英语专业八级翻译Lesson 14

英语专业八级翻译Lesson 14

原文呈现

爸爸的治家方法比外祖母民主一些,他虽乘承祖训,不听“妇人之言”,可是他对妈妈的言论自由却没有什么钻制的举动,换句话说,妈妈能以在野之身批评爸爸。通常是在晚饭后,妈妈展开她一连串、一系列的攻击,历数爸爸的“十大罪”:说他如何刚慢自用,如何治家无方……听久了,千篇一律总是那一套。而爸爸呢,却安坐在大藤椅里,一面洗耳恭听,一面笑而不答。

参考译文

Father is more democratic in running the household than grandmother does.Although he follows the example of the forefathers and defies "women's shortsighted opinions", he seldom muzzles mother's freedom of speech. In other words, mother can blame father although she is not in office. It usually takes place after dinner when mom launches a succession of attacks by enumerating his "ten terrible sins" of being self-willed or managing the family improperly... As time goes by, rebuke of this kind repeats. As for my father, he sits leisurely in the big cane chair with all ears, smiling wordlessly.

难点注释

1.第一句中“乘承祖训”译为follows the example of the forefathers;“不听‘妇人之言'”可译为defies“women's shortsighted opinions”,由于中国传统思想对妇女的歧视,“妇人之言”表达的并不仅仅是妇女的意见,而是指目光短浅的观点或看法,故此处应增译shortsighted。

2.第一句后半句“铝制”译为muzzles;“在野之身”意为非执政党,此处可保留原文的暗喻,译为not in office。

3.第二句“通常是在晚饭后,妈妈展开她一连串、一系列的攻击,历数爸爸的‘十大罪””,为了使句子通顺,重点突出,原句的状语“通常是在晚饭后”可处理为主句,而原文的主句变为时间状语从句。

4.第三句“听久了,千篇一律总是那一套”,原句是汉语的无主句,译成英语时应补全主语,并且按照英文习惯,宜采用物称主语而非人称主语,故译为rebuke of this kind repeats。

5.最后一句“一面洗耳恭听,一面笑而不答”,根据英文表达习惯,分别处理为with结构和分词smiling作状语。