最近大家要是有看十九大的相關報導,應該沒少聽到各種「排比句」,比如「增強自覺性、主動性、堅定性」等之類的……
排比句不僅讓句子結構更整齊,而且還能增強句勢,給人感覺聽起來好像很有道理的樣子。
怎樣用中文寫排比句相信大家都懂,所以我們今天要跟大家分享的是如何用好英文排比句給自己的寫作和演講加分,以及翻譯中文排比句時要注意些什麼~
I came; I saw; I conquer. ( 我來了;我看見;我徵服) 出自古羅馬統治者Julius Caesar之口。氣勢磅礴、鏗鏘有力的語言給後人留下了深刻印象。這個三項排比句生動形象地描述了這位統治者的勇氣、傲氣和霸氣。
三項排比結構是英語寫作中一個較為常見的修辭手段,它既能增加文章的清晰度,又能使一個句子或一個段落的思想內容逐步遞進,達到高潮。
讓我們僅從修辭手法上去欣賞三項排比手法,在報上看到這句話:
「In maintaining our accomplishments, we must instil in our young generation the importance of political stability, racial harmony, resilience in mind and spirit.」
這話後頭三個當賓語的詞組,成串的排列,增加議論氣勢,使文句生動流暢,引人入勝。
這種三項式的排比句,往往是為了表達意思上的順序先後、程度輕重、範圍大小,以便逐層深入,達到良好的修辭效果。
三項式排比句,例子俯拾即是,現在分類舉例,供大家參考。
㈠ 主語,如:
(1) The conceit, complacency, and ignorance of some people are beyond belief
㈡ 謂語,如:
(2) The investigator reached the gate, hesitated and rang the bell.
㈢ 賓語,如:
(3) We expected friends to have warmth, friendship, humanity
㈣ 形容詞,如:
(4) She was talkative, vivacious and boastful.
㈤ 分詞,如:
(5) The driver walked near the car, inspecting, criticising, musing deeply.
㈥ 不定式動詞,如:
(6) The police started to search, investigate and interrogate
㈦ 介詞賓語或短語,如:
(7) Studies serve for delight, for ornament and for ability.
(8) Anne is a person of poor understanding, little information, and uncertain temperament.
㈧ 分句,如:
(9) Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested.
(10) The research shows that translation problems are primarily language problems, that the translator must have a good command of both languages, and that a translator weak in any language must upgrade it.
㈨ 動名詞及短語,如:
(11) Thinking logically, speaking eloquently and writing explicitly are important elements of good communication.
(12) From my observation, many people today spend their time receiving more and more education, working more and more hours, and making more and more money.
最後,回到文前的引句,如果能把「resilience in mind and spirit」稍作調整,使形式更接近前兩者:「political stability, racial harmony」,情況會更好,如:
「⋯⋯political stability, racial harmony, mental resilience, and spiritual equilibrium.」
上述例句證明三項式或多項式排比句是富有表現力的整齊句型,是一種可取的修辭手段,不妨多多使用。
綜觀兩千多年的歷史,三項排比結構不僅被眾多的大作家、小說家所採用,而且備受政治家、演說家的青睞。就拿美國總統來說,幾乎每一位總統在他們的就職演說詞裡都多次使用了三項排比結構。
由此我們可以看出三項排比結構的魅力。下面就讓我們一起來欣賞部分總統的演說片段。
To that work I now turn, with all the authority of my office. I ask the Congress to join with me. But no president, no Congress, no government, can undertake this mission alone. (Bill Clinton)
這裡柯林頓用了三個排比的主語,在詞義上層層加重,收到了遞進強調的效果。
漢語意思是:任何總統,任何國會,任何政府都不能單獨完成這一使命。
This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
羅斯福運用謂語三項式排比展望美國的發展,語氣不斷加強,話語鼓舞人心。
漢語意思是:我們的國家過去經得起考驗,今後還將經得起考驗,美國將復興,美國將繁榮。
Steadfast in our faith in the Almighty, we will advance toward a world where man's freedom is secure. To thatend we will devote our strength, our resources, and our firmness of resolve. With God's help, the future of mankind will be assured in a world of justice, harmony, and peace. (Harry S. Truman)
這裡杜魯門運用賓語三項式排比號召美國人民為人類的自由而做出貢獻,運用賓語三項式排比展望人類的未來。
漢語意思是:為此目的,我們將貢獻出我們的力量、財力及堅定決心。漢語意思是:在上帝的保佑下,人類的未來無疑將是個公正、和諧與和平的世界。
We are creating a nation once again vibrant, robust and alive. But there are many mountains yet to climb.(Ronald Reagan)
這裡裡根運用三項式定語排比來描述人們創造的美國「朝氣蓬勃、精力旺盛、充滿活力」。文字簡練生動,給人留下深刻的印象。
With this, we can build a great cathedral of the spirit—each of us raising it one stone at a time, as he reaches out to his neighbor, helping, caring, doing. (Richard Milhous Nixon)
尼克森用了三個現在分詞的排比強調說明鄰裡之間應怎樣相處。
漢語意思是:「每當我們每一個人向他的鄰人伸出手來,幫助他、照顧他、為他辦事的時候,他也就是給這個精神大廈添了一塊磚。」
Conceived in justice, written in liberty, bound in union, it (covenant) was meant one day to inspire the hopes of all mankind; and it binds us still. (Lyndon Baines Johnson)
詹森在此用了三個排比的過去分詞短語闡明了公約的性質:公正、自由、聯盟。
漢語意思是:該公約立意公正,充滿自由精神,並有聯盟的約束。它的本意是有朝一日可以成為全人類的希望。直到今天仍然制約著我們。」
We renew our pledge of support—to prevent it (the United Nations) from becoming merely a forum for invective—to strength its shield of the new and the weak—and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run. (John F. Kennedy)
這裡甘迺迪用了三個動詞不定式排比表達了美國對聯合國的殷切希望。
漢語意思是:「防止它變成一個只供抨擊之用的講臺、強化它對新興國家和弱小國家的保護、並擴大其權利所能達到的區域。」
We must act on what we know. I take as my guide the hope of a saint: in crucial things—unity; in important things—diversity; in all things, generosity. (George Bush)
布希用了三個介詞短語排比、三個名詞排比精闢地概括了他採取行動的指導原則。
漢語意思是:在具有決定意義的事情上,要團結;在重大事情上,要聽取不同意見;在一切事情上都要寬宏大量。
Let history say of us: These were golden years—when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, when America reached for her best. (Ronald Reagan)
裡根運用三個從句排比強調恢復美國以往的光榮。
漢語意思是:這些年是美國的黃金時代,那時候美國革命精神復興、自由獲得新生命、美國國勢達到鼎盛。
Let us take as our goal: where peace is unknown, make it welcome; where peace is fragile, make it strong; where peace is temporary, make it permanent. (Richard Milhous Nixon)
尼克森運用三個句子排比表達了對世界和平的美好憧憬。此外句中對照手法的兼用,更進一步加深了聽眾的印象。
漢語意思是:在那些不知道什麼叫和平的地方,要使和平成為受人歡迎的東西;在那些和平脆弱的地方,要使它牢固起來;在那些和平只是暫時存在的地方,要使它成為永久的東西。
看完了經典的英文排比句的運用,我們再來看下中文排比句的翻譯~
拓展知識
排比有兩個字的、三個字的、四個的短語,也有句子的排比,下面我就來談一下排比句翻譯的具體方法(本文文學翻譯的例子均出自《張培基英譯現代散文選》):
1.直譯法
因為它是一種「長期抗戰」的力,有彈性,能屈能伸的力,有韌性,不達目的不止的力。
The rock is utterly helpless before this force — a force that will forever remain militant, a force that is resilient and can take temporary setbacks calmly, a force that is tenacity itself and will never give up until the goal is reached.
2.合併或減譯
我的生活曾經是悲苦的、黑暗的。然而朋友們把多量的同情、多量的愛、多量的歡樂、多量的眼淚分了給我。這些東西都是生存所必需的。(巴金《朋友》)
There was a time when my life was miserable and gloomy. My friends then gave me in large quantities sympathy, love joy and tears—things essential for existence.
譯文把「多量的同情、多量的愛、多量的歡樂、多量的眼淚」中的多量合併,只用了一個「large quantities」。
3.使用同義詞替換
於是— — 洗手的時候,日子從水盆裡過去;吃飯的時候,日子從飯碗裡過去;默默時,便從凝然的雙眼前過去。(朱自清《匆匆》)
Thus the day flows away through the sink when I wash my hands; vanishes in the rice bowl when I have my meal; passes away quietly before the fixed gaze of my eyes when I am lost in reverie.
原文中三個分句都重複了「過去」,譯文則分別採用「flows away」、「vanishes」、「passes away」三個同義詞組進行一一對應。這樣譯文中既構成了和原文相似的、平行的句法結構,又避免了完全的重複。
4.語句轉換與重組(常見於政經類文章)
向促改革要動力,向調結構要助力,向惠民生要潛力,既擴大市場需求,又增加有效供給,努力做到結構調優而不失速。
We promoted reform to gain impetus for development, made structural adjustments to produce support for development, and improved living standards to increase the potential for development. We both expanded market demand and increased effective supply, working to ensure that structural adjustments were made without compromising the growth rate.
本句中三個「向…要」分別採用不同句式,避免了句式的重複。另外,為了避免」一逗到底」情況,譯文三句一斷,保證譯文清晰流暢。
當處理排比分句較多的情況時,必須以仔細分析原旬,理清各分句問的關係為前提,分別或綜合使用不定式,介詞短語或者分詞結構將原句重組,以體現出原文字裡行間的邏輯,也符合英語的」樹狀結構」。
綜上,我們可以看出,漢語排比句式在譯成英文時,不可以機械地照序直譯,而應當首先弄清組成詞組或句子之間內在的邏輯關係,按照英語並列句式的組句特點來翻譯。在符合英語句子表達習慣的前提下追求排比句式上的對等。
而直譯法多用於字數比較少的詞語的排比中,在四字格以及不限字數排比上應用較少,不同於二字格一般屬於詞組形式,多字格通常涉及短語及句子,在句子結構上若是拘泥於字面直譯便容易造成死譯,導致譯文不夠通順。
有什麼英文排比句讓你印象特別深嗎?