否定句的翻譯（6）

　　3 將漢語的雙重否定譯成英語的雙重否定

　　“雙重否定就是在一個(gè)句子中同時(shí)使用兩個(gè)否定詞，或者使用一個(gè)否定詞和一個(gè)含有否定意義的詞或短語。”(陳宏薇，1998:223)雙重否定的句子，實(shí)際上表達(dá)肯定的意義。與一般肯定句不同的是，雙重否定句感情色彩更加濃厚，肯定的語勢更加強(qiáng)烈。漢譯英時(shí)，我們往往保留雙重否定的形式。

　　(17) 子曰：“不患人之不己知，患不知人也。”

　　The Master said, ( the good man) does not grieve that other people do not recognize his merits. His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs.

　　(孔子《論語》，Arthur Waley譯)

　　(18) 名不正則言不順，言不順則事不成，……

　　If language is incorrect, then what is said does not concord with what was meant; and if what is said does not concord with what was meant, what is to be done cannot be effected.

　　(孔子《論語》，Arthur Waley譯)

　　(19) 我想：希望本無所謂有，無所謂無。

　　I thought: hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist.

　　以上例句的原文含雙重否定，譯文也同樣采用雙重否定的句式。

　　(20) 不看秦始皇兵馬俑，不算真正到過中國。

　　a. A traveler who has not seen the Qin Dynasty terra cotta figures cannot claim to have visited China.

　　b. No one who has not seen the Qin Dynasty terra cotta figures can claim to have visited China.

　　兩個(gè)譯文都保留了雙重否定的形式。譯文a中的第一層否定放在定語從句的謂語部分(has not seen)，而譯文b的第一層否定放在了主語部分(No one who ...)。兩個(gè)譯文都不錯(cuò)，但譯文b的語勢似乎更強(qiáng)。