我们做中译英时,往往受到英语单词和汉语单词“对号入座”的影响,用来用去这几个词。例如,一碰到“发展”,我们立即想到的是development,最多能想到的是expansion,很少会想到evolution;一提到“进展,进步”,我们马上在脑海里出现的是progress,而不会想到strides;说到“推进,促进”我们就用promote一词,不知道还看用maneuver或facilitate,如此等等,不一而足。当然,还需注意不同的搭配。再如短语,“十分重视”出了可用to pay great attention to;to attach great importance to等外,还可用to place something on one’s higher agenda;“把……放在首位”除了可用to give priority to 外,还可用to list…as one’s top priority等。这些,我们在注解中多指出了。现在我们再举一些例子:
不冻港:除了可用ice-free port,还可用open port
公路畅通无阻。The road traffic is normal.(见《新时代汉英大辞典》)
但还可说:The road is clear.
下面几个例子译文,前面一个是我们熟悉的表达方式,后面是我们提供的可供选择的另一种表达方式:
制度和思想意识:system and ideology/ institutions and ideas
现存制度:existent system/ functioning institutions
投资环境:investment environment/investment climate
市场经济:market-oriented economy/market-driven economy
达成共识:to reach agreement (or consensus)/ to reach a shared understanding with/to demonstrate a collective vision
求同存异:to seek common ground while reserving differences/ to find common grounds on a comprehensive framework
工商界:industrial and commercial circles/ the corporate world
精巧的雕刻:exquisite carving/ light carving
创造发明:one’s invention/ one’s brainchild
领先:to lead in/ to achieve a premier position in
自然资源丰富:to be endowed with rich natural resources/ to be naturally rich
表达同意思想或概念的表达方式掌握得越多,中译英时就能够根据不同的上下文和问题,选择适当的词汇和短语,翻译起来就能左右逢源,游刃有余。例如:
节日里,西湖各景点游客云集。
翻译此句时,我们往往首先想到的是英语短语:to be crowded with; to be filled with,但我们还可用下面两个短语来翻译此句:
On holidays, the scenic spots around West Lake are swarming with/bursting with visitors(or tourists).