英语专业八级翻译Lesson 13

英语专业八级翻译Lesson 13

原文呈现

开卷有益,是古人奖励读书的一句成语。从前读到一册坏书,读后每觉得为古人所欺;现在多了一点智识,反过来又觉得古人的不欺我了。总之,好书读了,原有所得,就是可以知道它的好处在哪里。可是坏书读了,而知道它的坏的原因与地方,岂不也是一得?从前孔子说的“三人行,必有我师”之意,也不一定是从正的一方面着想,反过来在负的一方面,也何尝不可以为鉴戒。因此,从前是非有定评之书不读的,现在却马勃牛渡了,一例的都想看看了,这大约总也是一种进步的现象。

参考译文

"Opening a book is always rewarding" is an ancient encouragement for reading. I used to feel misled by it when I came across a bad book, yet now I'm wiser to do that. In a word, we can benefit from reading a good book by absorbing its essence, while it is also a good thing to know the whys and wherefores of a book being labeled "bad". What Confucius means by "If three of us are walking together, at least one of the other two can be my teacher" is not necessarily a positive example. On the contrary, it also holds water in offering us a negative example to take warning from. Therefore, once an exclusive reader of books widely accepted, I get to take interest in whatever books, trashy or not, as well. It probably is a sign of progress.

难点注释

1.第二句的前半句“为古人所欺”中的“欺”按照语境宜译为misled;后半句“反过来又觉得古人的不欺我了”出于语篇考虑不应重复照搬,可灵活地意译为now I'm wiser to do that。

2.第五句中“从前孔子说的“三人行,必有我师’之意”中的“之意”可用means by...短语;“三人行,必有我师”译为If three of us are walking together,at least one of the other two can be my teacher。

3.第五句中的动词“鉴戒”译为take warning from。

4.最后一句中的“从前是非有定评之书不读的,现在却马勃牛渡了,一例的都想看看了”,首先,本句是汉语的无主句,故此句应当增补主语;其次,英文有名词化倾向,即使用名词表达本应用动词表达的含义,因此“从前是非有

定评之书不读的”在这里意译为名词短语 an exclusive reader;根据上下文,此处“定评”并非“定论”之意,而应意译为widely accepted。“马勃牛渡”实际上是指不值钱的东西,因此可意译为trashy。