英译汉时，由于词汇中包含着英汉两个不同的民族的风土人情和生活习惯，常常会遇到某些英语词汇的意义很难处理，仅仅靠词典上的释义来选择词义是不够的，甚至很难找到适当的汉语词义，如果采用直译的方法，往往会使译文晦涩难懂，不能准确的表达原文得意思，甚至造成误解。但是，如果在翻译时，采取灵活的手段，根据上下文，从句子的语境和逻辑关系出发，根据词的基本含义，进一步考虑词的内涵意义，联想意义，搭配意义，将意义加以引伸，把该词所关联的深层意义表达出来，就会使译文流畅自然,达到翻译的要求。

初学英语和翻译的人常因受原文表层结构的束缚,容易犯望文生义的毛病.有时碰到一个句子,发现里面并没有什么生词就满以为自己已经懂了,其实并不一定懂,在许多场合里,往往字面上认为懂了的东西,不一定在意义上真正弄懂了.请看下面一个句子:"I will teach him to deceive others," he said.有学生把它译成------他说,"我要教他去欺骗别人".这句译文不但没有确切表达原文的含义,而且把意思译反了.根据原文意思我们可以用英文把他改写成,"I will punish him so that he will not deceive others again," he said. 这样,这句的正确译文应该是------他说,"我要教训他一顿,看他还敢不敢再骗人".

译文的错误是译者简单地考虑单词的字面意义,没有深入地考虑原文本意,同时译者忽视了每一个词或词组在特定的语言环境中有特定得意义,克服望文生义的有效方法是加强自己的语言修养,特别在词汇,语法,惯用法方面下工夫,另一方面,要细心,多琢磨,不要想当然(特别是做翻译的时候).

这里收集了几种常用于引伸方面的例句,加以归纳,分析,并加上正确的译文,以供读者参考:

一:英语动词词义的引伸

1. He showered her with kindness and words of praise until she consented to be his wife.
他向她大献殷勤,百般赞美,直到她同意做他的妻子.

句中shower不能简单地译作to rain in showers/ pour down in showers"下阵雨,阵雨般地落下",其真正引伸含义为to shower with praise "大献殷勤,百般赞美"解.

[en2. Millet made a portrait of lady Chesterfield, which flattered her. [/en]

米勒给柴斯特菲尔德贵夫人画了一副像,该像之美简直超过了她本人.

句中flatter在这里不作to praise too much"逢迎"解释,而引伸含义为to make better looking than the reality"超过"解.

3. The explorers worked their way up the mountain.
勘测工作者十分艰难地慢慢爬上那座高山.

句中work one`s way up 是to make one`s (or its) way up to或to move slowly and with difficulty"艰难地移动"之意解,已经不含"to work"的含义.

二:英语名词的引伸

1. She can speak Esperanto after a fashion.
她能说一点世界语.

句中after a fashion不能理解为come into fashion or be in fashion"追求时髦",即:不能译成------她最求时髦,会世界语,而这里after a fashion作not very well or a little"略微地"解.

2.  Sometimes an informal program will be organized after the meal, with dances, songs, or short talks followed by a question period.
有时候,在饭后举办非正式的活动,如:舞会,唱歌,或演讨讲座.

句中program 不可译为 broadcast item(eg, a play, discussion or documentary) or plan of what is intended to be done"节目或计划",根据上下文而应该引伸为 activities"活动"解.

3. If we want your two cents, we`ll ask for it.
如果我们需要你的意见,我们会向你征询的.

句中cent 在这里已经不是one 100th part of a US dollar"一美分"的含义,引伸之意为 opinions or advice"意见或建议"解.

三:形容词词义的引伸

1. His skills in use of colours was so great that some who viewed the paintings he created said that they were more true to life than life itself.
他运用色彩的技巧如此娴熟,有些看过他创作的油画的人都说它们比真实的生命还要逼真.

句中great不能作of remarkable ability or quality"伟大的"解释,根据语境应该译为skillful at"娴熟的"解.

2. I can`t even talk about it, except to you, because anybody else would think I was yellow.
除你之外,这种事不能对别人说,因为别人会觉得我窝囊.

句中yellow形容词,不可译为 of the colour of ripe lemons, egg yolks or gold "黄色的",其联想意义为cowardly"胆怯",故译为"窝囊".

3. Conditions seem moderate by western standards, but compared with those existing in China a little over thirty years ago, the change is dramatic.
这些条件用西方的标准来衡量似乎很一般,但是如果和30年前中国条件相比,变化是出乎意料的.

句中dramatic愿意为of drama"戏剧的",在此引伸为unexpected"出乎意料的"解.

四: 介词的引伸

1. The German invaded slaughtered the innocent civilians of the city to a man. Such atrocities were blamed throughout the world.
德国侵略者屠杀了该城的无辜平民,无一幸免.这样的残暴行为遭到了全世界人民的谴责。

句中to a man和 to the last man意思相同,作all without exception"毫无例外"解.

2. The doctor said to me , "That patient may die of cancer, for all I care."
医生对我说"那病人可能会因得癌症而死."

句中for all I care不作"无论怎样"解,而作possibly"可能"解.

3. The engineer was taken ill with consumption. It was flour on the lungs, the doctor told him at the time.
这个工程师得了肺病,那是由于面粉对肺部的影响,当时医生对他这样说的.

句中on引伸意义为effect"影响"解.

英译汉翻译中,词义的引伸脱离不了词汇所在的句子的语境,无论是具体化的翻译,还是抽象化的翻译,都是为了消除和降低语言差别给翻译带来的损失,使译文产生与原文同样的效果,因此,只有在长期的翻译实践中摸索,才能达到较高的境界.