漫谈词语的理解和表达——以翻译九则“熟词生义”语句为例

Excellent Translation Depends on Perfect Understanding and Precise Expression

语言是人类社会长期发展的产物,它反映人们生活的各个方面,社会、经济、文化生活的某些重大变化都会助推语言的发展和变化,许多新词新语因而应运而生。与此同时,不少熟词熟语也会随之产生新义,以满足人们的各种表达需求。本文以翻译九则"熟词生义"的例词为例,说明透彻的"理解"和精准的"表达"乃是翻译过程中的两大元素。文中的例词和例句大都选自笔者已发表的有关文章和专著。

Language is a product of long and gradual development.It reflects our human life in many respects.As society,economics and culture develop continually,so does language.New things and new needs spring up and call forth a great number of new words and expressions with new meanings.The present article,in the perspective of "familiar terms with novel ideas",explores and renders nine concrete examples,pointing out that perfect comprehension and precise expression are the two most important elements in the procedure of translation.The lion's share of the examples in this article are taken from the writer's essays and monographs published in the past two or three decades.