英语专业八级翻译Lesson 7
英语专业八级翻译Lesson 7
原文呈现
我常见许多年青的朋友,聪明用功,成绩优异,而语文程度不足以达意,甚至写一封信亦难得通顺,问其故则日其兴趣不在语文方面。又有一些位,执笔为文,要然可诵,而视数理科目如仇警,勉强才能及格,问其故则亦日其兴趣不在数理方面。如果他们觉得某些科目没有趣味,便撤在一旁视如敢履,怡然自得,振振有词,略无愧色,好像这就是发扬趣味主义。殊不知天下没有没有趣味的学问,端视晋人如何发掘其趣味,如果在良师指导之下按部就班地循序而进,一步一步地发现新天地,当然乐在其中,如果浅尝输止,甚至踊等躁进,当然味同嚼蜡,自讨没趣。一个有中上天资的人,对于普通的基本的文理科目,都同样地有学习的能力,绝不会本能地长于此而拙于彼。只有懒情与任性,才能使一个人自甘暴弃地在“趣味”的掩护之下败退。
参考译文
They cast away whatever subjects they dislike like something utterly worthless.They are so smug and thick-skinned that they speak volubly in defense of their own attitude like champions of interestism. They hardly realize that there is no learning but is capable of engendering interest and that all depends on how to search for it.You will develop a liking for learning if, under the guidance of a good teacher, you study to discover new horizons opening up before you one after another by following the proper order and advancing step by step. On the other hand, you will find learning as dry as sawdust and feel frustrated if you refuse to go into a subject in depth or even make impetuous advances without following the proper order. People with an average natural endowment are equally capable of mastering the basics of liberal arts and natural science. They are never predetermined by nature to be good at one subject and poor in another. It is laziness and waywardness, however, that causes one to give himself up as hopeless and back down on the pretext of "no interest".
难点注释
1.画线部分第一句中的“便撤在一旁视如救展”可直译为cast away...like a pair of worn-out shoes,保持原文的形象比喻。不过,更加明白易懂的译法是cast away...like something utterly worthless。
2.画线部分第二句中的“没有没有趣味的学问”译为there is no learning but is capable of engendering interest,其中 but 是关系代词,常用于否定词之后,相当于that not。
3.画线部分第三句较长,翻译时宜采用拆分法将其分为两句翻译,可将前三个小分句译成第一个句子,将“绝不会本能地长于此而拙于彼”译为第二个句子,其中的“长”指的是“擅长”,“拙”指的是“不擅长”,而这里的“此”和“彼”指的是不同的学科,据此我们可将此句翻译为They are never predetermined by nature to be good at one subject and poor in another。
4.画线部分最后一句中的“在‘趣味’的掩护之下败退”,即“借口‘缺乏趣味’而放弃不干”的意思,故译为back down on the pretext of “no interest”。
