中国人最容易犯的英汉翻译错误总结

一个词变成一个句

著名翻译家奈达说，“翻译就是翻译意思”。言外之意，翻译一句话不能逐一翻译一串个别的单词，也不是翻译某种句子结构。初学翻译的人之所以译得不好，就是因为摆脱不了原文各个单词和句子结构的影响，总觉得英语中每一个词译成汉语都是一个词。殊不知，为了说明原文的意思，有时候要将一个词译成几个词，乃至一个短句。这就是翻译中对某些词的?增益?。 例如，英语中有些单词相当于汉语的一个词组：read“看书”，drive“开车”，giggle“咯咯地笑”，stumble“蹒跚而行”，等等。这些相对而言还比较简单，一般英汉词典上都能查得到。

再如，英语句子中有大量的“副词+动词”的结构(副词也可能在动词之后)。在不少情况下这种结构可以译成汉语“副词+动词”的偏正结构(汉语中副词修饰动词时只能放在动词之前)，许多人往往用“……地”来译所有的英语副词，如：

(1)They were patiently listening to him. 他们在耐心地听他讲。

(2)He quickly stood up. 他很快地站起来。

(3)I will gladly join you in the work. 我会乐意地和你一起工作。

这三句中都用了“地”字结构，第一句还可以，后两句就显得有点“翻译腔”，“地”字似乎可以省去，可分别改译为：“他很快站起来”和“我乐意和你一起工作”。但是这三句中的副词和动词仍然译成了偏正结构，这是因为三句中的副词表示的是动作的方式。

但是，是不是英语中所有的这种结构都可以这么译呢?请大家考虑一下下面这一句应如何翻译：

This is a NATO matter and any comment on it should appropriately come from NATO. 将appropriately come from NATO译成“合适地来自北约”显然不通。从意义上看，

appropriately与其说是表示动作come的方式，还不如说是表示其结果，因此该词应抽出来放到后面，将此句译为：这是北约的问题，关于此问题的评论应由北约做出，这才是适宜的。 再请看下面这一句：

Law enforcement cannot responsibly stand aloof.

如将此句照字面译成“司法部门不能负责任地冷漠”会让人不知所云。问题在responsibly这个词的处理上，它也不表明动作的方式而是表示一种结果，因此可将此句译为：

司法部门对此不闻不问，那就是失责。

例如：

1. In the late 14th century, Marco Polo famously made his way along trade routes from Italy to China.

十四世纪后半叶，马可?波罗从意大利沿贸易通道来到中国，因而一举成名。

2. Their commander wisely judged to be safer in their works than in the field.

他们的指挥官认为留在战场上不如呆在工事里更安全，这是很明智的。

在翻译副词修饰形容词或另一个副词的结构时，有时也不能一概译成“……地”结构，而需要将该副词抽出来加以增益，才能说明其含义，如：

3. Chimpanzees are the animals closest biologically to humans.

从生物学角度看，大猩猩与人的关系最亲近。

4. Tami said it was possible, just statistically unlikely.

泰米说有这样的可能，但是从统计的角度来看又不太可能。

5. The second child she dreamed of might now be medically impossible.

她本来还想要一个孩子，从医学角度来看，现在是不可能了。

6. Only 18 percent are officially unemployed.

据官方统计，只有百分之十八的人是失业者。

7. Real-estate prices in downtown Manhattan looked prohibitively expensive.

市中心曼哈顿的房地产价格贵得使人望而生畏。

8. She was remarkably silent when the others all talked and laughed.

别人有说有笑时她却沉默不语，显得很突出。

9. It was a vast and treacherous landscape, but breath-takingly beautiful.

这是一片广阔而变幻莫测的景致，但却美得令人惊讶。

10. A schoolmaster, finding such errors in a schoolboy?s essay, would be justly indignant. 小学老师在学生的作文里发现这样的错误一定会生气，而生气不是没有道理的。

11. Voters were understandably confused by the identical Caser names on the ballot, and the split vote sent the real candidate Caser down to defeat in the primary.

选举人被选票上一模一样卡瑟的名字弄糊涂，因而选票分散，导致真正的候选人在初选时就落选，这是可以理解的。

有时候，形容词做定语或表语时，也无法用一个词将其意思充分表达出来，翻译这个形容词时也需要进行增益，如：

12. The sleek turbines of the American windmills made economic and ecological sense. 美国造了许多风力磨坊，这从经济和生态角度看是有道理的。

13. Now we stay a respectful distance him.

当然不能将a respectful distance译为“尊敬的距离”，应将这一句译成“我们对他敬而远之”。

14. He had a sound feeling that idioms were the backbone of a language and he was all for the racy phrases.

他感到习语是语言的主要支柱，因此特别主张用生动的短语，他的想法是很有道理的。

15. The prisoners of war are allowed to write censored letter.

战俘们可以写信，但信件要受到检查。

16. We should be very cautious when buying expensive things and ask ourselves if we are making a wise purchase.

我们在买贵重的东西时一定要小心，问问自己买这样的东西是否明智。

又如：I wouldn?t have eaten it, only I?m too ladylike to take it out of my mouth. 这一句中的ladylike很难用一个中文词来表达，其意思是“像个有教养的女人那样”。这一句不妨译成：“我本来不想吃，只是觉得再从嘴里拿出来不太雅观。”

英汉互译格言

The sting of a reproach is the truth of it. 指责带给你刺痛，正是它的忠实之处。

·Virtue and happiness are mother and daughter. 美德和幸福犹如母女。

·All mankind are beholden to him that is kind to the good. 行善者，人人铭记之。

·It?s easier to prevent bad habits than to break them. 防止染上恶习远比消除恶习容易。 ·An old man in a house is a good sign. 家中有老是一个好迹象。

·Speak with contempt of none,form slave to king,the meanest bee,and will use,a sting. 别用言词贬低任何人，无论国王还是奴隶。最卑戝的蜜蜂也

·Beware,beware!he＇ll cheat＇ithout scruple,who can without fear. 当心，当心！行骗而无所畏惧者，也将无所顾虑。

·How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults or resolution enough to mend them! 承认并改正错误，需要有足够的勇气和决心

·If thou dost ill,the joy fades,not the pains;if well,the pain doth fade,the joy remains. 你若作恶，消失的是快乐而非痛苦；你若行善，消失的

·Trick and treachery are the practice if fools,that have not wit enough to be honest. 傻瓜习惯于诡计和背判的伎俩，他们还没聪明到学会真诚待人

·Great beauty,great stength,and great riches,are really and truly of no great use;a right heart exceeds all. 貌美，力大，有钱，实无大益

·Let our fathers and garandfathers be valued for their goodness, ourselves for our own. 让父亲和祖辈因他们的善行受到尊重，让我们因我们自己的

·Thirst after desert,not reward. 渴求美德而非奖赏。

·If thou injurest conscience, it will have its revenge on thee. 伤害良心，将受到良心的严惩。 ·If thou wouldest live long,live well;for folly and wickedness shorten life. 若欲求长寿，生活须行善，因为蠢行和邪恶会把生命缩短。

·Each year one vicious habit rooted out,in time minght make the worst man good throughout. 每年根除一恶习，恶根亦会成完人。

·None but the well-bred man knows how to confess a fault,or acknowledge himself in an error. 唯有有教养者方知如何承认错误，或意识到自己行为

·If you do what you should not,you must hear what you would not. 若做了不应做之事，则必然会听见不愿听之语。

·Let thy vices die before thee. 让恶习先你死去。

·Act uprightly,and despise calumny.Dirt may stick to a mud wall,but not polish＇d marble. 为人正直的就不惧诽谤：污物可以沾到泥墙上，却附不

·An honest man will receive neither money nor praise,that is not his due. 正直的人既不收受他人的钱财，也不接受他人的奉承，这些都不是他应得的

·The honest man takes pains,and then enjoys pleasure,the knave takes pleasure,and then suffers pains. 正直的人先经历痛苦，然后享受欢乐；无赖

·He that doth what he should not,shall feel what he would not. 若做了不应该做的事，则将产生自己所不希望有的感觉。

·The goodwill of the governed will be starv＇d,if not fed by the good deeds of the governors. 被统治者的良好愿望，若无统治者的善待，亦会饿死

·The brave and the wise can both pity and excuse,when cowards and fools shew no mercy. 勇者和智者均有同情谅解之心，而懦夫和愚者则毫无怜悯之

·Calamity and prisperity are the touchstones of integrity. 不幸与幸运都是正直的试金石。 ·Who judges best of a man,his enemies or himself? 谁能最恰当地评价一个人，他的敌人还是他自己？

·Cunning proceeds from want of capacity. 狡诈出自于能力的缺乏。

·You may be too cunning for one,but not for all. 蒙骗得了一人，但蒙骗不了所有的人。 ·Clean your finger,before you point at my spots. 先洗浄你的手指，再指出我的污迹。

·He that can bear a reproof,and mend by it,if he is not wise,is in a fair way of being so. 能承受责备并据此改过者，若不算是智者，也距之不远

·Tis hard to be poor and honest:An empty sack can hardly stand upright,but if it does,＇tis a

stout one! 要做到贫穷而又诚实实在不容易·Keep conscience clear,then never fear. 问心无愧，永无畏惧。

·When you＇re good to others,you are best to yourself. 善待他人，即是最善待自己。 ·What is serving God?＇Tis doing good to man. 什么才算是为上帝奉献？即对人行善。

·A quite conscience sleeps in thunder,but rest and guilt live far adunder. 平静的良心能在雷声中入睡，而安宁和负罪则无法毗邻。