《枣 核 –萧乾 》 -英语翻译技巧与实例-英汉互译实用教程

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枣 核 –萧乾

Date Stones –Xiao Qian 
🔥背景知识:萧乾(1910-1999),作家,文学翻译家,曾任《大公报》记者,以散文、特写著称。曾任人民文学出版社顾问。《枣核》以平易简洁的文字,叙述一个长期侨居国外的旧时同窗,尽管已改变了国籍,不忘自己是炎黄子孙,一往情深地眷恋故乡故土和本民族。
 
🎈记得有篇英汉翻译作业,标题就是Three Peach Stones《三颗桃核》。stone作「果核」讲时,是可数名词。美式英语通常用pit。
 

动身访美之前,一位旧时同窗写来封航空信,再三托付我为他带几颗生枣核。东西倒不占分量,可是用途却很蹊跷。
Before I set out for the US, a former schoolmate of mine wrote me by airmail, asking me in all earnest to bring him some raw date stones. They were not heavy in weight, yet I was curious about their use.
🎈write作动词,意为「给……写信」时,常用搭配为write to someone,美国英语亦可用write someone.
🎈「再三托付我为他带几颗生枣核」中的「再三」作「恳切」解,不能按字面理解为「一次又一次」或「重复」。因此全句译为asking me in all earnest to bring him some raw date stones,其中in all earnest是成语,作「认真地」或「恳切地」解
🎈「蹊跷」:奇怪、可疑。此处指作者不知生枣核用途,故译作was curious about their use。
 

从费城出发前,我们就通了电话。一下车,他已经在站上等了。掐指一算,分手快有半个世纪了,现在都已是风烛残年。
At Philadelphia, shortly before starting out for my friend’s place, I called him up. So when I got off the train at the destination, I found him already waiting for me at the station. It was about half a century since we last met, and we were now both in our declining years. 
🎈开始,出发 start out
🎈给……打电话 call …up /call up…
🎈因为出发前通过电话,(所以)一下车就碰了面。增译「So」使译文逻辑更通畅。
🎈晚年,风烛残年 declining years 
例句
So little is known of Norwood that it may in fact be that he deserved his unhappy declining years.
我们对诺伍德的情况知之甚少,反正他在不愉快环境中度过了晚年,实际上也许是活该。
 

拥抱之后,他就殷切地问我:“带来了吗?”我赶快从手提包里掏出那几颗枣核。他托在掌心,像比珍珠玛瑙还贵重。 
After hugging each other, he asked me eagerly, “Have you brought them with you?” I immediately fished out the date stones from my handbag. He fondled them in his palm as if they were something more valuable than pearls or agates. 
🎈「我赶快从手提包里掏出那几棵枣核」中的「掏出」译为fished out比took out 贴切,因前者有「搜寻」的含义。 
🎈「他托在掌心」译为He fondled them in his palm,比He held them in his palm贴切,因to fondle表达了原文的内涵「爱抚」
 

他当年那股调皮劲显然还没改。我问起枣核的用途,他一面往衣兜里揣,一面故弄玄虚地说:“等会儿你就明白了。” 
Obviously he was just as childlike as before, when I asked about the use of the date stones, he put them into his pocket and replied by way of fooling me deliberately, “You’ll understand soon.”
🎈当年那股调皮劲显然还没改→还是同之前一样,像孩子似的,现译作was just as childlike as before。
🎈「故弄玄虚地说」中的「故弄玄虚」作「故意把……搞得神秘化」解,通常可译为deliberately to make a mystery of……。现全句按「故意开玩笑地说」的意思译为replied by way of fooling me deliberately,其中by way of 是成语,其意思是「为了」或「意在」(with the intention of)。 
 

那真是座美丽的山城,汽车开去,一路坡上坡下满是一片嫣红。倘若在中国,这里一定会有枫城之称。
It was really a beautiful mountain city. As we drove on, an expanse of rich crimson up and down the slope came into sight. In China a place like this would have been described as a maple city.
🎈「一片+颜色词」的表达
一片嫣红an expanse of rich crimson
🎈up and down the slope是副词短语,修饰came into sight。「一路坡上坡下」即车子一路一直在上坡下坡,所以人视野中的一片殷红也在上上下下。
 

过了几个山坳,他朝枫树丛中一座三层小楼指了指说:“喏,到了。” 汽车拐进草坪,离车库还有三四米,车库就像认识主人似的自动掀启。
After passing through several cols, my friend said pointing to a three-storied house amidst the maple trees, “Here we are.” The car turned into a lawn and when it was three or four meters away from the garage, its door automatically opened as if it recognized its own master.
🎈一座三层小楼 a three- storied house。其中,(美式英语为story)英式英语中,表示楼层建筑可用a …-storied/…-storey building。
🎈turn into有多个意思,除了「变为……」;还有「拐进」的意思。
 

朋友有点不好意思地解释说,买这座大房子时,孩子们还上着学,如今都成家立业了。学生物化学的老伴儿在一家研究所里做营养试验。
My friend looked somewhat ill at ease when he told me this: At the time he bought this big house, his children had all been at school. Now they had their own homes and jobs. His wife, a biochemist, was a dietician at a research institute. 
🎈ill at ease不好意思,尴尬,不自在 
英义
feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed
🎈at the time和at that time的区别
at the time 表示那时,那个时候(表示过去)
例句
A:I heard that the couple living next to you quarrelled again last night. Did you know that?
我听说你隔壁的夫妇昨晚又吵架了,你知道吗?
B: I didn’t. I was sleeping at the time。 
不知道呢。当时我在睡觉。
at that time 意思是 在那时候(可以表示过去也可以表示将来)。
例句
表示过去
A: I called you yesterday afternoon but no one answer. 
我昨天下午打电话给你但没人接。
B: I was playing football with my classmate at that time。 
我那时候在跟我的同学踢足球呢。
表示将来
A: How do I know whether you will be free? 
我怎么可以知道你是否有时间?
B: You can call me at that time. 
你可以在那时候打电话给我
🎈at school 特指在学校学习
at the school 在学校里,但不一定是学习
类似词组
in hospital病人住院
in the hospital在医院里
🎈在一家研究所里做营养试验→在研究所里当营养师,现译为was a dietician at a research institute。
 

他把我安顿在二楼临湖的一个房间后,就领我去踏访他的后花园。地方不大,布置得却精致匀称。
After assigning me a room on the second floor facing a lake, he showed me around his back garden, which, though not too big, was exquisite and nicely arranged.
🎈把我安顿在二楼临湖的一个房间→给我分了一个房间,现译为assigning me a room。把……分配给……assign sb. sth. /assign sth. to sb.
🎈「领我去踏访他的后花园」译为he showed me around his back garden,其中to show around是短语动词,作「带领某人参观某地」解。 
🎈「布置得却精致匀称」译为was exquisite and nicely arranged,其中nicely的意思是「恰当好处」或「恰恰合适」
 

我们在靠篱笆的一张白色长凳上坐下,他劈头就问我:“觉不觉得这花园有点家乡味道?”经他指点,我留意到台阶两旁是他手栽的两株垂杨柳,草坪中央有个睡莲池。
The moment we sat down on a white bench close to a hedge, he asked me, “Don’t you find something here smacking of our native place in China?” At this, I noticed a weeping willow, planted by himself, on either side of a flight of steps as well as a water-lily pond in the middle of the garden.
🎈the moment/instant/minute/second…(that) 表示「一……就……」,that经常可以省略。moment等词前可以用very修饰。
例句
I started the very moment I got your letter.
我一接到你的信就动身了。
🎈close to a hedge是bench的后置定语。smacking of our native place是something的后置定语。
🎈planted by himself,非限制性定语从句,插入语,还有这种逗号隔开的后置定语,实际上都可以归在「非限制性成分」这个大类之下:不论存在与否都不影响句子本来的含义,只负责在句子原有语义的基础上增加额外信息。
🎈一段台阶 a flight of steps。此处flight是可数名词,意为一段(台阶或楼梯
Q:为什么原文是“两株垂杨柳”,译文中却是a weeping willow?
🎈译文中用到了on either side of a flight of steps,表示台阶两旁各有一株柳树,一共是两株。
 

他感慨良深地对我说:“栽垂柳的时候,我那个小子才五岁,如今在一条核潜艇上当总机械长了。姑娘在哈佛教书。家庭和事业都如意,各种新式设备也都有了。
He said with deep feeling, “When I planted the willows, my son was only five. Now he serves as head of chief mechanics in a nuclear submarine. My daughter teaches at Harvard University. I’m happy with my family and my career. I own all modern household facilities I need.
🎈复习serve as的用法。
🎈家庭和事业都如意→我对我的家庭和事业感到满意开心,现译为I’m happy with my family and my career
🎈all modern household facilities I need中I need是增译成分。世上新式设备如此之多,是不可能全部拥有的,而是拥有我需要的新式设备。
 

可是我心上总像是缺点什么。也许是没出息,怎么年纪越大,思乡越切。我现在可充分体会出游子的心境了。
But I still feel something lacking. Maybe I’m a bit too foolish. How come the older I become, the more I think of my homeland. Now I fully understand the frame of mind of one residing in a place far away from home.
🎈「也许是没出息」不宜按字面直译,现按「也许是自己有些傻」译为Maybe I’m a bit too foolish。
🎈How come后面接上不颠倒词序的问句,有「怎的」「为什么竟然」的意思,来自德语Wie kommt es…(= how comes it…)。
例句
How come the door’s locked? 
门怎的竟然是锁着的?
🎈心情,心境 frame of mind

我想厂甸,想隆福寺。这里一过圣诞,我就想旧历年。近来,我老是想总布胡同院里那棵枣树。所以才托你带几颗种籽,试种一下。”
I always think of Changdian and Longfusi. Every time Christmas is celebrated here in America, I think of the lunar New Year back in China. I can never forget the date tree in the courtyard of the house on Zongbu Hutong. That’s why I’ve asked you to bring me some date stones. I’ll try to plant them here. 
🎈think单独使用时表示「思考」,接that宾语从句时意为「认为、觉得」。think of意为「考虑到、想到」,后常接代词、名词或动词-ing形式。
🎈every time是每一次(相当于一个副词) 
 

接着,他又指着花园一角堆起的一座假山石说:“你相信吗?那是我开车到几十里以外,一块块亲手挑选,论公斤买下,然后用汽车拉回来的。那是我们家的‘北海’。”
Then he said pointing to a jumble of rockery standing in a corner of the garden, “Believe it or not, the rocks, hand-picked by me, were bought by the kilogram. I drove dozens of kilometers away to haul them back in my car. Look, that’s Beihai in our home.”
🎈「堆起的一座假山石」译为a jumble of rockery,其中jumble的意思是「杂乱的一堆」。 
🎈「你相信吗?」本可译为Don’t you believe it?现译为Believe it or not,为具有同样意思的常用口头语。 
🎈「论公斤买下」即「按公斤计算买下」,译为bought by the kilogram。注意这里介词by和后面的定冠词the属习惯搭配。
🎈遇到数字,除了直接翻出来,还可选用dozen,decade等等。
 

说到这里,我们两人都不约而同地站了起来。沿着草坪旁用卵石铺成的小径,走到“北海”跟前。真是个细心人呢,他在上面还嵌了一所泥制的小凉亭,一座红庙,顶上还有尊白塔。
Thereupon, we rose to our feet simultaneously and walked along a cobbled footpath beside the lawn towards the miniature Beihai. What a careful man my friend was! He had had the artificial hill inlaid with a clay pavilion and a red temple, with a white pagoda on top.
🎈drop to their knees跪下
rise to our feet站起
to one’s feet站起来(常与 bound, dart, jump, start 等连用)
🎈「走到‘北海’跟前」译为Walked……towards the miniature Beihai,其中miniature(微型的)是译者添加的成分,用以表达原文中加引号的北海。 
🎈inlaid with a clay pavilion and a red temple是hill的后置定语。
inlaid with……表示嵌有……
 

朋友解释说,都从旧金山唐人街买来的。他告诉我,时常在月夜,他同老伴儿并肩坐在这长凳上,追忆起当年在北海泛舟的日子。
He said he had bought the decorative objects from China Town in San Francisco. He also told me that on a moonlit night he and his wife would sit side by side on the bench recalling how they had used to go boating on the Beihai Lake. 
🎈would + 动词原形可以表示过去经常做的事情,此时经常要和often, always等频率词连用。
注意
「would + 动词原词」也可表过去将来时,但不和这些频率词连用。
另外
在表示过去和现在的对比时不用would + 动词原形这一结构,而要用used to结构。
 

睡莲的清香迎风扑来,眼前仿佛就闪出一片荷塘佳色。
Meanwhile, as I smelled the faint scent of the water-lilies carried to us by the breeze, I felt as if the beautiful scene of a Chinese lotus pond were flashing past my eyes.
🎈carried to us by the breeze是faint scent的后置定语。
🎈从我眼前闪过flash past my eyes 
 

改了国籍,不等于就改了民族感情;而且没有一个民族像我们这么依恋故土的。
The change of nationality doesn’t mean the change of national feeling. No other nation has such a strong attachment for the native land as we Chinese.
🎈No other后加名词单数或者复数。表示否定意义。
🎈such…as…单用于引导定语从句,例如I’ve never heard such stories as he tells.
补充
such…that…引导结果状语从句
例句
It was such a cold day that there was nobody on the street.
 
🔥必背词汇
airmail    un.航空邮政
英义
Airmail is the system of sending letters, parcels, and goods by air.
例句
an airmail letter
航空信
 
agate   n.玛瑙
英义
Agate is a very hard stone which is used to make jewellery.
例句
She wore a string of agates round her throat.
她脖子上戴了一串玛瑙。
 
crimson  n.深红色;暗红色
英义
Something that is crimson is deep red in colour.
例句
a mass of crimson flowers
一大片火红的花
 
col   n.山坳
英义
a low point between two higher points in a mountain range
 
garage   n.车库,停车房
英义
A garage is a building in which you keep a car. A garage is often built next to or as part of a house.
例句
His garage wall backs on to the neighbouring property.
他的车库墙背连着邻居家。
 
dietician   n.饮食学家,营养学家
英义
A dietician is a person whose job is to give people advice about the kind of food they should eat. Dieticians often work in hospitals.
 
exquisite   adj.精美的,精致的
英义
Something that is exquisite is extremely beautiful or pleasant, especially in a delicate way.
例句
an exquisite chalice
精致的酒杯
 
weeping    adj.垂着的
英义
(of some trees) with branches that hang downwards
例句
weeping willow
垂柳
 
🔥重点表达
枣核Date Stones
动身访美set out for the US
一位旧时同窗a former schoolmate of mine
写来封航空信wrote me by airmail
认真地、恳切地in all earnest
开始,出发 start out
给……打电话 call …up /call up…
下车got off the train
现在都已是风烛残年were now both in our declining years
掏出fished out
像比珍珠玛瑙还贵重as if they were something more valuable than pearls or agates
当年那股调皮劲显然还没改was just as childlike as before
故弄玄虚地说replied by way of fooling me deliberately
一路坡上坡下满是一片嫣红an expanse of rich crimson up and down the slope came into sight
有枫城之称be described as a maple city
过了几个山坳after passing through several cols
一座三层小楼a three- storied house
拐进草坪turned into a lawn
有点不好意思looked somewhat ill at ease
成家立业own homes and jobs
在一家研究所里at a research institute
我安顿在二楼临湖的一个房间assigning me a room on the second floor facing a lake
布置得却精致匀称was exquisite and nicely arranged
带领某人参观某地show around
有点家乡味道smacking of our native place in China
垂杨柳a weeping willow
一段台阶 a flight of steps
家庭和事业都如意be happy with my family and my career
心上总像是缺点什么feel something lacking
心情;心境frame of mind
花园一角堆起的一座假山石a jumble of rockery standing in a corner of the garden
论公斤买下bought by the kilogram
站了起来rise to our feet 
嵌有……inlaid with……
旧金山唐人街China Town in San Francisco
在月夜on a moonlit night
并肩坐在这长凳上sit side by side on the bench
在北海泛舟go boating on the Beihai Lake
睡莲water-lilies
眼前仿佛就闪出一片荷塘佳色felt as if the beautiful scene of a Chinese lotus pond were flashing past my eyes
民族感情national feeling
没有一个民族像我们这么依恋故土的No other nation has such a strong attachment for the native land as we Chinese.
 
🔥复盘测试
枣核
动身访美
一位旧时同窗
写来封航空信
认真地、恳切地
开始,出发
给……打电话 
下车
现在都已是风烛残年
掏出
像比珍珠玛瑙还贵重
当年那股调皮劲显然还没改
故弄玄虚地说
一路坡上坡下满是一片嫣红
有枫城之称
过了几个山坳
一座三层小楼
拐进草坪
有点不好意思
成家立业
在一家研究所里
我安顿在二楼临湖的一个房间
布置得却精致匀称
带领某人参观某地
有点家乡味道
垂杨柳
一段台阶
家庭和事业都如意
心上总像是缺点什么
心情;心境
花园一角堆起的一座假山石
论公斤买下
站了起来
嵌有……
旧金山唐人街
在月夜
并肩坐在这长凳上
在北海泛舟
睡莲
眼前仿佛就闪出一片荷塘佳色
民族感情
没有一个民族像我们这么依恋故土的
 
🔥表达对比
「不好意思」这个词的意思要看具体语境,有几种表达呢?
朋友「有点不好意思地」解释说,  
My friend looked somewhat ill at ease when he told me this:
 
这是那个母亲把孩子揽在胳膊里,脸上露出了「不好意思的」微笑。
The woman had the boy in her arms by now and a shy smile came upon her face.
「真不好意思」,又这么久没有给你回信……
Really embarrassed, again so long do not answer the letter for you…
 
我对她说刚才吓成那样真「不好意思」,她说没事姐早就习惯了。
apologized to her for the scene and all she said was, “I’m used to it.”
莫莉:「很不好意思」,不,但是如果我冲你微笑并且分给你一点我的乐观的态度,你不会不请我吃饭吧? 
Molly: Sorry to say, no. However, I am sure if I smile at you and share my positive attitude, you will treat me to dinner, right?
 

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