不论是英文还是汉语,行文都力求言简意赅,但是在翻译时,有时为了使行文更明确,表达更生动,或者为了强调,我们往往要将一些关键性的词加以重复。
1.为了使行文更明确
They may win the war but not the peace.
他们可能赢得战争,但不会赢得和平。(英文里用一个动词连接两个宾语,翻译时常重复动词。)
We should learn how to analyze and solve problems.
我们应学会如何分析问题和解决问题。(英文原文是两个动词带一个宾语,翻译时,重复宾语使行文明确。)
I had experienced oxygen and/or engine trouble.
我曾碰到过,不是氧气设备出故障,就是引擎出故障或两者都出故障。(原文中宾语trouble有两个修饰语,为了使意思明确,翻译时将宾语重复。)
He became an oil baron---all by himself.
他成了石油大王,一个白手起家的石油大王。
(为了使行文更通顺明确,而重复了表语oil baron。)
John is a friend of mine and hers.
约翰既是我的朋友,又是她的朋友。
(译文重复了系动词和表语。)
The doctor will get more practice out of me than out of one hundred ordinary patients.
医生从我身上得到的实践会比从一百个普通病人身上得到的实践还多。
(英语中常重复使用前置词,而将第二个,第三个前置词前的名词省略,翻译时则往往要把此名词重复。)
The little apprentice in particular lived in terror of the boss, who had borne down on him so often and so hard that there was little left.
小学徒对老板尤其怕得要死,老板经常整他而且整得很惨,简直把他整瘪了。(英语定语从句常用关系词引导,它一方面代表定语从句所修饰的那个先行词(名词或代词),一方面在从句中担任一个成分。汉语中没有关系词,往往需要重复这个作先行词的名词。原文中关系代词who修饰boss,因此,翻译时要将“老板”重复意思才明确。同时根据逻辑关系,将定语从句中的动词重复,意思才可以明确。)
The President announced, with obvious relish, that the planes took off from "Shangri-la", the fictional, remote retreat in the Himalayas.
这位总统洋洋得意地宣称,这批飞机是从 “香格里拉”起飞的,而“香格里拉”是一个虚构的喜马拉雅山中的世外桃源。(英语中的同位语,在译文中有时也可以重复先行词。)
Chairman Mao is an activist, a prime mover, an originator and master of strategy achieved by alternating surprise, tension and easement.
毛主席是一位活动家,是原动力,是创造者,是交替运用出其不意、紧张和松弛而取得成就的战略大师。(英语句子常用一个动词连接几个宾语或表语,在译文中往往要重复这个动词,使表达更加明确。)
We talked of ourselves, of our studies, of our prospects, of each other--of everything.
我们谈到了自己,谈到了学习,谈到了前途,谈到了彼此的情况,谈到了一切。(英语句子中动词后有前置词时,在第二次第三次往往只用前置词而省略动词,在译文中则要重复动词以代替英语中重复的前置词。)
But his wife kept dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was bringing on his family.
可是他老婆不断地在他耳边唠叨个没完,说他懒惰,说他粗心,并且说他的一家人都要毁在他的身上。(英语原文中除了动词连前置词也省略了,但译文中仍可以重复动词。)
In China, they “made mistakes”, suffered by them, acknowledged and studied them, thus planned victory.
在中国,他们犯过错误,吃过错误的亏,承认错误,研究错误,从而制定了胜利的方针。(英语中用代词的地方,翻译时往往可按汉语的习惯重复其所替代的名词。)
Each country has its own customs.
各国有各国的风情。
Happy families also had their own troubles.
幸福的家庭也有幸福家庭的苦恼。(英语中用物主代词its,his,their, 等等以代替句中作主语的名词(有时附有修饰语)时,翻译时往往可以不用代词而重复其作主语的名词(有时附有修饰语),以达到明确具体的目的。)
I'll take whoever wants to go.
谁想去我就带谁。
Whoever works hard will be respected.
谁工作努力,谁就会受到尊重。
(英语中强势关系代词或强势关系副词如whoever, whenever, wherever等等,翻译时往往使用重复法处理。)
Some have entered college and others have gone to the countryside.
上大学的,上大学了,下乡的,下乡了。(=有的上大学了,有的下乡了。)
(英语用some…andothers…(some…,others…)连用的句子,译成汉语时主语往往是谓语重复形式的“的”字结构,有时也可以用“有的……,有的……”句式。)
He wanted to send them more aid, more weapons and a few more men.
他想给他们增加些援助,增添些武器,增派些人员。
(英语原文没有重复,汉译时采用一种在内容上而不是在形式上的重复的手段。)
汉译英时,为了表达准确,避免歧义,尤其是翻译一些政策性很强的文本,或法律文本,对于一些关键词,该重复的还是要重复:
国家根据对外贸易发展的需要,建立和完善对外贸易服务的金融机构,设立对外贸易发展基金、风险基金。
The State shall , in light of the needs for the development of foreign trade, set up and improve financial institutions in service of foreign trade and establish development fund and risk fund for foreign trade.
(汉语原文“对外贸易”是重复的,翻译是照样重复,以免发生歧义。)
他用手蒙住脸,好像是为了保护眼睛。
He covered his face with his hands, as if to protect his eyes. (英文里物主代词用得比汉语多,汉译英时,常要在英文里重复物主代词。)