Newmark(2001:113)指出“隐喻翻译是一切语言翻译的缩影,因为隐喻翻译给译者呈现出多种选择方式:要么传递其意义,要么重塑其形象进行完美的结合,林林总总,而这一切又与语境因素、文化因素密不可分。”对于时政体裁中隐喻的翻译,主要可以采用以下几种方法:
(1)由于人类具有共同的思维方式以及共同的自然规律和自然现象,使英汉两民族有着许多对应的比喻。显然直译法是求得形神兼备效果的最佳途径,可以有效地保留隐喻的形象及喻义的色彩。同时,为了促进文化交流,有时不妨中英直译对方的比喻以保存原文的形象描述,以给人一种新的视角,予人以新鲜的语言感受。
An organization is a machine that occasionally breaks down, and requires the services of an external expert to fix it. When that happens, it needs to be re-tooled to become more efficient and may even require periodic re-engineering in order to remain “cutting edge”.
译文:一个组织机构就是一台偶尔会出毛病的机器,它需要外部专家经常进行维护和修理。在进行维护和修理时,它需要更换零件,以便更为有效地运转;它甚至还需要进行定期重新装配,以保持其“犀利”。
例句原文明显使用了隐喻,由于英语和汉语均可采用相同的隐喻方式来描写组织机构,故汉语译文中可以采取同原文一摸一样的隐喻进行完全对应的翻译。
(2)英国最近在伦敦城举行了第二次世界大战后规模最大的一次阅兵式,以庆祝马岛之战的胜利。……还动用了飞机,大炮,坦克,导弹这些道具,场面可谓不小。但是,在有识之士看来,这不过是一场闹剧。
译文:To mark its victory in the Malvinas War, Britain held recently in the City of London a military parade, the largest of its kind since the end of WWII. Also inspected was such paraphernalia as plane, artillery pieces, tanks and missiles. A very grandiose spectacle it was indeed! But to people with keen insight, it is nothing but a farce.
(3)反腐败的斗争仍然只是个口号。但是,即使口号也是一个开端。腐败地图上最深的印迹有些正在褪色。
译文:The war on corruption remains a slogan, but even a slogan is a start. Some of the blackest spots on the corruption map are turning paler.英汉比喻型习语常常表现出很大的共性,因而也可以用直译法翻译:As busy as a bee 像蜜蜂一样勤劳
A cunning fox 一只狡猾的狐狸
As light as a feather 轻如鸿毛
As hard as a stone 坚如磐石
As bold as a lion 像狮子一样勇猛
Rotten to the core 腐烂到核心坏透了
Throw cold water on 泼冷水