汉语新词英语翻译
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浅析汉语流行新词的翻译赵鑫【摘要】语言的发展是一个自然现象。
社会不断地发展变化,新词语也层出不穷。
近年来,大量的汉语新词涌现出来并得到广泛应用。
文章以近年来在各种媒体出现的流行新语的翻译为实例,探讨了汉语流行新词的产生、翻译的方法以及翻译过程中应该注意的问题。
【期刊名称】《甘肃广播电视大学学报》【年(卷),期】2012(022)004【总页数】4页(P30-33)【关键词】汉语;新词;翻译【作者】赵鑫【作者单位】甘肃广播电视大学直属学院,甘肃兰州730030【正文语种】中文【中图分类】H059当今世界,发展速度迅猛异常,人类交际日趋频繁,信息传播方便、快捷。
地球上任何一个国家或者地区发生的事件,都会通过各类媒体瞬间传遍全球,作为反映社会生活的语言也相应地随之发生变化,而且这种变化的速度越来越快。
作为语言中最敏感、最活跃部分的词汇,更是日新月异。
几乎每天都有涉及政治议题、经济热点、科学技术、文化娱乐、日常生活等方方面面的新词汇进入我们的语言,如“被就业”、“躲猫猫”、“裸婚”、“给力”、“雷人”“根叔”、“蚁族”等词语最早出自网络,但很快被其它媒体采用。
这些被称为“热词”、“锐词”、“潮词”的新词,形式简单新颖,构词方式独特,形象生动,感情鲜明,内涵丰富,既丰富了语言,又极具时代特色,但是它们却缺乏直接对应的英文词汇,如何在全球经济一体化的背景下,将这些新词汇译成准确、地道的英语,使国外读者能够在第一时间了解中国的国情及社会发展变化,促进中西方交流,已成为翻译工作者面临的首要任务。
一、汉语流行新词的产生2006年,教育部、国家语委首次向社会发布年度语言生活状况报告。
在教育部发布的《中国语言生活状况报告(2006)》中,列出了171条汉语新词语选目。
但时至今日,对于新词的界定,学界还未形成一个标准统一的定义。
新词(Neologism),指的是在表达新事物、新现象和新概念的过程中创造出来的词语。
它是个相对的、具有发展性的概念。
难译的汉字化字英语汉语以“化”结尾的词很多。
这类词往往表示一种变化。
接下来,小编给大家准备了难译的汉字化字,欢迎大家参考与借鉴。
难译的汉字化字英语中也有类似的词,其结尾特征就是一个-ize。
所以,许多汉语词都可以翻译成相应的以-ize结尾的英语单词。
现代化 modernize1革命化 revolutionize社会化 socialize系统化 systemize本土化 localize……不过,我发现汉语中以“化”结尾的词比英语多,那是因为汉语的构词灵活,几乎任何一个词都可以加上一个“化”而构成这类词语。
比如:信息化多媒体化科学化西洋化中国化东方化……这时,在翻译的时候就很不好办,因为英语中并没有相应的说法(以-ize结尾的词)。
我们能否根据构词的规律给造呢?按理说也是可以的。
不过,对于外语,好像我们还没有这个资格呢,因为那毕竟是人家的语言啊!人家的语言中不断产生新词语,那是人家内部自然创造的,我们这些局外人怎敢造人家的词语呢?所以,对于这样的情况,我经常感到十分尴尬,有时是百思不得其解,翻译出来的东西也只能是勉强凑合,自己觉得不满意,又没办法。
比如,“信息化”这个新词对于我们中国人来说一点也不陌生,谁都知道,谁都使用。
可是,我翻遍了英语辞典,都没有找到一个对应的英语词!按理说,“信息”是information, 那么,信息化就该是informationize, 而其名词形式就可以是informationization。
可是,人家根本就没有这样说、或许根本就没有这个概念啊!我们能给随便创造吗?有时,我就大胆地使用了这个自己生造的英语词。
当然,老外会理解的。
不过,总觉得心里不踏实。
在使用电脑校对文稿的时候,这个informationize 或informationization 总是被划上红线(错误的拼法啊!)。
那么,怎么避免呢?怎么能圆滑地把汉语的“信息化”的意思表达清楚而又不使用英文中没有的词呢?另一个解决办法就是用一个词组。
汉英翻译中的新词新语中国翻译网改革开放以来,我国社会生活发生了急剧变化,大批新词新语应运而生。
由于社会变革的迅猛,新词的生成速度惊人地快。
比如,人们正大谈"厄尔尼诺"(EI Nino)之际,"拉尼娜"(L a Nina)已经产生;刚出现"智商"(IQ)却又进出个"情商"(EQ);才在谈"第三产业"(third/t ertiary industry, service sector, third sequence of enterprises),"第四产业"(quat ernary/information industry)已悄然而至;"军嫂"(military spouse)的事迹还在传诵"空嫂、呼嫂、礁嫂、纱嫂、报嫂、红嫂、接送嫂、抗洪大嫂"业已闪亮登场……凡此等等,不一而足,简直让人应接不暇。
语言是社会政治、经济、思想、文化的象征,一定时期的新词新语是一定时期人们思维方式和生活方式的反映。
面对新词新语,外语工作者有责任及时将它们译成准确、地道的外语,以便让国外读者了解今日中国的国情及发展。
怎样才能做好汉语新词新语的英译工作呢?下面,笔者拟结合实例谈几点粗浅看法。
一、内外有别,以不同方法传译不同类新词就汉语新词的产生看,其源语有二:一是自他语中引入,二是自本族语中新生。
显而易见,对引进的新词应取回译法,即还"舶来品"以本来面目。
例如,峰会(香港译"极峰会议"):s ummit(conference);克隆:clone;冰毒:iee;摇头丸:dancing outreach;传销:multi- level marketing;(计算机)2000 年问题:Y2K problem (y for year, k for kilo or th ousand);等等。
上海翻译Shanghai Journal o f Translator s 2007No .2[收稿日期]2006209226[作者简介]金其斌(1975-),男,深圳职业技术学院外国语学院讲师,硕士,研究方向:英汉语对比与翻译、现代英语及双语词典研究。
“拉力赛”、“托老所”、“拉动”等汉语新词的英译———从借用的角度谈《新华新词语词典》的翻译金其斌 (深圳职业技术学院外国语学院,广东深圳518055)[摘要]本文从借用的角度,就增加译文可读性、为汉英词典中的新词提供对应词、反映译入语语言的最新变化三个方面,对《新华新词语词典》中部分新词的英译提出商榷意见。
文章着重对“形象工程”、“拉力赛”、“托老所”、“拉动”等新词的翻译进行了剖析,并提供了新的译名。
[关键词]新词语;翻译;借用;《新华新词语词典》[中图分类号]H 315.9[文献标识码]A[文章编号]167229358(2007)022******* 与坊间同类汉语新词词典相比,商务印书馆2003年推出的《新华新词语词典》(下文简称《词典》)具有两个鲜明特色:贯彻描写主义注重实录的原则,充分发挥了该词典编写组在前言中提出的“当代汉语观察站”的作用;所有词目提供英译,为读者提供便利。
汉语新词语的英译,学界素有“费力难讨好”(杨全红,2003:70273)之说;更有业内人士“坦言”:“我们很少能做到一次就把中文里的新词语,很到位地翻译成通俗易懂的英语”(张慈云,2001)。
信哉斯言!《词典》中部分新词的英译就坠入了这个怪圈。
本文通过借鉴各类英语词典和阅读英语时文时搜集的真实语料,从汉语新词语英译过程中借用的角度,对《词典》中的一些新词英译提出质疑,以就正于方家。
一、新词语英译中的借用鉴于新词英译无先例可援且部分新词所表达的新概念、新事物系由英美国家传到国内的特点,人们提出了新词翻译过程中的“借用”策略。
郭建民(2003:123)指出,所谓借用,就是在进行翻译的时候,借用对象国语言里人们熟知的单词、短语、表达方法等,使译文在内容、形式和精神等方面与原文一致,达到忠实、准确地传递原文信息的目的,特别是克服由跨文化因素造成的译文难以理解的问题。
对外新闻报道中汉语新词的翻译作者:尚宏来源:《新闻爱好者》2008年第04期随着我国对外宣传工作力度的不断加大以及国外媒体对中国社会发展状况的密切关注,无论是我国翻译界还是国外媒体,汉语新词的英译问题正在成为新的研究热点。
一、汉语新词的分类改革开放以来,随着社会、经济、文化、科技的飞速发展,语言的变化也在日益加快。
汉语新词的增长速度超过了以往任何一个时期,而且涉及的范围广泛。
从政治、经济、科技、文化,以及社会生活的方方面面到处可见这些新词语的踪迹。
近些年出现的一些典型汉语新词有以下几个类别:政治。
廉政建设(clean government building)、权钱交易(trade power frommoney)、村民自治(villagers’ autonomy)、小康社会(a well-off society)、和谐社会(harmonious society)、八荣八耻(the“eight honor and eight shame”outlook)等。
经济。
竞争上岗(compete for a post)、小金库(a private coffer)、扶贫(poverty a1leviation)、转轨(transfer to a different track)、下海(go into business)、假日经济(holiday economy)、(the project of developing rural retail network)、朝阳产业(sunrise industry)、三农工作(work related to agriculture,rural areas andfarmers)、形象工程(vanity project)等。
科技。
火炬计划(Torch Program)、中国硅谷(China’s“Si1icon Valley”)、神舟飞船(“Shenzhou”Spaceship)。
空军(kong1jun1)believer in housing price dropThis term, meaning literally “airforce,” is now used to describe people who insist that housing prices will drop. They have waited for years but finding prices keep rising to new highs. The word “air” in Chine se may also mean “empty” or “nothingness.”城市依赖症(cheng3shi4 yi1lai4zheng4)city addictionThis term refers to people who refuse to live outside cities because they are used to the colorful and convenient life. They would rather live in cities with no jobs than live in suburban areas with good opportunities.后群体(hou4qun2ti3)post-x generationNow many people like to label “post-80” to those born in the 1980s and accuse them of being too indulgent in material pleasures. “Post-70” and “post-60” and post-whatever are also popular in daily conversation and media reports. But it’s hard to say that all people in onegeneration have the same characteristics.文化低保(wen2hua4 di1bao3)cultural access initiativeThis Chinese term combines the word “culture” a nd “minimum assurance” as from the minimum social security system to mean providing disadvantaged groups of people with the basic access to cultural activities. For instance, a county government promises each year to bring at least one art performance, six movies and one new book per person to villagers living in remote mountainous areas.洋腐败(yang2 fu3bai4)foreign corruptionThis term refers to the practice of taking all kinds of bribes from foreign companies. With more and more overseas companies moving into this country, the crime continues to rise. Now, the state legislature has been urged to introduce laws to fight this fraud.孔雀女(kong3que4nv3)peacock womanThis term refers to women who grow up in a wealthy family in big cities and never worry about money. Their family takes good care of them and never lets them do any housework. However, when they fall in love with a “phoenix men,”which refers to a hard-working man from rural areas, they will have many conflicts because of their different habits and attitudes towards money.秒杀(miao3sha1)speed killThe word is always used i n online games when the “boss” or opponent is so strong that he or she kills the player within seconds.免费素食主义者(mian3fei4 su4shi2zhu3yi4zhe3) FreeganThis term, a portmanteau of “free” and “vegan,” refers to people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources.October 22Date:2007-10-22疲劳驾驶(pi2lao2 jia4shi3)drowsy drivingThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States found that 37 percent of drivers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel at least once in their life.赶场子(gan3chang3zi)function venue hopping, whirlwind partyingAs a spinoff of modern urban life, many people have to go to frequent parties and functions during their spare time and while officially on holiday.婚庆公司(hun1qing4 gong1si1)wedding services companyIn recent years, businesses offering wedding services have cashed in on young couples pursuing an expensive marriage ceremony, but many of them are accused of lacking original ideas.套牌车(tao4pai2che1)fake plate vehiclesIt has been a big headache for police to track down drivers who flee after a road accident or a crime as their plate is a duplicate of another legitimate car's.雅贼(ya3zei2)art thief, book thiefThis term refers to thieves who only steal things with artistic values, such as books, pictures and other cultural relics.亚偷情(ya4tou1qing2)semi-affairThis term refers to married people who have a close opposite-sex friend and their relationship is a kind of "affair without intimacy." They enjoy the subtle feelings, but avoid betraying their families.指付通(zhi3fu4tong1)fingerprint payment terminalThis is a newly developed payment method in Shanghaiwhich allows shoppers to pay for their purchases by pressing fingerprints on a terminal. More than 1,000 retailers have adopted the terminals, which are attached to a bank's network.食膏族(shi2gao1zu2)tonic loversAs the colder autumn months proceed, many Shanghai people like to take various herbal tonics, especially those made according to traditional Chinese medicine.维他命电影(wei2ta1ming4dian4ying3)vitamin movieAudience will have some fun from such movies, which may even teach them some simple but useful tips or principles of life. But don’t expect these movies to shock audiences’ nerves by staging grand scenes. instead they leave audiences feeling relaxed and happy.凑份子(cou4fen4zi0)whip-roundChinese people have the tradition of pooling funds orcollecting money from a group of people to pay for a public project or buy a joint present for someone.弃车族(qi4che1zu2)car-sparing clanIt is reported that many private car owners living near subway lines in Beijing have opted to use public transport for daily commutes, so saving their cars for longer trips.金九银十(jin1jiu3yin2shi2)peak sales seasonThe Chinese term literally means “Golden September” and “Silver October,” the two months that usually see brisk sales of cars, houses or other major consumer products in China.打新族(da3xin1zu2)new-stock investorsDue to the hefty profit potential, newly listed securities have become a hit choice for Chinese investors over the past few months.巴嫂(ba1sao3)re-employed woman bus conductorAuthorities in Guangdong Province have initiated a re-employment program to recruit women in their 50s who were earlier laid off by their employers to work as bus conductors. The Chinese word 巴(ba) means bus while 嫂(sao) is a term of endearment for a married woman.凤凰男(feng4huang2nan2)phoenix manThis term refers to men who grew up in remote rural areas but have moved to big cities thanks to their efforts and their family’s support. They hope to marry city girls but often encounter problems resulting from their different living habits and family backgrounds.试离婚(shi4li2hun1)trial divorceSome young couples live separately to calm down when their marriage hits a rough patch. It is called “trialdivorce” which offers couples time to reconsider their marriage and avoid divorcing under impulse.October 8Date:2007-10-08裸体PC (luo3ti3 PC)naked PCEuropean think-tank the Globalization Institute has made a submission to the European Commission proposing that all PCs and laptops should be sold without an operating system to foster competition and bring down prices, saying the current practice "imposes an extra cost on virtually every EU business."零电邮日(ling2dian4you2ri4)zero e-mail FridaysSome professionals are fighting back against overwhelming e-mails by declaring e-mail-free Fridays - or by deleting their entire in-box. About 150 engineers at chip maker Intel will kick off the campaign. E-mail isn't forbidden, but everyone is encouraged to phone or meet face-to-face. The goal is to foster more direct,free-flowing communication and better exchange of ideas, Intel principal engineer Nathan Zeldes says in a company blog post.鲶鱼效应(nian3yu2 xiao4ying4)catfish effectThis term derives from the practice of a Norwegian fisherman who put catfish into his catch of sardine to keep the latter living longer for a better price. Now, the term means to introduce new competitors to stimulate the whole group. It complies with the modern operational mechanism of HR management.刺青后悔症(ci4qing1 hou4hui3zheng4)tattoo regretThis term refers to a feeling of remorse for having tattoos. According to a study in the United States, about 50 percent of respondents who have tattoos said they suffered from "tattoo regret." In other words, they wish they had opted against getting a tattoo.网络达人(wang3luo4 da2ren2)Net advisorThe term refers to warm-hearted people who give advice to others on the Internet. They cover all kinds of topics, ranging from marriage to home decoration. They are not necessarily professional consultants, but their personal experiences do help others.社交网络服务(she4jiao1 wang3luo4 fu2wu4)social networking service (SNS)This is a kind of social software designed to set up online social networks connecting people of all different types of interests. For instance, Facebook is a popular social networking service.富裕病(fu4yu4bing4)affluenzaThis is a portmanteau word by combining the two words "affluence" and "influenza." It refers to a special form of materialism in which people suffer from an epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness as they pursue more goods.搏上位(bo2shang4wei4)strive for bigger successIt refers to an attempt to gain a higher position, bigger fame or success by resorting sometimes to unconventional or indecent means.喝油车(he1you2che1)Chelsea tractorThose gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles are referred to in the United Kingdom as a Chelsea tractor. These urban behemoths have become a status symbol for the middle class in the Western world. The term is a rendering from the English buzzword.穷人跑(qiong2ren2pao3)cheap roadsterSome auto makers in China produce low-priced sportscars for middle-income people. The price for such cars ranges from 100,000 yuan to 300,000 yuan, compared to those exceeding one million yuan targeting high-end income earners.喝油车(he1you2che1)Chelsea tractorThose gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles are referred to in the United Kingdom as a Chelsea tractor. These urban behemoths have become a status symbol for the middle class in the Western world. The term is a rendering from the English buzzword.穷人跑(qiong2ren2pao3)cheap roadsterSome auto makers in China produce low-priced sports cars for middle-income people. The price for such carsranges from 100,000 yuan to 300,000 yuan, compared to those exceeding one million yuan targeting high-end income earners.试药族(shi4yao4zu2)drug-test subjectIt is reported that a growing number of college students in the country have participated in the clinical trial of new medications to earn more money, some of whom do it to support their living.陪拼族(pei2pin1zu2)shopping companionThe flip side of love is that the boyfriend or husband of young women who are in the mood to shop has to keep her company all the way round, and might well drop before her shopping drags to a lengthy end.高疯贝(gao1feng1bei4)crazy gamesThe Chinese term sounds like 高分贝, which means "high decibel." It actually refers to highly exciting rides like roller coasters.一口价(yi1kou3jia4)no-bargain priceA seller who is sure of a deal whatsoever the price, or is unwilling to accept a bargain because the marked price is the seller's bottom line, will call it yikoujia in colloquial Chinese. Yikou indicates no room for bargaining.知音体(zhi1yin1ti3)“zhiyin” style“zhiyin”(Confidant) refers to a well-known Chinesetabloid magazine which always publishes sensational, agitating and moving love stories. Since many people are addicted to reading them, some authors or editors use a "zhiyin"style headline on some stories to attract more readers.贵族乞丐(gui4zu2qi3gai4)rich beggarIt refers to those professional beggars who reportedly are rich enough to own a car and keep a mistress.痛快吧(tong4kuai4ba1)pressure-venting shopThis term refers to shops where a customer pays for venting his or her tension, anger or frustration by violently punching or smashing goods.。