交际翻译和语义翻译对比（英汉传神翻译欣赏与训练）

（本号每周分享英语学习和英汉翻译的独有经验，欢迎关注。）

什么是传神翻译？

文学翻译贵在“传神”。所谓“传神”，就是把原文的意思表达得非常准确，意境展现得非常逼真、鲜活，让人读后产生一种拍案叫绝的冲动。要实现这一目标，除了具备深厚的语言功底，学习和掌握一定的翻译技巧也是非常有益的。

01 英汉传神翻译欣赏

怎样翻译下面的英语句子？怎样翻译才比较传神？

The best way to defecate was not to do it.

相关段落和背景信息：

作者介绍了在太空如何解决大小便的问题。

The best way to defecate was not to do it. For three to five days prior to the mission, we would eat a low-residue diet, staying away from things like salads and butter that are likely to create bodily wastes. During the flight, we would have similar food, such as cheese sandwiches and dehydrated foods to keep us well plugged. On the short missions of Mercury and Gemini, a bowel movement was rare.

交际翻译和语义翻译对比（英汉传神翻译欣赏与训练）(1)

（奶酪三明治；wiselivingmagazine.co.uk图片）

难点分析和翻译技巧：

这个句子非常简单，理解上也没有什么困难。这里考验的是读者的汉语功底——能不能把原文的意境传神地展现出来。如果我们照字面翻译成“解大便最好的方式是不解大便”，就显得非常奇怪，令人费解。

试译：

解决大便问题的最好方式就是不解大便。升空前的三到五天，我们会吃低排放的饭食，避免吃一些像沙拉和黄油之类的容易产生身体废物的食品。飞行期间，我们会吃类似的低排放食物，像奶酪三明治和脱水食物，这样就不容易产生大便。在“墨丘利”和“双子星座”这样的短时间飞行中，很少有解大便的情况。

这里的“解决大便问题的最好方式”，既符合汉语的思维逻辑，又符合汉语的表达方式。

02 英汉传神翻译训练

怎样翻译下面的英语句子才比较传神？

Designers had come up with a sort of space-age motorman's friend that let an astronaut relieve himself without a lot of hoo-hah.

相关段落和背景信息：

宇航员作者介绍了在太空如何解决不尿裤子的问题。

Flat on my back with my legs elevated, pressure built inexorably on my kidneys until I could hold it no longer and peed in my pants. The first American astronaut to fly, Al Shepard, had done it, so why not me? Thanks to Al urinating in his suit, designers had come up with a sort of space-age motorman's friend that let an astronaut relieve himself without a lot of hoo-hah, and I felt the eerie touch of warm liquid flowing through a tube and into the collection bag around my abdomen.

交际翻译和语义翻译对比（英汉传神翻译欣赏与训练）(2)