第1章翻译基础

第一章 翻译的基本知识 An Introduction to the Course of Translation

﹡Literal translation at word level:

Almond eye杏眼, moon face满月脸, a work full of sound and color有声有色的作品,heartless and brainless既没心肝又没头脑, milk the cow挤牛奶; mad cow disease; chain reaction ; bird flu; sleeping beauty睡美人; gene therapy基因疗法,Father Time时间老人, Mother nature自然之母, irony of fate命运的嘲弄, paradise flowing with milk and honey遍地流着奶和蜜的天堂, be armed to the teeth武装到牙齿 the open door policy开放政策，the cold war 冷战，to fish in troubled waters 混水摸鱼，strike while the iron is hot 趁热打铁，at sixes and sevens 乱七八糟 习语成语；He met his Waterloo.（ 典故）meet one's Waterloo是成语典故,由 拿破仑在Waterloo遇到惨败

﹡Literal translation at sentence level:

1)Knowledge is power.知识就是力量

2)Blood is thicker than water血浓于水

3)Misfortune never comes singly.祸不单行。

4) like Constant dropping wears the stone.水滴石穿;

5)The reasons for Disney’s success are varied and numerous, but ultimately the credit belongs to one person －the man who created cartoon and built the company from nothing.

迪斯尼乐园的成功有多种因素,但是归根到底要归功于一个人,这个人发明了卡通画,白手起家,创建了这家公司.( start from scratch = set up a company from scratch )

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6)Now a World Heritage Site , Stonehenge and all its surroundings remain powerful witness to the once great civilization of the Stones and Bronze Ages , between 5,000 and 3,000 years ago.

如今作为世界文化遗产,石柱圈及其周围工事依旧是五到三千年石器时代和青铜器时代伟大文明的确有力见证者.

7)The line of trees that breaks the monotony of the pavement is laden with leaves in shades of russet. 一行树木打破了人行道的单调,树上长满了深浅不一的黄褐色树叶.（ 如何确定名词的词义 ，看其周围的单词 ， russet ）

8)The Australian continent has many different climate zones ranging from tropical in the north , leading to subtropical and savanna, to arid deserts in the center and temperate in the south.奥洲大陆跨越许多种不同的气候带,有北部的热带,亚热带,和稀树草原,有中部干旱不毛的沙漠,还有南部的温带.

＊直译误区：Misconcepts of literal translaiton

一、否定句型中的直译误区

1. 部分否定句型，这种句型不同于汉语的思维形式。

1)I do not know both of them. 对他们俩我不是都认识。

2)All the answers are not right. 答案并非全对。

3)Every body wouldn't like it . 并不是每上人都会喜欢它。

2. 单一否定中的部分特殊句型

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1）It was not until years afterwards that he heard of Semmelweis.

误：没过几年他就听到了Semmelweis的消息。

正：直到数年之后他才听到Semmelweis 的消息。

2）It is a wise man that never makes mistakes.

误：聪明人从不犯错误。（ 逻辑不对）

正：无论怎样聪明的人也难免犯错误。

It is a long lane that has no turings 再长的巷子也有转弯的地方。

3）We cannot estimate the value of modern science too much.

误：我们不能过高地估计现代科学的价值。

正：对现代科学的价值无论如何重视也不过分。

评析： 在此结构中cannot….too…, 越。。。越 ， 无论怎样。。。。scarcely, never, too ， 还可以改为over +V, enough , sufficient similar:

You cannot be too cautious.

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也不过分，可以改为can hardly,

You can hardly praise him too much

A man can never have too many friends. Newton’s contribution to modern science can scarcely be overrated( 过高评价).

He can’t see you quick enough .

4) Jane does not work hard because she wants to earn money. 简并不是想赚钱才下力干的.

二、修辞句型中的误区

1）The girl is a dead shot.（ 比喻）

这位姑娘是神枪手。（不能译作\"死射手\"）

2）After the failure of his last novel, his reputation stands on slippery grounds.（ 比喻）

他的上部小说失败之后，声誉一落千丈。（不能译为\"站在滑动的场地上了。\"

3） At the door to the restaurant, a stunning, porcelain-faced woman in tradirional costume

asked me to remove my shoes.（ 比喻）

译文：\"在通往餐厅的门口有一位女人，身着和服，涂脂抹粉、十分迷人，她叫我脱下鞋子。\"不能译为\"一位迷人的陶瓷般脸蛋的妇女

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4）He went west by stage coach and succumbed to the epidemic of gold and silver fever in

Nevada's Washoe Region.（ 借喻）

误：他乘公共马车到了西部，患了瓦肖地区的金银发烧流行病。

正：他乘公共马车到了西部，卷入了淘金热和淘银热。

6)She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

她长生在富贵之家。（ 习语，增加语言的表达力）

7）You should keep your nose out of here. 你别管闲事。

8）Good to begin well ,better to end well.善始更要善终。

2.2.2 free tranlation

＊free translation at word level

1) white lie (善意的谎言) 2) white elephant (华而不实的东西) 3) a wet blanket He was such a wet blanket at the party that they never invited him again.他在那次宴会上真令人扫兴，人家再也不邀请他了

4) utility pole (电线杆) 5) as beautiful as Helen. 美若西施/赛天仙。（归化译法）/像海伦一样美丽/漂亮。（异化译法）/海伦一样漂亮（海伦是古希腊的美女，是女神。）（异化---直译加释译译法）

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＊free translation at sentence level

11.)Every life has its roses and thorns. 每个人的生活都有甜酸苦辣。（句中通过引伸的方法将“玫瑰”和“刺”这两个 带有特征形象的词译成了该形象所代表的概念的词：“甜酸苦辣”。）

12)He is trying to oil the judge’s palm. 他想贿赂法官

13）He was slightly struck by the cashier, a young and giggling girl with ankles. 他有点被那个年轻漂亮咯咯笑的收款员所打动.(英美文化中把脚踝的好看与否作为评价女性漂亮与否的标准之一.)(文化)

4翻译的标准

Faithfulness and smoothness

4.2.1 Faithfulness:

1) Last spring, Mother Nature made April Fools of all of us who live in New England. 去年春天，大自然捉弄了我们所有居住在新英格兰的人（原文洋，译文洋）。

2) More than twenty-five-million soldiers and civilians had died during the six years of fighting.（美国人说：在为期六年的战争中，2500多万士兵和平民命丧黄泉。黄泉，中国道教术语term in taoism，文化错位dislocation in culture，文化上的不忠实改为：丧命或不幸遇难）

3）（忠实原文的口语体风格）

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------Who’s next? What is your name?

------Nineteen eighty-one.

-------Reason for leaving job?

------I was replaced by a new year.

-------And so you are applying for unemployment insurance?

------I have tried to find out work but no one will have me.

-----Why not?

------No one will tell me the reason. They just say I’m too old and I can’t keep up.

-----What did you do before you were fired?

------I was a crisis manager. ( wang, 16)

译文：下一位？叫什么（名字）？/1981/离职的原因？/被新一年替代了不。/所以，你来申请失业保险？/我去找过工作了，可人家不肯用我。/为什么？/没有人乐意告诉我真正的原因。他们只是说我上了年纪，跟不上趟了。/解雇前是干什么的？/危机部经理。

4)My first teaching job was at a high school in Georgia. Having been born and raised in the North, I had some initial difficulty understanding my students’ accents. Jokingly , I said to one girl, “ I do wish you Southerners would speak English !”

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“We do.” She replied.

“ Well, it’s not the King’s English, ” I protested.

“ Sure it is , ” she said, “ Remember, Elvis was a Southerner. ”

Elvis美国20世纪60年代最著名的流行歌星,世称 “ 猫王”.该女生巧借猫王是南方人,同时又被称为king ”王”,那么,他讲的英语自然是不是 king’s English

译文:我的初次指教始于.我起初难以听动懂我学生的口音,我对一个女生开玩笑说:”真希望你们这些南方人都讲英语”

我们是讲英语啊.可是不是标准英语,我反驳道.当然是标准英语,别忘了Elvis可是南方人----要求在翻译时,要加注解.

5) Often, when we found ourselves up against a seemingly insuperable difficulty, he would stand up, put his pipe on the table, and say in his quaint English, “I will a little tink.”

很多次,当我们遇到看似无法攻克的难题时,他(爱因斯坦)就总是站起来,把烟斗往桌子上一放,用带口音的英语说道: “ 让我来晌(想)一晌(想)”

4.2.2 Smoothness:

讲解:1)It’s a good book.

这是一本好书。(target language message) Better version:这本书不错。这是本好书。

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2)China is a very big country with a very big population.

中国是一个大国，有很多的人口。（ 介词转为动词） The improved:中国幅员辽阔，人口众多。（ 介词不译）

3) We were told that football match would be put off.有通知足球赛将推迟举行.

4)This book is the beginning of his fame.这本书是他的成名之作

5)She not only laughs a lot but has a heart of gold.她不仅笑口常开，而且还有一颗金子般的心。

6)The study found that non-smoking wives of men who smoke cigarettes face a much greater than normal danger of developing lung cancer. The more cigarettes smoked by the husband, the greater the threat faced by his non-smoking wife.*(wang tao 23)

研究表明，妻子不抽烟而丈夫抽烟/被动吸烟的妻子，妻子得肺癌的危险性比一般人大得多。丈夫抽的烟越多，妻子受到的威胁也就越大。

4.2.3 忠实与通顺的关系

1）译文严谨,表达正确：

1) Smoking in later life seems to be linked to intellectual impairment over the age of 65, suggested research in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry..发表在<神经病学\\神经外科和精神病学>杂志上的一项研究报告人为,后半生吸烟似乎会在65岁以后引起智力损伤.

2) Apply sunscreen liberally ( at least one large handful ) about 30 minutes before going outside.

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应该足量使用防晒霜(至少满满一把/手掌),且在外出前30分钟使用.

3）Every time I come back from a business trip the place makes a new man of me. 我每到外面跑一趟生意回来， 这个地方都让我耳目一新， 精神焕发。（句中“makes a new man of me ” 是一种抽象的说法，译文作了具体化引伸，译作：“耳目一新”。）

4）)He burned his fingers badly, though we warned him against it. He lost nearly all his money he had invested. 他吃尽了鲁莽的苦头( 自讨苦吃),尽管我告诫过他,他投进的钱都陪上了.

5）The joke served as an effective ice-breaker at the conference. 这个笑话打破了会议的僵局。这个笑话打破了会议的僵局。（ice-breaker: a ship that cuts a passage through floating ice 破冰的船 如译为“这个笑话是这次会议的破冰船”则无法理解。因此要采用引伸译法

2).识别原语文化:一仆二主：既要考虑原语的文化，又要照顾汉语读者的阅读习惯。

1)He rode sandwich all the way to New York.他乘坐一路拥挤的火车来到

ride sandwich means a thin man sitting between two fat men or a woman sitting between tow man .

2)Add 15-30minutes per night until you feel alert and rested each day . If you are a “night owl” sleep a bit later; if you are a lark, go to bed earlier. 每晚多睡15-30分钟,直到你感到精力充沛,神清气爽.如果你是”夜猫子”,就睡得迟些;如果你惯于早起,就早点上床.

3)During the war he was sent on dangerous secret missions abroad. Very exciting ! He was a sort of James Bond. 被派往国外担任一向危险的秘密使命. 太令人兴奋了!他是位出色的谍报人员. James Bond系

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英国作家Ian Fleming 系列间谍小说的主角,007,常指大胆干练,敢于冒险的叠抱人员.

.He had the kindness to show me the way, but I took it for something else.他好心为我指路，我却人为他另有所图，真是“狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心。”

4）Tess’ brother said to Tess : “ Our great relation will help’ee to marry a gentleman.”咱们那个财主本家，要给你攀一门好亲，叫你嫁一个体面人。------文化失真 改译：我们那个了不起的亲戚要帮你嫁一个高贵的绅士。

5)I’m full of scholarship; I’m full of genius; I’m full of information’ I’m full of novel views on every subject.我学富五车，才高八斗；博古通今，对一切问题都有最独到的见解。-----滥用成语，文化失真。

3).还应避免过于照顾原语文化，为造成翻译腔调。

1).John stood from the chair .站了起来

2) Come in and shut the door behind you.

3)If my mother had known of it, she’s have died a second time.气得从官材里跳出来

5.翻译的过程

5.1首先是理解，具体来说，就是要先通读全文，理解原文的意思。：

1） 略读全文，从整体上把握整篇文章

2） 粗分 分析所要求翻译的部分，弄清句子结构，先找出句子的主干，明确代词it, they, them, this, that,

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these, those等所指代的词或短语的意思，再分析是否存在省略，主从关系如何等

3） 进一步细化，分析词汇及惯用语，明确句子的整体意思及其在上下文中所处的地位。

5.2 其次是翻译，就是用自己的话把作者的意思再现出来，这一点对汉语的功底要求比较高，具体操作过程中要注意英汉两种语言的差异，简单一些的句子能直译就直译，实在难度较大的就直译和意译结合，总之，应当尽量使译文得体。

最后是复查，从某种意义上来说，这和翻译过程一样重要。具体应从以下几方面考虑：

1） 译文准确程度 2） 词句上有无自己的主观增减 3） 一些细节，如数字，日期，年份有无译错

6.译者的要求 the requrements for a translation beginner、Prerequisites for a translator

二语精熟程度；//相关知识/ 严谨的态度/相关理论与技巧

6.1•.1language proficiency,( target- language and the source- language)try to make your version more idiomatic and smooth.

1) He had left a note of welcome for me, as sunny as his face. 他留下一封短信，对我表示欢迎，那封信写得热情洋溢，一如其人。

2)Don’t turn your back on friends who are down and out.不要不理睬穷困潦倒的朋友。

3)He acts a lot older than his years. 他年纪轻轻，做事却相当老练。

4)Earlier scientists thought that during a man’s lifetime the power of his brain decreased.从前的

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科学家认为,在人的一生中,脑子的机能回逐渐减弱.

5)This large body of men had met on the previous night, despite the elements which were opposed to them, a heavy rain falling the whole of the night and drenching them to the skin.

这一大群人头天晚上还是聚到了一起,尽管天公不作美( 不译成老天与他们作对),整夜下着倾盆大雨,大家被淋得浑身湿透了.

6.2 acquaintance with subject matter involved

1)The Security council has been seized of the question since then.(the knowledge of international law is needed)安理会自那时以来就一直受理这个问题。

2)Because of bad government, the company was in the red.由于管理不善，公司出现亏损。

3)It is a way, he says, of paying tribute to the rock’ n’ rock era that had a huge impact on him as a child. So why did the idea come off the backburner （次要地位，一时不重要的地位）and onto paper and then celluloid? Celebrity burn-out is the answer. Hollywood’s man with the golden touch （点金术）had had a string of box-office success, form Sleepless in Seatle to Toy Story and Apollo 13, and had won Oscars two years in succession, for Philadelphia and then Forrest Gunp. 他说这是颂扬那个给童年的他带来巨大影响的遥滚乐时代的一种方式.那么这个想法怎么会由一个不起眼的念头变成了文字,然后又变成了电影呢?答案是名人筋疲力尽了.这位点石成金的好莱坞宠儿有《西亚图夜未眠》到《玩具故事》和《阿波罗13》，获得了一连串的票房成功，并因《费城故事》和随后的《阿甘正转》连续两年问鼎奥斯卡奖。（如果不熟悉以上词语的文化含义就很难翻译好）

4)Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues (犹太教堂), and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom , and curing every disease and every sickness.(译者必须具

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备与原文相关的语言文化背景或心理体验等，只有这样，才能正确理解，消除歧义) 选自《圣经。马太福音》，应调动相关的知识结构，好消息应已成福音，宣布应译成宣讲，王国指的是天国

错误译文：耶稣走遍各城各乡，在会堂里教导人们，宣布王国的好消息，医治各种疾病。

改进译文：耶稣走遍各城各乡，在会堂里教导人们，宣讲天国的福音，又医治各种疾病。―――中国翻译，2007／2：

6.3Serious attitude

1)black eye: a. dark skin around the eye, from being hit / b. a bad reputation.

The scandal gave the politician a black eye among the voters. 丑闻给那位政客在选民中造成了坏名声。

2)a wet state (USA)： a state that is not prohibiting or opposing the sale and use of alcoholic drinks不禁酒的州

3) pay day/ pay phone发薪日/共用电话

4) compact disc密文唱片=LP=Long Play(wrong)，激光唱片

5) biological parents生物父母(wrong),亲生父母

6)He is above cheating in the exam.他高于在考试中作弊(wrong)，他决不会在考试中作弊。

7),milk the bull徒劳之举,sleeping spy潜特

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8)He wrote his 12th novel at the ripe*（advanced） age of 90.他90高龄时完成了第12部小说。

6.4 a mastery of basic theory and certain techniques

1）He was weak and old.他身体衰弱，年纪也老了。（采用增词法，否则，“他衰弱，也老了”译文显得不流畅。）

2）They were sons of the men who had left their homes and taken to the mountains with their broad swords by their side. 他们都是那些抛妻别子、身带大刀进深山的好汉们的后代。（翻译时采用颠倒词序的方法，并没有按照原来的次序，否则，文气就减弱了。）

3）These developing counties cover vase territories, encompass a large population and abound in natural resources.这些发展中国家，土地辽阔，人口众多，资源丰富。( 原文的动词并没有一一译出，而是采用转译法，显得简明生动。)

4）They were greatly disappointed at her absence.(分译法，)她没去，他们感到大失所望。

In a nutshell(word), in order to achieve genuine (not feigned )competence in translation, we must bear in mind that , to do translation well, besides a good mastery of the two languages, acquaintance with the subject matter covered in the book or article is also an indispensable(necessary) factor. Serious attitude and basic theory and certain techniques are all the same critical. Learning this course well is definitely a great help to your job- hunting in the future.

课后练习：

1)eye-popping令人瞠目, a belt-tightening policy勒紧裤腰带的政策, a wait-and-see attitude等着瞧的态度, Walls have ears, there will be a day总有一天 , thirst to learn渴望学习 , cultivate interest培养

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兴趣, report the loss,报失 crack the case. 破案 busboy餐馆打杂工（ the person who removes dirty dishes）; park keeper 公园管理员；elephant keeper 大象饲养员；shop keeper 店主；bookkeeper簿纪员；bookbinder装订工人；panda car英国警察的巡逻车（ an old –fashioned small police car in the local area ）；go moonlighting干兼职

dry bread 不涂黄油的面包;brown rice 糙米；

2)He is a person of wide social relations社交关系很广的人

3)he leaves in spring are green and tender春天里的树叶又绿又嫩

4)Barking dog do not bite.吠犬不咬人。

他花钱跟流水似的He spent money like water ;

5)Mr. Smith is on the wrong side of fifty.年过五十。

6)After repeated failures and disappointments he was tempted to throw up the sponge, but continued perseverance finally brought success.多次失败和失望险些让他自暴自弃,但是坚持不谢的努力终于给他带来了成功.

7)After I told my story someone else capped it with one that set the table in a roar.我讲了一个故事,接着,另外一个人讲了一个更盖帽的,印的哄堂大笑.

8) I have remained so inactive and reclusive and depressive over the past 5 years; I have managed to remove myself from the real world.

过去的五年中我一直是那样消极、怕见人，我实际上已与现实社会脱节了。漏译

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改：形容词并列时，可设法使词义融合。译文为“抑郁消遁”

9))A little neglect may breed mischief : for want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost ; and for want of a horse the rider was lost.

一个小小的疏忽就可能使整个事情闹得使人啼笑皆非：为了找马掌将马弄丢了，为了找马脸骑手也丢了。

本句子运用了修辞格，在汉语中为顶真，在英语里为传述Relay。 译文中漏译了 for want of a nail 为了找钉子，或缺了一颗钉子。

10）She has beauty still and if it is not in its heyday, it is not in the Autumn. 【译文】她依然很美，如果说不是芳华正茂，那也还不到迟暮之年。

【赏析】原文不难理解，但heyday和autumn都运用了暗喻（metaphor）的修辞手法，而且又是从beauty的角度而言，这就增加了译者的难度。上句译文不论从意思、文字或对仗来比较原文，都很妥帖。

她依然很美，虽不是风华正茂，但也未人老珠黄。（句中“heyday”和 “Autumn”的意思分别是“全盛时期、青春时期” 和“秋季”， 代表人生中两个阶段， 因此引伸为：“风华正茂” 和“人老珠黄”。）

11） With determination, with luck and with help from lots of good people, I was able to rise from the ashes.

凭借着决心，凭借着运气，还有许多善良人们的帮助，我终于得以东山再起。

12)Much of the town was destroyed by bombs in the war, but it was built and in the following decade rose from the ashes like a phoenix. 该城的大部分地区在战争中被炸弹摧毁，但是又得以重建，并

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且在以后十年中像火中的凤凰一样从灰烬中再生。（埃及神话传说，凤凰鸟栖息在阿拉伯沙漠上，五六百年之后，自焚而死，但不久又在灰烬中重生。故增“火中”a phoenix is a kind of bird in the Egyptian mythology, kill itself in the fire, and bring back to life or revive from the ashes ）

13）One of the most effective way to get promoted is to be loyal boot-licker of your seniors. 提升的最好办法是巴结上司。（lick one’s boot: 巴结， 阿 奉承，提升的最好办法是巴结上司。（lick one’s boot: 巴结， 阿諛奉承，拍马屁， 不能译为“舔某人的靴子”。）

14） He was overpowered ( 打败， 击败，压制)by the enemy. He was overpowered with her beauty. 他在敌人的面前屈服了。他为她的美貌所倾倒。（如直译为“他屈服于她的美貌。”中国人可能理解其意，但不合中文的表达习惯。）

他被敌人制服了 他被她的美貌所征服

15) Yesterday Bill was egged and tomatoed by some Gulf War veterans in the street. 昨天在大街上海湾战争的老兵们向比尔扔鸡蛋和西红柿对他拉选票表示反对.( 在美国大选时,公众常向他们不喜欢的巡回演讲拉选票的候选人扔鸡蛋或...

昨天在大街上海湾战争的老兵们向比尔扔鸡蛋和西红柿对他拉选票表示反对。（ 在美国大选时，公众常向他们不喜欢的巡回演讲拉选票的候选人扔鸡蛋或西红柿以表示反对。）

16）And as she considered, the light came again, and she saw two dark figures lying in the path ahead of her. She leaped forward and saw that one was Kino and the other a stranger with dark shiny fluid leaking from his throat. 正考虑之间,月亮露出来了,这时她看见前面路上躺着两个黑色人影.她跳起来向前跑去,看见一个是基诺,另一个不认识,黑亮黑亮的鲜血正从陌生人的喉头往外流.（译文读者是终及目标）

附录：翻译学习方法、翻译工作者的职业道德、参考书目

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第一节：翻译学习方法

翻译理论+翻译技巧+翻译实践

研究有关翻译的论述，弄懂翻译的基本问题。

（见理论著作；专题论文；翻译教材；译品的前言后语）

研究译作范本，从中摸索翻译的规律和技巧，对比不同译本的处理和效果。

研究典型译例，注意翻译技巧的说明和译句的得失，为翻译实践打好基础

不断进行翻译实践。

（1） 依照词语---句子---段落---语篇的顺序；

（2） 选择不同题材和体裁的练习材料；

（3） 难易循序渐进；

（4） 译文反复修改，不断提高译文质量；

（5） 选择有参考译文的文本，进行对比学习；

（6） 可请别人修改或校正。

第二节：翻译工作者的职业道德

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深厚的语言功底

（1） 扎实的英语基础，特别是具有很强的阅读理解和鉴赏能力

（2） 扎实的汉语基础，特别是具有很强的汉语表达能力

（3） 广博的文化知识

（4） 相关国家的文化背景知识

（5） 英汉两种语言所反映的两种文化差异的知识

（6） 翻译理论以及与翻译研究相关学科的知识

（7） 相当的艺术素养和文学才能（尤指文学翻译）

（8） 把握原作的神韵和精髓

（9） 模仿和表现原作的时代风格，文体风格和个人风格

（10）运用各种语言要素，使译文语言和谐优美

（11）高度的责任感

（12）严谨端正的工作态度（译前准备，实际翻译， 译后校核）

（13） 敬业，乐业的主人公意识（必要时对原文作适当调整， 确保译文质量和跨文化交际的成功）

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第三节 工具书的选择和运用

1） 了解市场上工具书的种类，特点，择优而选。其中Longman Dictionary of Contemporary of English， Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary of English Language, The Concise English Dictionary 值得首选。

2） 勤查词典，特别要查那些似乎自己已经理解的那些词与词组搭配。它们在一个新的上下文中很可能有不同的意思。上下文与词典定义的关系，本书似乎侧重于前者。其实，翻译的基础应该是词典的定义（是单语词典的defining equivalents 而不是双语词典的translation equivalents）。也就是说我们应该首先查原文词典，掌握一个词的全部、确切含义，然后再结合上下文，确定一个最适合的译文。

我们往往认为一个英语单词就有一个汉语对等词。事实上，不但一个英语单词会有许多汉语对等词，而且，所谓对等词其实并不完全对等。这就需要查原文词典。比如，put这个词，除了其他许多别的意思之外，即使那个适合这个上下文的对等词，它也绝不完全等同于汉语的“放”、“摆”，它的定义是move（thing etc）so that it comes into certain situation.显然，put 除了放摆之外，还可以有挪、举、抬、搁，翘、搭等许多对等词。

书中提到：“鉴于英国英语与美国英语具有一定的差异，译者若能将英国出版和美国出版的英语词典各备一部，那就会更加方便”。这段论述是很有见地的，也可能是作者经验之谈。遗憾的是作者未能展开。这儿兹略加补充，附上某位老师写的一篇文章，以帮助学生学习。

查原文词典还得注意词典的“国籍”。上面这个例子是用英国出版的词典查不到美国人文章当中英语单词的确意，翻译一部英国作家写的作品，却碰到了在美国词典里查不到英国作家用词的确切含义的情况。原文是这样的：And at that moment, I am sure, she saw herself sitting maternally, in pearls and black satin, in the lea of the huge Steinway, while Guido, dressed like little Lord Faunteroy, rattled out Liszt and Chopin, to the loud delight of a thronged auditorium. 这里的英语单词lea，如果查美国词典，大到韦氏大

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词典（当然也包括英国出版的一些中小型词典），只能查到1 GRASSLAND: PASTURE; 2. usu ley: arable land used temporarily for hay or grazing。这个释义显然与原文中的语境“thronged auditorium”不符。后来查了上文提到过的COD 简明牛津词典，问题迎刃而解。里面有一个解释是Tract of open ground, esp. grassland，尽管这个解释也强调主要是指草原，但是却留有余地，这个词也可以指一片空地，而这恰恰是作者在这个语境中的用意。一旦词义确定了，翻译起来就游刃有余了：“我相信，这时她看见自己戴着珠宝，穿着黑缎子衣服，以母亲身份坐在巨大的斯坦威牌钢琴后头，而天使般的基多，打扮得跟小芳妥劳埃公爵一般，音调铿锵地弹奏着李斯特和肖邦的作品，挤的满满的剧场里人人听得兴高采烈。”

综上所述，在翻译过程中无论是英汉翻译还是汉英翻译，必须查原文词典才能找到有关单词在某一个上下文中的确切含义。除此之外，我们还要注意我们使用的原文词典的出版国。一般说来，翻译英国人的作品应该多查英国出版的原文词典，而翻译美国人的作品则应该多查美国出版的词典。当然，词典是多多益善，我们不妨检查一下自己的藏书，看看词典是否备齐了英美两大英语国家出版的辞书。

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