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《生命 ——何为》 -英语技巧与实例-英汉互译实用教程

2023-01-20 分类：新概念英语第四册 阅读(104) 评论(0)

生命 ——何为

Life ——He Wei
 
🔥背景知识：何为（1922- ）,散文家，原名何振业，浙江定海人。二十世纪四十年代初先后就读于上海大同大学和圣约翰大学，1937年开始发表文学作品，在上海历任报纸记者、刊物编辑和电影文学编辑。1959年调至福建电影制片厂任故事片编辑负责人，1964年转任福建省作家协会专业作家。现为中国作家协会全国委员会名誉会员。何为的散文以其独特的情节著称。《生命》一文是新作，选自他2003年出版的散文集《近景与远景》。文章短隽有味，意境清新，富有诗情与哲理。
 
如果回归自然，各有不同的方式，后人总是尊重前辈的人生最后一次选择。
There are various ways of returning to nature, but people generally respect the last wish made by their parents towards their journey’s end.
🎈「如果回归自然，各有不同的方式」虽嵌有「如果」，但我们不能一见「如果」就条件反射搬出if。这里意思就是「回归自然有不同的方式」，译成there be句型完全可行，也更恰当。
🎈「前辈的人生最后一次选择」按「父母亲的临终愿望」之意译为the last wish made by their parents towards their journey’s end，其中one’s journey’s end是成语，意为「临终」「生命的尽头」。此句也可译为the last wish made by their parents towards the end of their life journey
 
一位朋友偶然讲起一件事，有如一篇小小说，听者动容。
A friend of mine incidentally related to me the following occurrence which, like a little story, is very touching:
🎈「一位朋友偶然讲起一件事」译为A friend of mine incidentally related to me the following occurrence，其中related意为「讲述」，等于recounted、spoke of、talked about 等。此句也可译成A friend of mine by chance spoke of the following。
🎈story确实可以指「小说」；我们一提「小说」就想掏出来的novel其实更侧重「长篇小说」
在新开发的丛林里，一条蜿蜒的小径上，一个衣着素色的女人踽踽独行，径直走向林子里的一棵树。
In a newly opened-up forest, a quietly dressed woman walked all by herself on a winding path straight towards one of the trees.
🎈「新开发的」可理解成「新开放的」。opened-up由open up转变而来。
🎈「衣着素色的女人」译为a quietly dressed woman，其中quiet一词的意思是指颜色「素净」「不显眼」等。此短语也可译为a woman in quiet clothing、a woman wearing a dress in quiet colours等。
🎈踽踽独行:孤零零地独自走着。现译作(all) by oneself（某人）独自，单独。
 
这里许多树大小参差不一，有的移植不久，不过都长得很快。在一个时期内，都挺直有神。新生的树叶嫩绿有生机。
There were many trees of varying sizes, and some had just been transplanted, but all were shooting up fast, standing straight and stout and covered with light green young leaves.
🎈迅速成长、迅速增加shoot up
🎈「（在一个时期内）都挺直有神。新生的树叶嫩绿有生机」处理为伴随状语standing straight and stout and covered with light green young leaves。其中「有神」同「挺直」一样，都是对树木茂盛长势＆健康外形的表述，现译作stout（结实、粗壮）。又，light与颜色词连用时，表示浅色。
 
当然，有人专门护理这些纪念树。
Evidently, some people had been put in charge of these memorial trees.
🎈「当然，有人专门护理这些纪念树」译成Evidently, some people had been put in charge of these memorial trees，其中未把「当然」译为Of course，因Evidently的内涵更切合上下文。此句也可译为Evidently, some persons had been specially assigned to take good care of the memorial trees。
 
不知多少年，这个女人总是带着一束鲜花默默地置于树根旁，
As she had been doing for we don’t know how many years, the woman stood silently beside the tree with a bunch of fresh flowers in her hand.
🎈「不知多少年」译为As she had been doing for we don’t know how many years，其中we don’t know how是插入语，用以表达原文的「不知」。此从句也可译为As had always been the case for many years或As she had been doing for many years。
🎈「带着一束鲜花」处理为with复合结构表示伴随，译为with a bunch of fresh flowers in her hand。
 
然后仰起头来，对着树身凝视，翕动着她独有的小小嘴唇，既像独语，又像倾诉。
She raised her head to fix her eyes on the tree and kept moving her unique small lips as if she were soliloquizing or sharing her innermost feelings with someone.
🎈rise是不及物动词＆不规则动词（rise–rose-risen），表「向上运动」
raise是及物动词＆规则动词（raise-raised-raised），表示「提起或举起某物」
🎈凝视、盯着看fix one’s eyes on
🎈「翕动」的意思是「一张一合」，故译为kept moving，未译为moved。
 
她退后一步，打量她这树高了多少，细心地除去树下斑斑驳驳的落叶，
She took a step back to assess how much the tree had grown in height and softly removed the mottled fallen leaves under it.
🎈「打量」理解有「估测」之意，现译作assess。
🎈「这树高了多少」译作how much the tree had grown in height。那么，同理，如果要说「一个人重了多少」，就是how much a person had grown in weight。
 
向这棵移植多年的树倾身拥抱，亲了一下，轻轻摩挲树皮的皱纹，如同面对一个有生命的躯体。
She bent forward to hug and kiss the tree that had been transplanted many years before, and gently stroked its wrinkled bark as if it were something alive.
🎈「倾身拥抱」即「身体前倾去拥抱」，现译作bent forward to hug。
🎈「移植多年」即「多年前移植」，故译作that had been transplanted many years before。其中，many years before表示「很多年以前」。同样的例子，「这件事过去四十年了」，我们可以将其转化为「这件事是四十年前发生的」，译作It happened 40 years ago。
🎈ago和before的区别（重点看第三条）
①词性的不同
ago一般只作副词；而before除作副词外，还可用作连词、介词。
②词汇搭配不同
ago总是与表示时间的名词或形容词连用，不单独使用；而before可以单独使用。
③表达意思的侧重点不同
ago用于从现在算起的某段时间从前，和一般过去时连用，不用现在完成时。而before用于从过去某时起若干时间以前的场合，动词需用过去完成时。
 
不久，她依依不舍地转身离去，消失在暮色渐浓的秋天最后一抹余晖里。
Then she reluctantly turned round and left, vanishing into the last rays of an autumn day in the deepening dusk.
🎈「依依不舍地转身离去」译作reluctantly turned round and left。其中，「依依不舍」就是「不愿意、不情愿」，所以选用reluctantly一词。又，「转身」和「离去」是两个动作，所以译作turned round and left。
🎈本句（主语）的主体动作是「转身离去」，而「消失在暮色渐浓的秋天最后一抹余晖里」是对情景的描写补充，处理为伴随状语，译作vanishing into the last rays of an autumn day in the deepening dusk。又，按照中文，「暮色渐浓」修饰的是「秋天」，显然有点牵强，确切来说应是修饰「（这一个）秋日」，译文将其处理为时间状语in the deepening dusk。从散文的角度来看嘛，如果直接写「秋日最后一抹余晖」，意境没有「秋天最后一抹余晖」有美感。
 
一阵秋风吹过，树叶沙沙地响动，仿佛隐秘的私语。女人顿时回过身来，惟有她才能听懂私语的全部含意。
At a sudden gust of the autumn wind, the tree rustled like it was whispering secretly and the woman, being the only person capable of understanding the full implications of the whisper, immediately turned round.
🎈「一阵秋风吹过」根据上下文应指「起了一阵秋风」，故译At a sudden gust of the autumn wind，其中At的含义是「作为对……的反应」或「由于」
🎈「树叶沙沙地响动，仿佛隐秘的私语」译成the tree rustled like it was whispering secretly， 等于the tree rustled as if it were whispering secretly。译文中的like意同as if，这用法常见于通俗语中。
🎈别小看了the tree rustled like it was whispering secretly and the woman中的and，有人可能认为and就是把句子并列起来，但，其实结合句子的顺序，and是隐含潜在的时间顺序的。
 
于是喃喃自语向大树告诉。含着泪，走向她的归途。
Then, after mumbling a few words to the tree, she said goodbye to it and set out on her way home with tears in her eyes.
🎈喃喃自语：小声地自己跟自己说话。现译作muddle，本身就含有speak quietly的意思。
🎈said goodbye to it是增益成分。结合上文「转身离去」的情景，此处增译使得句子表意更连贯，不会让读者觉得「（女人）向大树喃喃自语」之后的动作马上就是「走向归途」，而是增加了「（想大树）说再见（转身离开）」的过渡成分，增强画面感。
 
年复一年，小径上的女人孤独的背影，显得越来越苍老了。
As the years went by, the woman, a regular solitary visitor on the path, became older and older.
🎈「小径上的女人孤独的背影，显得越来越苍老了」不宜直译，现按「常见于小径上的那个孤独女人，显得越来越苍老了」译成the woman, a regular solitary visitor on the path, became older and older。
 
若干年后，这棵树长得更高大了，树冠缀满葱茏的树叶。
Several years later, the tree became even taller and was crowned with verdant foliage.
🎈 从根颈到第一主枝（没有主枝则以第一个分枝）的部分叫主干，主干以上的部分叫树冠。「树冠缀满葱茏的树叶」译作was crowned with verdant foliage，crown一词可真是太形象了。
 
它屹立在这片土地上，风吹来，满树充满生命的绿色更繁茂了。
It stood erect and became more and more luxuriantly green in the wind.
🎈屹立：高耸挺立。现译作stood erect，其中，erect形容词作状语。
形容词用作状语的三种类型：
类型一：说明性状语
形容词的主要功能是用作定语和表语，但有时也可用作状语（有人也称之为主语补足语，因为它们是补充说明主语的）。
例句
He lay in bed, awake. 
他躺在床上，没有睡着。（表伴随）
He arrived home, hungry and tired. 
他回到家里，又饿又累。（表结果）
Unable to afford the time, I had to give up the plan. 
由于抽不出时间，我不得不放弃这个计划。（表原因）
形容词用作状语的特点是，该形容词的逻辑主语就是句子主语，并且通常可以用并列句或主从复合句来改写。如以上各句可改写为：
He lay in bed and he was awake.
He arrived home and he was hungry and tired.
Because I was unable to afford the time, I had to give up the plan.
类型二：程度状语
有少数形容词，如red, boiling, freezing, icy, bitter等，它们在某些搭配中可以起副词，用作状语，表示程度，意为「很」「非常」等。
例句
The stove was red hot. 
火炉是炽热的。
It’s boiling hot. 
它是滚烫的。
His face was bright red. 
他的脸是鲜红的。
The weather is freezing bitter cold. 
天气冷极了。
但这样的用法非常有限，并往往只用于某些特定搭配中，如可说 bitter cold(冰冷)，bitter wind(寒风)等，但习惯上却不说 bitter hot(炽热)，bitter busy(极忙)等。
类型三：承上启下性状语
有些形容词在某些固定结构中可用作独立成分，起承上启下的作用（也可视为一种状语）。
例句
Sure enough, she was there. 
果然她在那里。
Strange to say, he did pass his exam after all. 
说也奇怪，考试他竟然通过了。
He may be late. Worse still, he may not come at all. 
他可能会迟到。更糟的是，他可能根本不来。
More important, he’s got a steady job. 
更重要的是他得到了一个稳定的工作。
Most remarkable of all, he never suffers from nerves on the stage. 
最了不起的是他从不怯场。
 
它对着苍穹，仰望太阳、月亮和星星的运行，与大自然亲密无间连成一片。
It looked up at the firmament to watch the motions of the sun, moon and stars and thus merged itself with Mother Nature.
Q：晚上看到的星星都是恒星（star）吗？
🎈说在前面，star一般情况下译作星星就可以，但一和天体挂钩，star指的就是恒星了。而人们晚上看到的星星几乎都是恒星，而且是比太阳大很多的恒星。天上有且仅有几颗行星（planet）（在特定时间和地点）肉眼可见。行星之所以能与恒星区分开来，是因为它们的位置随着背景恒星（太阳）的变化而略有变化。
🎈大自然Mother Nature
 
又过了些时候，靠近大树旁出现了一棵新移植的小树。小树很壮硕，也很安静。
Another period of time afterwards, there appeared close to it a newly transplanted small tree. It was robust and quiet.
🎈there appeared close to it a newly transplanted small tree→a newly transplanted small tree appeared there close to it，其中there close to it可以联系例句Here in Shanghai, I …进行理解。
 
随着岁月递增，年长日久，大树和小树埋在泥土下的根茎错节，相互交织。
With the passage of time, the roots of the two trees had become twined together.
🎈「根茎错节，相互交织」可按「树根相互盘绕」之意译为the roots of the two trees had become twined together。
 
两棵树下各埋着一个精致的小木盒，小木盒里的骨灰，逐渐化为树根下的有机肥，融入树身内。
They each had a delicate small wooden cinerary casket buried underneath them. The ashes in the caskets had gradually turned into organic fertilizer passing into the trees trunks by way of the roots.
🎈「一个精致的小木盒」直接译作a delicate small wooden cinerary casket，表明了「骨灰盒」的用途。
🎈「木盒里的骨灰，逐渐化为树根下的有机肥，融入树身内」可按「木盒里的骨灰，逐渐化为有机肥，通过树根，进入树身」译成The ashes in the caskets had gradually turned into organic fertilizer passing into the trees trunks by way of the roots，其中by way of意同through。
 
两个老者相继以这样的方式回归自然，在大自然的怀抱中，生命得以延续。
The two elderly persons had successively chosen the same way of returning to nature so as to have life prolonged in the bosom of nature.
🎈「这样的方式」即指上文提到的「骨灰化为树根下的有机肥」
🎈so as to补充出中文语句间的逻辑关系。
🎈have life prolonged…是have sth. done的结构。
 
树上每一片小绿叶都孕含着绿色的希望。
Each tender leaf in the trees was pregnant with green hope.
🎈pregnant的妙用
他讲完话后意味深长地停了一下。
His words were followed by a pregnant pause.
 
这是真的，是一首歌颂树葬的诗篇。
It’s a true story. It’s a poem singing the praises of tree burial. 
🎈story
①夏衍《野草》
有这样一个故事 
There is a story which goes like this
这儿又是一个故事
Here goes another story
②庐隐《恋爱不是游戏》
哀哉 O what a sad story!
🎈颂赞sing the praises of
 
不用问他们是谁，是谁，就是谁。
No need to identify the two elderly people though. It could be any person.
🎈「他们」译作the two elderly，指代明确。
🎈英语句尾加个though是作副词,表达一下让步的意思，可译作「不过」。
例句
I expect you’re right—I’ll ask him, though. 
我认为你说得对——我去问问他也好。
🎈「是谁，就是谁」可理解成「你觉得是谁，就是谁」，故译作It could be any person（可以是任何人）。
 
🔥必背词汇
stout      adj.结实的，厚实的，粗壮的
英义
Stout shoes, branches, or other objects are thick and strong.
例句
The old man picked up a stout stick that lay by his feet.
老头捡起脚边的一根粗棍子。
 
solitary       adj.孤单的，孤零零的
英义
A solitary person or object is alone, with no others near them.
例句
the occasional solitary figure making a study of wildflowers or grasses
偶尔出现的研究野花野草的孤单身影
 
vanish       v.消失，失踪，突然不见
英义
If someone or something vanishes, they disappear suddenly or in a way that cannot be explained.
例句
The aircraft vanished without trace…
飞机消失得无影无踪。
 
implication        cn.暗示，暗指，含意
英义
The implication of a statement, event, or situation is what it implies or suggests is the case.
例句
The implication was obvious: vote for us or it will be very embarrassing for you.
弦外之音很明显：投票给我们,否则你会非常难堪。
 
verdant       adj.草木覆盖的，长满绿色植物的
英义
If you describe a place as verdant, you mean that it is covered with green grass, trees, and plants.
例句
a small verdant garden with a view out over Paris
能够俯瞰巴黎的郁郁葱葱的小花园
 
🔥重点表达
临终、生命的尽头one’s journey’s end
（某人）独自，单独(all) by oneself
迅速成长、迅速增加shoot up
不知多少年for we don’t know how many years
带着一束鲜花with a bunch of fresh flowers in her hand
默默地置于树根旁stood silently beside the tree
凝视、盯着看fix one’s eyes on
退后一步took a step back
倾身拥抱bent forward to hug
依依不舍地转身离去reluctantly turned round and left
秋天最后一抹余晖the last rays of an autumn day
树冠缀满葱茏的树叶was crowned with verdant foliage
屹立stood erect
大自然Mother Nature
对着苍穹looked up at the firmament
随着岁月递增With the passage of time
颂赞sing the praises of
 
🔥复盘测试
临终、生命的尽头
（某人）独自，单独
迅速成长、迅速增加
不知多少年
带着一束鲜花
默默地置于树根旁
凝视、盯着看
退后一步
倾身拥抱
依依不舍地转身离去
秋天最后一抹余晖
树冠缀满葱茏的树叶
屹立
大自然
对着苍穹
随着岁月递增
颂赞
 
🔥重点表达
「孕育着」有几种表达？
 
树上每一片小绿叶都（孕含着）绿色的希望。
Each tender leaf in the trees was pregnant with green hope.
 
雅典是哲学的（摇篮）。
Athens was the cradle of philosophy.
 
那里（孕育着）情况的发生。
That is sitting there for things to happen to.
 
这是我们的行星（孕育）的时刻。
This was the moment of conception for our planet.
 
在一些监狱中，需求（孕育了）创新，
But in some counties necessity mothered invention. 
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