我曾写过一个帖子,介绍如何将一个复杂的英文句子翻译成中文。昨天我收到网友“CQ美眉”的邮件,她请我再写一个帖子,介绍如何将一个复杂的中文句子翻译成英文,也就是再写一个相反的帖子。这位网友还特意给我提供了一个例句,请看下面:
▲每一个人,作为社会的一个成员,有权享受其人格和尊严的自由发展所必需的社会、经济、文化权利,这些权利是通过国家努力和国际合作来实现的,并且与所在国家的组织、资源、现状相一致。 对于这种比较复杂的中文句子,在正式翻译成英文句子之前,应当按照它的含义,将它划分成不同的部分,以便我们确定英文句子的结构。我首先将这个中文句子划分成6个部分,请特别注意,第4部分嵌套在第3部分中间。 ▲①每一个人,②作为社会的一个成员,③有权享受 [④其人格和尊严的自由发展所必需的] 社会、经济、文化权利,⑤这些权利是通过国家努力和国际合作来实现的,⑥并且与所在国家的组织、资源、现状相一致。 这样划分之后,我初步决定,将第4、5、6部分翻译成三个定语从句,用来修饰第3部分的最后一个单词rights,请看: ①Everyone ②as a member of society ③is entitled to the social, economic and cultural rights ④which are necessary to the unrestrained development of his/her personality and dignity ⑤which are realized through national effort and international cooperation ⑥which are concordant with the organization, resources and situation of each country. 不过,在英语中,通常是一个定语从句修饰一个名词,很少有三个定语从句修饰一个名词,因此我临时决定,将第4部分改写成一个短语,将第5、6部分合并成一个定语句子,请看: ①Everyone ②as a member of society ③is entitled to the social, economic and cultural rights ④necessary to the unrestrained development of his/her personality and dignity ⑤which are realized through national effort and international cooperation and concordant with the organization, resources and situation of each country. 最后,将这5个部分组合起来,就是这个中文句子的英文译文。 Everyone, as a member of society, is entitled to the social, economic and cultural rights necessary to the unrestrained development of his/her personality and dignity, which are realized through national effort and international cooperation and concordant with the organization, resources and situation of each country. 本文选自中高级口译名师李锦森的博客,博客链接地址:http://blog.hjenglish.com/lijinsen(责任编辑:admin)