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《翻译辨误》- 节选 Day 14希望消失了吗?
For these people, hope dies slowly.
原译:
对这些人,希望就这样慢慢地消失了。
辨析
slow固然有“慢”的意思, Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary给的第一个定义就是 moves or does something without much speed但在翻译时也需根据上下文选用确切的措辞:
He spoke slowly.(他慢条斯理地说)
He is slow of speech.(他口齿不俐)
The police were slow in coming.(警察姗姗来迟)
We enjoyed slow Sunday at home.(我们在家里悠闲地度过了一个星期天)
但上述词典中slow还有一个释义: Takes long time especially more time than is usual or expected,即“比通常或意料的需要更多的时间”,所以不能一概译作“慢,如:
He is slow in making up his mind.(他要花很长时间才下决心。也可译为:他总是下不了决心)
Slow help is no help.(过了很长时间才来的帮忙算不上帮忙。也可译为:不及时帮忙等于没有帮忙)
The crowd was breaking up very slowly.(人群迟迟不肯散去)
原句中slow也是这个意思,指“要花很长时间”,所以全句可译为:他们迟迟不肯放弃希望。(或:他们过了很长时间还抱着一丝希望.)
那么怎么翻译下面这一句呢? Only slowly have they begun to realize their mistake.译成“只是慢慢地他们才开始认识到自己的错误”当然不好,不妨译成:他们过了很长时间才认识到自己的错误。(或:他们迟迟没有认识到自己的错误)
每日唠嗑:慢慢。慢慢。