請將下面這段話翻譯成英文:
在這本書里,我想寫現(xiàn)代中國某一部分社會,某一類人物。寫這類人,我沒忘記他們是人類,只是人類,具有無毛兩足動物的基本根性。角色當然是虛構(gòu)的,但是有考據(jù)癖的人當然不肯錯過索隱的機會,放棄附會的權(quán)利的。
這本書整整寫了兩年,兩年憂世傷生,屢想中止,由于楊絳女士不斷的督促,替我擋了許多事,省出時間來,得以錙銖積累地寫完,照例這本書該獻給他。不過,近來覺得獻書也像“致身于國”,“還政于民”等等佳話,只是語言幻成的空花泡影,名說交付出去,其實只仿佛魔術(shù)家玩的飛刀,放手而并沒有脫手,隨你怎樣把作品奉獻給人,作品總是作者自己的,大不了一本書,還不值得這樣精巧地不老實,因此罷了。
三十五年十二月十五日
參考答案:
In this book,I intended to write about a certain segment of society and a certain kind of people in modern China.In writing about these people,I did not forget they are human beings,just human beings with the basic nature of hairless,two-legged animals.The characters are of course fictional,so those with a fondness for history need not trouble themselves trying to trace them out.
The writing of this book took two years altogether.It was a time of great grief and disruption,during which I thought several times of giving up.Thanks to Madame Yang Chiang,who continuously urged me on while holding other matters at bay,I was able through the accumulation of many small moments to find the time to finish it.This book should be dedicated to her.But lately it seems to me that dedicating a book is like the fine rhetoric about offering one's life to one's country,or handing the reins of the government back to the people.This is but the vain and empty juggling of language.Despite all the talk about handing it over,the book remains like the flying knife of the magician-released without ever leaving the hand.And when he dedicates his work in whatever maimer he chooses,the work is still the author's own.Since my book is a mere trifle,it does not call for such ingenious disingenuousness.I therefore have not bothered myself about the dedication.
December 25th,1935
1.寫這類人,我沒忘記他們是人類,只是人類,具有無毛兩足動物的基本根性。
分析:
重點譯出“兩足無毛動物”:hairless,two-legged animals。
2.這本書整整寫了兩年,兩年憂世傷生,屢想中止,由于楊絳女士不斷的督促,替我擋了許多事,省出時間來,得以錙銖積累地寫完,照例這本書該獻給他。
分析:
本句句子較長,而且一句話結(jié)構(gòu)復雜,翻譯為英文時無法統(tǒng)一在一個句子,所以我們可以先理清中文句子的意思關(guān)系,然后根據(jù)每層意思譯為一個英語句子為佳。其中中文第一分句可獨立譯為第一句,第二,三分句譯為第三句,第四,五,六分句譯為第四句,第七分句獨立譯為一句。用詞方面“錙銖積累,要翻譯出它的內(nèi)在涵義,可翻譯為the accumulation of many small moments。
本段選自錢鐘書先生《圍城》的序,《圍城》是錢鐘書唯一的長篇小說,于1944年動筆,1946年完成,1947年由晨光出版公司發(fā)行。