法律文件中的長句如何翻譯(三)

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英語和漢語是兩種不同的語言,但在句子結(jié)構(gòu)上畢竟還有相同點(diǎn),大體上都具有是“主、謂、賓”的基本框架。只要英語句子可以按其原有的成分排列順序轉(zhuǎn)換成結(jié)構(gòu)大體相同的漢語句子,翻譯時就應(yīng)當(dāng)照辦,而不必另起爐灶,更不能隨意偏離翻譯的基本原則,把翻譯當(dāng)作釋義(paraphrase)。
    按漢語的時間先后和邏輯順序翻譯
    如果一個英語句子無法照著原有順序翻譯,就不得不考慮將原句的結(jié)構(gòu)拆開,根據(jù)原義用漢語重新整合,以時間先后,因果、假設(shè)等邏輯關(guān)系相繼譯成一句或幾句意思連貫、內(nèi)容完整的句子。
    (a)The enduring significance of the Shanghai Communique is symbolized by the fact that two of the participants in the ceremony fifteen years ago –Ambassadors Han Xu and Winston Lord – are now charged with even greater responsibilities for promoting good relations between our two countries.
    15年前,曾參加上海公報簽字儀式的兩位人士,韓敘大使和溫斯頓?洛德大使,現(xiàn)在都肩負(fù)著促進(jìn)我們兩國友好關(guān)系的更為重要的責(zé)任,這標(biāo)志著上海公報具有持久的意義。
    上面的英語句子與譯文在“時間”安排上順序不一樣,英語由現(xiàn)在提及過去的事情(韓敘和溫斯頓?洛德都參加了15年前上海公報簽字儀式),而漢語則先提過去的事情,由過去說到現(xiàn)在。同時,英語句子先說上海公報具有持久的意義,而后點(diǎn)明這表現(xiàn)為韓敘和溫斯頓?洛德兩位大使現(xiàn)在都肩負(fù)著促進(jìn)我們兩國友好關(guān)系的更為重要的責(zé)任;漢語則剛好相反,敘述時由“因”而“果”。這句長句的譯文,正是按照漢語先過去后現(xiàn)在的時間順序及因果關(guān)系重新安排英語原句各個內(nèi)容層次的。
    (b)The progress to the statute book of the necessary legal infrastructure for electronic commerce has in many countries been delayed by a difficult and politically sensitive debate created by the concerns of law enforcement authorities that the widespread use of strong encryption may facilitate crime and terrorism to a degree that will de-stabilize civilized governments.
    在許多國家,執(zhí)法機(jī)關(guān)擔(dān)心嚴(yán)格加密的廣泛使用,會給犯罪分子和恐怖活動提供方便,從而破壞文明政府的穩(wěn)定。這種擔(dān)心引起了一場難以解決的、政治上敏感的辯論。而這場辯論則延誤了必要的電子商務(wù)法律歸入法典的進(jìn)程。
    這句句子包含的信息量大,內(nèi)容一層又一層,各個成分環(huán)環(huán)相扣,根本無法用一個漢語句子來翻譯。首先,主語又長又復(fù)雜(The progress to the statute book of the necessary legal infrastructure for electronic commerce),而且因修辭關(guān)系出現(xiàn)換位現(xiàn)象(to the statute book與of the necessary legal infrastructure for electronic commerce前后倒置)。狀語(by a difficult and politically sensitive debate)后面有定語修飾語(created by the concerns of law enforcement authorities),而定語又帶同位語從句(that the widespread use of strong encryption may facilitate crime and terrorism to a degree that will de-stabilize civilized governments),同位語中又有狀語(to a degree that will de-stabilize civilized governments)。