一、叠词的形态格式

叠词(reduplication)是汉语的一种特殊词汇现象,使用非常普遍。汉语的名词、数词、量词、形容词、副词、动词以及象声词都有重叠变化,其主要的形态格式有以下十类。

1. AA式 :天天 看看 样样 红红

2. AAB式:毛毛雨 洗洗手 刷刷牙 写写字

3. ABB式:眼巴巴 水汪汪 凉丝丝 亮堂堂

4. AABB式: 高高兴兴 认认真真 三三两两 滴滴答答

5. ABAB式: 一个一个 雪白雪白 飞快飞快 漆黑漆黑

6. A-A式: 看一看 试一试 热一热 猜一猜

7. A了(一)A式: 看了看 试了试 摸了摸 拍了拍(看了一看) (试了一试) (摸了一摸) (拍了一拍)

8. A呀/呵A式: 唱呀唱 游呀游 走呀走 读啊读

9. A着A着式:说着说着 数着数着 跳着跳着 器着器着

10. A里AB式:糊里糊涂 傻里傻气 娇里娇气 罗里罗嗦

此外,还有AABC式(楚楚动人)、BCAA式(风雪茫茫)、ABAC(一举一动)和A都A不式(爬都
爬不)等格式,因使用率不高,未收集归类。

二、叠词的词性变化和词义变化

汉语词汇重叠后,一般无词性变化。但是,动词以AABB格式重叠后,往往的人很多。商商量量地办 事。形容词以ABAB格式重叠后,往往转换成动词。例如:过新年了,大家痛快痛快一番!

汉语词汇重叠后,词义大都发生变化。这种词义变化命名得叠词除了具备信息功能外,还具备表情功能与美感功能,命名语言生动活泼,更富有感染力。叠词词义变化可归纳为三种情况。

1. '增义':即增加语意。名词、数词、量词等重叠后,往往增加'每一'和'很多'的意义。例如:事事、斤斤、一群群,等等。

2. '强义':即加强语意。形容词、副词重叠后,数量词不达意重叠后起副词作用时,动词以A呀/啊A、A着A着、A里AB等格式重叠后,以及动词以AABB格式重叠后起形容词或副词作用时,都使词义程度加重和强调。例如:轻轻(的)、刚刚、一口一口(地)、跑呀跑、跳着跳着、糊里糊涂、跑跑颠颠,等等。

3. '弱义':即减缓语意。动词重叠后和形容词以ABAB格式重叠后起动词作用时,都使词义程度减弱、缓和、委婉,表示的动作往往是一次体或尝试体。例如:试试、看一看、考虑考虑、进屋来暖和暖和,等等。

三、叠词的翻译

虽然英语有重叠元音或辅音而形成的词汇,有类似于重叠的单词连续反复,以及象声词重叠的现象。但是,与汉语的重叠变化来说相去甚远,它们远不足以翻译汉语的叠词。因此,大多数情况下,只能舍弃其形式而译其意义,用比较切近、自然的译文表达出原文的语意和体现重叠后词的词义变化。尽管如此,我们还是可以从中找出一基本的翻译方法。

1. 借助every、all、each等词语,以表达'增义'的语意。例如:

这些战士个个都很漂亮。
Each and every one of these soldiers has proved his mettle.

件件衣服都很漂亮。
All of these suits of clothes are beautiful.

绿化祖国,人人有责。
It's everybody's duty to make our motherland green.

不要斤斤计较。
Do not haggle over every ounce.

他们的战术是步步为营、稳所稳打。
Their tactics is to go ahead steadily and entrench themselves at every step,and then strike sure blows.

2. 用'同词连续反复'方法翻译:

英汉中,同一个词用介词(after,,in,to,upon,with等)连续起来使用,用and连接起来连续使用,用连字符(hyphen)连接起来使用,或者用逗号(,)隔开重叠使用。这种方法被称之为同词连续反复,它类似于汉语重叠现象。此方法可表达?quot;增义'或'强义'的语意。例如:

一天一天、一年一年,他们顽强地生活和战斗在荒山野林里。
Day after day and year after year, fought and lived stubbornly in the wild mountains and forests.

洪水慢慢地退了。
Little by little the flood water receded.

要么就一点也不相信我,要么就完完全全相信我。
And trust me not at all or all in all.

农民犁田只能一块一块地犁。
Peasants can only plough the land plot by plot.

行行过太行,迢迢赴延安。

细细问故旧,星星数鬓斑。(陈毅:《赴延安留别华中诸同志》)

On and on post Taihang we walk,

By and by to Yanan we make our way.

Again and again with old friends we talk,

One by one we count our hairs grey.(许渊冲译)

3. 用复数形式翻译,表达叠词的'增义'或'强义'语意。例如:

学生们三三两两地坐在教室里。
The students their seats in the classroom by twos and threes.

假日里,青年人双双对对漫步在公园内。
The young people in pairs and couples rambled about the park on holidays.

山林炊烟缕缕上升。
Wisps of smoke rose continuously from the mountain vil-lage chimneys.

一群一群的人蜂拥而进大厅。
Crowds of people swarmed into the hall.

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. 用语义相符的英语表达方式或语法结构表达叠词的'嫌义'或'强义'语意。例如:

他们听着听着不觉哈哈大笑起来。
As they listened they burst into laughter.

数着数着,两只兔子快到对岸了。
As they counted(the turtles)the two found themselves quite near the other side of the river.

我们的事情太多了,做都做不完。
There are too many things for me to attend to.

他思绪滚滚,早已忘却约会一事。
He had been so busy with her own emotion that he had forgotten about the appointment.

他很听话,我们的话句句听。
He was very obedient and always did as we told him.

我们应扎扎实实地把这个问题解决好。
We must work in a down-to-earth way.

5. 用have(or make,take,give,etc)+名词的结构翻译汉语动词重叠形式,所表达的作多为一次体或尝试体。此结构中的名词大多与动作动词有词源关系。例如:

你们只可以吓一吓他,可别把他打伤了。
You may well give him a fright,but be sure not wound him.

让敌人尝尝我们炮弹的味道。
Give the enemy a taste of our shells.

这东西需要检查检查。
It's necessary to have a check-up.

你们俩交换交换意见。
You two have an exchange of views.

6. 用英语的回声词(echo-word)翻译汉语的叠词。回声词通过间接摹声来象征语义、与汉语的一叠词颇类似,有很好的修辞效果,可表达叠词的'增义'或'强义'语意。

爱情在他们心里噗噗地跳。
Love pit-patted in their heart.

她是那么圆滚滚、矮墩墩的,我感到奇怪她怎么能动作迅速地捉到小鸟。
She was so round and rolly-l used to wonder how she ever moved fast enough to catch hold of a bird.

表演场地上让比赛车塞得满满的。
Exhibition floors were chock-a-block with racing and sports cars.

我们不得不零零星星的偿付。
We have to pay in dribs and drabs.

我们要求把事情完全摆在桌面上,而不是鬼鬼崇崇。
We wanted things to be completely above board and no hanky-panky.

那条小径曲曲折折通向山顶。
The path zigzags up the hill.

7. 采用英语头韵、押韵等来译,表达叠词的'增义'或'强义'语意。例如:

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,(HerbertA.Giles译)

寻寻觅觅,冷冷清清,凄凄惨惨戚戚。(李清照:《声声慢》)
So dim, so dark, so dense, so dull, so damp, so dank, so dead.(林语堂译)

祝大家平平安安。
Wish all you safe and sound.

现在我的衣服干干净净,但过去我父亲却穿得破破烂烂。
My clothes are neat and clean,but my father's were worn and torn.

两家生活都被弄得颠颠倒倒,混乱不堪。
The lives two families are turned topsy-turvy.

我们听到雨夹雪打在冰冻的玻璃上的滴滴答答的声音。
We heard the tick-tack of sleet on frosted windowpanes.

8. 用加强语势的办法来翻译,表达'增义'或'强义'语意。例如:

星星之火,可以燎原。
A single spark can start a prairie fire.

科学是老老实实的学问,来不得半点虚假,需要付出艰巨的劳动。
Science means honest,solid knowledge,allowing not an iota of false-hood,and it involves Herculean efforts and grueling toil.

他们的房间暖烘烘的。
Their room was good and warm.

树阴底下凉凉爽爽。
It was nice and cool under the shade of a tree.

对待同志要满腔热忱,不能冷冷清清,漠不关心。
We should be warm towards our comrades,not ice cold and indifferent.

兹母手中线,游子身上衣。临行密密缝,意恐迟迟归。(孟郊:《游子吟》)
Thread from the hands of a doting mother. Worked into the clothes of a far-off journeying son. Before his departure,were the close,fine stitches set,Lest haply his return be long delayed,(Amy Lowell译)

9. 根据上下文,体味其意思,选择意义相近的词语,尽量译得传神些。例如:

土豪劣绅的小姐少奶奶的牙床上,也可以去滚一滚。
They even loll for a minute or two on the ivory-inlaid beds.

那是万万不行的。
That's absolutely out of the question.

我万万没有想到。
This idea never occurred to me.

鲜艳的五星红旗徐徐升起。
The bright Five-Star Red Flag slowly went up the pole.

路上的行人渐渐少了。
The number of pedestrians gradually dwindled.

家乡的景物处处使人想起了往事,许多往事可追溯到幼年时代。
The hometown was full of reminiscence,many going back to early childhood.