英语翻译技巧—词义含义的引伸方法

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,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, 从句子的语境出发,根据词的基本含义,进一步考虑词的内涵意义,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.

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).

以下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,以共译员朋友参考:

一: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.)

二: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.)

(2):Millet made a portrait of lady Chesterfield, which flattered her.
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.)

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.)

英译汉翻译中, 只有在长期的翻译实践中摸索,才能达到较高的境界.