啊,走啊,一直走到河边。

They went on and on till they came to a river.

(3,)以连宇符连接

l后窗的玻璃上丁丁地响,还有许多小飞虫乱撞。

A pit-a-pat sounds from the glass of the back window, where insects are dashing themselves against the pane.

(4,)以逗号(,)隔开重叠的词

它需要许许多多次点击才能赚到美元。

It takes many, many clicks to earn $ dollars.

我们是联盟国已经有许多许多年了。

 We have been alliance ( allies ) for many, many years.

3,形容数量的多少时,可用复数形式。例如:

①我们三三两两从农舍散去。

We fanned out from the farmhouse in twos and threes.

②动物园的池塘里, 鸳鸯正在成双成对地戏水。

In the zoo pond, the mandarin ducks are swimming in pairs.

③一群一群的人蜂拥而进大少。

Crowds of people swarmed into the hall.

④大批大批的物资被立即送往地震灾区。

Thousands of goods and materials are immediately sent to the earthquake-stricken area.

4,舍去形式上的对等,根据叠词的本质含义来翻译,如:“斑斑驳驳”译为“斑驳”即mottled,这一点翻译时比较常见

①那个老蠢货。我倒要问一问,她以为她是谁呀?

That silly old bat. I ask you, who'd she think she was?(此处的“问一问”其实就是“问”译为ask即可,注意同下面第五种情况区分开)

或者选择意思相近的词语,如

②火车徐徐向山上驶去.

Freight trains travel slowly on upgrades into the hills.

(“徐徐”即“慢慢”译为slowly)

5. 若所表达的动作多为一次或尝试,则可以用have(make, take , give 等)+名词的结构翻译汉语动词重叠形式,例如:

①你来闻一闻这酒, 是好的吗?

Have a smell of this wine; is it all right?

②他去掉害怕心理,决定试一试。

He cast off fear and decided to make a try.

③这个叫雪花梨, 你尝尝。

This is called a snowflake pear, have a taste.

6,使用一些副词来加强语气和语势,如:孟娇的《游子吟》(Amy Lowell译)

慈母手中线,游子身上衣。

 临行密密缝,意恐迟迟归

Thread from the hands of a doting mother,

Worked into the clothes of afar-off journeying son.

Before his departure, were the close, fine stitches set,

Lest haply his return be long delayed.

7,此外,文学翻译中还常见使用头韵,押韵的手法来表示拟声词,多见于诗歌中,这种手法文学性较强,大家做简单了解即可,如:

青青河畔草,郁郁园中柳。(古诗十九首)

Green grows the grass upon the bank, The willow-shoots are long and lank. (Herbert A. Giles译)

二,英译汉时的叠词

英译汉时,在一定的语言环境中使用好叠词,可以使句子生动,增强感情色彩。常见的基础版的叠词有以下三种:

1 .译为AA

①The Hunter lights up your window every night.

猎人星夜夜照着你的窗户。(以“夜夜”这种AA的形式,加重副词或形容的状态,延长译文的语气,使之更有韵味)

②She wore a thick tartan skirt and a red cashmere sweater.

她穿了一条厚厚的格子呢裙和一件红色羊绒衫。(若是译为“很厚”,译文的感染力则会大大下降)

2 .译为 AABB

①The boys'troubles vanished away, and they went gaily to their posts.

孩子们心中的忧虑云消雾散了, 全都高高兴兴的走到自己的岗位。

②All I'm hoping for is that wherever Trevor is he will come home safe and sound.

我只希望不管特雷弗在哪里,他都能平平安安回家。(使用AABB式,音韵和谐,琅琅上口)

3. 译为ABB

①We walked leisurely into the hotel.

我们慢悠悠地走回酒店。

②They pried open a sticky can of blue paint.

他们撬开了一个黏糊糊的蓝色油漆桶。(“ABB"通常表示人或事物的状态,叠词的使用使得这种形象或状态更加生动鲜明)

三,英语中的叠词

不仅汉语中有叠词出现,英语中作者为了强调,加深读者印象,追求音韵美和形式美,也常常采用叠词,例如:

①black and blue译为“青一块紫一块”(首字母相似或头韵效果的词)

②on and off“时断时续”(由意义完全相反的两个词构成)

③safe and sound“安然无恙”(意义相近的两个词组成)

④out and out“彻头彻尾”(由完全相同的两个词构成)

使用这些词可以增加译文或文章的可读性,使文章更加地道有文采,要做到这点,就要我们在日常生活中不断积累。

总之,叠词是翻译中的一个大块,作为译者,掌握运用好这一方法,对于提高翻译水平无疑是大有裨益的。