Michel-Guillaume de Crevecoeur (1735-1813) was born in France and came to the American colonies as a military in the French army

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问题     Michel-Guillaume de Crevecoeur (1735-1813) was born in France and came to the American colonies as a military in the French army. He became a naturalized American and settled down to farming. Between 1765 and 1780 he wrote on American life. He returned to France in 1780, came back to America in 1783, and became French consul in New York. In 1790 he went back to France where he lived the rest of his life.
    I wish I could be acquainted with the feelings and thought which must agitate the heart and present themselves to the mind of an enlightened Englishman, when he first lands on this continent. He must greatly rejoice, that he lived at a time to see this fair country discovered and settled; he must necessarily feel a_share_of national pride, when he views the chain of settlements which embellishes these extended shore. When he says to himself, this is the work of my countrymen who, when convulsed by factions, afflicted by a variety of miseries and wants, restless and impatient, took refuge_here. They brought along with them their national genius, to which they principally owe what liberty they enjoy, and what substance they possess. Here he sees the industry of his native country, displayed in a new manner, and traces in their works the embryos of all the arts, sciences, and ingenuity which flourish in Europe. Here he beholds fair cities, substantial villages, extensive fields, an immense country filled with decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where a hundred years ago all was wild, woody, and uncultivated!

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答案 米.居.奎维吉尔(1734~1831)生于法国.随法军进入北美殖民地.取得美国国籍后定居务农。1765~1780年间执笔评论美国人的生活。 1780年回法国.1783年又到美国,并成为法国驻纽约领事,1790年回法国度过晚年。 但愿我曾经体验过那样一种情感与思绪,那种必定让初次登上北美大陆的英国开明人士心潮澎湃,浮想联翩的情感与思绪。他一定欣喜若狂,庆幸自己有生之年能亲眼看到人们发现这块美丽的国土并在此定居下来。当他看到连绵不断的人群来到这里,用一座座居所使这漫长的海岸线锦上添花的时候,他怎能不享有一份民族骄傲感呢!他自然会想到,这些杰作都出自我的同胞之手,他们为教派迫害而震惊,受尽了苦难和贫穷,是在焦躁不安的情况下来这里避难的。他们带来了民族天赋,所以才会享受现在的自由,才会拥有现在的财产。在这里,可以看到故国的勤劳展现了新的姿态,在其杰作中可以找到那些盛行于欧洲的所有的艺术、科学和创造的萌芽。在这里,他看到了美丽的城镇、富饶的村庄、广阔的田野,看到了一片广阔无边的国土,其间有典雅的建筑、通达的道路,有果园、草地,桥梁;而这里在100年前还是一片荒蛮,草木丛生,不见农田!

解析     本文是美国历史文化研究史上的名篇,常被录入有关教材,尤其是向外国人介绍美国的教材。本文摘自美国新闻署出版的Reflections on the Americans and American Character,是该散文集的首篇。
He returned to…in New York:汉语虽然不注重语言表层的形式衔接,但却强调语气的关联和主题的统一,因此,译文中加入了“又”和“并”两个虚词。
which:  “which”在中国的意合语言中是没有必要的,在译文中只能理解为停顿,加上逗号和“那种”是话语衔接自然并以解释的形式对前文继续发展。
an enlightened Englishman:英国开明人士。
He must greatly rejoice,that:  “rejoice”是具有重要意义的关键词,用汉语思维来理解该词具有所谓“承上启下”的语篇功能,所以分译为两个密切关联的词——“他一定欣喜若狂,庆幸……”,从而使汉语更有一气呵成之感。
he lived at a time:如译成“生活在一段特定的时间”,对任何生物来说都是必然的,无需说明或强调;语义上重要的是生活在什么样的年代,因此,将这一成分译为“有生之年”。
see this fair country discovered and settled:体现了英文措辞的两种倾向:一是由被动意义所表示的物化或客观倾向;二是表面上强调行为的静态结果而不是动态过程,从而造成了“制动于静”、  “以静表动”的语言思维倾向。而中文的思维习惯是以人为本,动态描述。因此,译为“人们发现这块美丽的国土并在这里定居下来”。
necessarily:原文中“necessarily”一词包含的语气十分强烈,汉译为反问句更能充分地体现该词的强调语气。汉语加强语言动态的方法并不只限于强调使用动词和动词性成分,从句式上来讲,否定和反问也是常用的手法。
settlements:“settlement”是由动词衍生出来的名词,本来应该是对行为过程的概括,这种词本来无所谓复数形式;如果加上复数标记则使意义转向具体化,反过来指客观存在,即“居所”。
which embellishes these extended shore:语法成分上虽是定语,但语义上表示“居所”的作用,可以顺译为“使这漫长的海岸线锦上添花”。
he says to himself:究竟是如何对自己说呢?是不是说出口?这是问题,但并不重要,重要的是心里有想法,冈此,译为“自然会想到”。
this is the work of my countrymen:译为“这些都出自我的同胞之手”,是为了加强汉语的动态意义。如果译为判断句“这些都是我的同胞们的杰作”,语气上就不会有这样的力度。
convulse:(usu.in passive)cause violent movements or disturbances(使剧烈震动;使骚动不安)。  “convulsed by factions”:为教派迫害而震惊。
industry:究竟泽为“工业”还是“勤劳”?后者比较抽象,如果原作者想强调前者,估计应该用复数形式才能更加具体明确。从社会文化史看,今天所谓的“工业”和几百年前已有显著差异。这对于基本上还处于拓荒阶段的美国早期历史似乎并不合适。
filled with:采取顺译法翻译,保留了原文话语的自然连贯。
uncultivated:译为“不见农田”,符合英译汉过程从客观到主观视角切换和从静到动的基本思维定势。
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