高級英語口譯翻譯考前模擬練習及講解

翻譯段落: 曾幾何時,人們還對“80後”評頭論足,或感嘆他們是“垮掉的一代”,或認爲他們很嫩很青澀。如今,“80後”已經長大了,他們中將首次出現30歲羣體。《論語》說,“三十而立”,而我們卻無法把“80後”與而立畫上等號。調查顯示,五成以上80後的職場人在工作上力不從心;近五成調查對象無房無車,且處於未婚狀態。來源:考試大

高級英語口譯翻譯考前模擬練習及講解

“80後”三十難立也不必沮喪,有時需要勵志一下,因爲要改變自己的命運,最終靠的是自己,多一些意氣風發,多一些愈挫愈勇的鬥志,少一些埋怨,少一些迷失。畢竟,“80後”也不乏成功人士,他們篳路藍縷,走出了自己的一片天。

參考譯文: There was a time when people loved tocarp and cavil at the post-1980s generation, either referring to them as the “beat generation” or claiming they were wet behind the ears. Now these post-1980s cohorts have grown up, some of whom have just turned thirty. Analects of Confucius said that “one should plant his feet upon the ground at the age of thirty”. Yet it is hard for us to equate the 20 or 30-somethings with being well-established. Statistically speaking, more than fifty percent of post-1980s generation people feel somewhat inadequate at work and nearly half of the respondents cannot afford a car and a house and are yet to walk down the aisle.

In fact, post-1980s guys and gals should be self-motivated, rather than feel disheartened for not getting somewhere. Because after all it falls on oneself to change his/her destiny. Let’s equip ourselves with more vigor, vitality and strong will through many a twist and turn, less whining and wandering. After all there are indeed high achievers among the post-1980s generation, who are self-made entrepreneurs against all the odds and have their life course figured out.

翻譯點評:1)整篇點評:

此段文字從備受關注的80後爲切入點,題材內容並未有多大創新,但作爲翻譯材料而言,對語言功力有一定的`要求。段落中頻繁出現了四字格和諺語,與歷年的考試重點相吻合。

2)對英語諺語使用的功底考驗:

漢語多四字格成語,形式簡練,微言大義,而英語豐富的表達不遑多讓,這裏可考驗考生的語言儲備是否豐富。如“評頭論足”,看似可僅僅理解爲“對…….進行評論”,而實際在本文中的潛在詞是“對80後指指點點,且語多貶斥”,英語中與之對應的表達可用“carp and cavil”。

如“很嫩很青澀”,可理解爲“愣頭青、乳臭未乾、毛頭小子”的意思,英語中有個形象的對應表達爲“wet behind ears”。

再如“處於未婚狀態”,中文直接且無趣,如果英語翻譯不要簡單地用“unmarried”代替,而另擇一諺語表達,就會讓人眼前一亮。此時功底深厚的同學可能會想到“結婚”在英語中的各種形象表達,如“walk down the aisle”、“tie the knot”等,比干巴巴的“unmarried”顯得更有可讀性。

3)關於語言的多樣化:

漢語喜重複,英語重多樣。如本文頻繁出現的“80後”,如果全都翻譯成“post-1980s generation”未免顯得呆板,因此可將末尾的generation一詞用其它英語短語代替,如“post-1980s cohorts”,cohorts意指“同一類人,同一批人”,與“一代人”的意思相吻合;或者“post-1980s guys and gals”,甚至可譯成可從年齡上考慮,80後現在大多二、三十歲,因此可譯爲“20 or 30-somethings”。

4) 關於專用表達:

文中出現了“論語”等中國名著,其英文固定表達爲“Analects of Confucius”。隨後出現的“垮掉的一代”涉及到了英美文化常識,美國人喜將不同年代出生的人進行歸類,“垮掉的一代”英語對應表達爲“beat generation”,同理“迷惘的一代”則稱爲“lost generation”。

5)關於古文翻譯:

本文出現了《論語》中的一句古文“三十而立”。考生應充分理解其意,即一個人在三十歲的時候應該有所建樹,因此英文“one should plant his feet upon the ground at the age of thirty”就出爐了。