英语专业八级翻译Lesson 4

英语专业八级翻译Lesson 4

 

原文呈现

 

在那著名的古庙里,站立着一尊高大的塑像,人站在他的旁边,伸直了手还摸不到他的膝盖。很多年以来,他都使看见的人不由自主地肃然起敬,感到自己的沙小,卑微,因而渴望能得到他的抓救。

 

这尊塑像站了几百年了,他觉得这是一种苦役。对于热望从他得到援助的芸芸众生,明知是无能为力的,因此他由于羞愧而厌烦,最后终于向那些膜拜者说话了:

 

“众生啊,你们做的是多么可笑的事!你们以自己的模型创造了我,把我加以扩大,想从我身上发生一种威力,借以镇压你们不安定的精神。而我却害怕你们。

 

我敢相信:你们之所以要创造我,完全是因为你们缺乏自信——请看吧,我比之你们能多些什么呢?而我却没有你们自己所具备的。”

 

参考译文

 

There stood in a well-known ancient temple a huge statue. He was so tall that people standing by were unable to touch even his knees however hard they tried to reach for him. For many, many years, visitors couldn't help feeling so overawed and dwarfed at the sight of him that they looked to him eagerly for salvation.

 

Having stood there for several hundred years, the statue had now come to detest it as a kind of forced drudgery. And he knew perfectly well that he could do nothing whatsoever to help the suffering mortal beings craving for salvation by him.Feeling bored as well as ashamed, he began to address his worshippers at long last:

 

"O ye mortals, what a ridiculous thing you've done! You've created me in your own image, and an image of gigantic dimensions at that, believing that I can thus be powerful enough to rid you of your worries and cares. As a result, however, I've become just scared of you."

 

难点注释

 

1.画线部分第一段第一句中,“人站在他的旁边”译为people standing by;“伸直了手……”这里意在说明人们努力的程度,因此意译为however hard they tried to reach for him。

 

2.画线部分第一段第二句中,“看见的人”应根据英语语言习惯,译作介词短语作状语,即at the sight of him;“不由自主地肃然起敬,感到自己的渺小,卑微”译为couldn't help feeling so overawed and dwarfed。

 

3.画线部分第二段第一句中包含两个分句,根据英文习惯,把第一个分句译作现在分词短语作状语,可使整个句子结构显得清晰、明了。其中to detest(憎恨)和forced(强加的)均为增译成分,原文虽无其词但有其意。

 

4.画线部分第二段第二句“由于羞愧而厌烦”需进行灵活处理,译为Feeling bored as well as ashamed,意即“不仅羞愧,而且厌烦”。

 

5.画线部分第三段第二句“把我加以扩大”译为and an image of gigantic dimensions at that,补充说明前面的 You've created me in your own image。

 

6.画线部分第三段最后一句“而我却害怕你们”译为As a result,however,I've become just scared of you.中文“而”的实际意思是“这样一来”或“结果”,故译为 As a result,不宜译为 In the meantime 或 And 等。