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说及以“变通”的方法来维系原文的具体性及形象性,英谚汉译为我们提供了不少值得借鉴的有益经验,如:
He who has a mind to beat his dog will easily find his stick.
欲加其罪,何患无辞。
Two dogs fight for a bone, and a third runs away with it.
鹬蚌相争,渔翁得利。
Faults are thick where love is thin.
一朝情义淡,样样不顺眼。
He that will thrive must rise at five.
五更起床,百业兴旺。
采取所谓“变通”的办法,同样不能停留在语言的表层结构做机械的转换。
John knew he was skating on the ice, but he could not resist teasing her sister about her boyfriend.
句中的skating on the ice貌似与汉语成语“如履薄冰”相吻合,但一经斟酌,我们便发现,此成语用于弟弟同姐姐就其男友问题而开玩笑的情景,未免有点危言耸听,言之过甚。不如将skating
on the ice“虚”译成“可不是闹着玩的”。
文章的语体属性也始终应在译者的头脑中占有一席之地。如:
a. The church frowned on palmistry because of its pagan origin.
b. Mary wanted to go to Europe by herself, but her parents frowned on the idea.
句a宜意译:教会反对看手相,因为它源于异教。句b则可直译:马里欲独自去欧洲,对此其父母紧蹙双眉。
以上所述是
英语中以实喻虚的表达汉译的问题。