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翻译漫谈(十六)《李岚清教育访谈录》英译本学习札记

       例6:

       四是要进行充分的调查研究和科学的评估。“尚方宝剑”也要慎用。既要把工作抓紧、做细、做深,统一认识,又要善于等待,不能强迫命令。工作不能简单化。合并难度最大的莫过于强强联合。但实践证明,只要经过充分论证,确认合并有其客观合理性,有关领导决心大,工作细,并给予必要的支持,也是完全可行的。

       当然,大学并不是越大越好。该合的合,不该合的就不合。

       Fourth, making thorough studies and investingations and conducting scientific assessment. (23) When we wield the "imperial sword" we should do it with prudence. We need to press ahead with our work in a meticulous and thoroughgoing manner. (24) But we need also be good at biding our time and refrain from coercion. In other words, our work tolerates no simple-mindedness. Of all the types of mergers, none is more difficult than those between good universities. Practice, however, (25) has proved that so long as we are confident of its feasibility on the basis of thorough study, and so long as leaders of all the parties involved are committed, work carefully and are supportive, such mergers can definitely happen and happen successfully.

       Naturally, it does not necessarily follow (26) that the larger a university the better. Mergers can only happen when and where it makes sense. Otherwise they must not happen at all. (27)

       注23. 第4点和第5点译文与前三点不同,没有用完整的句子,而用了分词短语来翻译第一句话,这就是把第一句话译作小标题了。

       注24. 此处“工作”一词恐不是指一般的具体工作,而是指思想工作,其目的是“统一认识”。译文未能体现“统一认识”的意思。也许把our work改为persuasion就行了。不过这样一来,因为搭配的关系,可能要把and thoroughgoing删去。其实,前面有press ahead,后面有meticulous,强调的语气已经表现得很充分了。

       注25. 据我观察,在英语中,however在大多数情况下不是放在句首,而是放在较后的位置。此处,虽然原文以“但”字开始,译文把however放在practice后面,是合乎英文的用法的。

       注26. follow一词非常有用,它在这里的意思是to be the logical results of sth。原文“并不是”的意思是“不能从上文得出结论,认为……”,因此,译文it does not necessarily follow that...是十分恰当的。

       注27. 这句原文很短,但很有中文的特色。“合”字重复出现四次,译文绝不能照搬,只有另想办法。《邓小平文选》第三卷有这样一句话:“农业实行多种经营,因地制宜,该种粮食的地方种粮食,该种经济作物的地方种经济作物,不仅粮食大幅度增长,经济作物也大幅度增长。”译文是:By diversifying agriculture in accordance with local conditions, the peasants have grown grain and cash crops in places suited to them and have substantially increased the output of both.

       例7:

       五是抓典型,因势利导,前面曾提到,国务院办公厅曾先后在上海、南昌、北戴河、扬州四次召开座谈会总结推广各地的好经验,用典型推动,形成改革的氛围。同时,我们对一些影响大的学校的调整、合并给予特别关注,并且我和教育部门的领导还到一些地方实地考察了解,及时给予指导。

       Fifth, setting good examples and making the most of the situation. As I said before, the General Office of the State Council had held meetings in Shanghai, Nanchang, Beidaihe and Yangzhou to summarize and share the best practices and solutions from each situation. The idea was to set good examples and foster a friendly atmosphere for reform. (28) In the meantime, we paid special attention to the regrouping and amalgamation of prestigious universities. Leaders of the Ministry of Education and I went on fact-finding tours to offer needed guidance. (29)

       注28. 这一句原文较长,最后才说出这样做的目的,若译成一句,目的就不突出。现在译文使后半句单独成句,而且用The idea作主语,这个短语的意思是the aim or purpose (of sth),用在这里是很恰当的。

       注29. 中文总是说“我和某某人”,把“我”字放在前头。英文则总是把I放在后头。我们要写地道的英文,这一点,不可不注意。我觉得这纯粹是一个使用语言的习惯问题,不涉及是否尊重别人。1987年,美国前总统卡特访华,,在欢迎他的宴会上讲话,他说:My wife and I... 译文是“我的夫人和我 ……”。我觉得,还是“我和我的夫人”听起来顺耳一些。你说呢?

       作者:庄绎传,全国翻译专业资格(水平)考试英语专家委员会顾问,北京外国语大学教授

(来源:catti.net.cn)

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