茅盾《雾》 -英语翻译技巧与实例-英汉互译实用教程

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Fog
茅盾
Mao Dun
🔥背景知识:《雾》是茅盾(1896-1981)于1928年夏东渡日本后写的一篇散文。当时他对国内的黑暗现实深感失望,在文章中以托物咏怀的手法,抒发内心的郁闷和茫然,反映出同时代知识分子的共同心态。
雾遮没了正对着后窗的一带山峰。
The mountain peaks directly facing the back window of my room were veiled in fog.
🎈directly facing the back window of my room为后置定语修饰一带山峰The mountain peaks。
🎈「雾遮没了」即「笼罩在雾中」,故译为were veiled in fog,此处将主动语态转换为被动语态。

我还不知道这些山峰叫什么名儿。
The names of these mountain peaks are still unknown to me.
🎈此句采用了无灵主语,从有灵主语「我」转换为无灵主语名字The names。

我来此的第一夜就看见那最高的一座山的顶巅像钻石装成的宝冕似的灯火。
The first night when I was there I had seen the top of the highest mountain shining with lights like a precious crown set with diamond.
🎈「钻石装成的宝冕」译为a precious crown set with diamond,其中set with等于decorated with,作「装饰」解,作为后置定语修饰a precious crown(此处也可以理解为:set with diamond为定语从句的简化形式,完整形式为that/which was set with diamond)。

那时我的房里还没有电灯,每晚上在暗中默坐,凝望这半空的一片光明,使我记起了儿时所读的童话。
As there was no electric light in my room, all I could do in the evening was sit quietly in the dark and fix my eyes on the midair radiance, which reminded me of the fairy tales I had read in my childhood.
🎈all I could do in the evening was sit quietly…体现的语法的「有do没to」
🎈radiance此处为「光辉」之意。
例句
The dim bulb of the bedside lamp cast a soft radiance over his face.
床头灯朦胧的光柔和地投射在他脸上。
🎈which reminded me of the fairy tales I had read in my childhood为非限制性定语从句,其中I had read in my childhood为定语从句修饰fairy tales,由于先行词在从句中充当read的宾语,故可以省略。

实在的呢,这排列得很整齐的依稀分为三层的火球,衬着黑魆魆的山峰的背景,无论如何,是会引起非人间的缥缈的思想的。
Indeed, the orderly array of lights shining in three indistinct tiers one above another against a background of dark mountain peaks could conjure up, without fail, visions of the ethereal.
🎈这一整句中小短句很多,首先提炼出中心意思「火球的排列引起思想」,所以「这排列得很整齐的依稀分为三层的火球」译为the orderly array of lights shining in three indistinct tiers one above,其中「火球」指的就是灯lights,shining in three indistinct tiers one above作为后置定语修饰lights。
🎈「衬着黑魆魆的山峰的背景」中的动词「衬着」转为介词against(在…背景下),译为against a background of dark mountain peaks。
🎈「引起」也可译为to give rise to或to cause等,但均不如to conjure up生动贴切,因conjure up的意思是「使……呈现于脑际或眼帘」。
🎈「非人间的缥缈的思想的」译为visions of the ethereal,其中形容词ethereal的意思是supernatural and airy,兼有「非人间」和「虚无缥缈」之意。又,在形容词 ethereal前面加定冠词the,使之成为表示抽象概念的名词。如Weed through the old to bring forth the new(推陈出新)中的the old和the new均为抽象名词。

但在白天看来,却就平凡得很。
In the daytime, however, it was all prosaic.
🎈「平凡得很」译为it was all prosaic,其中prosaic等于commonplace或dull and ordinary。又,all在此为副词,修饰prosaic,作completely。

并排的五六个山峰,差不多高低,就只最西的一峰戴着一簇房子,其余的仅只有树;
The five or six peaks forming the front row were about the same height. The westernmost one had on top a cluster of houses while the rest were topped by nothing but trees.
🎈forming the front row为后置定语修饰The five or six peaks。
🎈on top意即在顶上,The westernmost one had on top a cluster of houses将状语on top提到动词had后面来。
🎈be topped by sth意即to have something on top顶上有某物。
例句
The roof was topped by a chimney.
房顶有一个烟囱。
此句中top出现了两个词性,可见译者用词之精妙。

中间最大的一峰竟还有濯濯地一大块,像是癞子头上的疮疤。
The highest one in the middle had on it a large piece of barren land, like the scar on a favus-infected human head.
🎈「濯濯地」指的是山坡上光秃秃的样子,故「濯濯地一大块」译为a large piece of barren land,因后面还有从句修饰,所以放在主句末尾。
🎈「癞子头」又称「瘌痢头」,指受黄癣感染的头,译为a favus-infected human head或a human head affected with favus。

现在那照例的晨雾把什么都遮没了,就是稍远的电线杆也躲得毫无影踪。
Now, as usual, the morning fog had shut out everything completely, including the not-too-distant wire poles.
🎈「……把什么都遮没了」译为…had shut out everything completely,其中成语to shut out的意思是「遮蔽」

渐渐地太阳光从浓雾中钻出来了。
Gradually, however, the sun managed to show through the dense fog.
🎈从浓雾中钻出来:show through the dense fog

那也是可怜的太阳呢!光是那样的淡弱。
Yet how pitifully pale it looked!
🎈此句意即「太阳光暗淡得可怜」,英译时可两句合并为一句处理:Yet how pitifully pale it looked!

随后它也躲开,让白茫茫的浓雾吞噬了一切,包围了大地。
And soon it disappeared altogether, leaving the white thick fog to engulf everything and shroud mother earth.
🎈leaving the white thick fog to engulf everything and shroud mother earth为非谓语动词作伴随状语,Engulf和shroud为并列成分。

我诅咒这抹煞一切的雾!
I hate the all-obliterating fog!
🎈这抹煞一切的雾 the all-obliterating fog

我自然也讨厌寒风和冰雪。
Of course I hate biting wind and icy snow too.
🎈「寒风和冰雪」译为biting wind and icy snow,biting意为冰冷的,凛冽的;icy意为冰冷的,冰冻的。

但和雾比较起来,我是宁愿后者呵!
But when they are compared with fog, I would rather have the former than the latter!
🎈they指的是寒风和冰雪biting wind and icy snow。
🎈前者:the former
后者:the latter

寒风和冰雪的天气能够杀人,但也刺激人们活动起来奋斗。
Though biting wind and icy snow may sometimes be a killer, yet they can also spur people on to greater efforts.
🎈「寒风和冰雪的天气能够杀人」译为biting wind and icy snow may sometimes be a killer,其中killer作「凶手」或「杀人者」解。此句如译为freezing weather with biting wind and icy snow may sometimes kill people,似欠简练。

雾,雾呀,只使你苦闷;使你颓唐阑珊,像陷在烂泥淖中,满心想挣扎,可是无从着力呢!
O you fog! You plunge us into a state of depression and dejection, from which we struggle in vain to extricate ourselves as if we were bogged down in a mire.
🎈「只使你苦闷;使你颓唐阑珊」意即「雾使我们苦闷,颓唐」,故译为You plunge us into a state of depression and dejection。
🎈from which we struggle in vain to extricate ourselves as if we were bogged down in a mire为非限制性定语从句,其中as if we were bogged down in a mire使用了虚拟语气。
🎈回顾as if的虚拟用法:
若表示与现在事实相反,谓语动词用一般过去时;
若表示与过去事实相反,谓语动词用过去完成时;
若表示与将来的可能性不大,用would(might,could) do .
例句
He acts as if he knew me.
他显得认识我似的。

傍午的时候,雾变成了牛毛雨,像帘子似的老是挂在窗前。
About noon the fog turned into a fine misty rain like a curtain hanging still at the window.
🎈此处still不是形容词「平静的」意思,而是副词「仍然,还是」之意。

两三丈以外,便只见一片烟云——依然遮抹一切,只不是雾样的罢了。
Some 30 feet away, a cloud of misty vapour prevailed, blotting out everything.
🎈译文将「一片烟云」和「只不是雾样的罢了」联系在一起,译为a cloud of misty vapour。

没有风。
The air was windless.
🎈此处无风通过windless,处理方式很棒。

门前池中的残荷梗时时忽然急剧地动摇起来,接着便有红鲤鱼的活泼泼的跳跃划破了死一样平静的水面。
Every now and then, the withered lotus stems in the pond in front of my door gave a sudden violent jerk as a red carp was seen splashing briskly out of the water to break the death-like silence.
🎈「忽然急剧地动摇起来」译为give a sudden violent jerk,其中「急剧地」一词由副词转为形容词violent,「动摇」也有动词转为名词jerk。
🎈「红鲤鱼的活泼泼的跳跃」进行了偏正转换,译为a red carp was seen splashing briskly,形容词「活泼泼的」也转化为副词briskly。

我不知道红鲤鱼的规外行动是不是为了不堪沉闷的压迫?
I wonder if the red carp’s aberration was due to its impatience with the unbearably oppressive status quo.
🎈此句反问句同样处理为陈述句,通过I wonder if 体现含义。
🎈「红鲤鱼的规外行动」中的「规外」意即「反常」或「异常」,故全文译为the red carp’s aberration,等于the red carp’s abnormal behaviour。
🎈「是不是为了不堪沉闷的压迫」意即「红鲤鱼的行为是否是因为无法忍受压迫的现状,从而变得焦虑」,故译为was due to its impatience with the unbearably oppressive status quo。

在我呢,既然没有杲杲的太阳,便宁愿有疾风大雨,很不耐这愁雾的后身的牛毛雨老是像帘子一样挂在窗前。
As for me, failing a bright sunshine, I would rather have a violent storm. I cannot endure the fine misty rain which came in the wake of the gloomy fog to linger like a curtain hanging still at the window.
🎈「既然没有杲杲的太阳」意即「如无阳光灿烂」,译为failing a bright sunshine,其中failing为介词,作「如果没有」解。
🎈in the wake of 紧紧跟随
例句
In the wake of a tragedy, a daughter was saved.
一场悲剧过后,姑娘获救了。
🔥必背单词
midair     adj.半空中;悬空
英义
a place in the air or the sky, not on the ground
例句
The bird caught the insects in mid-air
鸟在半空中捕捉了昆虫。 
array     n.陈列;布置
英义
An array of objects is a collection of them that is displayed or arranged in a particular way. 
例句
There was an impressive array of pill bottles stacked on top of the fridge…
冰箱上显眼地摆放着许多药瓶。
conjure     v. 使…呈现于脑际;使想起 
英义
conjure sth up: to make sth appear as a picture in your mind 
例句
That smell always conjures up memories of holidays in France. 
那种气味总是令人勾起在法国度假那段日子的回忆。 
ethereal    adj. 非实际的;非人间的;天上的
英义
Ethereal means unrelated to practical things and the real world. 
例句
the ethereal nature of romantic fiction.
爱情小说超脱现实的本质
prosaic    adj. 平庸的;没有诗意(或美感)的
英义
ordinary and not showing any imagination 
例句
prosaic style 
平淡的风格 
shroud     v. 覆盖;隐藏;遮蔽
英义
to cover or hide sth
例句
The city was shrouded in mist. 
城市笼罩在雾霭之中。
obliterate     v. 毁掉;覆盖;清除
英义
to remove all signs of sth, either by destroying or covering it completely
例句
The building was completely obliterated by the bomb. 
炸弹把那座建筑物彻底摧毁了。 
biting      adj. 刺骨的;凛冽的 
英义
very cold and unpleasant
例句
a raw, biting northerly wind…
阴冷刺骨的北风
plunge      v. 使经历,使陷入(不快的事情)
英义
plunge sb / sth into sth: to make sb / sth experience sth unpleasant
例句
The news plunged them into deep depression. 
这条消息立即使他们深感沮丧。 
dejection   n. 沮丧;情绪低落;垂头丧气
英义
a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment
例句
There was a slight air of dejection about her.
她看上去稍微有点儿沮丧。
extricate    v.  (使)摆脱,脱离,脱出
英义
to escape or enable sb to escape from a difficult situation 
例句
He had managed to extricate himself from most of his official duties.
他终于摆脱了大部份公务。 
blot    v. 遮住;掩盖;隐藏
英义
blot sth out: to cover or hide sth completely
例句
Clouds blotted out the sun. 
云遮住了太阳。 
🔥重点词组
正对着后窗 directly face the window
最高的一座山的顶巅 the top of the highest mountain
钻石装成的宝冕 a precious crown set with diamond
在暗中默坐 sit quietly in the dark
凝望这半空的一片光明 fix my eyes on the midair radiance
使我记起了儿时所读的童话  remind me of the fairy tales I have read in my childhood
排列得很整齐的灯 the orderly array of lights
衬着黑魆魆的山峰的背景 against a background of dark mountain peaks
无论如何 without fail
引起非人间的缥缈的思想的 conjure up visions of the ethereal
在白天in the daytime
很平凡be all prosaic
差不多高低 be about the same height
一簇房子 a cluster of houses
仅只有树 nothing but trees
濯濯地一大块 a large piece of barren land
癞子头上的疮疤 the scar on a favus-infected human head
把什么都遮没了 shut out everything completely
从浓雾中钻出来show through the dense fog
让白茫茫的浓雾吞噬了一切 leave the white thick fog to engulf everything
包围了大地 shroud mother earth
这抹煞一切的雾 the all-obliterating fog
寒风和冰雪biting wind and icy snow
刺激人们活动起来奋斗 spur people on to greater efforts
只使我们苦闷;使我们颓唐阑珊 plunge us into a state of depression and dejection
陷在烂泥淖中 be bogged down in a mire
满心想挣扎,可是无从着力 struggle in vain to extricate ourselves
傍午的时候 about noon
变成了牛毛雨 turn into a fine misty rain
老是挂在窗前 hang still at the window
遮抹一切 blot out everything
时时 every now and then 
门前池中的残荷梗 the withered lotus stems in the pond in front of my door
忽然急剧地动摇起来 give a sudden violent jerk
划破了死一样平静的水面 break the death-like silence
不堪沉闷的压迫 its impatience with the unbearably oppressive status quo
既然没有杲杲的太阳 failing a bright sunshine
宁愿有疾风大雨 would rather have a violent storm
愁雾的后身 come in the wake of the gloomy fog
🔥复盘测试
正对着后窗 
最高的一座山的顶巅 
钻石装成的宝冕 
在暗中默坐 
凝望这半空的一片光明
使我记起了儿时所读的童话 
排列得很整齐的灯 
衬着黑魆魆的山峰的背景 
无论如何
引起非人间的缥缈的思想的
在白天
很平凡
差不多高低
一簇房子
仅只有树
濯濯地一大块
癞子头上的疮疤
把什么都遮没了 
从浓雾中钻出来
让白茫茫的浓雾吞噬了一切
包围了大地
这抹煞一切的雾 
寒风和冰雪
刺激人们活动起来奋斗 
只使我们苦闷;使我们颓唐阑珊 
陷在烂泥淖中 
满心想挣扎,可是无从着力 
傍午的时候 
变成了牛毛雨
老是挂在窗前 
遮抹一切 
时时 
门前池中的残荷梗 
忽然急剧地动摇起来 
划破了死一样平静的水面 
不堪沉闷的压迫 
既然没有杲杲的太阳
宁愿有疾风大雨 
愁雾的后身 
🔥表达对比
关于「遮住」的不同表达
 
雾遮没了正对着后窗的一带山峰。
The mountain peaks directly facing the back window of my room were veiled in fog.
现在那照例的晨雾把什么都遮没了,就是稍远的电线杆也躲得毫无影踪。
Now, as usual, the morning fog had shut out everything completely, including the not-too-distant wire poles.
随后它也躲开,让白茫茫的浓雾吞噬了一切,包围了大地。
And soon it disappeared altogether, leaving the white thick fog to engulf everything and shroud mother earth.
我诅咒这抹煞一切的雾!
I hate the all-obliterating fog!
两三丈以外,便只见一片烟云——依然遮抹一切,只不是雾样的罢了。
Some 30 feet away, a cloud of misty vapour prevailed, blotting out everything.

未经允许不得转载:帕布莉卡 » 茅盾《雾》 -英语翻译技巧与实例-英汉互译实用教程

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