王晓农翻译理论与实践2 Lecture Ten

1、Lecture Twelve Sentence Style and Tone in C-E Translation (1) Translation Theory & Practice (2) Course No. 1400142Lecturer:If you regard style merely an ornament, you are neglecting one of the major opportunities to make your writing in English more effective.1. Applying sentence styles to C-E trans

2、lation. The fundamental principle over applying different styles of English sentences is the idea to be conveyed determines choice of the syntactic structures and styles, which should fit the idea, but not vice versa.(1) Compare: 我们将继续对经济结构进行战略性调整，促进产业结构优化，进一步加强农业，改造提高传统产业，发展新兴产业和高技术产业，推进国民经济信息化。 We

3、 will continue to make strategic readjustment in the economic structure so as to optimize the industrial structure, which is aimed at strengthening agriculture, transforming and upgrading traditional industries, developing newly emerging and hi-tech industries, and informationizing the national econ

4、omy.1) Loose sentence (2) Classroom Ex. 中美两国关系的发展应当对世界上不同历史文化、不同社会制度、不同发展水平的国家相互尊重、和平共处、共同发展起到积极的推动作用。 The development of China-US relations should play a positive role in promoting mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and common development among countries around the world with different histories

5、, cultures, social systems, and levels of development. 2) Periodic sentence 当美丽的夜景灯the artistically decorated night-scene lights开始在风中闪烁，当欢快的背景音乐the joyous and lively context music合着浪花的节奏开始跳动，当激光喷泉the laser fountain在夜幕下勾画出“空中玫瑰” “air roses”之时，我们城市的梦想开始在此翩然起飞。When the artistically decorated night-scen

6、e lights begin to shine in the sea winds, when the joyous and lively context music begins to play to the rhythm of the waves, and when the laser fountain begins to create huge splendid “air roses” under the night sky, our dream of the city of ours begins to take wings and fly.(4) For ex: 在这个异彩纷呈的世界上

7、，每个国家、每个民族都有自己的历史文化传统，都有自己的长处和优势，应该相互尊重，取长补短，共同进步。 In this variegated world of ours, every country and every nation, with its own historical and cultural traditions, strong points and advantages, should respect others and draw upon others strong points to offset ones own deficiencies, thus achieving

8、 common progress.(The key to this style is the coming of the main idea is delayed by left-or mid-branched subordinate structures)(5) Com. A: 他这个人不可小觑，他有时固执己见，甚至于刚愎自用，但决不拿原则做交易。He came when he was not expected to come after he had gone bankrupt, without even a coin under his name.B. 他来了，不是时候，他已破产，身无分

9、文。He is a man not to be trifled with, and who is so stubborn sometimes as to be opinionated, but never expected to barter away principles.3) Loose-periodic sentences: loose in form but periodic in meaning Since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, the exchanges and mutual understandi

10、ng between our two countries have broadened and deepened steadily, but far from enough.(6) Classroom Ex. 建交以来，两国之间的相互交流与了解在逐渐的扩大与加深，但还远远不够。4) Sentences with parallel construction(7) 子曰：“道千乘之国，敬事而信，节用而爱人，使民以时。”The Master said, A country of a thousand war-chariots cannot be administered unless the rul

11、er attends strictly to business, punctually observes his promises, is economical in expenditures, shows affection towards his subjects in general, and uses the labor of the peasantry only at the proper times of year. (trans. A. Waley)B. 遭受严重打击的还有瑞典、挪威、芬兰，这些国家准备以降半旗开始2005年，因为有许多本来为避开本国寒冷的冬季而到亚洲享受阳光的北

12、欧人因海啸而遇难。Also hard hit are Sweden, Norway and Finland, which plan to fly flags at half mast to start 2005, when many Scandinavians who escaped their cold winters for the Asian sunshine were killed in the tsunami.(Inversion for inter-sentence cohesion)5) Sentences with partial or full inversion(8) Co

13、m. A: 地下已探明可供开采的有金、银、铜、铁等30多种矿产。Proven to be exploitable here are 30-odd minerals, including gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, zinc, etc. ( Inversion for intra-sentence balance)(9) 出席开幕式的有教育部部长，学校领导，杰出校友代表，兄弟院校代表及部分师生等。Attending /Present at the opening ceremony are the Education Minister, leaders of

14、 the school, representatives of the distinguished alumni, representatives of some brother schools, and many teachers and students of the school.(10) Com. A:他这样教发音简直是误人子弟，误人还误得不浅。 6) Emphatic sentencesHis way of teaching phonetics is, as it were, leading his students astray, and that far and away.B:

15、你怎么搞的，又丢了一辆自行车。How is it that you have had another bike stolen. (11) Classroom Ex. 学习汉英翻译的学生，不翻它个几万字，就不能体会到什么是汉英翻译。Without a good practice of translating into English a few dozen thousands of Chinese characters, a learner would not be able to have his personal understanding of what is meant by C-E t

16、ranslation.Sum-up: With reference to application of the various sentence styles to C-E translation, you should first of all grasp the different semantic and pragmatic function of them, and make sure that your variation of sentence style serves your purpose of furthering your communication through tr

17、anslation rather than calling attention to itself. 2 sentence tone Writers attitude towards the subject and/or the reader Formal/ informal, objective/ subjective, playful/serious, ironic, sarcastic, condescending, or any of many other possible or combination of attitudes. Generally, the English vers

18、ion should be neither too informal and nor too stiff, nor pompous and thus unnatural , for pompous and affected language tends to produce a style that at best is ostentatious and at worse becomes needlessly hard to interpret I 青年人最容易给人一个“忘恩负义”的印象。其实他是眼睛望着前面，饥渴一般的忙着吸收新的东西，并不一定是“忘恩负义”；但懂得这心理的人很少；你千万不要

19、让人误会。 young people are liable to impress others as being “ungrateful. Not necessarily so are they because actually , they are, looking ahead , busy absorbing something new as one , who is thirsty, is drinking. But there are not so many who know this side of their psychology, and therefore, you should always do in a way that keeps you free from being misunderstood by others. ( tone of solicitude)(2)