英汉对比翻译之抽象与具体 Abstract vs. Concrete

2. 英汉对比翻译之抽象与具体Abstract vs. Concrete 黄山学院 程汕姗 www.wondershare.com

3. 英语的抽象 • An excessive reliance on the noun at the expense of verb will, in the end, detach the mind of the writer from the realities of here and now, from when and how and in what mood the thing was done, and insensibly induce a habit of abstraction, generalization and vagueness. ─G. M. Young

4. 英语的抽象 • The signs of the times point to the necessity of the modification of the system of administration.（Times） It is becoming clear that the administrative system must be modified. 行政系统需要改革，这一点已经越来越清楚了。 • There seems to have been an absence of attempt at conciliation between rival sects. (Daily Telegraph) The rival sects seem never even to have tried mutual conciliation. 对立的派别似乎从未试图谋求和解。

5. 英语的抽象 • No year passes now without evidence of the truth of the statement that the work of government is becoming increasingly difficult. (Spectator) Every year shows again how true it is that… 政府的工作越来越困难了，每一年都证明如此。

6. 英语抽象表达盛行的原因 • 抽象思维－高级思维（superior mind）, 文明人的标志(mark of civilized man) • The absence of intelligence is an indication of satisfactory developments. No news is good news. 没有消息即表明一切进展顺利。 • Was this the realization of an anticipated liability? Did you expect that you would have to do this? 你原先就料到得做这件事了吗？

7. 英语抽象表达盛行的原因 2. 抽象词语－语义模糊性，掩饰 • 政府公文－“公式化套语生成表”“Buss-phrase Generator”

8. 英语抽象表达盛行的原因 3. 词义虚化手段－虚化词缀 • 前缀： Pan-泛：panorama, inter-相互：interplay, micro-微：microcopy Trans-, circum-, contra-, anti-, multi- • 后缀： -ness: oneness, carefulness, up-to-dateness -tion: recognition, realization, decoration, modernization -sion: division, confusion, conclusion, decision

9. 英语抽象表达盛行的原因 • -ity: purity, chastity, vanity, obscurity, humanity • -ment: development, encouragement, entertainment, astonishment • -ism: fatalism, socialism, idealism, criticism, barbarism, workholism • -ship: friendship, relationship, hardship, readership, professorship • -hood: childhood, falsehood，brotherhood，likelihood • -ence: correspondence, reference, emergence, existence, dependence • -ance: continuance, attendance, vigilance, perseverance

10. 英语抽象表达盛行的原因 Merely to enumerate these five outstanding characteristics of an urban community, namely, chaotic stimulation, mechanization, impersonalization, commercialization, and complexity of organization, suggests many implications for the city education.

11. 英语表达的一点建议－抽象与具体相结合 • “A mixture of long abstract Latin words with short concrete Anglo-Saxon words” • The aim of style is to be clear but distinguished. For clarity, we need common current words; but, used alone, these are commonplace, and as ephemeral as everyday talk. For distinction, we need words not heard every minutes, unusual words, large words, foreign words, metaphors; but, used alone, these become bogs, vapors, or at worst, gibberish. What we need is a diction that weds the popular with the dignified, the clear current with sedgy margins of language and thought. ─ S. Baker: The Practical Stylist

12. 汉语的具体 • 实的形式 虚的概念 具体的形象 抽象的内容 • 原因：没有形态变化，缺乏词缀虚化手段。 • 现代汉语的抽象词尾（如“性”、“化”、“度”、“主义”），基本都来自外语。

13. 汉语的具体 “性”来自-ty, -ness, -ce, -ity etc. (correctness-正确性、dependence-依赖性、necessity-必要性、reliability-可靠性) “化”来自-ization, -tion etc. (modernization-现代化、abstraction-抽象化) realization?? “度”来自-th, -ty etc (length-长度、intensity-强度) “主义”来自-ism etc. (patriotism-爱国主义、socialism-社会主义) Americanism??

14. 汉语固有的抽象名词 • 抽象名詞是指人、物、地、時的性質、現象、功用的名稱，如： 名可名，非常名。道可道，非常道。（老子《道德经》 ） 性相近，习相远。（ 《三字经》 ） 強本而節用，則天不能貧。（《荀子·天論》） 是乃仁術也，見牛未見羊也。（《孟子·梁惠王上》） 此惟救死而恐不贍，奚暇治禮儀哉？（《孟子·梁惠王上》）

15. 英译汉之抽象转具体 1. 动词取代抽象名词 汉语主谓结构/动宾结构 英语行为抽象 名词（action nouns） • I marveled at the relentless determination of the rain. 雨无情地下个不停，让我很是诧异。 • These problems defy easy classification. 这些问题难以归类。

16. 英译汉之抽象转具体 • High blood pressure is a contraindication for this drug. 高血压患者禁服此药。 • In handling the materials of history, each act of selection is also an act of judgment, and therefore the charge of bias is never completely answerable. 处理历史资料时，每选一项资料就是作出一个判断，因此不能说完全没有偏见。

17. 英译汉之抽象转具体 2. 范畴词使抽象概念具体化 范畴词（category words）—表示行为、现象、属性等概念所属的范畴。汉语常用的指示手段之一。 relativity-相对论 display-显示器 jealousy-嫉妒心（理） eccentricity-古怪行为 lightheartedness-轻松愉快的心情 • We have winked at these irregularities too long. 我们对这些违规/越轨行为纵容得太久了。

18. 英译汉之抽象转具体 • What they wanted most was an end of uncertainties. 当时他们最渴望的就是结束摇摆不定的局面。 • He discussed greatness and excellence. 他探讨了伟大和杰出的涵义。 • He spoke with firmness, but his face was very sad and his eyes at times were dim. 他讲话时，态度坚定，但面带愁容，时而眼神黯淡。

19. 英译汉之抽象转具体 3． 具体阐释抽象 As a last resort, explanation is the translation. — Peter Newmark • The stars twinkled in transparent clarity. 朗朗夜空，群星闪烁。 • This rambling propensity strengthened with years. 年岁越长，游兴愈浓。

20. 英译汉之抽象转具体 • On March 1, Nixon internationalized his approach to China. 3月1号，尼克松将他对中国问题的看法扩大到了世界范围内。 • A foretaste of the seriousness of incivility is suggested by what has been happening in Huston. 休斯顿（发生的）情况预示：如果不讲文明，后果会多么严重。

21. 英译汉之抽象转具体 4. 形象性词语使抽象意义具体化。（figuration） • He was now open to charges of willful blindness. 这时人们指责他装聋作哑。 • I talked to him with brutal frankness. 我对他说的那番话，虽然逆耳，却是忠言。

22. 英译汉之抽象转具体 • When young he quitted his home and traveled to the metropolis, which reached in a state of almost utter destitution. • 年青时代，他背井离乡，来到都市，几乎身无分文。 • Oh, but all the rules of self-preservation were broken when we saw that little face, filled with the terror of death, being sucked downstream. • 不过一看见那张小脸，载着对死亡的恐惧，被河水越冲越远，我们再也顾不上明哲保身的金科玉律了。

23. 英译汉之抽象转具体

24. 汉译英之具体转抽象 英译汉时，这种“化虚为实”的方法往往可以通行文，添文采，增加译文的可读性，有如“活血”；汉译英时，“化实为虚”的方法则常常可以化症结，消梗滞，提高转换的可译性，好比“化淤”。

25. 汉译英之具体转抽象 • 他这一阵心头如同十五个吊桶打水，七上八下，老是静不下来。 His mind was in turmoil these days and he was quite unable to think straight. • 允归而言曰：“百姓有倒悬之危，君臣有累卵之危，非汝不能救也。” Wang Yun knelt saying, “The people are on the brink of destruction, the princess and his officers are in jeopardy, and you, you are the only saviour.”

26. 汉译英之具体转抽象 • “Often in speaking a foreign language we seek in vain for a precise equivalent for some native word or idiom, and find that there is not any definite equivalent, and that we must content ourselves with a vague paraphrases.” • 在这个意义上，翻译从一开始便注定只能是“令人遗憾的艺术。”