【英文中译】《谚语与翻译》文/卡迪姆·阿里

无心剑

Proverbs and Translation
谚语与翻译
By Prof. Kadhim Ali, Ph.D, Dept. of Translation, University of Basra, Iraq
伊拉克巴士拉大学翻译系教授 卡迪姆·阿里博士
A clean carpet often hides a dirty board
洁净的地毯往往掩盖肮脏的地板
To err is human, Pope says. And translations are full of errors of different sorts. They pass unnoticed because the language of translation is semi perfect. But these errors never escape an eagle-eyed critic who is well-trained and proficient in the two languages. So, unless the translator is very much trusted and tried, do not let yourself be cheated on by surfacely decorated, embellished and ornamented translation. Translation frauds like "This book is translated by a committee of university professors", seen on some books translated into Arabic, must be expected and dealt with properly by not buying the book. Finally, all that glitters is not gold.
蒲柏尝言，人孰无过。各种错误充斥译文，因译者语言功底欠佳，故常被忽视，但绝逃不过训练有素而谙熟双语之批评家的利眼。因此，千万别被花哨之译文所欺骗，除非译者十分可信又可靠。一些阿拉伯语译著上常见“本书乃大学教授合力翻译”，必须对此类骗术谨慎对待，最好不要买这类译著。总而言之，并非闪光的都是金子。
【注】英国18世纪诗人亚历山大·蒲柏(Alexander Pope)的英雄体偶句(Heroic Couplet) To err is human; to forgive, divine.”（凡人多舛误，唯神能见宥）
By others' faults wise men learn
智者见不贤而自省
Translation trainees can learn translating by two things: practicing translation and studying parallel texts and translation critiques. We have already talked about the urgency of translating, and the second thing that should be emphasized here is parallel texts in which STs and TTs are put together in one book or two books. Parallel texts have the advantages of teaching trainees the meanings of words, the structuring of sentences and expressions and the methods of translating. These texts are now fashionable, and one can easily find poetry collections and novels that provide original texts with their translations. In addition to this, it is of maximum importance that trainees follow and read translations critiques to see and understand the advantages and disadvantages in translated materials. Such critiques offer invaluable explanations and alternatives, and trainees can learn a lot from the ups and downs of other translators.
译习者通过两种方法学习：一是从事翻译实践，二是研读双语对照文本和翻译评论。我们已讨论过翻译实践之紧迫性，其次，应强调双语对照文本，同一本书中源语与译语相对照，或一本书源语与另一本书译语相对照。对照文本，有益于译习者掌握词汇的含义，句子和表达的结构以及翻译的方法。此类文本如今很流行，很容易找到对照版的诗集与小说。此外，译习者研读翻译评论以领会翻译材料之长短处，也至关重要。翻译评论提供的注解与参考译文，非常有价值，这样，从其他译者的成败中，译习者能学到很多东西。
Cut your coat according to your cloth
量体裁衣，量力而行
It is no use for novices to try in their formative years to translate tough names and subjects. While tough authors tend to employ the highest of their competencies, tough subjects uneasily lend themselves to interpretation and translation. Both tough authors and subjects need time to decipher their codes.
新手初涉译事，倘若尝试攻坚名家之艰深作品，往往徒劳无益。名家常将其才能往极致发挥，要译解其艰深作品则异常艰难。解读名家及其艰深作品，绝非一蹴而就之事。
译于2008年8月10日。

周道模

学习。不过有时看见名家的翻译也有不尽完善处，也是一种乐趣。

自娱自乐

[quote]学习。不过有时看见名家的翻译也有不尽完善处，也是一种乐趣。
周先生，你觉得这种心态正常吗？明的似乎是‘乐趣’，暗的呢? 难不成是‘幸灾乐祸’？