英译汉：表达难
翻译理解占四成，表达占六成。                        （著名翻译家萧乾）
逐字死译往往不是损害原文的思想就是损害译文语言的正确性，或者两者都损害。                                                （费罗道夫）
时下的译文，有许多是看不懂的，因为译者对原文没有透彻了解，只好逐字移译，有人以为是忠实，其实这是偷懒和取巧。这样的译文用不着熔铸和洗炼的工夫，只把原文硬搬过来就行。                              （王宗炎）
我做译者一向守一个原则：要译原意，不要译原文。只顾表面的原文，不顾后面的原意，就会流于直译、硬译、死译。                  (余光中)
[短句也难译]
1. It was a cold winter day.
[译文一] 这是一个寒冷的冬天。[译文二] 这是寒冬的一天。[译文三] 这是冬天的寒冷的一天。[改译]
2. Late in the afternoon of a chill day in February…
  [译文] 二月的寒冷的一天下午，……。
[改译]
3. …on one sunshiny morning in June,…
[译文] 在六月的一个阳光灿烂的早晨，……[改译]
4. What a funny name!
[译文一] 多么有趣的名字！weigh翻译[译文二] 这名字多有趣！[译文三] 多好玩的名字啊！
[改译]
5. His best jokes fell flat.
[译文] 他最好笑的笑话都没能引人发笑。[改译]
6. A new dignity crept into his walk.
  [译文] 一种新的尊严悄悄潜入了他的步态中。
[改译]
7. Journalists fired questions at him….
[译文] 记者们向他提了许多问题。[改译]
8. John prefers film to stage plays.
[译文] 比起戏剧来，约翰还是喜欢电影。[改译]
9. Gravity is what makes you weigh what you weigh.
[译文] 地心引力使你有了你的重量。[改译]
10. Being a metal, Mercury is not a solid.
  [译文] 作为一种金属，贡不是固体。[改译]
11. The African has no political personality.
[译文] 非洲人没有政治人格。[改译]
12. Mike walks with a half-apologetic roll.
[译文] 迈克半带歉意摇摇晃晃地走起路来。
[改译]
13. Ethan kept his hand clasped on hers a moment longer than was necessary.
[译文] 伊坦握住她的手，比必要的时间长了一会儿。[改译]
14. His drawing of children is exceptionally good.
[译文] 他的小孩画特别好。[改译]
15. Inflation has now reached unprecedented level.
[译文] 通货膨胀现在已经发展到空前的水平。[改译]
16. The pictures gripped my imagination.
[译文] 这些画抓住了我的想象力。[改译]
17. I am afraid the joy is too great to be true.
[译文] 我怕这场欢喜太大了，以致于不是真的。
[改译]
18. You are driving too fast for safety.
[译文] 你开车太快了，以致于不安全。[改译]
19. We have also admired your exceptional intellectual qualities, your experience and your kindness.
[译文] 我们也钦佩你的过人才智，你的经历和你的和蔼。
[改译]
20. …who is a good Christian, a good parent, child, wife or husband.
[译文] ……好基督徒，好父母，好孩子，好妻子或好丈夫。
[改译]
21. Revolution in the Marxist sense means a moral as well as a material change.
[译文] 马克思主义所谓的革命，意味着精神和物质的变革。
[改译]
[注意动词的时态]
22. They are leading a happy life.
[译文] 他们过着幸福的生活。[改译]
23. Lastly, a successful scientist is highly imaginative.
[译文] 最后，成功的科学家具有高度的想象力。
[改译]
24. I was too aggressive. He is spoiled.
[译文] 我太过分了。他给宠坏了。[改译]
25. Heikal was the late Nasser’s alter ego and he is a close friend of President Sadar.
[译文] 海卡尔是纳赛尔的化身，又是萨达特总统的亲密朋友。
[改译]
26. The superpowers are beside themselves with rage at the Chinese bomb. They reckoned that the two “atomic giants” could themselves rule the atomic roost.
[译文] 超级大国对于中国的气得发狂，他们以为自己这两个“原子巨人”可以在方面称王称霸。
[改译]
[无生物主语英语句子的翻译]
27. This medicine will make you feel better.
[译文] 这药会使你觉得好些。[改译]
28. Science demands of men great effort and complete devotion.
[译文] 科学需要人们巨大的努力和无限的热爱。
[改译]
29. These three steps constituted an epochal advance.
[译文] 这三个步骤构成了一个划时代的进展。
[改译]
30. Careful comparison of them will show you the difference.
[译文] 仔细比较它们就会显示其中的不同。
[改译]
31. Business took me to town.
[译文] 生意上的事使我进了城。[改译]
32. His wealth enables him to do anything.
[译文] 他的财富使他什么都能做。[改译]
33. Bad weather prevented us from starting.
[译文] 坏的天气阻止了我们出发。[改译]
34. A few steps across the lawn brought me to a large, splendid hotel.
[译文] 穿过草地的几步路带我到了一个华丽的大旅馆。
[改译]
35. His work made it impossible for him to get home oftener than every other weekend.
[译文] 工作使他不可能回家多于隔周一次。
[改译]
36. Machinery had made the products of manufactories very much cheaper than formerly.
[译文] 机械使工厂的产品比以前便宜得多。
[改译]
[抽象名词译成动词]
37. The sight of the orphan always reminds me of her parents.
[译文] 那个孤儿的目光总使我想到她的父母。
[改译]
38. A bit of knowledge kept me from making a big mistake when an important question was to be decided.
[译文] 一点知识使我在决定重大问题的时候，还没有犯大的错误。
[改译]
39. My hunger and the shadows together tell me that the sun has done much travel since I fell sleep.
[译文] 我的饥饿以及日影的倾斜告诉我，我睡着了以后，太阳已经走过很远的路了。
[改译]
40. The growing awareness by millions of people of their intolerable condition of life had prompted them to relinquish the present social system.
  [译文] 千百万人民对于他们那种不可容忍的生活状况的逐步的觉醒，已经促使他们放弃现行的社会制度。
[改译]
41. The international food shortage had a direct impact on Kuwait and other barren desert countries.
  [译文] 国际粮食的缺乏，对科威特和其他不毛的沙漠国家产生了一种直接的影响。 [改译]
42. The presence of the Indians here at the time of Columbus’ arrival has been sufficient proof of it.
  [译文] 哥伦布来到美洲的时候，印第安人的在场就是它的足够证据。
[改译]
43. And this failure to recognize and analyze the interrelationship of linguistic and non-linguistic problems produces two major signs of ineffectiveness.