英译中精讲 英译中精讲系列

今天，我们继续来探究在英译中会出现的问题。

前两的内容，请点击下文：

英译中精讲系列（1）

英译中精讲系列（2）

The scandal snowballed. Questions were asked in Parliament. Nadhim Zahawi, a minister who attended, sheepishlysaid that he had left early (and claimed that it was a moretasteful event the previous time he went). Some firms thatbought tables, such as WPP, an advertising giant, scurried to distance themselves. Otherslay low, even after being named in the FT, which reported that property firms accounted for many of the guests. Several charities said they would hand back donations from the gala. Within a day, the Presidents Club announced that it would close; David Meller, its co-chairman, stepped down as a directorof the Department for Education. Morescalpsmay follow.

原译：

该丑闻如滚雪球一样越滚越大，议会对此提出质疑，参加过俱乐部的部长Nad.Zahaw羞怯地说，他提早离开了（并声称他上次支的时候是一次更有品位活动）。一些曾参加过派对的公司，如WWF一家广告界的企业，连忙声称这些丑闻与他们无关。其他公司则低调行事，甚至在被英国《金融时报》点名后也是如此。英国《金融时报》报道称，许多客人来自房地产公司。几家慈善机构表示，他们将退还狂欢节的捐款。总裁俱乐部在一天内宣布将关闭，其联席董事长戴维·梅勒辞去在教育部主任一职。更多的麻烦可能随之而来

精讲：

一、词语：

1. sheepish

窘迫的；难为情的；尴尬的

If you look sheepish, you look slightly embarrassed because you feel foolish or you have done something silly.

例句：

The couple leapt apart when she walked in on them and later came downstairs looking sheepish.

她走进屋时撞见这对情侣，搞得两人赶紧分开，后来又面带窘色地走下楼来。

不过，在Nadhim Zahawi, a minister who attended, sheepishly said that he had left early这一句里，sheepishly所修饰的是英国内阁某部长大臣的言论，而这位人士涉及文中所提到的丑闻事件。于是乎，sheepish在句中的意思就不仅仅是“尴尬的”或“难为情的”了，而是为了撇清与这件事的关系，要“保持自己清白”，但还不能过于直白地批评——毕竟自己出现出席了。因此，用“含量蓄”一词来表达其“怯怯地”且是“小心谨慎地”的意思。

2. tasteful

高雅的；雅致的；有品位的

If you say that something is tasteful, you consider it to be attractive, elegant, and in good taste.

例句：

The decor is tasteful and restrained.

装饰风格素雅简约。

在 it was a more tasteful event the previous time he went中，用了more tasteful event这种隐性比较的方式来吸引听者的注意力，弱化这一次活动的负面。

3. buy table

table: (饭店的)饭桌，餐桌

If you ask for a table in a restaurant, you want to have a meal there.

例如：

I'd like a table for two at about 8:30, please.

我想订一张 8:30 左右的双人桌。

不过，这里buy table的意思并不是字面上所谓的“买桌子”，而是一种慈善组织募集资金的方式，即通过拍卖桌子来销售活动的入场券（ticket）。这通常对企业或机构开放，而企业和机构通过这种方式获得出席嘉宾的名额。当然，这个名额不一定由自己的员工出席，可以作用公关活动，转赠给自己的关系户。

4. lie low

不露面； 不引注意； 保持低调

If you are lying low, you are hiding or not drawing attention to yourself.

例句：

Far from lying low, Kuti became more outspoken than ever.

库蒂不但没暂避风头，而且较以往更加直言不讳。

同样也可以用stay low，或keep low profile来表达。

5. a director

注意，当表示职位的名词前有不定冠词a/an，或是定冠词the时，表示的是这担任这个职位的人。a director则可以指担任“董事”、“司长”、“主任”或“总监”的职位的人。

在David Meller, its co-chairman, stepped down as a director of the Department for Education.一句里，David Meller是一句director，不过，是怎么样的一个职位，不是很清楚。通过搜索，可以在卫报的一篇报道中看出端倪：In June 2013 he was appointed as a non-executive director on the DfE’s board. 这就很明显了，是一个委员会的非执行委员。

5. scalp:

头皮

Your scalp is the skin under the hair on your head.

例句：

He smoothed his hair back over his scalp.

他把头发向后理顺。

不过，More scalps may follow则不能简单地理解为是“更多地头皮会出现”。从整个段落来看，这个丑闻（scandal）会让涉足其中的人遇到不少麻烦，如教育大臣Nadhim Zahawi忙着要撇清关系，David Meller则是离职，一些房地产企业要不切割关系，要不保持缄默。再往下，可能有更多的小角色了，会因此受到不同程度的影响。从这个角度来看，scalp从本意的“头皮”能引伸理解为“涉事（大小）人物”。

二、语法：

这一句里有一个比较突出的语法现象，就是“非限定性”的定语的使用。这些定语的特点如下：

1. 更多地是用来补充或说明所修饰对象的身份，如用a minister who attended 来表明Nadhim Zahawi的身分，用its co-chairman修饰Dvaid Meller

2. 说明所修饰对象的特点， 如用an advertising giant来修饰WPP，指出后者的市场地位

3. 或是引出更多地内容，如which reported that property firms accounted for many of the guest来修饰the FT，则是将FT的报道里的内容引用了出来。

三、翻译问题：

原译文存在以下两个比较严重的问题：

1. 直译过多。译文过于紧贴字面意思，不能全面的揭示作者所隐含地意思。这个主要还是没有理解到位，对于个别的词字的理解浮于表面。

   如对question理解为“质疑”，sheeplish的译成“羞怯地”等。

2. 有硬译的情况。这更多地还没有通过上下文来理解句子，想当然了。如 Others lay low, even after being named in the FT, which reported that property firms accounted for many of the guests. 译作“其他公司则低调行事，甚至在被英国《金融时报》点名后也是如此。”，这就很明显。

四、参考译文：

The scandal snowballed. Questions were asked in Parliament. Nadhim Zahawi, a minister who attended, sheepishly said that he had left early (and claimed that it was a more tasteful event the previous time he went). Some firms that bought tables, such as WPP, an advertising giant, scurried to distance themselves. Others lay low, even after being named in the FT, which reported that property firms accounted for many of the guests. Several charities said they would hand back donations from the gala. Within a day, the Presidents Club announced that it would close; David Meller, its co-chairman, stepped down as a director of the Department for Education. More scalps may follow.

该丑闻如滚雪球一样越滚越大。英国议会里的质疑声音頻出。参加过这个活动的部长Nadhim Zahaw含蓄地说，他提早离开了（并声称他前一次参加这个活动更有格调）。一些曾参加过派对的企业，如广告界的巨头WWF，连忙与丑闻切割。其它企业则低调行事，甚至在英国《金融时报》上点名后也是如此——报道称许多客人来自房地产企业。一些慈善机构表示将退还该活动的捐款。当天，总裁俱乐部宣布将关闭，其联席董事长戴维·梅勒辞去在教育部担任的委员会委员一职。接下来会有更多的人物遭殃。

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