3. 一個(gè)人有兩個(gè)小孩兒。一次與人談到,說(shuō)
[原文] In the summering the children stayed with their grandmother.
[譯文]眼下正放暑假,孩子們和袓母待在一起。
[討論]in the summertime 夏天,夏季。
譯文“眼下正放暑假”,不僅把“夏季”誤譯為“暑假”,而且把泛指誤為特指。按原文,應(yīng)是“每逢夏季”,而譯文卻是“眼下”僅指這一個(gè)夏天。下文便寫(xiě)到,當(dāng)時(shí)并不是夏天,孩子和他住在一起,并未到祖母那里去,證明了譯文是錯(cuò)誤的。
[改譯]每逢夏季,孩子便和他們袓母待在一起。
4. [原文] Few plays were put on in Warsaw during the summer but this particular vehicle, "Povolsky's Dilemma",drew audiences even in the hottest weather.
[譯文]今年夏天,華沙上演的戲很少,但是這一出“波伏爾斯基的困境”哪怕在最熱的天氣里也吸引觀(guān)眾。
[討論] during the summer 在夏季。
應(yīng)為“每年夏季”,而不是“今年夏季”。譯文把泛指當(dāng)成了特指。
在歐美,城市中的有錢(qián)人家每到夏季便要外出避暑,后文提到 “有錢(qián)的太太都到鄉(xiāng)下避暑去了”,可以證明這一點(diǎn)。而大劇院的主要觀(guān)眾便是有錢(qián)的太太先生們,所以每逢夏季,劇院賣(mài)座不佳,或者干脆停演。而這種因主要觀(guān)眾下鄉(xiāng)避暑引起的觀(guān)眾減少,決不是某一年特有的現(xiàn)象,而是歷年如此,一貫如此。
[改譯]華沙的夏天,很少有戲劇上演,伹這一出“波伏爾斯基的困境”卻吸引了大量的觀(guān)眾,盡管是在最熱的天氣。
5. 一個(gè)人要在重要場(chǎng)合講話(huà),早早請(qǐng)人寫(xiě)了講稿,并按稿背誦。
[原文]Early in the morning, he would get up and recite his speech aloud …Then, standing before the mirror, he would utter the speech again and look at his own gestures and the expression on his face. Perfection was what he was aiming at. Perfection! His wife seeing him thus would sinister!y smile.