翻译技巧：直译与意译对比

一般来说，在翻译过程中，完全用直译或完全用意译的情况不多见。通常的做法是，能直译的地方就直译，不能直译的地方就采用意译。换言之，能直译尽量直译。直译的好处在于既能表达原文的意思，又能尽量保持原文的语言风格。

由于中国与英语国家的历史背景、政治、经济、社会、文化以及价值观等不同，汉译英是要尽量避免生硬的直译，或曰“死译”，译者应具备一定的应变能力，并采取意译的方法。这就要求译者不仅精通汉语和英语，而且熟悉英语国家人们的生活背景、思维方式和语言习惯。

以下结合例句讲讲直译与意译的关系以及译者的策略。

1.中国特色的词汇的翻译。改革开放以来，产生了不少新词汇、新提法，它们都是中国特有的，在英文里没有或一时找不到相应的译法，即使译出来也需要一定的磨合的过程。例如：

（1）“三讲”（讲学习、讲政治、讲正气）

译一：emphasize the need to study, to have political awareness and to be honest and upright

译二：emphasize on three things: study, politics and integrity

译一是解释性的，显然没有原文简洁。译二简单明了，意简言赅。

（2）“……化”字，有的可直译，有的则需要意译。譬如：

经济全球化 economic globalization

科研成果产业化 apply scientific research results to industrial production

国民经济信息化 build an information-based national economy

社会知识化 build a knowledge-driven society

国际关系民主化 Democracy should be practised in international relations.

以上均为解释性的译文，避免不了中式英文的味道。

（3）朋友之间，情趣相投、脾气对味则合、则交，反之，则离、则绝。

For the relationship between friends, similar habits and tempers help to make it closer;on the other hand, opposite ones leave distance from each other.

逻辑关系应该是情趣、脾气使朋友关系更合，译为主语，而非“朋友”做主语。

（4）每个人都无比关注自己及至亲至爱之人心脏的健损，以至于稍有微疾便惶惶不可终日。

So great is the importance that everyone attaches to the physical condition of his own heart or those of his closest and dearest ones that merely a minor disease would enduringly weigh on his mind.

译文注意了英文表达习惯中的句子结构倒装，读来流畅自然。

（5）中国古代素来以“不怠于物、不为物役”为最主要的人生哲学。

Ancient Chinese always regard “not confined by material, not driven by material” as the major philosophy.

原文描述的是一般事实，用一般现在时即可，另外，主语亦可做适当调整。

2.译者应避免语句和措辞上的问题，如不必要的重复或累赘，用词欠妥，歧义等。例如：

（6）我们希望产品的图案和色彩能照顾到欧洲人的心理。

（7）本协议及附件用中英文书就，两种文字具有同等法律效力。

以上两句话可能会存在这样的翻译：

译一：We hope that the design and color of the products would suit European psychology.

译一：This Agreement and Appendix are rendered in Chinese and English.Both languages shall possess the same legal validity.

上面的翻译中，将“心理”理解为“psychology”，假如译者稍加推敲就会发现这样的翻译仅仅是简单的字字对应，望文生义。“两种文字”译成了“both languages”，表面上看来是翻译正确了，但是却犯了逻辑不通的毛病。想想看，我们能说哪种“文字”享有更高或较低的法律效力吗？ 改译如下：

译二：We hope that the design and color of the products would suit the European taste.

译二：This Agreement and Appendix are rendered in Chinese and English.Both texts shall possess the same legal effect.

请对比以下平行译例：

（8）农业搞好了，农民能自给，五亿人口就稳定了。

译一：If agriculture is in good shape and the peasants self-supporting, then the 500 million poeple will fell secure.

译二：If agriculture is in good shape and the peasants are self-supporting, then the 500 million people will feel secure.

前半句主语和动词都是单数，后半句主语是多数，因而必须据此加一复数动词而不能省略。

（9）世纪之交，中国外交空前活跃。

译一：At the turn of the century, China’s diplomacy is most active.

译二：The turn of the century finds China most active on the diplomatic arena.

（10）我们之间关系的发展使我们不仅成为亲密的朋友而且成为兄弟。

译一：The development of our relations has made us not only close friends but also brothers.

译二：Our relations have so grown that they bind us not only as close friends but also as brothers.

译二吃透了原文的精神，转换了词类，使用了英语的表达方法，英语味道比译一要强。

（11）轻纺工业产品的花色品种增多，质量继续有所提高。

译一：The designs and variety of light industrial and textile products have increased and their quality has continued to improve.

译二：Light industry and textile products are now available in better designs and quality and in richer variety.

（12）中国的富强和发展不会对任何国家构成威胁。

译一：The strength, prosperity and development of China will pose no threat to any country.

译二：A strong, prosperous and developed China will pose no threat to any country.

以上几例译二明显优于译一，就是因为译者掌握了汉英转换的基本规律，不拘泥于原文结构，从而译出了可读性强的句子。

试译下列句子，注意直译与意译策略。

1.不搞改革，不坚持改革开放，我们制定的战略目标就不可能实现。

2.我原来打算今年一月访问中国，后来不得不推迟了，对此我深表遗憾。

3.我访问过一些地方，遇到不少人，要说起来，奇妙的事可多着呢。

4.月球离地球非常遥远，即便那边山上长着大树，有大象在走动，我们用当今发明的最高倍率的望远镜，也看不见它们。

5.1826年，杰弗逊逝世，按照他生前遗愿，在他墓地的石碑上刻着：《独立宣言》的作者、弗吉尼亚大学创建人之墓。

老化而持续减少的人口必然导致喝的少，不过消费习惯也在悄然变化：年轻人培养出对异国情调的或不含酒精饮料的喜爱，富有的人认为葡萄酒比啤酒要更显档次。让很多人失望的是，午餐时喝啤酒会让人皱起眉头。即便对那些长期嗜酒如命的中年人而言，对健康的关注也抑制了啤酒的消费。

这种趋势不只局限于德国：啤酒消费在所有成熟市场都保持不变或萎缩，之所以在德国尤其显得引人注目归因于啤酒在该国的象征意义。说起来有些反常，德国对品质的要求导致了自身的问题。大量生产的啤酒被他们视为洗碗水，占据全球啤酒市场半壁江山的全球四大啤酒酿造商在德国市场的份额不到其五分之一。相反，本地酿造商们占据支配地位，创建出世界上最大的啤酒市场。啤酒价格由于1 300家酿造商（比欧洲其他国家加起来都多）的激烈竞争一直很低。由于不能削减成本、压缩零售商的利润，小规模的酿造商们举步维艰。

An ageing, shrinking population is drinking less.But habits are also changing.Young people have acquired a taste for more exotic or non-alcoholic drinks.Richer people see wine as more upmarket than beer.To the disappointment of many, drinking beer at lunchtime is frowned upon.Even among the traditionally hard-boozing middle-aged, health concerns have curbed drinking.

This trend is not unique to Germany: beer drinking is stable or in decline in all mature markets.But it is especially striking because of beer’s national symbolism.Perversely, the taste for quality creates problems of its own.Mass-produced beers are derided as Spülwasser(dishwater).The four biggest global brewers have less than a fifth of the German market,compared with nearly half the global one.Instead, local brewers dominate, creating the most fragmented big beer market in the world.Prices are kept low by fierce competition among 1,300 breweries, more than the rest of Europe combined.Unable to cut costs or squeeze retailers’ margins, smaller brewers are struggling.

金融保险词汇

甲方 Party A

乙方 Party B(www.xing528.com)

信用证 Letter of Credit (L/C)

开证申请人 applicant; opener

开证银行 opening bank; issuing bank

通知银行 advising bank; notifying bank

收益人 beneficiary

议付银行 negotiating bank

付款银行 paying bank

不可撤销信用证 irrevocable letter of credit

可撤销信用证 revocable letter of credit

保兑信用证 confirmed letter of credit

不保兑信用证 unconfirmed letter of credit

即期信用证 sight credit

银行承兑远期信用证 banker’s acceptance credit

延期付款信用证 deferred payment credit

可转让信用证 transferable credit

不可转让信用证 non-transferable credit

循环信用证 revolving letter of credit

预支信用证 anticipatory L/C

付款信用证 payment credit

承兑信用证 acceptance credit

议付信用证 negotiation credit

备用信用证 stand-by letter of credit

即期汇票 sight draft

产地证明书 certificate of origin

战争险和水渍险 WPA & War Risks

到岸价（成本加运费和保险费） CIF

离岸价 FOB

分批装运 partial equipment

期货合同 futures contract

意向书 letter of intent

劳动合同 labour contract

进出口许可证 import and export license

商标所有权 ownership of trade mark

结构失调 structural imbalance

结构性矛盾突出 acute structural imbalance

结构优化 structural improvement (optimization)

结汇、售汇 sale and purchase of foreign exchange

金融脆弱 financial fragility

金融动荡 financial turbulence

金融风波 financial disturbance

金融恐慌 financial panic

金融危机 financial crisis

金融压抑 financial repression

开办人民币业务 to engage in RMB business

可维持（可持续）经济增长 sustainable economic growth

可变成本 variable cost

可自由兑换货币 freely convertible currency

控制现金投放 control currency issuance

扣除物价因素 in real terms; on inflation-adjusted basis

库存产品 inventory

跨国银行业务 cross-border banking

跨年度采购 cross-year procurement

会计准则 accounting standard

来料加工 processing of imported materials for export

离岸银行业务 off-shore banking (business)

理顺外贸体制 rationalize foreign trade regime

利润驱动 profit-driven

利息回收率 interest collection ratio

联行清算 inter-bank settlement

连锁企业 franchise businesses; chain businesses

良性循环 virtuous cycle

两极分化 growing income disparity; polarization in income distribution

零售物价指数 retail price index (RPI)