“Great Empty Verbiage” ——Deng Tuo🔥背景知识：邓拓（1912-1966），福建福州人，杰出的新闻工作者、政论家、历史学家、杂文家。聂荣臻元帅曾称赞他「光明磊落，博学多才」。1966 年，「文化大革命」初起时，他惨遭迫害而死，年仅54岁。《伟大的空话》是他于1961年发表在《前线》杂志第21期上的一篇著名杂文。文章以事实为证，针砭当时上行下效的说大话歪风，文笔生动直率、深入浅出，亦庄亦谐。🎈「伟大的空活」译为 Great Empty Verbiage或Great Empty Talk 皆可，但因 Verbiage 有「夸夸其谈」「唠叨」之意，Great Empty Verbiage比Great Empty Talk更确切。有的人擅长于说话，可以在任何场合，嘴里说个不停，真好比悬河之口，滔滔不绝，Some people have a facile tongue. They talk on and on regardless of the occasion, words pouring out of their mouths incessantly, as it were, in a torrent.🎈「有的人擅长于说话」译为Some people have a facile tongue，其中 facile作「流畅的」解，因此a facile tongue的意思是「能说会道」（略含贬义）。此句也可译为Some people are good at speech。同时，「在任何场合」未直译，而是按「不顾场合」之意译作了regardless of the occasion，也传达了贬义色彩。🎈「好比悬河之口，滔滔不绝」译为words pouring out of their mouths incessantly, as it were, in a torrent，其中words pouring out of…是独立主格结构。又，成语as it were作「似乎」「可以说」等解，用以表达原文的「好比」但是，听完他的说话以后，稍一回想，都不记得他说的是什么了。But, when we try to do a bit of recalling soon after listening to them, we find we have clean forgotten what they said.🎈努力……try do to尝试……try doing🎈不记得、彻底忘记、忘得一干二净have clean forgotten…这样的例子可以举出不少。如果你随时留心，到处都可以发现。Like examples abound. Keep your eyes open, and you will find them here and there.🎈处处、到处here and there🎈「随时留心」也可译作be attentive to、keep your eyes on等。说这种话的人，有的自鸣得意，并且向别人介绍他的经验说：“我遵守古人语不惊人死不休的遗训，非用尽人类最伟大的语言不可。”Some of those given to verbiage feel very pleased with themselves and are more than willing to share their experience with others, saying, “Our ancients say one shouldn’t say anything but can cause great sensation. I therefore ought to follow their teachings by using nothing short of the greatest of human language.”🎈「说这种话的人，有的自鸣得意」译为Some of those given to verbiage feel very pleased with themselves，其中 feel very pleased with themselves 作「沾沾自喜」解，意同feel very self-satisfied （或smug），都略带贬义。又，「说这种话的人」指「说大话的人」，故译those given to verbiage，其中given to 作「喜爱」「倾向于……」解。🎈「并且向别人介绍他的经验」译为and are more than willing io share their experience with others，其中are more than willing作「乐于」「愿意」等解，是译文中的增译成分，原文虽无其词但有其意。又，此句也可译为and are ready to pass on their experience to others。🎈「我遵守古人语不惊人死不休的遗训，非用尽人类最伟大的语言不可」→（我）通过（用尽人类最伟大的语言）的方式来（遵守古人语不惊人死不休的遗训）。其中「人类最伟大的语言」译作nothing short of the greatest of human language，正话反说，增强表达效果。你听，这是多么大的口气啊！See, what a baloney!🎈「这是多么大的口气啊！」意同「这可是废话！」，译为what a baloney!，其中baloney是口语。此句也可译为how boastful they are!。可是，许多人一听他说话，就讥笑他在做“八股”。Many listeners will laugh off what they are boasting about as bagu.🎈「许多人一听他说话，就讥笑他在做‘八股’」译为Many listeners will laugh off what they are boasting about as bagu，其中用 Many listeners 代替 Many, the moment they listen to them talk，较简练。又laugh off… as bagu意同 sneeringly call their speech bagu。🎈bagu — eight-part essay prescribed for the imperial civil service examinations (known as a stereotyped essay for its rigidity of form and paucity of ideas).我却以为把这种话叫做“八股”并不确切，还是叫它做“伟大的空话”更恰当一些。Personally, however, I think it more appropriate to call it “great empty verbiage” than bagu. 🎈personally、to my mind等可用于引出个人观点。🎈I think it more appropriate to…，其中it是形式宾语，to do为真正宾语。当然，它同八股是有密切关系的，也许只有从八股文中才能找到它的渊源。Nevertheless, since it is closely related to bagu, the only way to trace its origin is perhaps from bagu.🎈留心看，「当然，它同八股是有密切关系的」的译文并没有出现of course的字眼，反而用了Nevertheless和since，将中文脉络中的逻辑关系挖出表面，呈现在读者面前。举一个典型的例子吧，有一篇八股文写道：夫天地者，六合宇宙之乾坤，大哉久矣，数千万年而非一日也。Here is a typical example. A bagu essay begins with something like this: O heaven and earth — the all-embracing, the cosmos, the universe! How great and everlasting it is, in existence for millions upon millions of years instead of one day!🎈有一篇文章这样写道 an essay begins with something like this: ……🎈「六合」指「天地东南西北」或「天地四方」，即「宇宙」。现按「无所不包」(all within the universe)之含义译为the all-embracing。如直译为 the six directions，则须加注，否则外国读者看不懂。你看，这作为一篇八股文的“破题”，读起来不是也很顺口吗？See, the two sentences, known as poti, read quite smoothly, don’t they?🎈本文出现两次「你看」，均译为see。🎈poti — first two sentences of an essay giving the theme (originally said of a bagu or stereotyped essay).🎈…,don’t they? 是反意疑问句，也叫附加疑问句（Tag Question），主要由「陈述部分+附加疑问部分」构成。其中不但有“天地”、“六合”、“宇宙”、“乾坤”等等大字眼，而且音调铿锵，煞是好听。Not only are they composed of big words like “heaven and earth”, “all-embracing”, “cosmos”, “universe”, etc., but also sound deep and clear, hence pleasant to the ear.🎈Not only are they composed of……否定词及含有否定意义的词在句首，句子要部分倒装（只将助动词置于主语前，谓语其余部分置于主语后）。🎈音调铿锵：声音有力且响亮，现译作sound deep and clear。如果用标准的八股调子去念，可以使人摇头摆尾，忘其所以。If you read them aloud according to the tone peculiar to a bagu essay, you may be so carried away as to start wagging your head with pleasure in spite of yourself.🎈peculiar to a bagu essay是tone的后置定语。🎈「可以使人摇头摆尾，忘其所以」实则为「人忘乎所以，所以/以至于摇头摆尾」，故译作you may be so carried away as to start wagging your head with pleasure in spite of yourself.其中，「摇头摆尾」描写的是「读书摇头晃脑」的情形，常见于幼儿或小学生身上。但是，可惜得很，这里所用的许多大字眼，都是重复的同义语，Unfortunately, these big words are nothing but redundant synonyms. 🎈「都是重复的同义语」译作are nothing but redundant synonyms，其中are nothing but增强了表达效果。因此，说了半天还是不知所云，越解释越糊涂，或者等于没有解释。As you read, you don’t know what the writer is driving at with all his verbosity. And the more he talks, the more unintelligible his words become. Or you find him talking for nothing at all. 🎈「不知所云」译作don’t know what （the writer） is driving at…，其中be driving at意为「（某人）要说」例句But what I’m driving at here is this.不过，我在这里要说的却是这样。🎈「越解释越糊涂」意即「越讲越不知所云」，故译The more he talks, the more unintelligible his words become。这就是伟大的空话的特点。All that is characteristic of great empty verbiage.🎈All that指上文提到的内容，是一个小总结。🎈B的特点是A A is characteristic of B不能否认，这种伟大的空话在某些特殊的场合是不可避免的，因而在一定的意义上有其存在的必要。Undoubtedly, as empty verbiage is unavoidable on some specific occasions, there is need for its existence in a sense.🎈occasion要用介词on。🎈在一定/某种意义上in a sense可是，如果把它普遍化起来，到处搬弄，甚至于以此为专长，那就相当可怕了。But it would be extremely terrible to popularize it, flaunt it everywhere, or even regard it as one’s special skill.🎈此处「到处」译作everywhere。（上文提到的「到处」译作了here and there）🎈专长special skill假若再把这种说空话的本领教给我们的后代，培养岀这么一批专家，那就更糟糕了。And even worse it is to educate our younger generation in the art of empty verbiage so as to develop a large number of relevant experts.🎈even worse it is to…：英语中，有些倒装是出于语法上的需要，非用倒装语序不可，具有强制性；有些则是为了达到某种修辞效果，如强调、平衡、衔接等。因此，遇有这样的事情，就必须加以劝阻。We should therefore do our best to dissuade people from following such a trend whenever it happens.🎈劝阻某人…… dissuade sb. from doing sth🎈「这样的事情」指上文even worse的情形，此处表达不重复。今天在网上看到了一句话：「现在愁的不是机翻不准确，而是它有什么翻什么」。一般体裁皆如此，更何况文学，大家自行体会。凑巧得很，我的邻居有个孩子近来常常模仿大诗人的口气，编写了许多“伟大的空话”，形式以新诗为最多，Quite incidentally, a kid of my neighbour’s recently wrote a great many things in the manner of great poets, mostly in the form of modem poetry, but all were nothing but empty verbiage.Q: 由a kid of my neighbour’s谈到of后加mine/his…的情况🎈如果表示所有关系，通常要用of+形容词性物主代词，如an old friend of mine（我的一位老朋友）。如果不是表示所有关系，可以根据句式得需要使用of+人称代词的宾格形式。🎈「模仿大诗人的口气」译为in the manner of great poets，其中成语in the manner of作「模仿……的样式」解。🎈编写了许多「伟大的空话」译时，补充but，译作but all were nothing but empty verbiage且置于句尾的位置。大家学习时也要留心句子强调的重心是什么。并且他常常写完一首就自己朗诵，十分得意。Often, on finishing a new piece, he would read it aloud smugly.🎈aloud和loudly的区别：aloud强调发出的声音能被听见，意思为「出声地」「大声地」，常与read、call等连用。loudly意为「响亮地」，基本意义与loud相同，常与ring、knock等连用。loudly可位于修饰的动词前或后。不久以前，他写了一首《野草颂》，通篇都是空话。他写的是：老天是我们的父亲，大地是我们的母亲，太阳是我们的保姆东风是我们的恩人西风是我们的敌人。我们是一丛野草，有人喜欢我们，有人讨厌我们，但是不管怎样，我们还要生长。The other day, he wrote the following poem entitled Ode to Wild Grass, likewise packed with empty words:The sky is our father,The earth is our mother,The sun is our nurse,The east wind is our benefactor,The west wind is our foe.We are a tuft of wild grass,Some people love us,Some people hate us,But, come what may.We’ll keep growing.🎈ode表示「……颂」，例如雪莱（Percy Bysshe Shelley）的《西风颂》就译作Ode to the West Wind。🎈likewise是增译成分，使上下文更为衔接。你说这叫做什么诗？我真为他担忧，成天写这类东西，将来会变成什么样子！Does it read like a poem? How I worry about the future of this kid who does nothing but write trash like that all the time!🎈Does it read like a poem?：反问句是极为普遍的言谈策略，在结构上是疑问句的形式，但其语言作用却是强烈的断言。一般来说，并不期待听话者的回应。一个肯定的问句却表示一个强烈的否定断言，而一个否定的问句则表示肯定的断言。🎈How I worry about……：复习how引导的感叹句类型：①How＋形容词＋主语＋谓语!②How＋副词＋主语＋谓语!③How＋主语＋动词+（…）!④How+ many/much/few/little+ 名词+主语＋谓语!如果不看题目，谁能知道他写的是野草颂呢？Without looking at the title, one would never know that it was a poem eulogizing wild grass.🎈Without looking at the title：without介词短语表示虚拟条件，其虚拟形式与if引导的非真实条件状语从句类似。🎈「（那）写的是野草颂」按「（那）是一首赞美野草的诗」之意译作was a poem eulogizing wild grass。但是这个孩子写的诗居然有人予以夸奖，我不了解那是什么用意。Yet, to my great surprise, the kid has been given a high compliment for the so-called poem! I wonder what has motivated the flattery.🎈「但是这个孩子写的诗居然有人予以夸奖」译为Yet, to my great surprise, the kid has been given a high compliment for the so-called poem!，其中用to my great surprise表达「居然」(意同「真想不到」)，又，so-called是译文中的添加成分，原文虽无其词但有其意。此句也可译为Fancy someone speaking highly of the poem!🎈「我不了解那是什么用意」→（我就不知道那些人为什么会夸奖？）→我想知道那些人的出发点是什么，现译作I wonder what has motivated the flattery。这首诗里尽管也有天地、父母、太阳、保姆、东风、西风、恩人、敌人等等引人注目的字眼，然而这些都被他滥用了，变成了陈词滥调。There are in the poem eye-catching terms like “sky”, “earth”, “father”, “mother”, “sun”, “nurse”, “east wind”, “west wind”, “benefactor”, “foe”, etc., which have become hackneyed through abuse.🎈「都被他滥用了，变成了陈词滥调」译作have become hackneyed through abuse，使用through一词将两个短句连接起来。问他本人，他认为这样写才显得内容新鲜。实际上，他这么搞一点也不新鲜。The kid may regard his way of writing as a means to novelty while in fact he achieves nothing novel at all.🎈while表示对比，具有转折关系。🎈novel除去「（长篇）小说」之意，「新奇的」也是一个常考释义。任何语言，包括诗的语言在内，都应该力求用最经济的方式，表达最丰富的内容。In all language, including poetic diction, we should strive for economy of expression, i.e., using as few words as possible to express the maximum amount of content.🎈In all language限定一个范围。🎈力求strive for +n. (即make a great effort to do sth.)到了有话非说不可的时候，说出的话才能动人。The language you use will be most effective only when you have an idea that you simply must put across.🎈此处「动人」按「起作用、产生预期效果」之意译作effective。🎈描述、解释清楚put across/over 例句He really enjoys putting across a technical argument.他很喜欢向别人解释技术上的问题。This is actually a very entertaining book putting over serious health messages.这实际上是一本非常有趣的书，讲述了大量的健康知识。否则内容空虚，即便用了最伟大的字眼和词汇，也将无济于事，甚至越说得多，反而越糟糕。Otherwise, your speech will be empty of matter no matter how high-sounding the words and expressions you use. And the more you talk, the worse it is.🎈为避免用词重复，此处「伟大」译作high-sounding，而非great。因此，我想奉劝爱说伟大的空话的朋友，还是多读，多想，少说一些，I, therefore, advise all friends indulging in empty talk to do more reading and thinking, but less talking. 🎈 indulging in empty talk是friends的后置定语。遇到要说话的时候，就去休息，不要浪费你自己和别人的时间和精力吧！Resist the urge of empty talk so that you can take a rest and meanwhile avoid wasting the time and energies of yourself and others.🎈此句的理解因人而异，比如我自己会理解成Resist the urge of empty talk and then take a rest so that you can avoid wasting the time and energies of yourself and others。翻译练习时选择自己认可的译法。🔥必背词汇verbiage un.冗词，赘语，废话英义If you refer to someone’s speech or writing as verbiage, you are critical of them because they use too many words, which makes their speech or writing difficult to understand.例句Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose.说实话，这段啰嗦的大杂烩变得无比冗长。facile adj.信口开河的例句a facile talker信口开河的人eulogize v.称赞，颂扬英义If you eulogize someone or something, you praise them very highly.例句They decided they are going to eulogize love.他们决定歌颂爱情。flaunt v.炫耀，夸耀，卖弄英义If you say that someone flaunts their possessions, abilities, or qualities, you mean that they display them in a very obvious way, especially in order to try to obtain other people’s admiration.例句One secret he learned very early on was not to flaunt his success.他很早就学到的一个秘诀就是不要夸耀自己的成功。baloney un.胡说，瞎扯英义If you say that an idea or statement is baloney, you disapprove of it and think it is foolish or wrong.例句That’s a load of baloney.鬼话连篇。compose v.组成，构成英义The things that something is composed of are its parts or members. The separate things that compose something are the parts or members that form it.例句The force would be composed of troops from NATO countries.这支军队将由来自北约国家的部队组成。🔥重点表达好比悬河之口，滔滔不绝words pouring out of their mouths incessantly, as it were, in a torrent不记得、彻底忘记、忘得一干二净have clean forgotten…喜爱、倾向于……given to处处、到处here and there有一篇文章这样写道 an essay begins with something like this: ……（某人）要说 be driving atB的特点是A A is characteristic of B在一定/某种意义上in a sense专长special skill劝阻某人…… dissuade sb. from doing力求strive for描述、解释清楚put across🔥复盘测试好比悬河之口，滔滔不绝不记得、彻底忘记、忘得一干二净喜爱、倾向于……处处、到处有一篇文章这样写道（某人）要说B的特点是A 在一定/某种意义上专长劝阻某人……力求描述、解释清楚🔥表达对比「充满」有几种表达？这样的例子可以举出不少。Like examples abound.这条河以产鱼著称。This stream abounds in fish.这条河盛产鱼。This stream abounds with fish.abound in、abound with意思略有差别，前者包含「以……著称」之意，后者只是单单指「盛产」不久以前，他写了一首《野草颂》，通篇都是空话。The other day, he wrote the following poem entitled Ode to Wild Grass, likewise packed with empty words.一年中大部分时间里，这个地区游人如织。For most of the year, the area is teeming with tourists.
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