深圳专业翻译公司华博译漆经理整理发布
2. 2. 2 套用汉语原句动词
汉语中常大量使用动词,按时间顺序排列,其动词使用频率远远超过
英语中动词的使用频率。所以,在汉译英中,要注意汉语动词并非总是译为
英语动词或有动词特征的表达方式。但是,许多学生见到汉语动词就对应翻译为英语动词或有动词特征的英文,没有进行必要的调整。例如:
(12) 在这种场合陌生人相识,如果是亚洲人,他们往往开口之前先毕恭毕敬地用双手把自己的名片呈递给对方,这好像是不可缺少的礼节。
有的学生把加点部分译为“they will use bothhands(to pass the cards to each other) ”,显然是受到汉语原文动词的牵制, 忘记了习用的“with bothhands”。再如:
(13) 纵观世纪之交的国内外形势,我们目前有不可多得的历史机遇,也存在着严重的挑战。
许多学生把“纵观、有、存在”三个动词译成英语中的动词或有动词特征的表达,代表性译文如下:
a. L ooking far and wide at the internal and external situations at the turn of the century , at present wehave exceptional historical opportunities , and also weshould meet serious challenges.
b. Considering internal and external situations atthe turn of the century , China recently has rare historic opportunities and is also f aced with serious challenges.
c. A nalyz ing the internal and external situationsat the turn of the century , while we have the rarechance to develop , we also have the serious challenges.
这几种译文表意还算清楚,只是汉语腔十足,属于典型的中式英语,比较参考译文:
A comprehensive assessment of the domestic andinternational situation at the turn of the century showsthat we are faced with rare historical opportunities aswell as serious challenges.
该译文确定一个主句谓语动词show ,把汉语动词“纵观”转化成名词短语“A comprehensive assessment”,同时合并“有”、“存在”为一个表达方式“arefaced with”。整个句子结构紧凑,语言地道。
