考研倒计时,
考研英语(二)翻译,请你相信,考研这条路,你走过的每一步都算数,从未有什么天生如此,有的只是我们从不放弃,你要面带微笑,心情气和,无怨无悔,因为终点是春天。
It is easy to underestimate English writer James Heriot. He had such a pleasant, readable style that one might think that anyone could imitate it. How many times have I heard people say “I could write a book. I just haven’t the time.” Easily said. Not so easily done. James Herriot, contrary to pupular opinion, did not find it easy in his early days of, as he put it, “having a go at the writing game”.
While he obviously had an abundance of natural talent, the final, polished work that he gave to the world was the result of years of practising, re-writing and reading. Like the majority of authors, he had to suffer many disappointments and rejections along the way, but these made him all the more determined to succeed. Everything he achieved in life was earned the hard way and his success in the literary field was no exception.
难点: 考研英语一的翻译段落整体句子难度不大,比较容易理解,但在考场翻译的时候还是会碰到一些生词,而且许多词语的表达也并不简单。下面把这个段落里大家可能不认识的生词以及我认为考场上不好处理的地方梳理出来并做简单的解释:
1. underestimate 低估
2. pleasant, readable style pleasant 的意思是“令人愉快的”, readable 的意思是“通俗易懂的,可读性强的”。这里如果我们翻译成“令人愉快、可读性强的风格”,意思并没有错误,但显得比较啰嗦,处理成“轻松易读的风格”或者“轻松易读的文字”更好。
3. such... that 意思和 so... that 一样,只不过 so 后面跟形容词、副词, such 后面跟名词。意思是“太...以至于...”
4. imtate 模仿
5. how many times 后面没有问号,这里并不是问句
6. Easily said. Not easily done. 说起来容易做起来难。文章讲的是写作,所以翻译成“说起来容易,写起来难。”
7. James Herriot, contrary to pupular opinion, did not find it easy in his early days of, as he put it, “having a go at the writing game”. 结构:插入语的处理。 英文中插入语非常常见,通常会把句子的某两个成分隔开,比如主语和谓语。翻译成中文的时候要把分隔开的成分连在一块,插入语单独拿出来处理。对于这个句子来说,要把 James Herriot 和 did not find it easy in his early days of 连接起来,而插入语 contrary to pupular opinion 单独翻译出来放在前面做状语。
8. pupular opinion 不是流行的观点,而是“普遍的看法;大众的观点”
9. have a go at 尝试
10. writing game 写作职业,写作行当。注意 game 在这里不是游戏的意思。
11. while 虽然
12. an abundance of 大量,丰富。但“大量”和“天赋”并不搭配,因此要换下修饰语,因此处理成“天赋极高”或者更地道的“天赋异禀”。
13. natural talent 中natural 不用翻译出来
14. polished polish 作动词可以指对文章的“修改,润色”。 polished work/ polished article 如果翻译成“润色过的文章”会过于生硬,其实就是“优美的作品/ 漂亮的文章”
15. suffer 字典上的意思是“受苦,受难;遭受”,但是我们在翻译的时候并不一定要把“遭受”翻译出来。 例如: He suffered a heart attack. 他心脏病发作了。 The company suffered huge losses in the last financial year. 公司上一财年出现巨额亏损。
16. rejection 拒绝。因为这篇是写一名作家,所以这里的拒绝肯定是只被书稿被出版商拒绝,但在翻译的时候不需要写出来。 Everything he achieved in life was earned the hard way 。英语中的被动使用很多,但中文的被字句更多是使用在不好的事情上,因此在翻译被动句的时候我们一般有几种处理方法: ①被动变主动;②用 “为...所;让”等表示;③直接省去“被”字。
17. sth is no exception 某事也不例外
参考译文: 人们容易低估英国作家詹姆斯·赫里奥特。他的文字轻松易读,以至于有人认为这种风格人人可以模仿。我曾许多次听别人说:“我也可以写书,只是没时间罢了。”说起来容易,写起来难。和大众的认知不同,据詹姆斯·赫里奥特自己所说,他在初尝试写作时并不觉得轻松。他虽然天赋异禀,但后呈现给世人的优美作品都是他多年来不断练习、修改和阅读的成果。和大多数作家一样,他在写作生涯也经历过许多失意和遭人拒绝的时刻,但这些更加坚定了他成功的决心。他一生中所有的成就都是努力得来的,在文学领域的成功也是如此。