立足喻体 把握喻底——论譬喻在汉英互译中的处理

Stay in the Vehicle and Map out the Ground——On Translating Expressed and Implied Analogies

譬喻,质言之,乃“以其所知喻其所不知而使人知之”。譬喻之法,或征于外,或敛于内。征于外者明确,是谓明喻;敛于内者隐约,是谓隐喻。社会文化不同,语言类型有别,因而取譬设喻,有同有异。有鉴于此,在英语和汉语两门语言的互译中,必须立足原文喻体,把握原文喻底,再现原文喻义。

To note resemblances is natural to human observation. Analogy, overt or covert comparison of things basically unlike but with some striking similarities, is aimed at handling what is abstract by means of what is concrete or explaining what is unfamiliar in terms of what is familiar. It, in its expressed and implied forms, i.e. simile and metaphor, infiltrates almost every aspect of verbal communication and appears to be an integral part of language itself. The social worlds, however, differ from one another and analogy, coinage and usage taken as a whole, may beyond doubt be different across cultures and/or languages. In this connection, culture- and/or language-specific analogies need more detailed research. In translation, accordingly, it is highly necessary to stay in the vehicle and map out the ground so as to reshape the figure.