英语和汉语是两种不同的语言,但在句子结构上毕竟还有相同点,大体上都具有是“主、谓、宾”的基本框架。只要英语句子可以按其原有的成分排列顺序转换成结构大体相同的汉语句子,翻译时就应当照办,而不必另起炉灶,更不能随意偏离翻译的基本原则,把翻译当作释义(paraphrase)。 % @- [$ N! T% G/ ?& Y' o9 l- q 按汉语的时间先后和逻辑顺序翻译 2 ~" ~% R. `7 p; ] 如果一个英语句子无法照着原有顺序翻译,就不得不考虑将原句的结构拆开,根据原义用汉语重新整合,以时间先后,因果、假设等逻辑关系相继译成一句或几句意思连贯、内容完整的句子。 1 z5 b' w' a5 b (a)The enduring significance of the Shanghai Communique is symbolized by the fact that two of the participants in the ceremony fifteen years ago –Ambassadors Han Xu and Winston Lord – are now charged with even greater responsibilities for promoting good relations between our two countries.; i+ ~9 g# k' H2 N+ U1 P2 t2 J" h
15年前,曾参加上海公报签字仪式的两位人士,韩叙大使和温斯顿?洛德大使,现在都肩负着促进我们两国友好关系的更为重要的责任,这标志着上海公报具有持久的意义。 * H. p: ], q8 o, h6 ? { 上面的英语句子与译文在“时间”安排上顺序不一样,英语由现在提及过去的事情(韩叙和温斯顿?洛德都参加了15年前上海公报签字仪式),而汉语则先提过去的事情,由过去说到现在。同时,英语句子先说上海公报具有持久的意义,而后点明这表现为韩叙和温斯顿?洛德两位大使现在都肩负着促进我们两国友好关系的更为重要的责任;汉语则刚好相反,叙述时由“因”而“果”。这句长句的译文,正是按照汉语先过去后现在的时间顺序及因果关系重新安排英语原句各个内容层次的。 ! i0 M7 q7 [& A( ?: g; u (b)The progress to the statute book of the necessary legal infrastructure for electronic commerce has in many countries been delayed by a difficult and politically sensitive debate created by the concerns of law enforcement authorities that the widespread use of strong encryption may facilitate crime and terrorism to a degree that will de-stabilize civilized governments.) [7 B( M$ i; D( e0 o
在许多国家,执法机关担心严格加密的广泛使用,会给犯罪分子和恐怖活动提供方便,从而破坏文明政府的稳定。这种担心引起了一场难以解决的、政治上敏感的辩论。而这场辩论则延误了必要的电子商务法律归入法典的进程。 $ K+ J& b! [1 B/ i7 c 这句句子包含的信息量大,内容一层又一层,各个成分环环相扣,根本无法用一个汉语句子来翻译。首先,主语又长又复杂(The progress to the statute book of the necessary legal infrastructure for electronic commerce),而且因修辞关系出现换位现象(to the statute book与of the necessary legal infrastructure for electronic commerce前后倒置)。状语(by a difficult and politically sensitive debate)后面有定语修饰语(created by the concerns of law enforcement authorities),而定语又带同位语从句(that the widespread use of strong encryption may facilitate crime and terrorism to a degree that will de-stabilize civilized governments),同位语中又有状语(to a degree that will de-stabilize civilized governments)。