翻譯輕重“神”在先,古典翻譯為今人
10月25日,中共十九大新一屆政治局常委在北京人民大會堂同中外記者見面,習近平總書記對媒體介紹各位新當選常委并代表他們發表的講話通過現場交替傳譯用英語傳達給在場的中外記者,從而成為可以傳遍世界的聲音。這又為廣大外語與 Not angling for compliments, I would be content that my integrity fills the universe.
從這一 第一個問題是專業會議口譯者在聽到原講話時必須立即做出的第一判斷是什么?這一點我們可以通過中文原文與目標語英文的差異不難得出:二者字面差異明顯較大,說明譯者首先決定做意譯而非直譯。
采取意譯方式是因為原文聽上去有中國傳統詩詞的特點:逗號前后兩部分形式對應,字數相等。然而,由于中西語言文字及其文學傳統之間存在的巨大差異,詩詞類 斗轉星移,歲月如梭。香港已經回歸祖國20年。依照中國的傳統,男子二十謂之弱冠,今天就是香港特別行政區的成年禮,正所謂“如竹苞矣,如松茂矣”。
譯文是:
Time flies fast! It has been 20 years since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. According to China's tradition, a man enters adulthood at the age of 20. So today, we are celebrating the coming of age of the HKSAR, which has grown exuberant like a bamboo or a pine tree.
原文開始的“斗轉星移,歲月如梭”簡單、概括地譯為time flies fast, 最后的“如竹苞矣,如松茂矣”也處理為exuberant like a bamboo or a pine tree這樣的簡單濃縮而且十分口語話的表達方式,而不再帶有詩詞的特征。從 又如:
我們將堅定不移推進公平共享,增進更多民眾福祉。民惟邦本,本固邦寧。堅持以人民為中心,就要扎扎實實體現在經濟社會發展各方面各環節。(2024年9月3日,習近平在二十國集團工商峰會開幕式上的主旨演講)
We will promote equity and sharing of development outcomes to deliver more benefits to the people. The people are the foundation of a country, and only when the people lead a good life, can the country thrive. We need to be people-oriented. This is a principle that we should follow in everything we do in advancing economic and social development.
在這里,“民惟邦本,本固邦寧”的 還有一個例子:
“靡不有初,鮮克有終。”實現中華民族偉大復興,需要一代又一代人為之努力。中華民族創造了具有5000多年歷史的燦爛文明,也一定能夠創造出更加燦爛的明天。(2024年9月3日,習近平在紀念中國人民抗日戰爭暨世界反法西斯戰爭勝利70周年閱兵式上發表講話)
As an ancient Chinese saying goes, "After making a good start, we should ensure that the cause achieves fruition." The great renewal of the Chinese nation requires the dedicated efforts of one generation after another. Having created a splendid civilization of over 5,000 years, the Chinese nation will certainly usher in an even brighter future.
此處一開始就引經據典,原文“靡不有初,鮮克有終” 語出《詩經?大雅?蕩》,中國傳統文化承傳的意味很強。實際上,習近平主席在這一場合引用之后不久中國日報網英語點津就曾有發文進行討論,并提供了蘇格蘭著名漢學家理雅各(James Legge)對這句話及其上下文的 All are [good] at first, but few prove themselves to be so at the last.
鑒于“靡不有初,鮮克有終”意思實際上與“善始善終”正好相反,即“善始容易,善終難”,因此,我們還可以考慮其它不同的 It’s not that there are no [good]starts; seldom can there be (good) ends.
It’s not that no good initiatives have been made; it’s rare that they can be carried to the end.
如果不拘泥于字面,再自由隨意一些,還可以考慮 Good initiatives are not difficult to find, but accomplishments are rarely seen.
10月25日,中共十九大新一屆政治局常委在北京人民大會堂同中外記者見面,習近平總書記對媒體介紹各位新當選常委并代表他們發表的講話通過現場交替傳譯用英語傳達給在場的中外記者,從而成為可以傳遍世界的聲音。這又為廣大外語與 Not angling for compliments, I would be content that my integrity fills the universe.
從這一 第一個問題是專業會議口譯者在聽到原講話時必須立即做出的第一判斷是什么?這一點我們可以通過中文原文與目標語英文的差異不難得出:二者字面差異明顯較大,說明譯者首先決定做意譯而非直譯。
采取意譯方式是因為原文聽上去有中國傳統詩詞的特點:逗號前后兩部分形式對應,字數相等。然而,由于中西語言文字及其文學傳統之間存在的巨大差異,詩詞類 斗轉星移,歲月如梭。香港已經回歸祖國20年。依照中國的傳統,男子二十謂之弱冠,今天就是香港特別行政區的成年禮,正所謂“如竹苞矣,如松茂矣”。
譯文是:
Time flies fast! It has been 20 years since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. According to China's tradition, a man enters adulthood at the age of 20. So today, we are celebrating the coming of age of the HKSAR, which has grown exuberant like a bamboo or a pine tree.
原文開始的“斗轉星移,歲月如梭”簡單、概括地譯為time flies fast, 最后的“如竹苞矣,如松茂矣”也處理為exuberant like a bamboo or a pine tree這樣的簡單濃縮而且十分口語話的表達方式,而不再帶有詩詞的特征。從 又如:
我們將堅定不移推進公平共享,增進更多民眾福祉。民惟邦本,本固邦寧。堅持以人民為中心,就要扎扎實實體現在經濟社會發展各方面各環節。(2024年9月3日,習近平在二十國集團工商峰會開幕式上的主旨演講)
We will promote equity and sharing of development outcomes to deliver more benefits to the people. The people are the foundation of a country, and only when the people lead a good life, can the country thrive. We need to be people-oriented. This is a principle that we should follow in everything we do in advancing economic and social development.
在這里,“民惟邦本,本固邦寧”的 還有一個例子:
“靡不有初,鮮克有終。”實現中華民族偉大復興,需要一代又一代人為之努力。中華民族創造了具有5000多年歷史的燦爛文明,也一定能夠創造出更加燦爛的明天。(2024年9月3日,習近平在紀念中國人民抗日戰爭暨世界反法西斯戰爭勝利70周年閱兵式上發表講話)
As an ancient Chinese saying goes, "After making a good start, we should ensure that the cause achieves fruition." The great renewal of the Chinese nation requires the dedicated efforts of one generation after another. Having created a splendid civilization of over 5,000 years, the Chinese nation will certainly usher in an even brighter future.
此處一開始就引經據典,原文“靡不有初,鮮克有終” 語出《詩經?大雅?蕩》,中國傳統文化承傳的意味很強。實際上,習近平主席在這一場合引用之后不久中國日報網英語點津就曾有發文進行討論,并提供了蘇格蘭著名漢學家理雅各(James Legge)對這句話及其上下文的 All are [good] at first, but few prove themselves to be so at the last.
鑒于“靡不有初,鮮克有終”意思實際上與“善始善終”正好相反,即“善始容易,善終難”,因此,我們還可以考慮其它不同的 It’s not that there are no [good]starts; seldom can there be (good) ends.
It’s not that no good initiatives have been made; it’s rare that they can be carried to the end.
如果不拘泥于字面,再自由隨意一些,還可以考慮 Good initiatives are not difficult to find, but accomplishments are rarely seen.