翻译中词义的具体化与抽象化(2)

来源于:云南人民政府外事办公室

尽管英汉两种语言属于不同语系，各自具有自身的特点和习惯，但却“共享”着为数甚众的以实喻虚的类似表达，许多形象语汇的引申义及其引起的联想也是“不谋而合”的。汉译时，尽可采取事半功倍的从“实”到“实”的“拿来主义”，直译无妨。如： But when you‘ve learned English, you‘ll find it a bridge to so much knowledge. 但是，当你学会了英语，你就会发现它是通向如此丰富的知识的桥梁。 The invention of printing was a mile-stone in human progress. 印刷术的发明是人类进步的一个里程碑。
   I hope to avoid straying on the one hand into the sands of foreign policy, and on the other into the marshes of international law.
   我希望不要偏离正题，一方面避免误入外交政策的沙漠，另一方面避免陷入国际法的沼泽。 Chaucer is buried in the "Poets‘ Corner", as might have been expected, but interestingly enough, not because he is the father of English poetry, but because he happened to be Clerk of the Works when he died in 1400.
   不出所料，乔叟安葬在“诗人之角”，但是有趣的是，他被葬在这里，并非因为他是英国诗歌之父，而是因为他在1400年去世时，恰好这项工程的主管。
   If we attack quickly, we can nip the enemy‘s plans in the bud.
   如果我们迅速进攻，我们可以把敌人的计划消灭在萌芽状态。
   We want to learn to laugh in the face of the inevitable, to smile at the looming of the death. 我们需要学会对不可避免的事情报以大笑，甚至以微笑面对死亡的威胁。