Lecture-2-Diction-谴词用字.pptVIP

Lecture Three Diction 谴词用字（I） Main contents of this lecture Definition Correspondence Between English and Chinese at Word Level Some Techniques Employed in Translating a Given English Word Definition By “diction”, we mean the proper choice of words and phrases in translation on the basis of accurate comprehension of the original . In the practice of translation, what perplexes us most frequently is how to find an equivalent in the TL. Great care is called for in the translation of “familiar” English words into Chinese, as their meanings vary with change in collocation or context. The Trojan horse 特洛伊木马 = hidden enemy/danger Achilles heel 阿喀琉斯的脚后跟 = fatal weakness Burn the boat 破釜沉舟 Six of one and half a dozen of the other 半斤八两；彼此彼此 One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy. 一贫如洗 As poor as a church mouse 淋得像落汤鸡 As wet as a drowned rat 猫哭老鼠 The cat weeps over the mouse. To shed crocodile tears Example ---- Tension is building up. Without context , both “tension” and “building up” may have various explanations. Thus the English sentence may be translated into different Chinese expressions accordingly: ---- 形势紧张起来 ---- 张力在增大 ----? 电压在增加 ----? 压力在增强 Take the word “story” for another example:? Just as a noted linguist has observed, “the meaning of a word is its use in the language, and each word , when used in a new context, is a new word”. 1.This war is becoming the most important story of this generation. 2. It is quite another story now. 3.Some reporters who were not included in the session broke the story. 4.?He’ll be happy if the story holds up. 5.?The story about him became smaller and by and by faded out from American TV. Be the case = be true These sentences can be translated into : 1．这场战争将成为这一代人最重大的事件。 (event) 2 现在的情况完全不同了。 (situation ) 3．有些没让参加那次会议的记者把内情捅出去了。(inside information) 4. 如果这一说法当真，那他就太高兴了。 ( statement) 5．?报道中对他的渲染减少了，不久就从美国电视上销声匿迹