第1个回答 2008-01-31
中医基本语句英语翻译例析
例1 中国医药学有着数千年的历史,是中国人民长期同疾病作斗争的经验总结,是我国优秀文化的一个重要组成部分。
将这句话翻译成英语,自然可以译作:
Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of thousands of years. It is the crystallization of the experience accumulated by Chinese people in fighting against diseases. It is also an important part of Chinese culture.
这个译法当然是不错的,但是不是可以翻译得更简洁明快一些呢?仔细推敲原文的文意层次,就可以看出,句中的三层意思其实是层层递进,一气呵成的。翻译成三个独立的简单句,似乎割裂了原文的神韵气质。根据这样的分析,我们似可将译文修改如下:
Traditional Chinese medicine, an indispensable part of the Chinese culture with a history of thousands of years, was established on the basis of the long�term experience of the Chinese people in dealing with diseases.
“同疾病作斗争”,是具有中国大陆特色的用语,翻译成英语,听起来似乎有点军事味道。对此类用语,我们在翻译时可以采取轻化的方法予以翻译。在上面的翻译中,我们将“与疾病作斗争”译作dealing with diseases。表面看来语气似乎不如原文有力,但基本意思的表达却显得更为客观实际。
例2 中医学是研究人体生理、病理以及疾病的诊断和防治的一门科学,它有独特的理论体系和丰富的临床实践。
Traditional Chinese medicine is a science that studies the physiology and pathology of human body as well as the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases. It is unique in theory and rich in clinical practice.
这个译文基本也是通顺的,但从文法上看,似乎还可以再加简洁。原文是一个复合句,译文将其划分为两个独立的句子。这样的处理自然无可非议,但似乎读起来不够简练。从中文来讲,先介绍中医学的功用,再言其特点与特色,是很合理的。但从英文来看,反其道而行之更为可取。比如,我们可以将上文改译如下:
Traditional Chinese medicine, a science with unique theory and rich clinical experience, studies the physiological functions and pathological changes of human body as well as the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases.
比较两个译文,就用词数量而言,前者似乎比后者更简洁。但从结构上看,后者因为使用了同位语结构,所以显得比较自然流畅。而且后者将physiology和pathology转化为形容词physiological 和pathological,且增加了functions和changes,使得physiology和pathology的含义由抽象而具体,其语义也随之变得明确起来。
例3 在古代的唯物论和辩证法思想的影响和指导下,通过长期的医疗实践,它逐步形成并发展成为独特的医学理论体系,为中国人民的保健事业和中华民族的繁衍昌盛作出了巨大的贡献。
Under the influence and guidance of the ancient Chinese materialism and dialectics, and through long�term medical practice, traditional Chinese medicine was gradually established and developed into a unique medical system and made great contributions to the healthcare course of the Chinese people and prosperity and development of the Chinese nation.
在这个译文中,有些中文的表达方式,其实可以稍微轻化一些。比如“在古代的唯物论和辩证法思想的影响和指导下”,似乎译出一个“影响”就足矣。再将“指导”译出,就显得有些“拟人化”了。当然,“拟人化”在文学作品中是必不可少的,但在这里,似乎不必追求如此效果。毕竟我们翻译的是医学资料,不是文学作品。另外,“繁衍昌盛”在这里的基本意思是讲中华民族的发展问题,似不必逐字翻译,总括译作development即可。
综上所述,上面这则译文似可改译如下:
Influenced by classical Chinese materialism and dialectics and improved through long�term medical practice, traditional Chinese medicine has eventually evolved into a medical system with unique theory, contributing a great deal to the healthcare of the Chinese people and development of the Chinese nation.
例4 中医药学是以整体观念为主导思想,以脏腑经络的生理和病理为基础,以辨证论治为诊疗特点的医学理论体系。
Traditional Chinese medicine is a medical system characterized by the concept of organic wholeness as its principal theory, the viscera and channels as its physiological and pathological basis, and treatment based on syndrome differentiation as its diagnostic and therapeutic features.
总体上看,这个译文似无大碍,跟中文相比,好像还挺对应。但读起来却觉艰涩,缺乏流畅之感。对于这样排比似的中文结构,翻译时宜将其语义稍加调整,以便在行文时灵活布局安排。试改译如下:
The idea of organic wholeness plays a dominant role in traditional Chinese medicine, which, physiologically and pathologically based on the states of the viscera and channels, is mainly characterized by treatment according to syndrome differentiation.
在这个译文中,我们对英文的句式略微作了调整,使得译文显得较为婉转,且语义层次较为清明。从中文结构来看,“……主导思想”、“……基础”、“……诊疗特点”等三部分似乎是并列关系。但这一“并列关系”其实也是有层次之分的。正是基于这一考虑,我们对译文作了这样的调整。
例5 《黄帝内经》总结了春秋战国以前的医疗成就和治疗经验,确立了中医学的独特理论体系,成为中医学发展的基础。
Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine has summarized the medical achievements made and clinical experiences accumulated by doctors before the Spring�Autumn Periods and the Warring States, established the unique theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine and become the foundation of the development of traditional Chinese medicine.
译文似乎有些亦步亦趋,过分考虑了原文的结构形式。译文在语义上虽然与原文比较对应,但行文却显得略为生硬。如原文中的“总结”一词,直译作summarize,略嫌直质。若译作collection,则比较合乎文意。原文“中医学”出现了两次,但在译文中也出现两次,则显得累赘。根据这一分析,我们似可将译文修改如下:
Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine, a collection of the medical achievements and clinical experience before the Spring�Autumn Period and Warring States, has established the unique theory of traditional Chinese medicine and laid the foundation for its development.
若采用伴随状语,这个译文还可以改译如下:
Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine is a collection of the medical achievements and clinical experience before the Spring�Autumn Period and Warring States, establishing the unique theory of traditional Chinese medicine and laying the foundation for its development.
若采用方式状语,译文还可以改译如下:
As a collection of the medical achievements and clinical experience before the Spring�Autumn Period and Warring States, Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine has established the unique theory of traditional Chinese medicine, and thus laying the foundation for its development.
由此例可以看出,翻译时切入点不同,译文便因之有异,但基本意思却可保持不变。所以方法与技巧是灵活的,绝非一成不变。
例6 它一方面用当代的先进哲学思想为指导,从而推动了医学科学的发展,另一方面又在医学科学发展的基础上,丰富和提高了哲学理论。
On the one hand, it has used modern advanced philosophical thought as the guidance so as to promote the development of medical science. On the other hand, based on the development of medical science, it has enriched and improved philosophical theory.
这段话摘自高等中医药院校教材《中医基础理论》,讲的是《黄帝内经》的内容与作用。但仔细推敲中文,有些用词似乎不够确切。如说它用“当代的先进哲学思想为指导”,“当代”是什么概念(可能是“当时”之误吧。)?说它“推动了医学科学的发展”,“科学”又是什么概念?先秦的医学可以称作“科学”吗?
中文作者为什么使用这些几乎是极度夸张的词语来论述《内经》呢?不得而知。但我们在翻译时,似乎不必不折不扣地按原文字面之意从译。否则译文便显得有些怪异。先秦时期的著作怎么会使用“当代的先进哲学思想”呢?本着实事求是的原则,焦村先生曾将译文修改如下:
It adopted advanced philosophical ideas then to promote the progress of medicine on the one hand, and on the other, enriching and improving philosophical doctrines with the development of medicine.
比较原文和两个译文,我觉得译文似乎还可以再深化一步,以便使其精神实质更加具体。所谓“当代的先进哲学思想为指导,从而推动了医学科学的发展”,实际上强调的是阴阳、五行学说在中医基本理论体系构建中的作用。而“又在医学科学发展的基础上,丰富和提高了哲学理论”,实际上强调的是医学发展对哲学进步的促进作用。基于这样的考虑,译文还可以作如下修改:
With the adoption of philosophical ideas then, the theory of medicine was systematized; with the development of medicine, the doctrine of philosophy was enriched.