EnglishNewsTranslationⅧ.ppt

四字格是中国语言艺术的结晶，它是中国古典文籍中重 要的叙事表情形式。虽然古文作为一种文化传递载体已不具 鲜活力，但四字格表达结构却得以在白话文中熠熠生辉。汉 语拥有纷繁的“四字格”词组。它涵意深刻，构型短小，生命 力旺盛，表现力强。四字格有两大类：一类是汉语成语，因 袭定型，词序固定，不能随意拆散或组合；另一类是普通词 语，结构松散，可以根据一定的语境灵活组合。本节所讲的 “四字格”词组，是广义的概念，包括成语和非成语。 汉语行文，特别是记述、描写类文字中，有一种明显的以 词组（尤其是四字格词语）为句段构建句子的倾向。这种句 段构成的句子比一般散句音韵感好，简劲有力。 Advantages of four-character phrases Making the translated text concise e.g. The BBC reporters overwhelmed the police as much with courtesy as with force, and rushed to the scene in time. 英国广播公司的记者软硬皆施，冲破警察的阻拦，及时赶 到事发现场。 Scientific exploration, the search for knowledge has given man the practical results of being able to shield himself the calamities of nature and the calamities imposed by other man. 科学的探索，知识的追求，使人类获得了避免天灾人祸的实 力。 2. Making the translated text smooth e.g. Some personnel executives complained that many college graduates they had interviewed had two-star abilities with five-star ambitions. 一些人事经理抱怨，在他们面试过的大学毕业生中，许多人 都是眼高手低之辈。 Eisenhower later recalled, when MacArthur felt slighted he was capable of expressing himself in “an explosive denunciation of politics, bad manners, bad judgment, broken promise, arrogance, unconstitutionality, insensitivity, and the way the world had gone to hell.”—William Manchester, The Glory and the Dream 艾森豪威尔后来回忆往事时说，只要麦克阿瑟感到有人对他不够尊 重，就“发起脾气来，破口大骂人家好耍权术，不懂礼貌，乱出主意，出 尔反尔，狂妄自大，违反宪法，神经迟钝，麻木不仁，如今世道真是见 鬼，等等。” 3. Making the translated text more readable for Chinese readers e.g. It was a piercingly cold night, raw and foggy—two days before the Russian soldiers captured Chechnya where no one would wish to spend in the open hanging about and waiting for something, very nebulous in nature, to happen. 这是在俄军攻克车臣的两天之前。那晚寒气袭人、阴冷潮湿，大雾迷漫。车臣境内没人愿意在户外闲逛；谁也说不清，片刻之后将发生什么事情。 （英文中的三个形容词，分别译为汉语的三个四字成语，符合汉语的行文习惯。） The reality of a nurse’s job is still appalling pay, mounting workloads and dismal living conditions. 护士的工作现状依然是：工资有口难言，任务只增不减，生活黯淡无光。 （三个四字结构，构成排比，使译文更有节奏感，增强了语势。） 吕叔湘在《现代汉语双单音节问题初探》（《中国语文》，1963/1：14）中指