原创： 译世界 译·世界

编者按

政治话语该怎么准确翻译？这对中国对外传播来讲很重要，同时也相当有难度。日前，在中国译协主办的《译讲堂》上，联合国高级译审、中国外文局组织实施的国家项目“中国关键词”英文审定稿专家蔡力坚通过诸多实例，对这个问题进行了详细讲解。译世界小编受邀参会，并得到蔡老师授权分享。下面是小编整理出的讲座精华，赶紧学起来吧！

 

 

汉语的表达比较灵活，在翻译时不要只顾字面的对应，否则可能出现文不达意的问题。因此，翻译抽象的政治话语时，要反复推敲原文，以确定译文用词是否体现了原文所要表达的实际意义。

 

例  1

中国将力争到2020年，基本形成适应创新驱动发展要求的制度环境和政策法律体系，为进入创新型国家行列提供有力保障。

 

原译

 

By 2020 China aims to create an institution, a legal system and a set of policies to guarantee that it becomes one of the innovative countries in the world.

 

评析

 

1）译文将“形成制度环境”处理成create an institution，众所周知，institution意为“机构”，不能反映原文中更为宏观的“环境”之意，属于误译。可以用形容词结构+environment/framework等比较虚化的词加以对应。

 

2）将“创新型国家”译为innovative country，词义上并无不妥。但仔细思考后会发现这个译法的力度不够，世界上任何一个国家在某种程度上都存在创新行为，“进入创新型国家行列”显然对创新提出了更高的要求，因此不妨译为one of the most innovative countries来突出这一层含义。

 

改译

 

China seeks to have in place by 2020 an institutional, legal and policy framework for innovation-driven development so as to provide a solid basis to put China on track to become one of the world’s most innovative countries.

 

例  2

 

这表明中国已将大数据视作战略资源并上升为国家战略，期望运用大数据推动经济发展、完善社会治理、提升政府服务和监管能力。

 

原译

 

This shows that China now sees big data as a strategic resource and has devised a national strategy for its utilization, aiming to boost economic growth, improve social governance, and reinforce government capability in service provision and scrutiny.

 

评析

 

1）“完善社会治理”译为improve social governance，从字面上看没有问题，与原文对应得很完美。一般提到“社会治理”指的是治理整个社会各方面的工作，而英语语境中的social governance更倾向于残疾人工作、弱势群体的照顾、老年人的生活安排等社会福利工作，比较狭义，因此用在这里与原文存在一定出入。

 

2）谈及政府监管能力，如果用scrutiny，则表示别人对政府进行监督，与原文要表达的“政府实施监管”之意相背离。

 

改译

 

The need for such a strategy（承接上文——编者注）underscores the increasing importance of big data as a strategic asset on China’s development agenda. The strategy calls for exploring the potential of big-data technologies to boost economic growth, and improve governance at all levels, as well as government services and regulation.

 

 

例  1

中国本届政府把加快转变职能、简政放权作为开门第一件大事。

 

原译

 

The current Chinese government has made it a top priority to accelerate the functional transformation of government, the streamlining of administration and delegation of more power to lower-level governments.

 

评析

 

1）“本届政府”译为current government欠妥，因为从建国至今，中国政府是没有改变过的，改变的只是执政者，更为严谨的译法应该是administration。

 

2）functional transformation可以有很多意思，不能确切地对应“政府职能”，不如transformation of government functions表达得更明确。

 

3）delegation一词已经包含了“to lower level”的意思，所以没必要在后面重复这个短语

 

改译

 

The current Chinese administration has made it a top priority to accelerate the process of transforming government functions, streamlining government and delegating authorities.

 

例  2

国家治理能力就是运用国家制度管理社会各方面事务的能力，包括改革发展稳定、内政外交国防、治党治国治军等各个方面。

 

原译

 

The national governance capacity is the ability to use the state system to manage social affairs, including reform, development, and stability, domestic and foreign affairs, national defense, and the running of the CPC, the state, and the military.

 

评析

 

1）如上文所述，social一词的含义比较窄，无法与后面提到的外交、国防等内容构成包含关系。

 

2）running作为“治理”之意时只表示维持某事物的正常运作，无论结果好坏。但“治党治国治军”实际上是要把党、国家和军队治理好，使之强大，在对外传播中国政治语汇时有必要表达出这样的内在含义。

 

改译

 

The national governance capabilities refer to the ability to use the national system to manage state affairs, including domestic and foreign affairs, and issues associated with reform, development, stability, and national defense, and to pursue efforts to build an exemplary Party, a prosperous country and a strong military.

 

 

汉语是高度意合语言，任何成分都可以并列，不太注重各个成分之间的逻辑关系。比如“枯藤老树昏鸦，小桥流水人家”，只是简单地意象罗列，看不出彼此的关系，最后的“断肠人在天涯”也看不出与前文的因果关系。英语以形合为主，逻辑关系表现得很明确，破坏这种关系会显得思维逻辑混乱。

 

例  

市场决定资源配置是市场经济的一般规律，健全社会主义市场经济体制必须遵循这条规律，着力解决市场体系不完善、政府干预过多和监管不到位问题，推动资源配置依据市场机制实现效益最大化和效率最优化。

 

原译

 

It is a general rule of market economies that the market determines the allocation of resources. To improve its socialist market economy, China must follow this general rule, establish a robust market, control excessive government intervention, address insufficient government oversight, and ensure that resources are allocated in the marketplace most effectively and efficiently.

 

评析

 

1）译文将所有短句处理成了并列关系，整句话逻辑并不清晰，其实最后一句是前面所述的目的。

 

2）从英文角度来看，将control excessive government intervention与address insufficient government oversight相并列，既表达政府的intervention不要太多，又提到政府的oversight不够，两个说法存在矛盾。实际上这里要表达的意思是政府在某些方面管得太多，有些方面管得不够，如果加一个连词进行转折处理，逻辑关系便会清楚很多。

 

改译

 

A general rule embraced by market economies, the preeminence of the market in allocating resources should also be a feature of our socialist market economy. To this end efforts should include building a robust market, and rolling back excessive government intervention while also addressing insufficient government oversight in some areas, so as to promote the market’s role in maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency in resource allocation.

 

 

 

例  

在全面深化改革中，我们要坚持以经济体制改革为主轴，努力在重要领域和关键环节改革上取得新突破，以此牵引和带动其他领域改革，使各方面改革协同推进、形成合力，而不是各自为政、分散用力。

 

原译

 

As China comprehensively deepens reform, it needs to keep economic structural reform as the principal axis, strive to make new breakthroughs in the reforms of important areas, and use them to drive other reforms, so that all reforms move forward together and form a synergy, rather than being uncoordinated so that their effects are dissipated.

 

评析

 

原文的“在重要领域和关键环节改革上取得突破”，其实是承接上文提到的“经济体制改革”，译文没有体现这一层逻辑关系，直接用the reforms of important areas，表意模糊。

 

改译

 

Economic structural reform remains the central pillar of our comprehensive in-depth reform efforts. Major new progress must be made in key areas of this reform, so as to pave the way for, and provide impetus to, other sectorial reforms. Such an approach could ensure synergy and coordination between various reform initiatives, and avoid silo mentality and fragmentation.

 

 

例  

中国（上海）自由贸易试验区于2013年9月29日在上海浦东外高桥挂牌成立。这是中国在新形势下推进改革开放的一项重大举措，旨在为全面深化改革和扩大开放探索新路径、积累新经验，促进各地区共同发展。

 

原译

 

The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone was established at Waigaoqiao, Pudong, Shanghai, on September 29, 2013. This was a major move China took to promote reform and opening up in the new situation. It was designed to explore a new path and gain new experience for comprehensive deepening reform and opening China wider to the outside world and to promote development for all regions.

 

评析

 

虽然译文对应了原文的句子结构，但自贸区成立时间并非重要信息，以单独一句话交待其成立时间未免喧宾夺主，处理成插入语形式捎带介绍即可，整个语段的重点应放在对自贸区成立这件事的描述上。

 

改译

 

The launch of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone at Waigaoqiao, Pudong, Shanghai, on September 29, 2013, was a major reform move in response to China’s new realities. It was aimed at exploring new possibilities for expanding the scope of reform and opening China wider to the outside world, and promoting coordinated development for all regions.

 

 

例  

中国将坚定不移走和平发展道路，同时也将推动各国共同坚持和平发展。

 

原译

 

China will adhere to the path of peaceful development and encourage all countries to pursue peaceful development.

 

评析

 

中文表述可以重复，而英文则没有必要，可以用代词或其他结构加以代替。

 

改译

 

China’s commitment to peaceful development is unshakable, and we encourage all other countries to do the same.

 

 

例  

在学有所教、劳有所得、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居上持续取得新进展。

 

原译

 

The CPC needs to make steady progress in ensuring that those wanting education can receive it, those needing jobs can find them, those requiring medical care can enjoy it, those looking for affordable housing can find it, and the old people cared for.

 

评析

 

汉语经常使用排比结构，所谓中文的“文字游戏”，很多情况下译成英文时不必完全对应字面。原文中的5组四字短语无非指的是教育、就业、医疗、养老和住房五方面问题，简明直接才是英语的表达规则。

 

改译

 

Efforts should continue to improve access to education, employment, medical services, elderly care, and affordable housing.