译文对比 作业原文及翻译.doc

P62-65 译文对比The Chinese CharacterThere is a theory among Occidentals that the Chinaman is inscrutable, full of secret thoughts, and impossible for us to understand. It may be that a greater experience of China would have brought me to share this opinion; but I could see nothing to support it during the time when I was working in that country.One of the most remarkable things about the Chinese is their power of securing the affection of foreigners. Almost all Europeans like China, both those who come only as tourists and those who live there for many years. In spite of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, I can recall hardly a single Englishman in the Far East who liked the Japanese as well as the Chinese. Those who have lived long among them tend to acquire their outlook and their standards. New arrivals are struck by obvious evils: the beggars, the terrible poverty, the prevalence of disease, the anarchy and corruption in politics. Every energetic Westerner feels at first a strong desire to reform these evils, and of course they ought to be reformed.译文1：西方人中间有一种理论，认为中国人是看不透的，充满了隐秘的念头，我们不可能了解他们。如果我对中国体验得更多些，也许会使我转而赞同这个意见；但我在该国工作期间却看不到任何支持它的东西。 中国人的最显著特点之一，就是他们吸引外国人喜爱的能力。几乎所有欧洲人都喜欢中国，无论是旅游者或者多年在此常住的人都这样。虽然英国和日本之间存在着同盟关系，我记不起在远东碰见过一个英国人喜欢日本人胜似中国人的。外国人在中国人中间住久了，往往会接受中国人的观点和价值标准。新来乍到的人首先注意到明显的丑恶现像：乞丐、可怕的贫穷、疾病流行、政界的混乱和腐败。每一个精力充沛的西方人起初会发生强烈的愿望，要改革这些丑恶现象，当然改革这些是必要的。译文2：西方人都认为中国人令人费解，城府很深，不可理喻。如果我在中国有了更多经历之后，或许也会持此观点：但就我在中国工作的那段时间，却找不到任何依据来支持这一观点。中国人最值得称道的事情是，他们总能得到外国人的好感。欧洲人都喜欢中国，无论是到中国旅游，还是侨居多年。虽然英日订有联盟，但就我所知，在远东的英国人没有谁会像喜欢中国人一样喜欢日本人。久居中国的英国人会渐渐获得中国人的精神面貌和价值标准。初来乍到的人会震惊于明显的罪恶：乞丐、极度贫穷、疾病流行、政治混乱腐败。每一个踌躇满志的西方人一开始都有一种强烈的愿望，要去根除这些罪恶，当然也确实要根除。The Chinese, from the highest to the lowest, have an imperturbable quiet dignity, which is usually not destroyed even by a European education. They are not self-assertive, either individually or nationally; their pride is too profound for self-assertion. They admit Chinas military weakness in comparison with foreign Powers, but they do not consider efficiency in homicide the most important quality in a man or a nation. I think that, at bottom, they almost all believe that China is the greatest nation in the world, and has the finest civilization. A Westerner cannot be expected to accept this view, because it is based on traditions utterly different from his own. But gradually one comes to feel that it is, at any rate, not an absurd view; that it is, in fact, the logical outcome of a self-consistent standard of values. The typical Westerner wishes to be the cause of as many changes as possible in his environment; the typical Chinaman wishes to enjoy as much and as delicately as possible. This difference is at the bottom of most of the contrast between China and the English-speaking world.译文1：中国人从上到下都有一种泰然自若的、沉静的庄严，通常连欧洲教育也不能加以破坏。中国人无论作为个人或者整个民族，都不强调自己的利益和意见；他们具有很深的自尊心，而不屑于突出自己。他们承认在军事上中国比外国列强来的弱，但他们不认为对个人或国家来说，高效率的杀人本领是最重要的品质。我想他们在心底里，几乎人人都相信中国是世界上最伟大的国家，具有最优秀的文化。你不能期望西方人接受这种观点，因为这种观点所依据的传统和他自己的传统大相径庭。但是西方人会逐渐感到这个观点至少并非荒谬，事实上它是一套自成体系的价值标准的逻辑结论。典型的西方人希望能够推动周围环境作尽量多的变革，典型的中国人则希望能够尽量多、尽量细腻地享受生活。中国和英语世界之间的多数分歧，追其根源都因为人生观的这种不同。译文2：中国人，从上层社会到底层百姓，都有一种冷静安详的尊严，即使接受了欧洲的教育也不会毁掉。无论个人还是国家，他们都不自我肯定；他们的骄傲过于深厚，无需自我肯定。虽然也承认兵力上敌不过外国列强，但并不因此认为先进的杀人方式是个人或国家所应重视的。我觉得这是因为他们都在心底里自信中国是世界上最伟大的国家，拥有最完美的文明。西方人无法接受这种观点，因为这是基于各自完全不同的传统。但人们会逐步认识到这个观点无论如何不荒谬。事实上，它是一脉相承的价值观的逻辑结果。典型的西方人希望自己成为尽可能多地改变所处环境的原因；典型的中国人则希望尽可能多地享受自然环境之美。这个差别就是中国人和英语国家的人大相径庭的深层原因。There are, of course, ambitious men in China, but they are less common than among ourselves. And their ambition takes a different formnot a better form, but one produced by the preference of enjoyment to power. It is a natural result of this preference that avarice is a widespread failing of the Chinese. Money brings the means of enjoyment, therefore money is passionately desired. With us, money is desired chiefly as a means to power; politicians, who can acquire power without much money, are often content to remain poor. In China, the tuchuns (military governors), who have the real power, almost always use it for the sole purpose of amassing a fortune. Their object is to escape to Japan at a suitable moment; with sufficient plunder to enable them to enjoy life quietly for the rest of their days. The fact that in escaping they lose power does not trouble them in the least. It is, of course, obvious that such politicians, who spread devastation only in the provinces committed to their care, are far less harmful to the world than our own, who ruin whole continents in order to win an election campaign.译文1：当然，用词太过贬义中国也有抱有野心的人，不过和我们比起来却与译文2相比用词繁琐不那么常见。语句重复而且他们的野心采取另一种形式，不见得是最好的形式，原因是他们把享受放在权力之上。作为喜爱享受的自然结果，用词太过贬义中国人一个普遍的毛病就是贪财。钱能提供享受的物质条件，所以他们用词不当热烈地捞钱。对我们来说，要钱主要是要权；政客们不需要许多钱就能获得权力时，常常甘于贫穷。在中国，有实权的督军们几乎总是运用权力来追求唯一的目的，积攒钱财。他们打算在适当时机逃往日本，靠刮来的钱财安安静静地享受余生。至于逃往国外会失去权力这一点，他们却毫不担心。显然，这些只在用词太过极端他们管辖的省里荼毒人民的政客，对把危害世界褒义化世界危害之烈远远不如我们西方的政客，他们为了赢得竞选可以使整个大陆陷于灾难。译文2：当然，中国并不是没有雄心勃勃的人，但语言精练比我们要小得多。语句不通顺，意思表达不清楚他们的野心与我们形式不同但不见得好，而是欣赏权力的偏好。这种偏好造成的自然结果是，贪婪成了中国人的缺点。用词重复金钱是享受的途径；因而，金钱受到狂热的追求。对我们来说，金钱主要是权力的途径；政治家可以没有金钱但一定得有权力，并满足于贫穷。而在中国，督军们握有实权，几乎常常把权力用作发财的唯一途径。其目的是在适当的时候逃去日本，用足够的掠夺物使他们在接下去的日子里享受平静的生活。至于逃跑意味着失去权力，这个事实他们根本就无所谓。当然，很明显，这样的当权者，其危害仅限于他们管辖的省份，比起我们自己的政治家为了获得选举的胜利，不惜将整个欧洲大陆闹个天翻地覆，对世界的伤害显然小得多了。评论：译文1表达的情感过于主观，太过贬义，不符合译者的风范。语句不通顺，意思表达不清。用词重复。译文2大体相对较好，其语言精练。但也有用词重复的地方。 The business of “saving face,” which often strikes foreigners in China as ludicrous, is only the carrying out of respect for personal dignity in the sphere of social manners. Everybody has “face”, even the humblest beggar, there are humiliation that you must not inflict upon him, if you are not to outrage the Chinese ethical code. If you speak to a Chinaman in a way that transgresses the code, he will laugh, because your words must be taken as spoken in jest if they are not to constitute an offense. 译文1：外国人来中国定语叠加太长所看到并常常认为可笑的“要面子”现象，比译文2好不过是自尊心在社交场合的体现。用词不灵活，重复累赘人人都有面子，连最卑贱的乞丐也有；你不能对他施以羞辱，否则你就冒犯改为违背比较恰当冒犯中国人的伦理准则。如果你用违背准则的语气对一个中国人讲话，他会大笑，因为语句不通顺，翻译太生硬你的话必须被认为是开玩笑，否则就构成敌意冒犯。译文2：没有指明是在中国的外国人外国人对中国人的“要面子”觉得可笑。殊自己发挥太多不知只有这样才能在社会上形成互相尊敬的风气。每个人，都有面子，即使最卑贱的乞丐。如果你不想违反中国人的伦理准则，那就连乞丐也不能侮辱。第一个“如果”改为“当”如果你和中国人交谈时违反了礼节，如果他不怪罪你，肯定会置之一笑，把你的话当作戏言。评论：译文1翻译太生硬，没有灵活性。太追求保持原文的句法结构使句子衔接不连贯，语句不通顺。有些地方还用词重复。并且其翻译对中国人的爱面子现象太过贬低。译文2整体符合中国人的用法结构，语句较连贯。但其内容过于夸大爱面子对社会风气起的作用。同样也有用词重复的现象。 AMERICA IS THE LAND of opportunities for women. Already they own about eighty-five percent of the wealth of the nation. Soon they will have it all. Divorce has become a lucrative process, simple to arrange and easy to forget; and ambitious females can repeat it as often as they please and parlay their winnings to astronomical figures. The husbands death also brings satisfactory rewards and some ladies prefer to rely upon this method They know that the waiting period will not be unduly protracted for overwork and hypertension are bound to get the poor devil before long, and he will die at his desk with a bottle of benzedrines in one hand and a packet of tranquilizers in the other. 译文1：美国是妇女的机遇之乡。她们已经获得这个国家财富的百分之八十五。不久他们就要获得全部。离婚已成为赢利的行当，即可随意安排，又极易被人忘掉。那些野心勃勃的女人可以随心所欲的一再离婚，使自己的财产本利相加，增加到天文数字。丈夫的死亡也能带来满意的报酬，所以有些太太愿意依靠这一办法。他们知道等待的的时间不会无限制的 拖下去，因为用不了多久，过度劳累和高血压一定会找到那可怜虫，他将死在办公桌前，一只手里拿着一瓶安非他命，另一只手里那这一包镇静片。（马强译）译文2：美国，可以说是妇女的乐园，在那里，国家财富的百分之八十五已经在她们的掌握之中，而且在不远的将来，她们还可期望囊括一切。离婚也变得有利可图，草率结合，轻易忘却，只要高兴，雄心勃勃的女人们随时随地可以重复这套把戏。使自己的财产本利相加，循环利用，直至家资万贯。丈夫的死亡同样可以得到好处，有的女人干脆就依靠这点。她们估计得到，等待的时日不会太长，要不了多久，过度的劳累和高血压，就会找上那倒霉的家伙，他会一手一瓶氨基酸，一手一瓶安眠药，死在办公桌前。译文3：美国是女人大显身手之地。他们目前已经拥有该国大约百分之八十五的财富，而且不日即将囊括全部。离婚堪称进财致富之道，手续简单，容易忘却。心雄万夫的女性，往往尽情恣意重演此技，巧取豪夺，直至获利激增，高达天文数字。丈夫去世，随之而来的报偿也颇为可观。因此一些夫人太太更愿寄望于此。她们知道，等待有限，总不会遥遥无期，劳瘁瘅疾与高血压用不了多久就必定叫那可怜鬼一命呜呼-他将一手拿着一瓶苯齐特林，一手拿着一包镇静剂，死于写字台旁。 At seventeen the promise of Noelles early beauty had been more than fulfilled. She had matured into an exquisite woman. She had fine, delicate features, eyes a vivid violet color and soft ash-blond hair. Her skin was fresh and golden as though she had been dipped in honey. Her figure was stunning, with generous, firm, yet breasts, a small waist, rounded hips and long shapely legs, with delicate ankles. Her voice was distinctive, soft and mellifluous. There was a strong, smoldering sensuality about Noelle, but that was not her magic. Her magic lay in the fact that beneath the sensuality seemed to lay an untouched island of innocence, and the combination was irresistible. She could walk down the streets without receiving propositions from passersby. They were not the casual offers that the prostitutes of Marseille received as their daily currency, for even the most obtuse men perceived something special in Noelle, something that they had never seen before and perhaps would never see again, and each was willing to pay as much as he could afford to try to make it a part of himself, however briefly.(Sidney Sheldon: The Other Side of Midnight,1973)译文1：十七岁时，萝爱拉就出落得更加尽善尽美了。一对动人的大眼睛，闪耀着紫罗兰色的光辉，灰黄色的