首页 -> 2008年第7期
英语名词动化的修辞及其翻译
作者：杨丽华 吴玉新 齐建辉 罗会兰
一､名词动化的修辞效果
名词动化可使语言表达更加丰富多彩,避免行文冗长拖沓,勾起读者的联想,传递说话者的某种情感态度,修辞效果明显｡
1.描景状物,惟妙惟肖;刻画人物,活灵活现｡形象准确,感情色彩浓烈
The idiot clucked and parroted to herself.
那白痴对她自己咯咯地叫唤和说个没完｡
如果不用parrot,而平铺直叙地代之以“to repeat in a mechanical way”,便不能勾起读者的联想,语言的生动性从而丧失殆尽,说话者的感情色彩也无法准确地表现出来｡
As the years passed,other occasions birthday,recitals awards graduations were marked with Dad＇s flowers.My emotions continued to seesaw pleasure and embarrassment.
随着岁月的推移,其他的场合——我的生日,公开演出,颁奖仪式,毕业典礼都有父亲的鲜花相伴,我的情感继续在欣喜与窘迫中交替着｡
作者借seesaw(跷跷板)一上一下的特点,来描写人物的复杂心情,恰到好处｡
2.简洁精练,形象生动,便于理解;幽默夸张,清新活泼,给人深刻印象
Co-operatives profit farmers more.(China Daily,April 9,1998)(合作经营更有益于农民｡)
‘profit’通常作为名词使用,但上例中却是作为动词使用的｡如果将‘profit’作为名词使用,该标题就可能成为‘Co-operatives bring more profits to farmers’,句式反而显得臃肿､拗口｡
She soft-shoed down the stairs.
soft-shoe原义“软软的鞋子”,这里作动词用,使人联想起她轻轻下楼梯的情景｡
二､名词动化的汉译
汉语中类似的名词一般不能直接转类为动词｡因此,我们应该特别注意英语中这种语言现象的汉译｡
1.译成汉语的“介词短语+动词短语”形式
(1)译成汉语的“把字句”或“将”字句
We shipped a lot of crap out of Detroit in our day. 当时我们就曾从底特律把大量劣货装运出去｡
He grinned as he pocketed the coin.
当他把钱币装入口袋时,露齿而笑｡
He garages his car near the railroad station.
他将汽车放在靠近火车站的一个停车房里｡
(2)译成“在……,乘……,对……向……+动词短语”
If he had tried harder, he could have topped his class.
假如他以前用功些,他会在班里名列前茅的｡
Kissinger got them(the plans)and helicoptered to Camp David.
基辛格把计划搞到手,就乘直升机去戴维营｡
We boated down the Thames.
我们乘船顺泰晤士河而下｡
The vice president was egged and tomatoed by angry people while he was making a speech.
副总统发表演讲时,愤怒的人们纷纷向他投掷鸡蛋和西红柿｡
(3)译成“象……,宛如……+动词短语”
The Great wall＂snakes,loops,doubles back on itself,meandering across plains and valleys,scaling mountains,plunging deep gorges and leaping raging rivers,for 3700 miles.＂
长城“犹如一条巨龙,迂回､曲折､蜿蜒于溪谷平原,时而在群山中盘旋,时而在深谷中攀援,时而像跳跃咆哮的河川,行程里数约一万｡”
From time to time,his two-year-old son parrots some words from TV.
他两岁的儿子时不时鹦鹉学舌般地重复电视里的话｡
A number of travel agencies has mushroomed in the last few years.
近几年许多旅行社犹如雨后春笋般地冒了出来｡
2.译成汉语的连动结构
(1)译成“用……+动词短语”,原名词所表示的事物用作工具
The beach life-guards usually flag one another for communication.
海滨救生员通常用旗号传达讯息｡
Thumb through any dictionary,and you will see pages of words followed by definitions.
用拇指翻遍任何一本词典,你会看到整页的词后面均有定义｡
The planes machine-gunned the hill tops and went away.
飞机用机枪扫射了山顶便飞走了｡
They kodaked quite often on their beautiful campus.
他们常用小型相机在美丽的校园里拍照｡
(2)译成其他形式的连动句
The kids tailed after the mobile cultural troupe for quite a distance.
孩子们尾随着巡回演出队走了好远｡
When my car broke down,I flagged a police car.
当我的汽车抛锚的时候,我打了个手势招来一辆警车｡
We telegraphed her the bad news.
我们打电报给她,告诉她这个坏消息｡
3.译成汉语的兼语句,多译为“使字句”
His impolite words angered his girlfriend.
他粗鲁的话语使他的女朋友非常生气｡
His selfishness has clouded his judgment.
自私已使他丧失了清醒的判断力｡
The news really floored me;I hadn＇t been expecting it at all.
这个消息真使我不知所措,完全出乎我的意料｡
Your disapproval pains me more than I can say.
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