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1、第十三讲 隐喻的译法 隐喻- 比喻性词语是指一些利用事物之间的相 似特征通过具体形象来比喻某事物的词,词组或句 子。如:“太阳就是共产党”,“一切反动派都是纸老 虎”,“乌龟缩在壳里似的把守着铁路沿线”等。运用 比喻性词语,是为了使语言生动,逼真,富有感染 力,是一种重要的修辞手段。汉语的英语都有丰富 的比喻性词语,但因使用汉英两种语言的人民有着 不同的民族历史和风俗习惯,对比喻性词语的使用 也有所不同。翻译时必须注意这一差别,力求能正 确地表达原文思想内容,同时又能保持原文语言的 修辞效果。比喻性词语在翻译时主要有以下几种处理方法:一.直译法n 在符合英语习惯的情况下,应尽可能在译文中保 留
2、原文比喻性词语所用的形象,使译文在内容上 和修辞上与原文保持一致:n张正国告诉他时,旁边有听见的人也笑了。那老 头子装着没看见,像个老僧入定的那样呆坐着。nAs Zhang Zhengguo was speaking, the bystanders who heard him started laughing. The old man pretended not to have noticed it, sitting motionless there like an old monk engaged in contemplation.n(2) 清清的溪水,潺潺地流着,像仙女身上 美丽的飘带,从
3、高崖上伸展到遥远的地方 去。nRipping crystal streams stretched away into the distance from the towering bluffs like the beautiful streamers of a fairy maid.n 以上两例中所用的明喻“像个老僧入定”和 “像仙女身上美丽的飘带”,在英译时同样以 明喻修辞手法,分别直译, 完全保留了原文 风貌。(3)一切反动派都是纸老虎。看起来,反动派 的样子是可怕的,但是实际上并没有什么了不起 的力量。All reactionaries are paper tigers. In appe
4、arance, the reactionaries are terrifying, but in reality they are not so powerful.n(4)现在也有两座压在中国人民头上的大 山,一座叫做帝国主义,一座叫做封建主 义。nToday two big mountains lie like a dead weight on the Chinese people. One is imperialism, the other is feudalism.n 例(3),(4)中的“纸老虎”和“大山”, 均为隐喻,译文中也都用直译法,分别译 作paper tigers 和 big
5、 mountains,保留了原文 隐喻中的形象和修辞效果。二.意译法n原文比喻的形象在译文中难以再现或不合 乎译文语言习惯,传神达意也较差时,只 好舍去原文比喻性词语所用的形象,保留 原比喻的含义,舍形求意,采用意译法。n脱掉棉衣换上春装的人们,好像卸下了千 斤重载,真是蹿跳觉得轻松,爬起卧倒感 到利落。nWith their heavy winter clothing changed for lighter spring wear they could leap or crouch down much more freely and nimbly.n译文中用修饰词heavy,lighter两
6、词,含蓄地 表达了原文“卸下千斤重载”的含义。n我半世的辛苦,全是替他们做马牛!nIve been slaving all these years just to make money for them.n抛弃了“牛马”的比喻形象,只译其“作苦 工”的实在意义。n咱穷人,土地就是根本,没有土地,就站 不住脚跟呀!nLand is vital to poor folk like us. Without land, were done for!n用be done for (完蛋,破灭)的含义,替 代了“站不住脚跟”这一比喻。n太阳这么高了,大姑奶奶怎么还不露面?nIts so late now,
7、Why hasnt my niece shown up?n汉语中“太阳高了”,指太阳已经升起,早晨 的时间已过去了很长一段。翻译时只能译 它的含义:“时间这么晚了”,译成Its so late now。n n还有一些人很骄傲,读了几句书,自以为 了不起,尾巴翘到天上去了,可是一遇风 浪,他们的立场,比起工人和大多数劳动 农民来,就显得大不相同。nOthers are conceited; having picked up some book-phrases, they think themselves terrific and are very cocky, but whenever a st
8、orm blows up, they take a stand very different from that of the workers and the great majority of the working peasants.n用cocky(骄傲自大)一词表达了“尾巴翘到 天上去了”的含义。三.转换法n由于汉英两种语言运用比喻的习惯不同, 有时比喻中的同一个形象在两种语言中可 能引起不同的联想,所以翻译时不能直接 采用,而要改换原比喻性词语所用的形象 ,用英语中含有类似意义的比喻性词语。n大家心里都乐得开了花,像办喜事那样忙 忙碌碌地做着各种准备工作。nEvery one was
9、as pleased as though a festival was approaching, and set about getting ready for it.n把原文“办喜事”的比喻形象换成a festival was approaching(节日快要到来)这样的比 喻性词语。n接着他们用绳子五花大绑,把他捆得像个 粽子似的,又是一阵拳打脚踢。他的嘴里 鼻孔里鲜血直冒。nThey gave him a good cuff and kick, trussed him up like a fowl and then went on walloping and kicking him ag
10、ain till his nose and mouth were a bloody pulp.n把原文(捆得像个)“粽子”的比喻形象换成 (像绑起来的)“家禽”的比喻形象。n一些人清醒,多数被蒙蔽,少数是右翼骨 干。nAmong the members of these parties some keep their heads, many are deceived, and a small number make up the nucleus of the right wing.n把原文“骨干”的比喻形象换成nucleus(核心 )的比喻形象。n我们很多人没有学好语言,所以我们在写 文章做演
11、说时没有几句生动活泼切实有力 的话,只有死板板的几条筋,像瘪三一样 ,瘦得难看,不像一个健康的人。nIt is because many of us have not mastered language that our articles and speeches expressions and resemble not a hale and healthy person, but an emaciated biesan, a mere bag of bones.n原文中的“几条筋”换成了a mere bag of bones(骨瘦如柴)。n她忽然提出了这么个问题,使余敬唐吃了 一惊。立刻看出
12、这姑娘还是个刚离娘窝的“ 雏儿”。nThis abrupt question took Yu Jingtang by surprise and made him realize that the girl was a young bird just able to fly.n把“刚离娘窝”改换成just able to fly(刚会飞)。练习题 翻译下列各句,注意比喻性词语的译法 n1、他说了一声:“上!”便像跳涧的猛虎, 窜到那个伪军的眼前。n2、他像鹰抓兔子似的揪住伪班长的脖领。n3、群众的愤怒像火山一般爆发起来。n4、他往队前一站,直直的像钉在那里似的 。n5、他像一只斗败的公鸡似的垂头
13、丧气。n6、但是,冰雹似的枪弹,最后也逼得他们 不得不退下公路向东面撤。7、我可再不发我的牛脾气啦。 8、他的干劲是全连出了名的,胆儿也大。 9、这人原先胆子小,干啥也是脚踩两只船。 10、他清清楚楚地看见一条丁字街,横在他眼前。 11、打下锦州就等于关上了东北的大门,东北蒋军 就成为瓮中之鳖。 12、把个赵寡妇在屏风后急得像热锅上的蚂蚁一样 。 13、我像井底之蛙把世界看成一小池水那么大。 14、她步入院中,鸦雀无闻。 15、比一比就比一比,但谁也不能打退堂鼓。 16、金龙来找他。他知道这是黄鼠狼给鸡拜年,没 安好心。 17、他本人是泥菩萨过河,自生难保。练习答案 n1.He gave th
14、e order: “Come on!” and like lunging tigers they landed in front of the puppet.n2.He grabbed the puppet squad leader by the scruff of the neck like an eagle seizing a rabbit.n3. The fury of the crowd erupted like a volcano.n4. He halted before the company, standing so erect that he seemed nailed to
15、the ground.n5. He was shaken and unnerved like a defeated fighting cock.n6. However, the hail of bullets forced them to retreat from the highway, and they too went east.n7. I promise not to let my bulls temper run away with me again.n8. Everyone in the company knew how energetic and fearless he was.
16、n9.This man had formerly been a coward, a fence-sitter.n10. He saw distinctly the cross-road ahead of him.n11. Capturing Jinzhou was tantamount to closing the gate to northeast China, and Chiang Kai-sheks troops there would, as the saying goes, become “turtles in a jar”.n12.All this made Zhao the widow behind the screen as frantic as ant on a hot furnace.n13. Ive been like a frog living at the bottom of the well who thought the world was a little round pool of water.n14. The cour