由《骆驼》英译文比较汉语和英语的区别 A Comparison of the Difference Between Chinese and English from the English Translation of the Camel

一、汉语重意合，结构松散，但句子之间的关系隐含在字里行间，需仔细体会；英语重形合，句子结构主次分明，表达要连贯、一致。

台北没有什么好去处。我以前常到动物园走动走动，其中两个地方对我有诱惑。一个是一家茶馆，有高屋建瓴之势，凭窗远盼，一片油绿的田畴，小川蜿蜒其间，颇可使人目旷神怡。另一值得看的便是那两只骆驼了。

Few places in Taipei are of much appeal to me except the zoo which I used to frequent for its two attractions, namely, the teahouse commanding a pleasant distant view from the window over the surrounding farmlands with fresh green vegetation and meandering streams, and the two camels.

汉语有四句话，可翻译成英语就成了一个长句子，这是译者在充分理解原文后的独具匠心。汉语多用短句，英语多用长句，所以译成英语时，要化简为繁，译成复合句或长句。英语主句、从句、修饰成分、并列成分等各司其职，各得其所，甚至可以说错落有致，连贯、一致，这才是地道的英语。

二、汉语大量使用四字成语，叠字结构等，造成了不必要的重复；而英语忌讳重复，多采用省略、变换和替代的方式，以回避重复。

整篇文章是典型的汉语风格，大量使用了四字成语：建瓴之势，凭窗远盼，蜿蜒其间，目旷神怡、眼泪扑簌、招摇过市、一声不响、夺门出视、黯然消逝、人地不宜、有板无毛、人何以堪、任重遥远等；叠字结构：冷清清、烂糟糟、水汪汪、一串串、一块块、丁丁当当等。

1.它的槛外是冷清清的，没有游人围绕，所谓槛也只是一根杉木横着拦在门口。地上是烂糟糟的泥。它卧在那，老远一看，真像是大块的毛姜。逼近一看，真可吓人!一块块的毛都在脱落，斑驳的皮肤上隐隐地露着血迹。嘴张着，下巴垂着，有上气无下气地喘。水汪汪的两只大眼睛好像是眼泪扑簌的盼望着能见亲族一面似的。

They had few onlookers and were separated by a fir log across the entrance instead of afence. Lying on the muddy ground, they resembled huge artichokes when looked at from afar. And it gave me quite a shock to take a closer look. Their hair was falling off in patches, faintlyrevealing blood-stains on the skin. They were gasping for breath, with mouth wide open, chin drooping and watery big eyes seemingly brimming with tears of longing for their belovedones.

2.这骆驼之黯然消逝，也许就类似"人地不宜"之故吧?生长在北方大地的巨兽，如何能局促在这样的小小圈子里，如何能耐得住这炎热的郁蒸?它们当然要憔悴，要悒悒，要委顿以死。我想它们看着身上的毛一块块地脱落，真的要变成"有板无毛"的状态，心里多么凄凉!真不知是什么人恶作剧，把它们运到此间，使得它们尝受这一段酸辛，使我们也兴起"人何以堪"的感叹!

Now the dismal fadeaway of the two camels must be for some similar reasons. How could the twobig animals born and brought up in the vast northern plains of China long survive confinement in a small place like the zoo? How could they endure the sweltering heat? Of course, consequently they pined away with weariness and spent their days moping around until they died. How sad they must have been over their thinning hair! Who is to blame forhaving mischievously brought them to Taipei to undergo untold sufferings? They certainly deserve our deep sympathies!

3.像这样的动物若是从地面上消逝，可能不至于引起多少人的惋惜。尤其是在如今这个世界，大家所喜欢豢养的乃是善伺人意的哈巴狗，像骆驼这样的"任重而遥远"的家伙，恐怕只好由它一声不响的从这个世界舞台上退下去罢!

While probably few people now bemoan the possible extinction of camels, Pekingese, which are good at playing up to man, have become a pet with all. O if only we coulddo something to prevent this useful animal from its silent withdrawal from the world stage!

4.在运输事业机械化的时代，谁还肯牵着一串串的骆驼招摇过市?

Nowadays, with the introduction of mechanized transportation, nobody will ever drive a drove of camels, all strung together, through the open street.

三、汉语多用主动，英语多用被动。

儿时在家乡，一听见大铜铃丁丁当当就知道是送煤的骆驼队来了，往往夺门出视。一根细绳穿系着的好几只骆驼，有时是十只九只的，一顺的立在路边。满脸煤污的煤商一声吆喝，骆驼便乖乖地跪下让人卸货，嘴角往往流着白沫，口里不住地嚼--反刍。

In my childhood, the jingling ofbig bronze camel bells in my home town would always send me rushing outdoors to see acaravan arriving with a load of coal. The camels, sometimes numbering about ten, would stand roped up in a line, one after another, by the road. At the loud call of the coal trader, whose face was smeared all over with coal dust, the camels would submissively kneel down, ready to be unloaded. Foaming at the mouth, they kept chewing the cud.

是作者听到铃声知道骆驼队来了，可译成英语时“铃声”变成了主语，句子结构由主动变成了被动。“煤商一声吆喝，骆驼便跪下卸货”，英语把煤商的吆喝翻译成了介词短语，选用骆驼做主语，因为通篇讲的就是骆驼，也算突出了主题，主次分明。