㈥数字的书写
例一:Forbes released the 2013 Global 2000 list, and CNOOC Limited ranked 111.
例二:China Enterprise Confederation released the list of 2013 Top 500 Chinese Enterprises. CNOOC ranked 10.
例三:全球咨询管理公司博斯公司发布《2013年全球创新1000强》研究报告,中国海洋石油有限公司位列第442位,较去年大幅上升172位。
Booz & Company released the list of 2013 1000 Most Innovative Companies. CNOOC Limited ranked 442.
上面三个例子中,ranked后面跟的都是基数词,应该要跟序数词。《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》给的定义和例句:
lV-T/V-I If an official organization ranks someone or something 1st, 5th, or 50th, for example, they calculate that the person or thing has that position on a scale.You can also say that someone or something ranks1st, 5th, or 50th, for example.给…排名;名列
例:The report ranks the U.S. 20th out of 22 advanced nations. (这份报告把美国排在22个发达国家的第20位。)
Longman dictionary of contemporary English给出的定义和例句:
[transitive] to decide the position of someone or something on a list based on quality or importance
be ranked fourth/number one etc
Agassi was at that time ranked sixth in the world.[32]
例三中的将年份2013与企业数量1000毫无违和地放在一起,真的太敷衍了事了。无论是按中文字对字翻译,还是去Booz & Company的官网去查这个名单的名字,都应该是the 2013 Global Innovation 1000。
例四:In 2013, the company's overseas businesses covered more than 40 countries and regions, with overseas assets proportion up to 40%, overseas revenue proportion up to 30% and localization rate of overseas employees up to 82%.
百分比是否可以在文中用符号%表示,似乎没有统一规定。网上有篇Rules for writing numbers,是这样描述的:
In a less formal style, you can use the symbol %. In formal writing, you should spell the percentage out.
She got 96% marks. (Informal)
She got 96 percent marks. (Formal)[33]
下面是网上用percent和%的例子:
Google Android continued to gain ground in the smart phone market reaching 41.8 percent market share.[34]
And consumer goods, including pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products accounted for 15 percent and 9 percent,respectively.[35]
In terms of growth, the semiconductor industry leads all sectors in sales (up 11%); diversified financial companies in aggregate have an astounding 90% growth rate in profit; construction leads asset growth (up 18%).[36]
例五:CNOOC Offshore Oil and Gas Development and Utilization Company and U.S. Bitumen producer Ergon,Inc. signed 5 joint venture agreements.
按照Rules for writing numbers,Numbers smaller than ten should be spelled out.[33]小于10的数字应该将单词写出来,因此,例五中的5应该写做five。
例六:32 CNOOC employees were selected as Group-level technical experts; 119 employees were granted qualifications of technician and senior technician.
例七:13 main equipment pieces of the 12Mt/a Huizhou Refinery Project were successfully put into operation.
这两个例子都是以数字开头,按照Rules for writing numbers,这样都是错误的。
You cannot begin a sentence with a numeral.
Write ‘Twenty years ago…’ (NOT 20 years ago…)
Sometimes you will have to change the structure of the sentence to remove the numeral from the beginning.
Write ‘They sold 400,000 copies on the first day’ instead of ‘400,000 copies were sold on the first day.’[33]
网上有篇《数字在新闻翻译中的运用》,详细地说明了数字在英文中如何运用,很有帮助。http://www.ahfao.gov.cn/WSBNewsxl.aspx?Id=9579
三、中西文化类错误
㈠ 简单地字对字翻译(中式英语)
例一:国家科技部下发了《关于“十五”863计划资源环境技术领域第二批课题立项的批复》,海洋石油工程股份有限公司申报的“水下干式管道维修系统”被批准正式立项。该课题计划周期为四年。
The Ministry of Science and Technology issueda Reply regarding the project set-up for the second batch of tasks in resources and environment technology field of 863 Plan in the Tenth Five-Year Plan, in which the “Underwater Dry-type Pipeline Maintenance System” submitted by CNOOC Engineering Ltd was approved. The planned cycle for this task was 4 years.
首先,中文用周期就不对,具体某个科研项目怎么会有周期?“周”是什么意思?周而复始。《在线新华字典》给出的周期定义是:事物发展过程中某些特征重复出现其连续两次之间的时间;也指事物进程中其重复出现的一次现象从头至尾经历一遍所需要的时间。同样型号的产品,可以重复生产,所以有生产周期,但是同样的科研项目,不可能重复,因此叫周期就不严谨。中文叫周期,翻译的不动脑筋,自然就翻成cycle,请看《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》关于cycle的定义和例句:
lN-COUNT A cycle is a series of events or processes that is repeated again and again, always in the same order.周期
例:...the life cycleof the plant.(…植物的生命周期。)
Cycle的英文定义几乎和周期的中文定义一样。想想一个科研项目怎么可能repeated again and again, always in the same order?写成The amount of time needed to implement project would be four years.或者The development time would be four years.是不是严谨一些?
例二:中海石油研究中心博士后科研工作站迎来了揭牌和首批博士后进站的日子。
It was the day that the circulating post-doctoral post of CNOOC petroleum research center started up and the first batch of post docs went into the post.
博士后科研工作站是中国特有的,因此找不到母语是英语的国家如何称呼。不过,我们自己用英文来描述这样的机构,至少不能让外国人看了不明不白。例二中将博士后科研工作站翻成了circulating post-doctoral post,首先,博士后工作站和博士后流动站是两个不同的概念,博士后科研流动站是指在高等学校或科研院所的某个一级学科范围内,经批准设立的可以招收博士后研究人员的组织[37]。而博士后科研工作站是指在企业、科研生产型事业单位和特殊的区域性机构内,经批准可以招收和培养博士后研究人员的组织[38]。译文不应该无中生有加上circulating;其次,流动站表示不是固定的,因为博士后工作站必须与博士后流动站合作,如果广州某企业的博士后工作站与在北京某高校博士后流动站合作,没问题,因为高校的这个组织可以流动,所以有的将流动翻成mobile。第三,工作站翻成post,是否合适?《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》给post的定义和例句:
lN-COUNT A post in a company or organization is a job or official position in it, usually one that involves responsibility.职位;职务
例:She had earlier resigned her post as President Menem's assistant.(她已于早些时候辞去了梅内姆总统助理的职务。)
根据定义,用一个岗位post(可数名词)来描述工作站,显然不合适。网上有不少将博士后工作站翻成Post-doctoral Workstation。先看看《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》给workstation的定义和例句:
lN-COUNT A workstation is a screen and keyboard that are part of an office computer system. (计算机系统的)工作站
例:Or you can set up databases on any number of servers and access them from particular workstations.(或者你可以在任意数目的服务器上建立数据库,并从特定的工作站获取数据。)
由此看来,博士后工作站用workstation也不合适。非要直译工作站,用work station要好一些。因为work有研究的意思。
例:Their work shows that one-year-olds are much more likely to have allergies if either parent smokes.[39](他们的研究显示,如果父母任何一方吸烟,1岁的婴儿更有可能患过敏。)
而station,可以是a building or place used for a particular service or type of work: a petrol (US gas) station,a police/fire station,a biological research station.[39]为了让外国人一目了然,还是翻成Post-Doctoral Research Center比较好。只是例二中已经有了一个research center了,可以翻成research station。
博士后进站,就是went into the post?其实,博士后进站包含了符合条件的研究者填写申请、提交正面材料、笔试、面试、报批、与工作站签订协议等一系列过程,不是go into这么简单,虽然go into有进入某个行业或职业的意思。If you go into something,you decide to do it as your job orcareer.进入(某行业)[40]
例:Mr. Pok has now gone into the tourism business.(波克先生现在已进入旅游业。)[40]
非要用“进入”,用enter更靠谱些。If you ente ran organization or institution, you start to work there or become a member of it.加入[40]
例:He entered the firm as a junior associate.(他作为一名初级职员进入了该公司。)[42]
不少网站翻译博士后进站时,用enrol,比较靠谱,至少能够在英语国家的网站找到例句:
By 2015, if all goes according to plan, 17,000 post-doctoral fellows will enrol at the country’s major research institutions annually.[41]
例三:1990中国海洋年产原油首次突破百万吨,达到1431759吨。
The annual crude oil production from China offshore broke the record of one million tons, amounted 1,431,759 tons.
该译者是不是受中国海洋石油公司英文名的影响太深,你中文里去掉石油公司,我英文中也相应去掉Oil Corporation,因此中国海洋就成了China offshore?但是中国海洋不能翻成china offshore,因为offshore是形容词和副词,在这句中,无论是作形容词还是作副词,都找不到被修饰的对象。
另外,首次突破百万吨,译成broke the record是否合适?百万吨并不是一个纪录,只是一个数字。一看到突破,就对应到break the record,其实,《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》给break的定义和例句是这样:
lV-T If you break a record, you beat the previous record for a particular achievement.打破(记录)
例:Carl Lewis has broken the world record in the 100 metres. (卡尔·刘易斯打破了百米赛跑的世界纪录。)
所谓破纪录,得先前有纪录才行。例如,以前100米的纪录是10秒,现在有人只用了9秒9,这才叫破纪录。突破某个数字,准确地说是超过某个数字,应该用exceed,请看《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》给的定义和例句:
lV-T If something exceeds a particular amount or number, it is greater or larger than that amount or number.超过(某数量)
例:Its research budget exceeds $700 million a year.(其研究预算每年超过7亿美元。)
这句里面还漏译了首次。
㈡翻译的内容和形式要考虑文化差异
A.国企,特别是央企,在介绍企业高层时,除了标明职务,还会加上党组成员或党委委员,中文网站这样写大家都理解,没什么不对。但是在西方国家,党派属于个人隐私,在介绍企业的董事会成员或Executive team时,绝不会涉及到党派。我们翻译成英文时,是不是也入乡随俗,将人家避讳的或是不关心的内容不翻译出来?另外,党组成员翻成Party Leadership Group Member,是不是过于简单?我们知道party有好几个意思,longman Dictionary Online给出的就有5个:
party1 S1 W1 plural parties [countable]
1 for fun
DL asocial event when a lot of people meet together to enjoy themselves by eating,drinking, dancing etc:
We're having a party on Saturday. Would you like to come?
2 in politics
PPG [also + plural verb British English] a political organization with particular beliefs and aims, which you can vote for in elections:
the three main political parties in Britain
the Labour/Communist/Democratic etc Party
She was greeted by a large crowd of Labour Party supporters.
3 group of people
[also + plural verb British English] a group of people who go somewhere together or do a job together
party of
a party of tourists
There were several students in our party.
➔working party
4 in an argument/law
SCL law or formal one of the people or groups who are involved in a legal argument or agreement:
helping the two parties to reach an agreement
guilty/innocent party
He sees himself as the innocent party in this dispute.
5 be (a) party to something
formal to be involved in an activity or decision:
I was not a party to this discussion.
因此,在提到政党时(in political),最好在前面叫上modifier,例如:the Labour/Communist/Democratic etc Party,才不会造成误解。
B.汉语与英语有各自的特点,汉语重形象、意念,英语重逻辑;汉语潇洒随意、主观色彩十分强烈,英语则是规范严整、客观具体。汉语是描述性特强的语言, 英语则是逻辑性特强的语言, 因此, 汉语多华丽修饰语, 英语则相对较少[42]。特别是受骈文影响,讲究对仗、声律和藻饰。我们经常会看到“蜚声海外、享誉全球”在一起,也会看到“朝思暮想、魂牵梦萦”在一起。甚至很多四字格的习语前两个字与后两个字的意思是重复的。例如:粗心大意、粗制滥造、狐朋狗友、能工巧匠、愁眉苦脸等。中文这样写没问题,翻译成英文就没必要翻译重复的部分了。英译“能工巧匠”这样的习语。就不能硬译成:skilled craftsman and clever artificer。半译即可。如译:skilled craftsman。[43]
另外就是要注意到中文经常是夸张的,不光是不能直译“脸不变色心不跳”,不少即便我们不觉夸张的中文句子,在英语是母语的读者看来,也是夸张的。例如“未来的浦东将变得更加光彩夺目”。如直译成the future Pudong will shine brilliantly (will shed dazzling light),在英语中显得过分夸张, 不妨降调处理一下, 译成Pudong will have brighter prospects ( a brighter future) 即可。[45]
例一:穆迪投资者服务公司将中国海洋石油有限公司的信贷评级从Baa2调高到了Baal。穆迪同时把中国海洋石油总公司的信贷评级以及中海油担保的子公司——中海石油财务有限责任公司的外国长期流通债券评级从Baa2调高到了Baal,三者的评级展望均为正面,从而使公司的信贷质量显得更为出类拔萃、独树一帜,也与其国际化商业模式相吻合。
Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) upgraded the credit rating of the Company and the foreign currency long-term debt rating of its guaranteed subsidiary, CNOOC Finance (2002) Ltd, to Baa1 from Baa2. Moody’s also upgraded the issuer rating of the Company’s parent—China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) from Baa2 to Baa1. The outlook on the ratings is positive.The unique Baa1 (positive) rating obtained by the Company places CNOOC’s credit quality in the league of its own, in recognition of its unique global nature of business profile.
例一中的中文出现了两个四字成语:出类拨萃和独树一帜,应该说是纯属习惯使然,极其夸张。Moody信用评级一共分21级,Baa2是第9级,从第9升到第8就出类拔萃了?就算在中国公司里面这就是最高等级了,这“独树一帜”又是怎么回事?知道“独树一帜”的意思吗?
独树一帜:树:立;帜:旗帜。单独树起一面旗帜。比喻独特新奇,自成一家。[44]
英译倒是没有将两个四字成语都翻译出来,只是用了个idiom–in the league of its own,其实应该是in a league of its own。在word reference论坛里找到这个介词短语的解释:
It means so outstanding that no other can compare. ie."Tiger Woods is in a league of his own". A league is generally regarded to be a group of teams (ie. National Hockey League, etc.) or a group of individuals and if one team or individual is so much better than the others, they are "in a league of their own".[45]
原来是优秀到没对手的意思。同样,才评到第8级,肯定还谈不上没对手,因此,这个英译也太夸张。另外,尽可能翻译成Plain English。因为英语网站是给不懂中文的人看的,他们当中很多人的英语也是外语,例如西班牙人、德国人。
例二:要真正实现中国的强国之路,实现中华民族的伟大复兴,就必须有一大批有胆识的企业家肩负起历史、民族的重任,带领一大批优秀的科研专家和一大批优秀的产业工程师,为发展中国的先进制造业呕心沥血,前赴后继,奋勇拼搏。
To make China powerful and realize the Chinese nation's great rejuvenation, a large number of courageous entrepreneurs are called for bearing the burden of historic and national, and leading a lot of experts in science research and engineers to make every effort for developing the advanced manufacturing industry in China.
例二的英译并没有直译那些成语,用了化繁为简的“理性概译”。为了慎重起见,找了位母语为英语并且不懂中文,又正在学新闻的大学生帮看看,下面就是她的改写:
The rejuvenation and development of the advanced manufacturing industry in China depends on the science research experts and engineers as well as the courageous entrepreneurs of today.
豪情壮志全没了。从这个例子我们是否可以感受到英语国家习惯使用低调言辞( understatement)?
[31]https://www.e-education.psu.edu/styleforstudents/c2_p9.html
[32]Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.Pearson Education Limited, 2011.
ldoceonline.com. Web. 10 November 2014.
[33]http://www.englishgrammar.org/rules-writing-numbers/
Android top dog, Apple pulls further ahead of RIM
still means something http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30229507/ns/business-us_business/43323558#.VGq1FXeJJ98
[36]Forbes:The World's Largest Companies: China Takes Over The Top Three Spots
[37]百度百科http://baike.baidu.com/view/1136554.htm?fr=aladdin(accessed November 12, 2014)
[38]百度百科http://baike.baidu.com/view/1136556.htm?fr=aladdin(accessed November 12, 2014)
[1]《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》
[1]《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》
[41]The University of Nottingham
[42]高级翻译评析,ISBN:9787313031556,作者:王大伟,孙艳编著
[43]《新世界大学汉英翻译教程》
[1]在线成语词典http://cy.xxkt.cn/html4/4386.html
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