在翻译实践中,必须做到绝对遵守同一律,但是,同一律既包括了原则性,又包括了灵活性。原则性和灵活性本来就是一件事情的两个方面。原则性就是:在任何情况下,译者都必须真实地再现原作中包含的内容;灵活性就是:译者可以用有别于原作的表现形式或表现法,来真实地再现原文中包含的内容。遵守同一律,是在翻译中达到准确、通顺、易懂的唯一原则。但不可否认,在翻译中由于语言上的原因,在一种语言有某种强制性或惯用性的语法范畴,而另一种语言却没有相应的强制性或惯用性的语法范畴时,就常常遇到很难逾越的障碍,或者叫做原文中的“刺头儿”词语,有时搜索枯肠,也很难落笔安词。但如能灵活运用引申手法,往往有可能似庖丁解牛,游刃有余。因此,翻译中的同一律并不排除对原作内容的逻辑引申、语用学引申和修辞引申。
一、逻辑引申
逻辑引申手法,就是根据上下文的内在联系,透过句中词或词组乃至整句的字面意义由表及里,运用一些符合汉语习惯的表现法,选用确切的汉语词句,将原文内容实质准确地表达出来。例如:
1. You remind me very much of Lenin, whom I met in this very building fifty-two years ago.我觉得,你很像列宁、五十二年以前,我就是在这座大厦里同他见面的。(以结果代原因)
2. In fact one mould can produce many thousands of articles before it wears out.事实上,一个模子生产成千上万件产品之后才会破坏。(时间关系的引申)
3. But with Silver the blow passed almost instantly .但是,西尔佛几乎马上就恢复了神智,(“打击过去了”引申为“恢复了神智”以理由代推论)
4. These objects,however, were different. Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal spheres. In the centre of the hall there were a number of tall strictures which contained coloured lights.然而,这些展品就不同了,沿墙排列着许多又细又长的电线,下面系着金属球。大厅中央有几个装着彩灯的高大展品。(在译文中,把objects,structures的语义从内容中逻辑引申到形式上来了。)
5. He gazed at the mushroom fortress with astonishment as it loomed instinctly but grandly through a morning.这座像雨后春笋般一下子冒出来的堡垒,影影绰绰地但傲然地出现在晨雾中。他凝视了一下,不胜惊讶。(“不清晰地”引申为“影影绰绰地”,这是以正说代反说。)
6. The list of chiral objects could go on,but examples of two kinds of sea-shells tell the story, 手征性物不胜枚举,但以两类海贝为例,即可盖其全貌。(原文中could go on和tell the story是“刺头儿”难词,译文中将其语义从内容中逻辑引申到形式上,起到“柳暗花明”的效果。)
二、语用学引申
把原文里的弦外之音补译出来,这是属于语用学引申的手法,补译的词语是根据原文的语用学意义增添上去的,为的是避免译文晦涩费解。但是,增添的词语要恰到好处,若弦外之音引申得太过分或太过头了,反而有损于原作的内容。语用学引申手法之所以宜于慎用,原因就在这里。例如:
1. The late eighteenth century in England is a safe retreat in these days for one lost in the Ameri- ca of Bob Taft and Henry Wallace and the rest of all you know from the papers。我现在茫然置身于鲍伯 · 塔夫脱和亨利 · 华莱士以及你在报上看到的所有其他人的美国。在这些日子里,对于我这样的人来说,英国18世纪末叶的文物古迹,倒是一个可以安然逃避尘世的场所。(原文中的“for one —个人”,按其语用学意义来说,实际上指“我”因此,在译文中径自译为这种语用学引申是出于句子安排方面的需要。)
2. He started to his feet with the intention of awaking the sleepers, for there was no time to lose,他倏地一下站起来,打算把睡觉的人都叫醒,因为时间十分紧迫,必须马上赶路,(把原文里的弦外之音“必须马上赶路”补译出来。)
3,Cleverer heads than mine might have seen Hs drift.有个比我聪明的人,才弄得懂他葫芦里卖的是什么药。(补译出弦外之音“葫芦里卖的是什么药”。)
4. She was ready to po,but first she wanted her book to be in print.她准备与世永诀,但要目睹她那部书出版后才瞑目。(补译出弦外之音“瞑目”)
5. And the years flipped off the calendar like dry leaves from a lawn.岁月催人,日历一张张撕掉,好像落在草坪上的枯叶一样,(补译出弦外之音“岁月催人”。)
6. He had lived all his life in desert where every cupful of water might be a matter of life or death.他一直在沙漠生活,这地方每一杯水都得精打细算地用;一杯水可能是生死攸关的事。(补译出弦外之音“每一杯水都得精打细算地用”。)
三、修辞引申
“言之无文,行之不远。”为使译文增色,除了真实地再现原作中包含的内容外,还得讲究修辞。这样,在翻译时,往往因修辞需要而增添一些引申意义。例如:
1. Every time I come back from a business trip it makes a new man of me.我每到外头去跑一趟生意回来,这个地方就叫我耳目一新,精神一爽。(原文中a new man of me如按字面译成“重新做人”,跟原文内容大相径庭。对原文略作引申为“耳目一新,精神一爽”,符合汉语修辞习惯。)
2. It is very much like communicating with an accurate robot who has a very small vocabulary and who takes everything literally.它很像一丝不苟的机器人讲话那样,机器人只有很少的词汇,你怎么说,它就怎么做。(accurate本义为“准确、精密”,这里译为“一丝不苟”,以符合拟人化的需要。)
3. In the meantime; charlatans are all too happy to exploit people's ignorance by selling them “miracle” diets or products that are worthless and may even be dangerous.同时,庸医们都轻而易举地利用人们的无知,向人们推销“神奇的”饮食配方,以及一文不值、甚至对人们有害的“灵丹妙药”。(把“worthless”,“product”引申译成“—文不值”和“灵丹妙药”。正是原文内容所表达的意思。)
4. For the average consumer, voiceactivated devices are a convenience; for the elderly and handicapped,they may become indispensable for a wide variety of chores in the home. 对一般使用者来说,声触发装置能提供方便,而对老年人和残废者来说,它可能成为从事各种家庭杂务时不可缺少的帮手。(把indispensable译成‘不可缺少的帮手’,正是因修辞的需要。)
5. The company applauded the clever deception,for none could, tell when Chopin stopped and Liszt began. 在座的人对这种移花接木的巧妙手法,无不啧啧称赞,因为谁也不知道在什么时候肖邦停了下来,由李斯特接着弹奏下去。(deception确有“欺骗”之意,但在此具体场合译为“移花接木的手法”比译为“骗术”要好得多。)
6. A large segment of mankind turns to untrammeled nature as a last refuge from encroaching technology.许多人都想寻找一块自由自在的地方,作为他们躲避现代技术侵害的世外桃源。(把a last refuge引申译成“世外桃源”,符合汉语形象的说法。)
四、概念大小
词的概念范围常常在具体的语境中得以调整,或扩大外延而缩小内涵,或缩小外延而丰富内涵。在Poetry suffers in translation and the reader suffers with it这一句子中,前一个suffers的外延大而内涵小,后一个suffers的外延小而内涵大,因此可引申为"译诗是吃力不讨好的事——诗遭殃,读者也跟着受罪!”又如:
Torcello, which used to be lonely as a cloud,has recently become an outing from Venice. 托车罗往日寂寞如孤云,近来却成了威尼斯外围的游览区。(缩小概念)
How they bow to that Cleole because of her hundred thousand pounds! 瞧她们对那个克里奥尔人奉承讨好的样儿,还不是为着她有成千累万的财产吗?(扩大概念)
His pipe was cold.他的烟斗熄灭了。(缩小概念)
The seasons came and went and they revolved around Joshua.寒来暑往,冬去春来,一年四季仿佛围绕着乔舒亚旋转。(扩大概念)
五、引申层次
根据词义变化和调整的程度不同,也就是根据引申义与本义的差别大小,词义引申可以分多个层次,这里简化为三个层次:近似、深化、升华。这三个层次的引申义与本义的差别由近至远。近似引申,指接近本义,但又不为本义所限的引申;深化引申,指赋予新义,但与本义在字面上尚有蛛丝马迹的联系;而升华引申,则出自本义但在字面上远离本义。例如:
1. And now for the good news: Stockhohn residents enjoy sunbathing in November. Antarctic tourism is booming. Siberia has become the world's breadbasket.这是令人庆幸的消息:斯德哥尔摩居民在十一月尚能享受日光浴,南极的旅游业日趋兴旺,西伯利亚成了世界粮仓。(近似)
2. In order to get a large amount of water power we need a large pressure and a large current.为了得到大量水能,我们需要高水压和强水流。(近似)
3. Brasilia was the brain child of Brasil's President Juscelino Kubitscheh, who held office from 1955 to 1960.巴西利亚城是巴西总统Juscelino Kubitscheh设计规划的,他执政于1955年——1960年。(近似)
4. A scientist constantly tried to defeat his hypotheses, his theories, and his conclusion.科学家经常设法否定自己的假设,推翻自己的理论,并放弃自己的结论。(深化)
5. The high-ceilinged rooms, the little balconies, alcoves,nooks and angles all suggest sanctuary, escape, creature comfort.天花板高高的房间,小巧的楼厅,方丈A斗室,僻静的角落,这一切都使人联想到谧静的圣殿,遁世避俗的处所和舒适的享受。(深化)
6. In older cranes that have already paired off, dancing reinforces the union it's a sort of annual renewal of “vows”.对已有配偶的成年鹤来说,舞蹈会加强相互间的结合一这成了每年都要举行的一种重温“山盟海誓”的仪式。(升华)
以上主要涉及以词或词组作翻译单位的引申现象,实际上,引申可在不同的翻译单位产生,特别是句子的引申。因此,翻译时,为了充分再现原文内容,又使译文形式流畅通顺,往往不必拘泥于原文的句子结构。例如:
In no country inhabited by white men is it easier to shove people off the pavement.在白人居住的其他国家,如果把人碰下人行道,一定会引起麻烦;而在英国,却要好说话得多,(句子引申,需要改变译文的句子结。)
练习将下列句子译成汉语,注意划线部分:
1. But Oh,Mr. Osborne, what a difference eighteen months, experience makes.
2. If my mother had known of it she'd have died a second time.
3. How can. we ensure that they will continue the struggle we have won at the cost of million of lives?
4. Einstein has an effect on science and history that only a few men have ever achieved.
5. Enthusiasm is dampened by habit, but rein- forced concrete still deserves a large measure of it.
6. Nixon, was to play the China game with the skill and cynicism it required.
7. Each passing year has brought more sensational results and victories in heart surgery.
8. Vehicles steering in the conventional manner lacked the rapid response, short turning radius, and ease of handing.
9. He had left a note of welcome for me, as sunny as his face.
10. They are preparing a substantial meal against his return.1.奥所本先生,你不知道这一年半里我学了多少乖,(译文灵活运用引申法,摆脱原文语言形式的$缚。)
2.如果我妈妈知道,她一定会气得从棺材里跳出来。(虚拟或隐喻中的形象,虽不是原作中实有事物,但可以根据内容引申,不算违反同一律。)
3.怎样才能保证后代把千百万人流血牺牲赢得的斗争继续下去?(逻辑引申,扩大概念。)
4.爱因斯坦对科学和历史所产生的影响,只有少数几个科学巨匠才能与之角比。(that引出的定语从句原为修饰effect,引申后,译成单独的分句。)
5.人们对事物习惯了以后,热情常会衰退、但对钢筋混凝土,依然满怀热情。(句子引申,需改变译文的句子结构。)
6.尼克松随后在处理中国问题上真是手腕巧妙,竭尽纵横捭阖之能事。(cynicism引申译为“纵横捭阖”,真实地再现了原文所指“运用政治和外交手段达到联合或分化瓦解之目的。”)
7.在心脏外科手术方面,每年都有令人震惊的成果和进展。(原文是非人称主语句,译文采用“无主句”的汉语句型。)
8.传统式车辆的转向机构反应迟钝,转弯半径欠小,操作也不够方便。
9.他留下一封短信,对我表示欢迎;那信写得热情洋溢,文如其人。
10.他们正在准备一顿丰盛的饭餐为他接风。(against本义为“反对”或“防备”等,这里引申为“期待”之意。)