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Unnecessary modifiers (3)

强化词(intensifiers)旨在增强他们所修饰的词的效果,一般为形容词(如,“serious”和“great”)或副词(如“extremely”和“certainly”)。我们应该秉持怀疑的态度来看待它们。根据Joan Pinkham的看法,大多数时候,没有这些强化词,英文语句可能会更好。

1

与语气较弱的词搭配的强化词

有时候,强化词会用于修饰语气较弱的词语,以便增强语气。根据Joan Pinkham的看法,写作人员应该找到最合适的词语表达,从而同时表达强化词和语气较弱的词语搭配所表达的含义。例如,“extremely important”可用“essential”、“imperative”、“vital”、“indispensable”或“crucial”表达,“they absolutely wanted to”可用“they were determined to”、“had resolved to”、“were bent on”或者“insisted upon”表达。

更多示例如下:

原译:The people have a strong aversion to graft, bribery, embezzlement, and other dirty practices.

改译:The people detest graft, bribery, embezzlement, and other dirty practices.

原译:I think there will definitely be genuine stability and unity.

改译:I am certain that there will be genuine stability and unity.

原译:I firmly believe that our army will be able to steadfastly maintain its own character.


    改译:I am convinced that our army will be able to (steadfastly) maintain its own character.


2

与语气较强的词搭配的强化词

强化词与语气较强的词搭配是一种极其不合适的表达方式,因为预期较强的词语就可以完美呈现句子所要表达的意思。在这种情况下,强化词就属于冗余词。最经典的搭配示例为“great historic”,本身而言,“historic”语气已经很强,没必要再强调。

更多示例如下:

原译:”All this conduct has severely damaged the reputation of the medical profession and must be firmly banned.” the minister said.

改译:”All this conduct has severely damaged the reputation of the medical profession and must be banned.” the minister said.

评论:ban本身就是“禁止”,语气很强,按照定义而言,本身就属于“firm”行为。

原译:The Civil Aviation Administration of China strongly demanded that the Taiwan authorities take all measures possible to secure the safety of the plane and its passengers.

改译:The Civil Aviation Administration of China demanded that the Taiwan authorities take all measures possible to secure the safety of the plane and its passengers.


    评论:“demand”本身就属于强烈要求。

3

常见的冗余强化词

常见的冗余强化词包括active/actively、effective/effectively、actual (true, real)/actually (truly, really)、successful/successfully。部分示例如下:

原译:Active efforts should be made to develop small-scale mining.

改译:Efforts should be made to develop small-scale mining.

原译:To benefit the people by means of an effective control of the Yellow River.

改译:To benefit the people by controlling the Yellow River.

原译:He devised tactics for battle according to the actual situation.

改译:He devised tactics for battle according to the particular situation.


    评论:“situation”和“fact”一样,总是“actual”(“true”、“real”),因此没必要采用。需要注意的是,“circumstances”和“conditions”与“situation”也是一样的,不需要加这类修饰词。



取自The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish, by Joan Pinkham with the collaboration of Jiang Guihua;如有侵权,联系删除

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