Americans do not go in for envy. The gap between rich and poor is bigger than in any other advanced country, but most people are

admin2010-01-10  55

问题     Americans do not go in for envy. The gap between rich and poor is bigger than in any other advanced country, but most people are unconcerned. Whereas Europeans fret about the way the economic pie is divided, Americans want to join the rich, not soak them. Eight out of ten, more than anywhere else, believe that though you may start poor, if you work hard, you can make lots of money. It is a central part of the American Dream.
    The political consensus, therefore, has sought to pursue economic growth rather than the redistribution of income, in keeping with John Kennedy’s adage that "a rising tide lifts all boats." The tide has been rising fast recently. Thanks to a jump in productivity growth after 1995, America’s economy has outpaced other rich countries’ for a decade. Its workers now produce over 30% more each hour they work than ten years ago. In the late 1990s everybody shared in this boom. Though incomes were rising fastest at the top, all workers’ wages far outpaced inflation.

选项

答案美国人心态很平和。他们并不太在意各自收入间的差别,尽管事实上没有哪个别的发达国家贫富差距像美国这么大。这和欧洲人截然不同。欧洲人对全民收入的分配很是上心。美国人则不一样,他们是想要成为富人,而对打垮富人并无兴趣。十有八九的国民坚信即使出身贫寒,只要通过努力,也能飞黄腾达。这不正是美国梦的精髓所在吗? 于是美国政界一致认为,与其回过头来均分财富,还不如实现经济的增长。这也和美国前总统约翰,肯尼迪的那句有名的“水涨船高”不谋而合。美国经济这十几年的增长速度不可谓不快。随着1995年以来生产率的飞涨,美国经济的发展12年来一直领先于其他强国,如今的生产效率是十年前的1.3倍。在上世纪的最后十年,所有公民都从中尝到了甜头。尽管那些高收入者获益更大,但所有人的工资增长幅度都远胜于通货膨胀的速度。

解析 1.Americans do not go in for envy。
译文:美国人心态很平和。
这句话不长,但是翻出来要符合汉语习惯需要动番脑筋,首先要了解"gong in for”这一词组,是“从事,参加;爱好”的意思,这里可翻成“追求,喜爱”,但是为表达确切,需要采用正反翻译,消除汉语句子中的否定词。
2.The gap between the rich and the poor is bigger than in any other advanced country,but most people are unconcerned.
译文:他们并不太在意各自收入间的差别,尽管事实上没有哪个别的发达国家贫富差距像美国这么大。在汉语中“虽然,尽管”和“但是”是一对关联连词,但在英语中,“although”和“but”不会在一句话中同时用,在翻译时,需要添加相应的词汇,以使语义达到通顺的效果。在翻译中,类似的用法还有汉语中的“因为……所以”,英语中的“because”和“so”一样在同一个句子中不会同时使用。
3.Whereas Europeans fret about the way the economic pie is divided,Americans want to join the rich, not soak them.
译文:这和欧洲人截然不同。欧洲人对全民收入的分配很是上心。美国人则不一样,他们是想要成为富人,而对打垮富人并无兴趣。
fret about vi.苦恼;烦躁;发愁(+about/at/for/over)。本句根据上下文,需要添加一句“这和欧洲人截然不同”,pie n.派(酥壳有馅的饼);馅饼。“economic’’pie在本句中引申翻译为“经济成果或全民收入”,“soak”vt.向……敲竹杠;向……征重税;痛打;重罚,在本句中引申翻译为:“打垮”。
4.Eight out often,more than anywhere else,believe that though you may start poor,if you work hard, you can make lots of money.
译文:十有八九的国民坚信即使出身贫寒,只要通过努力,也能飞黄腾达。
本句“more than any where else”可以省略不译,“start poor”引申翻译为:出身贫寒。“make lots of money"翻译为:飞黄腾达或者赚大钱。
5.The political consensus,therefore,has sought to pursue economic growth rather than the redistribution of income,in keeping with John Kennedy’s adage that“a rising tide lifts all boats.”
译文:于是美国政界一致认为,与其回过头来均分财富,还不如实现经济的增长。这也和美国前总统约翰?肯尼迪的那句有名的“水涨船高”不谋而合。
本句中"political consensus"采用词类转换,添加翻译的方法,译为一个主谓结构:美国政界一致认为。“the redistribution of income"词类转换,名词转换为动词,翻译为:均分财富。“in keeping with"与……保持一致,翻译为“不谋而合”更为生动一点,“a rising tide lifts all boats.”英语谚语,翻译为:水涨众船高。谚语一般言简意赅,简洁,寓意深刻,平时多积累,即使在考试时遇到也不用担心,只要看懂内容,理解透语义,在考试时,在汉语中即使做不到言简意赅,用相应的语句表达也行。
6.Thanks to a jump in productivity growth after 1995,America’s economy has outpaced other rich countries’for a decade.ns workers now produce over 30%more each hour they work than ten years ago.
译文:随着1995年以来生产率的飞涨,美国经济的发展12年来一直领先于其他强国,如今的生产效率是十年前的1.3倍。
“thanks to"为介词短语,意即由于,褒义词短语,语义相同的短语还有:due to,attribute to,owe to,beset by,as the consequence of等,其中beset by和as the consequence of为贬义词短语。本句中“America’s economy"短语具体化为:美国经济的发展。“Its workers now produce over 30%more each hour they work than ten years ago.”,“每个工人每小时生产的比十年前多30%。”采用意译的翻译方法,翻译为:生产效率是十年前的1.3倍。
7.In the late 1990s everybody shared in this boom.Though incomes were rising fastest at the top,all workers’wages far outpaced inflation.
译文:在上世纪的最后十年,所有公民都从经济的繁荣中尝到了甜头。尽管那些高收入者获益更大,但所有人的工资增长幅度还是都远胜于通货膨胀的速度。
在本句中,采用意译的翻译方法,其中"everybody"为不定代词,翻译成具体的“所有公民”。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/lEcO777K
0

最新回复(0)