例6:
四是要進行充分的調查研究和科學的評估。“尚方寶劍”也要慎用。既要把工作抓緊、做細、做深,統一認識,又要善于等待,不能強迫命令。工作不能簡單化。合并難度最大的莫過于強強聯合。但實踐證明,只要經過充分論證,確認合并有其客觀合理性,有關領導決心大,工作細,并給予必要的支持,也是完全可行的。
當然,大學并不是越大越好。該合的合,不該合的就不合。
Fourth, making thorough studies and investingations and conducting scientific assessment. (23) When we wield the "imperial sword" we should do it with prudence. We need to press ahead with our work in a meticulous and thoroughgoing manner. (24) But we need also be good at biding our time and refrain from coercion. In other words, our work tolerates no simple-mindedness. Of all the types of mergers, none is more difficult than those between good universities. Practice, however, (25) has proved that so long as we are confident of its feasibility on the basis of thorough study, and so long as leaders of all the parties involved are committed, work carefully and are supportive, such mergers can definitely happen and happen successfully.
Naturally, it does not necessarily follow (26) that the larger a university the better. Mergers can only happen when and where it makes sense. Otherwise they must not happen at all. (27)
注23. 第4點和第5點譯文與前三點不同,沒有用完整的句子,而用了分詞短語來翻譯第一句話,這就是把第一句話譯作小標題了。
注24. 此處“工作”一詞恐不是指一般的具體工作,而是指思想工作,其目的是“統一認識”。譯文未能體現“統一認識”的意思。也許把our work改為persuasion就行了。不過這樣一來,因為搭配的關系,可能要把and thoroughgoing刪去。其實,前面有press ahead,后面有meticulous,強調的語氣已經表現得很充分了。
注25. 據我觀察,在英語中,however在大多數情況下不是放在句首,而是放在較后的位置。此處,雖然原文以“但”字開始,譯文把however放在practice后面,是合乎英文的用法的。
注26. follow一詞非常有用,它在這里的意思是to be the logical results of sth。原文“并不是”的意思是“不能從上文得出結論,認為……”,因此,譯文it does not necessarily follow that...是十分恰當的。
注27. 這句原文很短,但很有中文的特色。“合”字重復出現四次,譯文絕不能照搬,只有另想辦法。《鄧小平文選》第三卷有這樣一句話:“農業實行多種經營,因地制宜,該種糧食的地方種糧食,該種經濟作物的地方種經濟作物,不僅糧食大幅度增長,經濟作物也大幅度增長。”譯文是:By diversifying agriculture in accordance with local conditions, the peasants have grown grain and cash crops in places suited to them and have substantially increased the output of both.
例7:
五是抓典型,因勢利導,前面曾提到,國務院辦公廳曾先后在上海、南昌、北戴河、揚州四次召開座談會總結推廣各地的好經驗,用典型推動,形成改革的氛圍。同時,我們對一些影響大的學校的調整、合并給予特別關注,并且我和教育部門的領導還到一些地方實地考察了解,及時給予指導。
Fifth, setting good examples and making the most of the situation. As I said before, the General Office of the State Council had held meetings in Shanghai, Nanchang, Beidaihe and Yangzhou to summarize and share the best practices and solutions from each situation. The idea was to set good examples and foster a friendly atmosphere for reform. (28) In the meantime, we paid special attention to the regrouping and amalgamation of prestigious universities. Leaders of the Ministry of Education and I went on fact-finding tours to offer needed guidance. (29)
注28. 這一句原文較長,最后才說出這樣做的目的,若譯成一句,目的就不突出。現在譯文使后半句單獨成句,而且用The idea作主語,這個短語的意思是the aim or purpose (of sth),用在這里是很恰當的。
注29. 中文總是說“我和某某人”,把“我”字放在前頭。英文則總是把I放在后頭。我們要寫地道的英文,這一點,不可不注意。我覺得這純粹是一個使用語言的習慣問題,不涉及是否尊重別人。1987年,美國前總統卡特訪華,,在歡迎他的宴會上講話,他說:My wife and I... 譯文是“我的夫人和我 ……”。我覺得,還是“我和我的夫人”聽起來順耳一些。你說呢?
作者:莊繹傳,全國翻譯專業資格(水平)考試英語專家委員會顧問,北京外國語大學教授
(來源:catti.net.cn)
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