谢冰莹《我爱作文》 -英语技巧与实例-英汉互译实用教程

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我爱作文

I Love Composition
谢冰莹
Xie Bingying
🔥背景知识:谢冰莹于1929年5月从上海到达北平,不久考入北京女子师范大学,《我爱作文》是她在这时期写的一篇散文。作者对当时学校作文教学的一些看法,至今仍有参考价值。
那是我初进女师大的第一年,国文老师对我们说:
At the beginning of my first year at Peking Women’s Normal University, our teacher of Chinese said to the class,
🎈「女师大」指当时的「北京女子师范大学」,故译Peking Women’s Normal University。
🎈此处「我们」译为the class,指这个班的同学。

“现在你们是大学生了,作文题目可以由你们自己拟,每学期至少要交七八篇文章,多多益善;
“Now that you’re university students, you may write on any subject of your own choice. You must each hand in for each semester at least seven or eight compositions. The more, the better.
🎈「现在你们是大学生了」意即「既然你们是大学生了」,故译Now that you’re university students,其中now that(或now)作「因为」解,等于because。此句也可以这样处理:Now,as university students…。

但是有个条件,篇篇都要好文章,不可敷衍。”
But, mind you, each composition should be well written, not slipshod.”
🎈「有个条件」意即「请注意」,所以可译为mind you。

“老师,不会作的怎么办呢?”有位不知姓名的同学忽然这样问。
“Sir, what if it’s beyond my ability to do so?” a classmate, whose name was not personally known to me, suddenly asked.
🎈「老师」不宜译为teacher,因teacher还没有变成Dr. Judge, Professor,等有尊敬含义的习用称呼,故译为Sir(姑且把「老师」定位男性)。
🎈whose name was not personally known to me为非限制性定语从句,修饰a classmate,进一步解释我不知道这位同学的名字。

“不会作,怎么考进大学的?
“Beyond your ability? Then how did you pass the examination for admission to the university? 
🎈考进大学:pass the examination for admission to the university

你们的文章,在中学时代应该早就写通了,到大学校来,老师不过是指导你们做更深一层的研究;
You’re supposed to have learned composition as long ago as your middle school days. A university teacher’s job is little more than giving you guidance in advanced studies.
🎈「写通了」即「学会写作文」,故译为learn composition。
🎈little more than:仅仅是

文章写得好不好,还得你们自己努力,我是无能为力的。”
It’s up to you to improve your writing ability. I’m in no position to do much to help you.”
🎈「文章写得好不好,还得你们自己努力」即「写作能力高低完全由你自己决定」,故译为It’s up to you to improve your writing ability。
🎈Be in no position to 不能
例句
If we do not know the facts, we are in no position to handle such matter.  
不了解情况,就无从解决这类问题。

“老师太客气了。”是另一位同学低微的声音。
“You’re too modest, sir,” mumbled another classmate.
🎈「老师太客气了」意为「老师太谦虚了」,故译为You’re too modest, sir。

“老师,我们的作文是在课堂上作,还是在课外作呢?”
“Sir, shall we do the writing in the classroom or after school?”
🎈「课外」即「课后」,故译为after school。

这是我这个乡下姑娘发出的愚问,
That was a silly question raised by my humble self, a country girl.
🎈此句译文中my humble self意为敝人代替myself,略显俏皮,符合原文的内涵。

有几位同学望着我笑了;
Some classmates started giggling at me.
🎈「望着我笑了」译为giggle at me,giggle意为「因感到有趣而咯咯地笑」。

可是我并不感到难为情,反而觉得她们的笑是多余的。
But I wasn’t embarrassed at all. On the contrary, I thought their giggling was totally uncalled for.
🎈反而:On the contrary
🎈uncalled for:不必要的;不适当的,不适宜的;没有理由的
例句
uncalled-for suggestions.
多余的建议

“随便,爱在课堂上作的,就在这里作好了,写你们最爱写的题材,我走了。”
“Do as you please. It’s OK if you want to do it in the classroom. But write on a subject most favourite to you. Well, see you!”
🎈most favourite to you是定语从句that/ which is most favourite to you的简化形式。
再来看一组简化形式:
The people who were responsible for the incident were all punished. 
The people responsible for the incident were all punished.

望着老师的背影,消逝在长廊的转弯处,于是有三分之二的同学也跟着走了;
We watched him passing out of sight around a corner of the long corridor. Thereupon, two thirds of the students also left the classroom.
🎈三分之二:two thirds
几分之几的表达方式:基数词 +序数词
例如
四分之一:one fourth
九分之四:four ninths

一位坐在我右边的同学悄悄地问我:“你作什么题目?”
A student sitting on my right asked me in a whisper, “What are you going to write about?”
🎈sitting on my right为后置定语,修饰A student。

“《望断天涯儿不归》。”我毫不犹豫地回答她。
“Mother’s Longing for the Return of Her Wandering Child,” I answered without the slightest hesitation.
🎈《望断天涯儿不归》译为Mother’s Longing for the Return of Her Wandering Child,是参照作者当时为逃避母亲为她包办的婚姻而流浪他乡的背景而译的。

“是小说吗?”“不!是一篇抒情的小品文。” 我高兴极了!
“A short story?” “No. It’s a lyrical essay.” I was overjoyed at the advantages enjoyed by university students.
🎈小品文是种散文的文体,其内容经常是在生活中,作者经过反省思想传达给读者的讯息,内容题材不限。小品文是一种寓有抒情意味和讽刺性的短小散文,故译为a lyrical essay。
🎈「高兴极了」和高兴的原因结合起来翻译:I was overjoyed at the advantages enjoyed by university students。“enjoyed by university students”为非谓语动词形式。

真的,做了大学生的第一个好处是:有了许多自由,譬如作文,就是一个例子。
First of all, we were given more freedom to do what we thought best. The composition class was just one example.
🎈「有了许多自由」译为were given more freedom to do what we thought best,其中to do what we thought best是这句话的言下之意,有了许多自由来做自己认为最好的事情,故增补出来。

记得我在中学读书的时候,最感到伤脑筋的是:国文老师临到作文课时,才在黑板上出一个题目,
I remembered what had annoyed me most in middle school was that the teachers of Chinese then never gave us composition subjects in advance. They would write a subject on the blackboard at the last minute when they came to meet the class.
🎈what had annoyed me most in middle school为主语从句,而非remember的宾语从句。
🎈注意此处「国文老师」用了复数,因为中学的国文老师不止一个。

有的一次出两三个,可以由你自己选择;有的只出一个,什么《温故知新说》;《国家兴亡,匹夫有责论》;《国庆感言》……一类的题目,叫人一见便头痛。
Some of them gave two or three subjects for us to choose from. Some gave us only one subject like Learn the New by Reviewing the Old, The Destiny of the Nation Is the Concern of Every Citizen, Thoughts on National Day, etc., all of which I found extremely boring.
🎈「温故知新」译为Learn the New by Reviewing the Old,等于Learn New Things By Reviewing What Has Been Learned Before。
🎈「国家兴亡,匹夫有责」译为The Destiny of the Nation Is the Concern of Every Citizen,其中The Destiny也可改用The Rise and Fall。

我喜欢老师在作文的前几天就把题目预告,
I preferred our teacher to make public the composition subject several days before the class met. 
🎈「前几天」指的是「上课前几天」,故译为several days before the class met。
🎈「把题目预告」意即「把题目告诉我们」,故译为“make public the composition subject”,make … public意为公开,公布。

而且最好多出些抒情、描写、记述一类的题目,少作议论文;因为青年人最热情,他欢喜读抒情、描写一类的文章,也喜欢发挥自己的情感和抱负。
I preferred lyrical, descriptive and narrative subjects to argumentative ones because being enthusiastic, young people are fond of lyrical and descriptive writings and also eager to write about their own emotions and aspirations.
🎈「多出些抒情、描写、记述一类的题目,少作议论文」意即「相比议论文,我更喜欢抒情、描写、记述一类的题目」,所以译为preferred lyrical, descriptive and narrative subjects to argumentative ones,ones代替subjects。
🎈回顾「宁愿…更…」表达
would rather do A than do B
prefer to do A rather than do B
prefer doing A to doing B

我们只有写自己真实的感情,真实的思想,真实的生活,才能把文章写得好;
Only by giving a true account of our feelings, thoughts and life, can we produce good writings. 
🎈此处「写」不再是write,describe等词,而用了give an account of。

如果硬要由脑筋里压榨出一些什么空空洞洞的理论来,不但文章写不好,而且对于这些学生,简直是一种无形的精神虐待!
Forcing students to do hollow theorizing in composition will not only fail to improve their writing ability but also subject them, so to speak, to an ordeal of invisible mental abuse.
🎈「如果硬要由脑筋里压榨出一些什么空空洞洞的理论来」意即「如果强迫学生在作文时从事空洞的议论」,故译为Forcing students to do hollow theorizing in composition,其中hollow和empty同义;theorizing的意思是「议论」。
🎈「而且对于这些学生,简直是一种无形的精神虐待」译为but also subject them, so to speak, to an ordeal of invisible mental abuse,其中插入so to speak或to say是成语,作「可以这么说」「恕我直言」等解,用以表达原文的「简直」。
🎈又an ordeal(折磨)是译文中的增益成分,原文虽无其词却有其意。
🎈此句中subject不再是名词「题目」,而是动词「使经受,使遭受」

在学生时代,我喜欢写自己最爱写的东西;
In my school days, I chose to write on whatever subject I liked best.
🎈whatever subject I liked best为宾语从句。

后来到了我当教师的时候,就深深地记着“己所不欲,勿施于人”的格言,我绝不伤害他们的脑筋;
Later, when I became a school teacher, I, by keeping firmly in mind the maxim “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself”, always took care not to impose on my students anything that would cause mental torture.
🎈「我绝不伤害他们的脑筋」意即「我绝不强迫他们做伤脑筋的事」,故译took care not to impose on my students anything that would cause mental torture。anything that would cause mental torture为impose sth on sb这一词组中的sth,因过长而放在句末。
🎈回顾只用that而不用which的情况:
当先行词是不定代词all, everything, anything, something, little, much等时
例句
Is there anything that I can help you?
当先行词被序数词所修饰时
例句
This is the second book that was written by the writer.
当先行词被形容词的最高级修饰时
例句
This is the best film that I have ever seen.
当先行词前有限定词only, very, little, just等修饰时
例句
This is the very dictionary that I want to buy.
在there be句型中,只用that
例句
There is a book on the desk that I am very interested in.
先行词既有人,又有物
例句
They talked about persons and things that they remembered in the school.
为了避免重复
例句
Who is the girl that broke the window?
先行词指物,在主句中作表语时
例句
Is this the book that you borrowed in the library?
先行词是the way时
例句
That was the way that he did it.

有时一次出二三十个题目,由他们自由去选择,
Sometimes, I would set 20-30 subjects for them to select from.
🎈出题:set subjects
🎈From不可缺少,因为select from the 20-30 subjects。正如此句This room doesn’t seem to be lived in中in不能省略一样,live in this room。

或者干脆由他们自己作主,爱写什么就写什么。
Sometimes, I would just let them decide on a subject by themselves so that they could write about anything as they pleased.
🎈由他们自己作主:decide by themselves

他们写的情书,偶然也给我修改;说真话,那比他们平时的作文写得流利多了。
Occasionally, they even let me polish up the love letters penned by themselves, which, to tell you the truth, would read much more smoothly than the compositions they usually did.
🎈「修改」意即「增色,润色」故译为polish up。
🎈to tell you the truth说真话为插入语。

前面说过,我当了大学生之后,别的没有什么高兴,最使我觉得快乐的是我有了写作的自由。
As mentioned above, after I became a university student, there was nothing more agreeable to me than the freedom I enjoyed in writing.
🎈前面说过:As mentioned above
🎈最使我觉得快乐的是:nothing more agreeable to me than。否定+比较级构成最高级。

这个时期,我的生活苦极了,又穷又忙;
During this period, being poor and busy, I lived a hard life.
🎈过……的生活:live/lead a …life

穷的连坐电车的钱也没有,忙到夜以继日地改卷子,预备功课,还不能把工作完成。
I was so hard up that I couldn’t even afford the streetcar fare. And though I worked nonstop day and night, I still felt hard pressed for time to finish correcting papers and preparing lessons.
🎈夜以继日:nonstop day and night
🎈「忙到夜以继日地改卷子,预备功课,还不能把工作完成」暗含「虽然我夜以继日地工作,但改卷子,备课的时间依然很紧张」,故译为though I worked nonstop day and night, I still felt hard pressed for time to finish correcting papers and preparing lessons。

原来当我在大一的时候,就兼了两班中学国文;
That was because while I was a first-year student at the university, I concurrently taught Chinese at two middle schools. 
🎈大一学生:a first-year student at the university或 a freshman
大二学生 sophomore 
大三学生junior 
大四学生senior

说起来真太冒险了,自己还是个刚跨出中学不久的乡下姑娘,去教那些又高又大的北方青年,怪不得他们要叫我“孩子先生”了。
Just imagine a country girl fresh from middle school having the audacity to teach those husky young northerners! They certainly had every reason to call me “Child Teacher”.
🎈Just imagine(想一想)为译文中的增译成分
🎈having the audacity to意为「胆敢从事……」,用以表达原文的「说起来真太危险了」
🎈「怪不得他们要叫我‘孩子先生’了」意即「他们完全可以喊我‘孩子先生’」,故译为They certainly had every reason(或good reason) to call me ‘Child Teacher’。
🔥必背生词
slipshod       adj. 马虎的;敷衍了事的 
英义
done without care; doing things without care 
例句
The hotel had always been run in a slipshod way.
该酒店的管理一向马虎。
lyrical     adj. 抒情的
英义
expressing strong emotion in a way that is beautiful and shows imagination 
例句
lyrical melody 
抒情的旋律 
subject    v. 使臣服;使顺从;(尤指)压服
英义
to bring a country or group of people under your control, especially by using force 
例句
The Roman Empire subjected most of Europe to its rule. 
罗马帝国把欧洲多数地区置于自己的统治之下。
maxim        n. 信条,格言,箴言
英义
A maxim is a rule for good or sensible behaviour, especially one in the form of a saying
例句
I believe in the maxim ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.
我相信这样一条箴言:“不破不修”。
pen     v. 写
英义
to write sth
例句
He penned a letter to the local paper. 
他给当地报纸写了一封信。 
nonstop    adj. 不间断的,不停的
英义
without any pauses or stops
例句
non-stop entertainment / work 
连续不断的娱乐 / 工作 
pressed     adj. (时间、资金等)紧缺,短绌
英义
not having enough of sth, especially time or money 
例句
I’m really pressed for cash at the moment. 
眼下我真的缺钱。 
concurrent    adj. 并存的,同时发生的
英义
existing or happening at the same time 
例句
The prison sentences will run concurrently
所判的几个刑期合并执行。
fresh     adj. 刚从…来;刚有过…经历
英义
having just come from a particular place; having just had a particular experience
例句
students fresh from college 
刚刚毕业的大学生 
audacity     n. 鲁莽,大胆无礼
英义
brave but rude or shocking behaviour 
例句
He had the audacity to say I was too fat.
他竟敢说我太肥胖。
husky   adj. 〔男子〕高大健壮的
英义
especially AmEa man or boy who is husky is big and strong
例句
 …a very husky young man, built like a football player.
非常魁梧的帅气小伙,身材像橄榄球运动员
🔥重点词汇
初进女师大的第一年 at the beginning of my first year at Peking Women’s Normal University
每学期至少交七八篇文章 hand in for each semester at least seven or eight compositions
多多益善 the more, the better
不会作 beyond my ability 
考进大学 pass the examination for admission to the university
早在中学时代就已经写通文章 have learned composition as long ago as your middle school days
指导你们做深一层的研究 give you guidance in advanced studies
无能为力 be in no position to do much to help you
多余 uncalled for 
写你们最爱的题材 write on a subject most favourite to you
望着老师的背影消失在长廊的转弯处 watch him passing out of sight around a corner of the long corridor
毫不犹豫地回答 answer without the slightest hesitation 
一片抒情的小品文 a lyrical essay
让我们在两三个题目里选择 give two or three subjects for us to choose from
温故知新 learn the new by reviewing the old
国家兴亡,匹夫有责 the destiny of the nation is the concern of every citizen
欢喜读抒情、描写一类的文章 be fond of lyrical and descriptive writings
喜欢发挥自己的情感和抱负 be eager to write about their own emotions and aspirations
写自己真实的情感,真实的思想,真实的生活 give a true account of our feelings, thoughts and life
文章写不好 fail to improve their writing ability
对学生是无形的精神虐待 subject students to an ordeal of invisible mental abuse
写自己最爱写的东西 write on whatever subject I like best
己所不欲勿施于人 do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself
深深记着 keep sth firmly in mind
由他们自由选择写什么 let them decide on a subject by themselves
让我修改他们自己写的情书 let me polish up the love letters penned by themselves
比他们平时的作文写得流利多了 read much more smoothly than the compositions they usually do
连坐电车的钱也没有 can’t even afford the streetcar fare 
夜以继日 nonstop day and night
刚跨出中学不久的乡下姑娘 a country girl fresh from middle school 
教那些又高又大的北方青年 have the audacity to teach those husky young northerners
🔥复盘测试
初进女师大的第一年
每学期至少交七八篇文章
多多益善
不会作
考进大学
早在中学时代就已经写通文章
指导你们做深一层的研究
无能为力
多余
写你们最爱的题材
望着老师的背影消失在长廊的转弯处
毫不犹豫地回答
一片抒情的小品文
让我们在两三个题目里选择
温故知新
国家兴亡,匹夫有责
欢喜读抒情、描写一类的文章
喜欢发挥自己的情感和抱负
写自己真实的情感,真实的思想,真实的生活
文章写不好
对学生是无形的精神虐待
写自己最爱写的东西
己所不欲勿施于人
深深记着
由他们自由选择写什么
让我修改他们自己写的情书
比他们平时的作文写得流利多了
连坐电车的钱也没有
夜以继日
刚跨出中学不久的乡下姑娘
教那些又高又大的北方青年
🔥表达对比
关于「喜欢、爱」的不同表达
 
“随便,爱在课堂上作的,就在这里作好了,写你们最爱写的题材,我走了。”
“Do as you please. It’s OK if you want to do it in the classroom. But write on a subject most favourite to you. Well, see you!”
他欢喜读抒情、描写一类的文章,
young people are fond of lyrical and descriptive writings 
也喜欢发挥自己的情感和抱负。
and also eager to write about their own emotions and aspirations.
在学生时代,我喜欢写自己最爱写的东西;
In my school days, I chose to write on whatever subject I liked best.
或者干脆由他们自己作主,爱写什么就写什么。
Sometimes, I would just let them decide on a subject by themselves so that they could write about anything as they pleased.
好学的,爱古物的,人们自然喜欢北平,因为这里书多古物多。
Those who are fond of studying or collecting curios will naturally be drawn to Peiping, which is remarkable for its rich store of books and curios.
起初,孩子们并不怎么喜欢她。
In the beginning, the children did not think much of her.
第三是我不喜欢穿鲜艳颜色的衣服,我喜欢的是黑色,蓝色,灰色,白色。
Thirdly, I always prefer to be dressed in black, blue, grey and white rather than gay colours.
我的女人最喜欢养鸡。
My wife is very keen on raising chickens.

未经允许不得转载:帕布莉卡 » 谢冰莹《我爱作文》 -英语技巧与实例-英汉互译实用教程

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