要点:
1,“我痛自反省,我发现“汉语流水账式语言又粗线了,结合下文,主要动词为”发现“,因此将”反省“译为非谓语。另外“痛自反省“意即”彻底反省“,此处译为Introspecting with remorse,体现了作者的悔过之心
2,earmarked for意为“指定给“,earmark=指定用途,预先安排,拨款,政经类比较常见,如:President Obama Calls for Earmark Reform(奥巴马总统呼吁进行专项拨款改革)
3,“但是我没能这样做。“译为But I’ve failed to do so.fail to do 表”未能做某事“也是正说反译的一种
4,“‘少壮不努力,老大徒伤悲。’”译为, “One who does not work hard in youth will grieve in vain in old age.”注意,引语要加As the saying goes,(即使原文不说也要加~),此处的两句诗使用从句连为一句,符合英语行文习惯,也保留了汉语的原意
例如我翻译莎士比亚,本来计划于课余之暇每年翻译两部,二十年即可完成,但是我用了三十年,主要的原因是懒。翻译之所以完成,主要的是因为活得相当长久,十分惊险。翻译完成之后,虽然仍有工作计划,但体力渐衰,有力不从心之感。假使年轻的时候鞭策自己,如今当有较好或较多的表现。然而悔之晚矣。
Take the translation of Shakespeare for example. I had initially planned to spend 20 years of my spare time in doing the translation, finishing two plays a year. But I spent 30 years instead, due primarily to my slothfulness. The whole project would probably have fallen through had it not been for my fairly long life. After that I had other plans for work, but, because of my approaching senility, somehow I failed to do what I had wished to. Had I spurred myself on in my youth, I would have done more and better work. Alas, it is too late to repent.
要点:
1,“翻译之所以完成,主要的是因为活得相当长久,十分惊险”的意思是“幸亏自己命长,否则可能完成不了莎士比亚的翻译”。其中“十分惊险”的意思是“险些完成不了”。现全句译为The whole project would probably have fallen through had it not been for my fairly long life。注意本句的虚拟语气哦
2,“但体力渐衰,有力不从心之感”译为because of my approaching senility, somehow I failed to do what I had wished to,其中senility指因年迈而导致身心两个方面的衰退.”力不从心“意译为fail to do what one had wished to,较直译更能让读者领会~
再例如,作为一个中国人,经书不可不读。我年三十才知道读书自修的重要(5)。我披阅,我圈点。但是恒心不足,时作时辍。
Another example. The reading of Chinese classics is a must for all Chinese. But it was not until I was over 30 that I came to realize the importance of self-study in the matter of classics. I did read carefully though, marking words and phrases for special attention with small circles and dots. But my efforts at self-study were off and on.
要点:
1,“经书不可不读”意即“(读)经书是必须的(事)”,转译为a must,三笔也有相同的例子“除夕的年夜饭是必不可少的程序…”译为Feast dinner is a must for the whole family on the New Year’s eve…
2, “我年三十才知道读书自修的重要”中的中的“读书”,根据上下文应指“读经书”,故此句译为came to realize the importance of self-study in the matter of classics,其中in the matter of作in relation to或in regard to(就……而论)解。
3,“批阅”“圈点”均采用意译法译为read carefully through(=read through carefully), marking words and phrases for special attention with small circles and dots
4, “时作时辍”译为off and on
五十以学易,可以无大过矣,我如今年过八十,还没有接触过《易经》,说来惭愧。史书也很重要。我出国留学的时候,我父亲买了一套同文石印的前四史,塞满了我的行箧的一半空间,我在外国混了几年之后又把前四史原封带回来了。直到四十年后才鼓起勇气读了《通鉴》一遍。现在我要读的书太多,深感时间有限。
Confucius says, “I shall be free of great faults if I can live long enough to begin the study of Yi at the age of 50.” I feel ashamed to admit that I haven’t even touched Yi though I’m now over 80. Chinese history book are equally important. When I was leaving China to study abroad, father bought a set of the Tong Wenlithographic edition of the First Four Books of History, and crammed them into my travelling box, taking up half of its space. Several years later, however, after drifting along abroad, I returned home carrying with me the same books all unread. It was not until 40 years later that I plucked up enough courage to read through Dong Jian. So many books still remain to be read, and I much regret not having enough time to do it.
要点:
1,“五十心学易,可以无大过矣”出自《论语•述而》中的“子曰,加我数年,五十以学易,可以无大过矣。”其意为“让我再多活几年,到五十岁时去学习《易经》,就可以没有多大的过错了。”现按此意用加字法译Confucius says, “I shall be free of great faults if I can live long enough to begin the study of Yi at the age of 50.”同样,引用古语前要加出处~
2,“我如今年过八十,还没有接触过《易经》,说来惭愧“译为 I feel ashamed to admit that I haven’t even touched Yi though I’m now over 80.翻译这种句子时,可以将句子的前半部分“我如今年过八十,还没有接触过《易经》”视为“事实”,将后半句“说来惭愧”视为表明作者态度的“评论”,中文的习惯是“先事实后评论”,而英文则是“先评论后事实”,如”我对奥巴马总统的来访表示热烈欢迎”译为I warmly welcome Obama’s visit.
3, “前四史”指《史记》、《汉书》、《后汉书》以及《三国志》。即The Historical Record, The Book of Han,The Book of Later Han and The Annals of the Three Kingdoms.《通鉴》是指《资治通鉴》即the 294-volume chronicle by Sima Guang.
4,”原封不动地带回来“意即”打都没打开过,从没读过“译为returned home carrying with me the same books all unread
5,“鼓起勇气“=pluck up one’s courage
无论做什么事,健康的身体是基本条件。我在学校读书的时候,有所谓“强迫运动”,我踢破过几双球鞋,打断过几只球拍。因此侥幸维持下来最低限度的体力。老来打过几年太极拳,目前则以散步活动筋骨而已。寄语年轻朋友,千万要持之以恒的从事运动,这不是嬉戏,不是浪费时间。健康的身体是作人做事的真正的本钱。
Whatever you do, you need a sound body first of all. In my school days, in response to the so-called “compulsory physical exercises”, I went in for many sports at the expense of many pairs of sneakers and rackets, thus luckily building up a minimum of good physique. When I was approaching old age, I did Tai ji quan (shadow boxing) for several years. Now I only do some walking exercises. Dear young friends, my advice to you is: Do physical exercises perseveringly. That has nothing to do with merry-making or time- wasting. Good health is the wherewithal for a successful life and career.
要点:
1,“我在学校读书的时候,有所谓“强迫运动”,我踢破过几双球鞋,打断过几只球拍。因此侥幸维持下来最低限度的体力“.又是流水账式的散句,需要合译~译者将其意思做了转译,将“‘强迫运动’”看成原因,“踢破几双球鞋”看做结果,故译为In my school days, in response to the so-called “compulsory physical exercises”, I went in for many sports at the expense of many pairs of sneakers and rackets, thus luckily building up a minimum of good physique.其中 in response to和 at the expense of是为了连句的需要而产生的增译
2,”寄语“即”忠告“,译为advice
3, “健康的身体是作人做事的真正的本钱”译为Good health is the wherewithal for a successful life and career,其中the wherewithal意同the necessary means(必要的资金、手段等)。又“作人做事”指“生活”与“事业”两方面,故参照上下文译为a successful life and career