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俗语翻译方法


2022


在我国的政治、经济生活中,经常把国家的施政纲领、方针、政策、措施等以高度浓缩的形式进行概括,言简意赅,节奏感强,是一种群众喜闻乐见的语言现象,这里暂时把这种语言现象称为“俗语”。例如:利政税a) reform to replace profit submission with tax payment, b) taxation reform;清产核资a) inventory- taking and assets evaluation, b) a general assets checkup;孕产保护maternity protection(maternity既包括“孕”又包括“产”)等。俗语为翻译带来了极大的挑战。首先是俗语的意思具有高度概括性,不容易准确把握;第二,俗语具有音韵美,在翻译中几乎无法传达。根据非文学翻译的一般原则,翻译要做到意思准确、文风朴实,在此基础上考虑音乐性,这一原则同样适用于俗语的翻译。以下举例说明几种翻译方法:

01

1.保留节奏感

例1:

立党为公,执政为民

Building a party that serves the interests of the public and governs for the people

例2:

洁身自好、保持童真、忠于配偶、白头偕老。

Be virtuous, chaste, faithful, and live together until old age.

例3:

而党政机关在制定政策时最初的考虑是希望通过发展小城镇和乡镇企业,就地消化农村多余劳动力,使农村人离土不离乡

In the beginning, the Party and government organizations hoped to absorb rural surplus labor on-site through the development of small towns and rural industries so that the rural population would leave the land but not their homes.

02

2.为保留节奏,对字面稍加改动

例1:

1990年,公安部《关于严格依法办事,执行政策,深入开展除“六害”斗争的通知

The 1990 Ministry of Public Security Notice on Implementing Laws and Policies to Eradicate “Six Evils”

例2:

12月,全国人大常委会通过《关于禁毒的决定》,提出“三禁并举,堵源截流,严格执法,标本兼治”的禁毒工作方针。

In December, the NPC Standing Committee passed the Decisions on Prohibition of Narcotic Drugs, proposing a policy of “triple ban” (ban on smoking, trafficking, and growing) to destroy the whole drug chain.

03

3.不保留节奏,只翻译意思

例1:

对在西部地区新办交通、电力、水利、邮政、广播电视等企业,企业所得税实行两年免征,三年减半征收

For enterprises operating in industries such as transportation, power, water conservancy, postal services, and radio and television, there will be complete exemption from income tax for the first 2 years and 50% exemption over the following 3 years.


例2:

1994年,卫生部召开血源用免疫诊断试剂批批(意思是“每一批”)国家检定研讨会时已经认识到“形势严峻”,“到了应提倡全民防止‘病从血入’的时候了”。

In 1994, the MOH organized a seminar on national qualification of all immunodiagnostic reagents used at blood source. By that time it was already clear that “the situation was serious”, and "it was high time to prevent transmission of blood-borne diseases among all citizens”.

04

4.把各部分糅合起来翻译

例1:

根据当前两种经济体制转换过程的实际,社会保障制度改革需要一个渐进过程。要坚持低水平、广覆盖、多层次的基本方针。

The objective of reform should be the establishment of a multi-tiered system with wide coverage and molest levels of benefits.

例2:

要加强宏观调控,分阶段、按区域、多功能、全方位地发展支线航空。

Various forms of regional air transport will be given particular attention through phased development in accordance with conditions in different localities.


取自《非文学翻译理论与实践》,李长栓编著;如有侵权,联系删除

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