如何翻譯“批準(zhǔn)某市為沿海開放城市”
有人把“1987 年國務(wù)院批準(zhǔn)唐山市為沿海經(jīng)濟(jì)開放城市”這個句子翻譯成:In 1987...
[ 2006-10-13 09:42 ]
作者:丁衡祁
有人把“1987 年國務(wù)院批準(zhǔn)唐山市為沿海經(jīng)濟(jì)開放城市”這個句子翻譯成:In 1987, the State Department approved Tangshan city to be a coastal economic open zone. 這里有四個問題:第一,把中國的國務(wù)院譯成了美國的國務(wù)院;第二,approve ... to be 這種用法不成立;第三,coastal economic open 這三個形容詞的排列不當(dāng);第四,zone 這個詞在這里不妥。
后來有人對這個句子進(jìn)行了重新翻譯,新的譯法是:In 1987, the State Council approved Tangshan being an open city of coastal economy??墒沁@個譯文中仍然存在兩個不妥之處:一是 approve ... being 的用法也不成立;二是 coastal economy 的意思走了樣,“沿海經(jīng)濟(jì)”僅僅相對“內(nèi)陸經(jīng)濟(jì)”而言,是指具有沿海地區(qū)特色的經(jīng)濟(jì),如捕漁業(yè)、深海養(yǎng)殖業(yè)、造船業(yè)、海洋運(yùn)輸業(yè)等,這與原文意思不符。
其實(shí),這個句子的翻譯方法很多,不下十余種:
In 1987, the State Council approved Tangshan of becoming a coastal city of open economy.(approve ... of becoming這種說法只適合口頭表達(dá),不宜作為正式的書面語言)
In 1987, the State Council approved / endorsed the establishment of Tangshan as a coastal city of open economy.
In 1987, the State Council granted approval / endorsement to Tangshan as a coastal city of open economy.
In 1987, the State Council granted Tangshan the status of a coastal city of open economy.
In 1987, the State Council endorsed the upgrading / elevating of Tangshan to the status of a coastal city of open economy.
In 1987, the State Council approved / endorsed the motion / proposal of turning Tangshan into a coastal city of open economy.
In 1987, the State Council designated / established Tangshan as a coastal city of open economy. (designate 這種表達(dá)法最為可取,詞典中就有類似的例句:The town has been designated (as) a development area.)
如果要突出唐山這個地名,還可以用被動語態(tài)的形式:Tangshang was designated (as) a coastal city of open economy by the State Council in 1987.
上面的例子說明,即使是一個比較簡單的句子,翻譯的方法也是多種多樣。在翻譯的過程中,也貫穿了多探索、多研究、多查閱的“三多”精神。
About the author: |
|
丁衡祁,對外經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易大學(xué)商務(wù)英語系教授,2002 年退休后被對外經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易大學(xué)卓越國際學(xué)院聘為英語教學(xué)研究中心主任。曾任對外經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易大學(xué)研究生部主任兼師資培訓(xùn)中心主任。曾被派往中國駐美國舊金山總領(lǐng)事館任商務(wù)領(lǐng)事。曾在中央電視臺主講英語教學(xué)節(jié)目《奪魁》(Bid for Power)?,F(xiàn)為中國翻譯協(xié)會理事,《中國翻譯》雜志編委,中國譯協(xié)對外傳播委員會成員,全國翻譯專業(yè)資格考試英語專家委員會委員,中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)站英語點(diǎn)津“翻譯擂臺賽”特約專家,中國對外翻譯出版公司專家顧問委員會委員,中國進(jìn)出口銀行英文譯審。
|
|