3. The monkey's most extraordinary accomplishment was learning to operate a tractor. By the age of nine, the monkey had learned to solo on the vehicle.
这只猴子最了不起的技能是学会驾驶拖拉机。到了九岁的时候,这只猴子已经学会单独表演驾驶拖拉机了。
汉语一般较少采用英语的这类变称,而较多 重复同一名称。
1. 非洲人民正在为争取非洲的彻底解放进行着 艰巨的斗争。
The people of Africa are waging a hard struggle to win the complete emancipation of the continent. 2. 另外一种方法是化学方法。
Another method is the chemical process. / Another approach is the chemical method.
3. 电子管通常用来放大,而真空管则是电子管的另一名称。
An electron tube is generally used for amplification, and vacuum tube is another name for this device.
4. 他就是凭这个骗人的资格,他就是有这个骗人的资格。 His credentials are deception, that’s exactly what he has.
(三)英语比较注重表达形式的多样化,力戒无意义的重复。例如以下一段话,不仅词语重复太多,句式也缺少变化,因而显得累赘又乏味:
Shakespeare's plays are notable for their moral neutrality. For example, in Julius Caesar, Shakes-peare is not wholly sympathetic to Caesar. Shakes-peare does not
sympathize with Brutus, Antony, or Octavius. Caesar is killed in the middle of Julius Caesar. Then Shakespeare directs the audience's attention to Brutus, Antony, and Octavius. As a result, Shakespeare gives Julius Caesar no single hero. Shakespeare gives an objective view of the characters throughout Julius Caesar by alternating between favorable and unfavorable assessments. Shakespeare does not give final approval to the favorable assessment or unfavorable assessment.
这段话若用替代、省略和变换的方法加以改写,即会比较符合英语的表达习惯:
Shakespeare's plays are notable for their moral neutrality. For example, in Julius Caesar Shakespeare is not wholly sympa-thetic to Caesar, Brutus, Antony, or Octavius. Caesar is killed in the middle of the play and the audience's attention is then directed to the other main characters. As a result, Julius Caesar has no single hero. Throughout the play Shakespeare maintains an objective view of the characters by alternating be-tween favorable and unfavorable assess-ments, without giving final approval to either.
然而,变换要适度,不能给人以炫耀言辞的感觉;替代也要明确,不应引起语义的含混。如果为了追求“优雅”而不顾表达的清晰和准确,那就达不到语言交际的目的。
上面这段话,若改写成以下这种样子,那就未免过分了:
Shakespeare's plays are notable for their moral neutrality. For example, in Julius Caesar, the playwright is not wholly sym-pathetic to Caesar. The great bard does not
sympathize with Brutus, Antony, or Octavius. Caesar is killed in the middle of the play. Then the \ directs the audience's attention to the other main characters. As a result, the master of dramatic poetry gives Julius Caesar no single hero. ...
总的说来,英语比较忌讳重复,因而常用替代、省略和变换的表达方法;相比之下,汉语则比较习惯于重复,因而常用实称、还原和复说的表达方法。除此以外,汉语倾向于重复还广泛地表现在词语调配、句式安排和篇章结构等各个方面。
替换与重复(II)
汉字属音节文字,一个汉字代表一个音节。古代汉语单音节占优势,现代汉语双音节占优势,讲究词语之间偶数音节的组合,如单音节词宜与单音节词相配,双音节词宜与双音节词相配,给人以匀称、整齐而又平稳、舒畅的感觉。
如“停止用”、“共同管”就不如“停止使用”、“共同管理”或“停用”、“共管”整齐、匀称;“脸发烧,心慌,不知所措”就不如“脸发烧,心发慌,不知所措”和谐、顺畅。
汉语有大量的联绵词,即双声词(美满,伶俐)和叠韵词(如从容、堂皇),还有叠音词(冉冉、渐渐)合成词和四字格(若隐若现、千姿百态、如花似锦、甜言蜜语)。
音节和字义的协调、和谐及匀称往往促使词语和句式成双成对,反映了中国人的美学心理,也是用词造句的一大原则。任意违反这项原则,往往会使表达显得别扭。
“他实事求是,不尚说空话,……总是把荣誉归于别人,重担自己挑。他苦在人先,享乐在别人后面。”
“他实事求是,不尚空谈,……总是把荣誉归于别人,把重担加于自己。他苦在人先,乐在人后。”
英语和汉语都有重叠、反复、对偶和排比的表达形式,但相比之下,汉语的重复无论在使用范围、出现频率和表现方式的多样性等方面都远远超过英语。
一、汉语的重叠(Reduplication)
汉语单音节文字的特点便于字和词的重叠。重叠构词不仅使得词语音节匀称、形式整齐,而且赋予词语以新的意义和感情色彩。许多名词、数量词、动词和形容词都有重叠的格式,如:
1.名词重叠,表示“每个”、“所有”、“许多”、“小”、“杂”或某种感情色彩等: AA: 人人 天天 事事 年年 声声 字字 道道 AABB: 男男女女 世世代代 风风雨雨 沟沟洼洼
2. 数量词重叠,表示“每个”、“逐个”、“许多”或某种感情色彩。 BB: 个个 件件 排排 块块 条条 本本 篇篇
ABB: 一杆杆 一块块 一桩桩 一道道 一滴滴 ABAB: 一次一次 一包一包 一颗一颗 一步一步
AABB: 千千万万 三三两两 三三五五
3.动词重叠:动作的轻微、反复、完成、连续、轻松
AA: 说说 听听 谈谈 想想 吃吃 瞧瞧 歇歇 A一(了)A: 走一走 看一看 避一避 笑了笑 摇了摇 ABAB: 考虑考虑 救济救济 收拾收拾 整理整理 AABB: 进进出出 摇摇晃晃 吵吵嚷嚷 勾勾搭搭 A着A着、A了A了: 听着听着 看着看着 老了老了
4.形容词重叠:程度的加重、加深、加强、减轻或爱憎、厌恶等情绪。 AA:红红 高高 厚厚 小小 远远 深深 长长 AABB: 干干净净 奇奇怪怪 零零落落 歪歪斜斜 ABAB: 笔直笔直 冰凉冰凉 通红通红 雪白雪白
5. 附加式重叠:使表达形象、生动,格式丰富多彩:
AAX: 毛毛雨 月月红 呱呱叫 团团转 步步高 XAA: 水汪汪 羞答答 笑眯眯 亮晶晶 白茫茫 AAXY: 花花世界 心心相印 娓娓动听 历历在目 XYAA: 衣冠楚楚 烈火熊熊 忧心忡忡 风雨潇潇 A里AB: 啰里啰唆 糊里糊涂 妖里妖气 古里古怪
6. 偏正并列式、动宾并列式、主谓并列式等的重叠:
ABAC: 假情假意 难兄难弟 有声有色 没大没小 ABCB: 以毒攻毒 爱理不理 大闹特闹 好说歹说 ABA: 面对面 心连心 手拉手 肩并肩 背靠背
此外,象声词也常常采用重叠的形式。
英译汉:适当地运用重叠可以增强表现力;英语也有重叠现象,但远不如汉语普遍,其构词能力和使用范围都受到很大限制。
?The road was packed with a noisy crowd of men and women, who were selling and
buying all kinds of things.
路上挤满了男男女女,他们熙熙攘攘,正在买卖各种各样的东西。
2. Walking up and down the empty room, he stopped here and there to touch or look. 房间空空荡荡,他走来走去,这儿停停,哪儿停停,东摸摸,西瞧瞧。
3. She hoped she had mixed enough fact and fiction in her story to mislead him. 她希望所说的情况真真假假,足以使他糊里糊涂。
4. Huge, riven and blazing wrecks that only minutes before had been majestic aircraft carriers settled into the glittering Pacific.
几分钟前,这些航空母舰还是那么威风凛凛,不久就变成豁裂残断、烈火熊熊的庞大残骸,渐渐沉入了波光粼粼的太平洋。
5. Seared by a sun more savage than their native land's, their wounds suppurated and hosts of whining flies fell upon them.
这儿的阳光比他们本国的强烈得多,在毒辣辣的太阳烤灼下,他们的伤口化脓,嗡嗡的苍蝇成群成群的汇集在伤口上。
6. There wee no sounds but that of the booming wind upon the stretch of tawny herbage around them, the crackling wheels, the tread of the men, and the footsteps of the two shaggy ponies which drew the van.
那时候只听见车轮辚辚,脚步沙沙。拉车的那两匹鬃毛蓬松的小马,蹄声得得,四周一片橙黄色的野草,风声呼呼。除此之外,再也听不到别的声音了。
7. They read the afternoon through, while the cold November rain fell from the sky upon the quiet house.
深秋,冷雨霏霏,屋里静悄悄的。他们看了一个下午的书。
8. Mr Kirsch, having lost all his money by this time, followed his master out into the moonlight, where the illuminations were winking out.
基希先生这时输得两手空空,便跟着主人走出屋;月光下,彩灯闪闪烁烁,渐渐灭了。
英语也有音节重叠的现象,但远不如汉语普遍。主要因为英语词的音节参差不齐,不具备上述汉语语音文字的特点。
英语的重叠只有一个格式,即AA式,另有两个变式,即改变元音的重叠式和改变辅音的重叠式,如:
1. AA式:
bye-bye, goody-goody, tut-tut, pooh-pooh, craw-craw, dik-dik, din-din, chow-chow, yo-yo, ha-ha, haw-haw, ta-ta, hula-hula, chin-chin, ga-ga
2.元音变式:
ping-pong, zig-zag, seesaw, flip-flop, tick-tock, tip-top, clip-clop, criss-cross, dilly-dally,ding-dong,shilly-shally,dingle-dangle,riff-raff, tick-tack, wishy-washy, jingle-jangle
3.辅音变式:
walkie-talkie, teeny-weeny, hoity-toity,
hubble-bubble, bow-wow, higgledy-piggledy,botch-potch, hocus-pocus, razzle-dazzle,
rub-a-dub, piggy-wiggy, pell-mell, clap-trap
英语叠音词一般属谐音或拟声现象,许多来自儿语,常用于口语、俚语或非正式文体,其构词能力和使用范围都受到很大的限制。
汉语的叠字、叠词不仅是音节的重叠,而且有词法和句法的因素。
“寻寻觅觅,冷冷清清,凄凄惨惨戚戚”
I seek but seek in vain,
I search and search again: I feel so sad,so drear, So lonely,without cheer.
I look for what I miss, I know not what it is, I feel so sad, so drear, So lonely, without cheer.
二、汉语的重复:
1.沉默呵,沉默!不在沉默中爆发,就在沉默中灭亡。
Silence, silence! Unless we burst out, we shall perish in this silence! 2. 吃饭防噎,行路防跌。
When eating take heed that you do not choke, when walking take heed that you do not fall.
3.我为人人,人人为我。
One for all and all for one. 4.大处着眼,小处着手。
Keep the general goal in sight while taking hold of the daily tasks.
5.我们一定要坚持下去, 一定要不断地工作,我们也会感动上帝的。这个上帝不是别人,就是全中国的人民大众。全国人民大众一齐起来和我们一道挖这两座山,有什么挖不平呢?
We must persevere and work unceasingly, and we, too, will touch God’s heart. Our God is none other than the masses of the Chinese people. If they stand up and dig together with us, why can’t these two mountains be cleared away?
英语
1. Scrooge went to bed again, and thought and thought and thought it over and over. 斯克鲁吉有上床去了,他想来想去,想呀想,想个没完。
2. She stood by the window and looked out sadly at a grey cat walking along a grey fence in a grey backyard.
她站在窗子跟前,闷闷不乐地瞅着外面灰蒙蒙的后院,一只灰色的猫正在灰色的篱笆上行走。
3. A smile would come into Mr Pickwick's face; the smile extended into a laugh, the laugh into a roar, and the roar became general.
皮克威克先生的脸上会浮现出一丝微笑,微笑逐渐变成大笑,大笑变成狂笑,狂笑勾起一阵哄堂大笑。
4. Crafty men contemn studies; simple men admire them; and wise men use them. 狡猾的人轻视学问;愚昧的人羡慕学问;聪明的人利用学问。
5. The jail might have been the infirmary, the infirmary might have been the jail. 监狱可以成为病房,病房也可以成为监狱。
6. Men perish, but man shall endure; lives die but the life is not dead. 人要死亡而人类永存,寿命有限而生命不绝。