读政府工作报告 学汉译英(二)
近几年的政府工作报告有一个明显的特点,用词朴实无华,简单词居多,多重并列句和排比句较少。对于英文翻译工作来说,句型及结构变化也相对较少,也是以简单句居多。
不过,由于中文的以意造句的特点,很多情况下,一些长句必不可少,因此,在翻译成英文时,仍然要以断句的手法来处理。
以下翻吧君从政府工作报告中找出了一些长句,来看看英文版是如何断句的。
先来一个相对较短的长句:
(1)大众创业、万众创新广泛开展,全年新登记企业增长24.5%,平均每天新增1.5万户,(2)加上个体工商户等,各类市场主体每天新增4.5万户。
(1)People were busy launching businesses or making innovations, with a 24.5 percent year-on-year increase in the number of new businesses registered-an average of 15,000 new businesses daily. (2)With self-employed traders and other market entities included we had an average of 45,000 new market entities launched per day.
分析:
从语义上来看,这一句话有分总后分的层次感,即“大众创业、万众创新广泛开展”作为整句话的起势,给出了一个全局的概括,之后再提到新登记表企业的数据,以及个体工商户等市场主体的数据。相对于新登记企业来说,个体工商户等市场主体是对新登记企业的一个补充内容。
在英文版中,将“加上个体工商户等,各类市场主体每天新增4.5万户”单独成一个句子。使得前面的整体概念得到强化,而中文后半部分,则突显“4.5万户”的数量,与前面的“1.5万户”形成对比。
类似的,下面这个句子也是一个具有不同的语义关系的长句:
(1)党的十八届六中全会正式明确习近平总书记的核心地位,(2)体现了党和人民的根本利益,对保证党和国家兴旺发达、长治久安,具有十分重大而深远的意义。
(1)At the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Party Central Committee, the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping was formally affirmed, (2)which reflects the fundamental interests of the Party and the Chinese people, and is of crucial and far-reaching significance for ensuring the flourishing and long-term stability of the Party and the country.
分析:
这句话的主体是“全会明确了……核心地位,体现了……根本利益,具有……意义。” 有三个谓语,即“明确”、“体现”和“具有”。不过,从语义的分析上来看,这三个谓语却并非是并列的,而是有一定的从属关系,即“体现”和“具有”是补充说明“明确……核心地位”行为所拥有的意义。后两者从属于前者。
在英文版里,这种从属关系得到了体现,即用which引导的后边置定语从句。因而,这个句子并没有简单的断句法来处理,却让整个中文意思能有很紧凑的表达,比断句更好一些。
第三个句子与前两个句子的语义结构有所不同。
(1)我们面对的是世界经济和贸易增速7年来最低、国际金融市场波动加剧、地区和全球性挑战突发多发的外部环境,(2)面对的是国内结构性问题突出、风险隐患显现、经济下行压力加大的多重困难,(3)面对的是改革进入攻坚期、利益关系深刻调整、影响社会稳定因素增多的复杂局面。
(1)China was confronted with an external environment in which the world saw the lowest economic and trade growth in seven years, growing volatility in global financial markets, and sudden and frequent regional and global challenges. (2)Domestically, China faced multiple difficulties: major structural problems, prominent risks and dangers, and mounting downward pressure on the economy. (3)China found itself in a complex environment as reform entered a critical stage, profound changes took place affecting interests, and factors impacting social stability grew.
分析:
这一句话是用三个动词"面对"所组成的排比句。第一个面对的是“外部环境”(an external environment),第二个面对的是“多重困难”(multiple difficulties),第三个面对提“局面”(a complex environment)。这三个都是并列,用断句法来处理,能更好地将语义层次划分出来,同时让英文句子的陈述更为简洁。
需要注意的是,这三个并列的英文句子仍然使用了简单句结构,将中文里的有0动词语义的词,如增速最低、波动加剧、挑战突发多发,和问题突出、隐患显现、压力加大,以及进入攻坚期、深刻调整和因素增多等词都使用了名词,避免过多地使用动名词或动词,让整个句子更为平衡和流畅。
第四个句子就比较复杂了。在句子结构上有并列的排比成份,同时在语义上的关系有所不同。在译成英文时,需要仔细的划分与区别。
(1)我国物质基础雄厚、人力资源充裕、市场规模庞大、产业配套齐全、(2)科技进步加快、基础设施比较完善,(3)经济发展具有良好支撑条件,宏观调控还有不少创新手段和政策储备。
(1)China has a solid material foundation, abundant human resources, a huge market, and a complete system of industries. (2)It is making faster scientific and technological progress, and has a complete range of infrastructure. (3)We have good conditions for sustaining economic development, and many innovative tools and policy options for conducting macroeconomic regulation.
分析:
这一句话中,讲了八个方面的内容,在结构上是并列形式,不过,在语义上却是有三个层次的并列有关系,即根据八个内容的关联度划分成了所标注的三个类别。
这种划分,一方面是从内容的关联度来考虑的,另一方面也是从英文的句子长度来考虑的,避免划分出来的英文句子过多,内容过于零碎,增强了阅读的流畅度。
第五个句子与第二个句子在结构上类似,即前面是一般性的定义,后者是具体的描述和说明。
(1)今年要继续实施积极的财政政策和稳健的货币政策,(2)在区间调控基础上加强定向调控、相机调控,提高预见性、精准性和有效性,(3)注重消费、投资、区域、产业、环保等政策的协调配合,确保经济运行在合理区间。
(1)This year, we will continue to pursue a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy. (2)On the basis of conducting range-based regulation, we will focus more on targeted and well-timed regulation and improve the predictability, precision, and effectiveness of our regulation. (3)We will strengthen coordination of consumption, investment, regional, industrial, and environmental protection policies, and ensure the economy performs within an appropriate range.
分析:
对于这种具有语义层次性的中文,断句的要点必然是理清各个层次之间的逻辑关系,是分析说明,还是补充表达。
在中文里,后两个是对“积极的财政政策和稳健的货币政策”的说明, (2)是实施手段的原则,而(3)则是在具体的行业中的实施以及要实现的目标。
最后一句中文的词语最多,长度最长。不过,处理的方式却与上述的完全不一样。
做好政府工作,要在以习近平同志为核心的党中央领导下,高举中国特色社会主义伟大旗帜,全面贯彻党的十八大和十八届三中、四中、五中、六中全会精神,以邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想、科学发展观为指导,深入贯彻习近平总书记系列重要讲话精神和治国理政新理念新思想新战略,统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局和协调推进“四个全面”战略布局,坚持稳中求进工作总基调,牢固树立和贯彻落实新发展理念,适应把握引领经济发展新常态,坚持以提高发展质量和效益为中心,坚持宏观政策要稳、产业政策要准、微观政策要活、改革政策要实、社会政策要托底的政策思路,坚持以推进供给侧结构性改革为主线,适度扩大总需求,加强预期引导,深化创新驱动,全面做好稳增长、促改革、调结构、惠民生、防风险各项工作,保持经济平稳健康发展和社会和谐稳定,以优异成绩迎接党的十九大胜利召开。
To deliver in our work this year, the government will do the following:
• Follow the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core
• Hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics
• Implement fully the guidelines from the 18th National Party Congress and those of the third through sixth plenary sessions of the 18th Party Central Committee
• Take as our guide Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three
Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development
• Put into practice the principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's major addresses and his new vision, thinking, and strategies for China's
governance
• Promote balanced economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress and coordinated implementation of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy
• Remain committed to the underlying principle of making progress while keeping performance stable
• Gain a strong understanding of and put into practice the new development philosophy
• Adapt to, approach in the right way, and steer the new normal in economic development
• Give central importance to improving the quality and returns of development
• Ensure that macro-level policy is consistent, industrial policy is targeted, micro-level policy injects dynamism into the market, reform policy delivers outcomes, and social policy sees basic living needs are met
• Focus on supply-side structural reform
• Expand aggregate demand as appropriate
• Do better in guiding expectations
• Strengthen the role of innovation in driving development
• Maintain stable growth, promote reform, make structural adjustments, improve living standards, and guard against risks
• Maintain stable and sound economic development as well as social harmony and stability
These efforts should enable us to pave the way for the 19th National Party Congress with outstanding achievements.
分析:
这样一个句子算是中文文本中的一种异类,大量的并列和排比,意思的累加。英文的处理也算是独辟蹊径,不拘泥于中文的形式。
注:中英文句子均来自《2017年政府工作报告》(审议版)。