英语口译考试的高分技巧
英语翻译考试中,口译是个不可忽视的部分。没有人觉得它不重要,都明白它的意义。下面小编就和大家分享英语口译考试的高分技巧,希望能够帮助到大家,来欣赏一下吧。
英语口译考试的高分技巧
技巧一:解释 (explanation)
如果你查字典的话,你会发现,口译这个词的英语表达interpretation, 就是“解释”的意思,所以口译说到底就是在做一件事“解释”,把意思解释明白就是口译员的职责。“口译”不可能像“笔译”那样做到“雅”,因为口译是即席的(impromptu),译员不可能找个安静的地方仔细推敲译文。笔者发现在考试过程中,很多考生都不屑用一些简单的词来解释意思,而是用一些自己认为的“高级”词汇,似乎觉得这样才能获得考官的好感,其实,在很多情况下,考生所用的这些难词,往往不是读音错了,就是搭配出了问题。所以,在考试的时候,用简单的词把意思说清楚就可以了,当然,用“高级”词也可以,可前提是不出错。笔者还发现,在考试过程中,很多考生总是被“语言形式”所吓住,比如四字格,古诗词等,其实在遇到这些情况的时候,我们武器就是“解释”,下面我们一起来看几个例子:
中国古代有种舞,就是驱鬼逐疫的祭祀仪式上跳的舞。
In ancient China, there was a form of dance which was performed at ritual ceremonies to frighten off the ghosts and to relieve people of epidemics.
当考生们看到“驱鬼逐疫”的时候,大可不必惊慌,一定要冷静。先在脑子里把“驱鬼逐疫”解释一下,意思就是“让鬼和疾病都远离人们”,接着再口译就比较轻松了。
近一时期,国际上发生了许多大事,上至政治家,下至老百姓,都无法视而不见,充耳不闻。
Some major events have taken place in recent months. None of us, from politicians to people in the street, can afford to overlook.
“都无法视而不见,充耳不闻。”的意思就是“不能忽视”,所以这里大可不必费力的翻译成“turn a blind eye to, turn a deaf ear to”, 只要翻译成 “overlook”. “neglect” 等词就可以了。
北京,这座古老而充满活力的城市,正以铿锵的步伐昂首阔步迈向国际现代化大都市之列。
Beijing, an energetic city with a long history, is now becoming/ rising to become one of the world’s modern metropolises.
听到这样的句子,对于练习较少的考生来说,肯定会被“铿锵”、“昂首阔步”搞得晕头转向。其实,原文的意思也就是“北京正在成为一个国际大都市”。
不知道大家发现没有,我们在解释的同时其实还在做一件事,就是“简化”原文。这是必然的,要解释一个概念,我们往往都会选择较简单的文字。这也是listener-friendly的一种做法,在口译实战中,让听者明白译文是最重要的。由此,我们也总结出一条口译原则就是KISS(keep it simple but not stupid).提醒大家注意,在简化的同时千万不要犯傻。如:“秋高气爽,丹桂飘香”有人就译成 “The sky is high and people feel good. The smell of Guihua is good.” 这种译文真是让人啼笑皆非。“秋高气爽”的意思就是:“秋天天气晴朗,气候凉爽”。译成 the weather in autumn is fine 即可。“丹桂飘香”的意思就是“到处可以闻到桂花的香味”,这里如果“桂花”不会译,可以简化成flower ,但绝不能简化到拼音Guihua 的程度。这个词组可译成the scent of flower can be smelled everywhere. 其实,这两句并在一起,还可以做更简单的口译:in the golden season of autumn.
技巧二:运用常识 (common sense)
在CATTI口译考试的时候,笔者经常发现,考生常常会犯一些常识性的错误。其实,这些错误,冷静思考是绝对不可能犯的。
The most spectacular sights of the Yellowstone Park: the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It’s 37 km long and 366 meters deep.
这里“黄石公园的大峡谷”应该是37公里长,很多考生考试的时候答成37米。大峡谷只有37米长?答题的时候稍微用点常识,就不会犯这样的错误。
South of the canyon lies Yellowstone Lake, one of the world’s largest fresh water lakes. Don’t plan on going for a dip-the water is too cold!
请大家注意斜体部分,第一处斜体Yellowstone Lake,有考生翻译成“科罗拉多湖”,这里很明显是没听清原文就瞎猜,如果对于“黄石公园”有所了解的话,就不会猜得那么不靠谱了。第二处斜体,freshwater lakes有考生译成“新鲜水湖”。有“新鲜水湖”这个名词吗?根据常识,最有可能翻译成什么呢?对,应该是“淡水湖”。第三处斜体部分dip应该怎么翻译?很多考生没译出来,dip的原意是“浸、泡”,在根据上下文以及常识推测,这里的意思应该是“游泳”。
技巧三:运用简单句型及断句
在口译考试的时候碰到些长句是不可避免,不过大家别慌,我们总有办法化解,这方面我们要向给温总理做口译的译员学习。笔者最近对温总理今年三月份的记者招待会做了全文听写,颇有收获。总理讲话包括记者提问,很多都是长句,可是译员的译文一点都不花哨,最常用的三个句型居然是:if…then…(在笔译中,then一般都是会被省去的,这里译员完全是按照中文里的“如果…那么…”的句型口译),not only…but also…;on the one hand…on the other hand。而且,把长句断句的情况也屡见不鲜。在译员的口译中,基本是看不见从句或是分词的踪影,即便是要连接两个句子,也基本上是用的and或是but这样的词。请考生看下面几个例子:
去年下半年以来,物价上涨过快,给群众生活,特别是低收入群体带来很大的困难。
In last year, particularly the latter part of last year, the price level rose excessively. This has made the lives of people, particularly those low income groups more difficult.
这个句子并不长,后半句完全可以用一个定语从句接上去,可是译员却做了断句的处理。笔者认为,译员之所以没有用定语从句是为了让听众听得更清楚,因为听众在听定语从句的时候,往往要多费脑筋,有的时候还搞不清楚在修饰哪个词。
但是中国是一个有13亿人口的发展中国家,我们还必须保持经济有一定的发展速度来解决就业的压力,通过发展解决前进中的问题。
At the same time we need to bear in mind that china is a developing country with a population of 1.3 billion. We must ensure that our economy continues to grow at a proper way in order to ease the pressure on employment and in this way we will properly address the problems on our way ahead through further development.
在这句话中,译员在“发展中国家”处断开了。其实,这句话也可以译成因果句,As China is a developing country with a population of 1.3 billion, we must……,笔者认为译成因果句使得上下文更连贯,可是这里译员并没有这么处理,可能是现场压力大,根本来不及仔细思考。这样的例子在记者招待会中还有很多,所以,笔者在这里大胆地建议考生们,在听到长句时,不妨就分割成几个小句,这样不仅降低了长句的难度,而且还不易出错。
对于追求译文elegance的人来说,看到这些译文恐怕会大失所望。其实,如果你觉得失望的话,这说明你对口译和笔译的差异还不了解,在现场压力之下,口译追求elegance是不现实的,国家级的口译员尚且做不到这一点,更何况我们呢?所以,这里要给各位考生提个醒,切忌追求花哨的句型,考官不会因为你用了花哨的句型给你加分,或是简单的句型给你扣分,他注意的是你有没有把意思翻译出来,而且,你用了复杂句型后,即使翻译对了,让人听起来也会很吃力,我们最好要做到listener-friendly,站在考官的角度上想想吧。
下面我们再来分析真题中的几个句子:
不同社会制度和文化传统的国家,只要以各国人民的根本利益为重,彼此尊重,相互包容,就完全能够超越意识形态差别,在和平共处五项原则基础上共同发展。
Countries with different social systems and cultural traditions can transcend ideological differences and enjoy common development on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence provided that they give priority to their people’s fundamental interests and respect and tolerate each other.
这里的参考译文中用了provided that…巧妙地把“只要….相互包容”译成了条件句,译文连贯自然。但在实际的考试过程中,笔者发现很多考生理不清分句之间的关系,更不用说调整语序了。其实,在口译考试过程中,要调整语序的话,一定是不得已而为之的事,笔者不建议考生在考试的时候调整语序,尽量顺着原句的语序说下来,适当断句,这样是最节省“脑力”的方法。
所以,这个长句可以改译成:
Countries with different social systems and cultural traditions must give priority to their people’s fundamental interests and respect and tolerate each other. Finally, those countries can transcend ideological differences and enjoy common development on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.
改译后的句子恐怕让原句的连贯性受到一些干扰,但这也是没要办法的事,在口译中追求完美是不现实的。
Chinese communities are thriving in many American urban centers, and their reputation as a model minority has aroused further interest in this distant land, which is so vastly different.
许多美国城市的华人社区一片繁荣,并且享有模范少数民族的美誉,这让美国人对这个和他们的文化大相径庭的遥远国度产生了浓厚的兴趣。
参考译文中,把最后的定语从句前置了,笔者发现很多考生其实并不具备在短时间内听出定语从句,并完美翻译出来的能力。所以,在这里比较省事的方法恐怕是把这个定语从句和主句断开。这句话可改译成:许多美国城市的华人社区一片繁荣,并且享有模范少数民族的美誉,这让美国人对这个遥远过度产生了浓厚兴趣。然而,他们的文化却大相径庭。
技巧四:重复
口译员频频使用的技巧之一就是重复,这对于各位考生朋友来说非常值得借鉴。就拿2008年3月温总理的记者招待会的口译为例:
我们不仅有能力维护西藏的稳定和正常的社会秩序,而且要继续支持西藏的经济发展和社会进步,提高西藏各族人民的生活,保护西藏的文化和生态环境。这个立场是不会动摇的。
We are fully capable of maintaining stability and the normal public order in Tibet and at the same time we will continue to support the effort of Tibet to develop the economy and make social progress. We will continue to help Tibet to improve the livelihood of people of all ethnic groups and we will continue to support the efforts to protect the cultural and natural environment in Tibet. We will never waver in this position.
各位考生朋友不难发现,译员重复了主语和谓语部分,在整个记者招待会的口译中,这样的重复可以说是比比皆是,此外,还有主语,不定式,介词词组的重复等,这里不再一一列举。这和我们上一次讲到的“简单句和断句”技巧也是相通的。
重复的好处就在于:
1.增加思考的时间。笔者看到很多考生在口译的时候结结巴巴,口译中最忌讳的就是停顿,这样不仅会给考官留下不好的印象,而且也会让自己失去信心,所以考生们不妨借鉴国家级译员的这种做法,利用重复的时间来思考下面的译文。
2.让语言保持连贯。口译的时候,译员往往不轻易变动原句的语序,因为改动语序会耗费更多的脑力。既然语序不轻易变动,那么译文的连贯就是一个问题,这个时候,“重复”就是一个非常好的解决问题的办法。
3.让语言表达更清楚易懂。设想我们在做笔译的话,肯定不会有这么多的重复,过多的重复会让人觉得啰嗦。而在口译中,重复却可以让听的人快速而又轻松的明白译文,这是由口译的特点决定的,因为口译的时候,信息输入的方式是耳朵。其实,这也给各位考生一个启示,口译考试的时候,关键不在于你用多么出彩的句型,而在于你要让考官听清楚你要表达的意思。
技巧五:难词猜测
在口译考试中碰到生词可以说是必然的,笔者发现在考试中很多考生因为一两个生词而放弃了考试。考生朋友们对于生词一定要有正确的看法,口译主要是翻译意思,并不是十分注重细节,如果生词是形容词、副词,不翻译问题也不是太大,即使是关系句子意思的一些词,我们也可以通过上下文进行推测,考生们要切忌听到生词就停顿下来思考,这个时候,仔细听下面的内容其实更重要。
请看下面一例:Our high schools are obsolete and out-of-dated. By “obsolete”, I don’t just mean that they are broken, old-fashioned and under-funded.
很多考生对obsolete这个词比较陌生,其实这个词的意思通过上下文就能猜出来,这句话中obsolete的近义词有out-of-dated, broken, old-fashioned,所以,obsolete这个词就可以译成“陈旧的”、“过时的”。
I am very happy to meet with so many scholars at this annual astrobiology conference in the beautiful city of Boston, Massachusetts.
这句中的astrobiology是个难点,我们可以从构词法猜测出它的意思,astro-表示“外太空的”,biology 表示“生物学”,所以整个词连起来,译成“外太空生物学”或“天体生物学”,考生们猜出这个词的意思并不困难。
2020年catti中级口译精选练习题
定期存款 time deposit; fixed deposit; fixed account
定向培训 target training; job-oriented training
定向生 targeted-area student
定向增发 additional stock issue tailed for...
定向招生 enroll students who are pre-assigned to specific posts or areas
定心丸 mind relief
钉子户 person or household who refuses to move and bargains for unreasonably high compensation when the land is requisitioned for a construction project
定价机制 pricing mechanism
钉子户 Nail household
丢车保帅 give up a pawn to save a chariot; sacrifice something minor to save something major
底线 bottom line
底 薪 base pay (Base pay is the fixed compensation paid to an employee for performing specific job responsibilities. It is typically paid as a salary, hourly or piece rate.)
低腰露臀裤 hiphuggers
第一产业 primary industry
东道国 host country
动感 dynamic
动感电影,多维电影 mult idimensional movie (3D or 4D etc.)
东盟 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
东盟地区论坛 ASEAN Regional Forum
东盟自由贸易区 ASEAN Free Trade Area
东南亚国家联盟 ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations)
动迁户 households to be relocated
董事会 board of directors
动土仪式 ground-breaking ceremony (Construction work on the Shanghai Disneyland theme park began Friday, company sources said. A ground-breaking ceremony was held in the morning. Cost for the project is estimated at 24.5 billion yuan ($3.7 billion). 据迪斯尼公司的消息,上海迪斯尼乐园于周五开工,当天早上举行了动土仪式。该工程预计要花费 245 亿元(合 37 亿美元)。)
东西对话 East-West dialogue
冻雨 freezing rain (Icy weather and freezing rain continue to batter five regions across South China. The wild weather has caused chaos to power facilities and expressways, and disrupted local residents' lives. 冰冷天气和冻雨将继续侵袭南方的五个地区。极端天气已经引起电力设施和高速公路的混乱,扰乱了当地居民的生活。)动车 组 bullet train (Bullet trains, with bullet-shaped locomotives, are designed based on aerodynamic theories, allowing the train to run at a high speed. China launched its first batch of homemade bullet trains on April 18, which can run at 200 kilometers per hour.)
豆腐渣工程 jerry-built project
斗牛士 bullfighter
豆腐脑 jellied bean curd
逗 留 sojourn (The 50 Chinese children from quake-hit area had a wonderful summer sojourn in Hungary for seeking solace and mental recovery. 来自地震灾区的 50 名儿童今夏在匈牙利度过了愉快暑假,心智创伤得到恢复。)
都 市 圈 metropolis circle (The Yangtze River delta area metropolis circle is expected to take over the Tokyo metropolis circle as the world's largest one around 2018, according to a report released in Shanghai Tuesday. 9 月 23 日在上海发表的《2007 中国都市圈评价报告》显示,到 2018 年左右,长三角都市圈将有望赶上东京都市圈,成为世界上的第一大都市圈。)
独家代理 exclusive agency
度假外交 holiday-making dip lomacy
独家新闻 scoop
独立董事 independent director
独立关税区 separate customs territory
独立国家联合体(独联体) the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
独立核算工业企业 independent accounting enterprise
独立自主自办的原则 principle of independence and self-governance
杜鲁门主义 Truman Doctrine
毒 骡 drug mule (More Chinese women duped to bedrug mules--Foreign drug traffickers are duping an increasing number of Chinese women, especially young victims, into carrying drugs into China, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) has said. 更多的中国妇女受骗成“毒骡”——海关总署表示,越来越多的中国妇女,特别是年轻女子,受外国毒贩的诱骗后将毒品带进中国。)
独苗 the only son or daughter; the only child
独生子女 the only child in one's family
毒枭 drug trafficker
独资经营 sing le-investor enterprise; sole proprietorship enterprise; sole investment enterprise
断档 severed shelf; sold out
断 电 power outage (Unusually cold weather and the resulting soaring energy consumption for heating have caused power outages and shortages of natural gas in parts of central and eastern China. 异常寒冷的天气和随之而来热能消耗的剧增导致华中和华东部分地区断电和天然气的短缺。)断交信 Dear John letter (from woman to man)
断码 short in size
短期放款 money at call and short notice
短期债务 floating debt
端午节 the Dragon Boat Festival
短线产品 products in short supply; goods in short supply
短信 short messages; text messages
断章取义 quote one's words out of context
短期工作实习 internship
短 租 房 short-term housing, short-term apartment (Despite the quickly-approaching Olympic Games, the cost for short-term housing near the Bird's Nest during the Games has plummeted as much as 50%, with room for negotiation, according to statistics. An oversupply of short-term apartments and the red-hot hotel reservation service are the major reasons for the sharp decrease, a real estate agent said. 数据显示,随着奥运会的临近,"鸟巢"附近的奥运短租房月租价格不但没有上升,反而大幅度下降,跌幅普遍达到 50%,且价格还可以再商量。房产中介称,目前这种短租房的租金价格大幅下跌是因为供大于求,而酒店预订则相对火热。)
2020年catti中级口译精选词汇
anthropologist 人类学家
historian 历史学家
Tao, ”the way”, the principle of workings of the universe 道humaneness (also mean:humanity, benevolence, goodness, virtue) 仁the Four Books 四书
the Great Learning 《大学》
the Doctrine of the Mean 《中庸》
the Analects of Confucius 《论语》
the Mencius 《孟子》
five major styles of calligraphy 书法五大书体
seal script/seal character 篆书
official script/clerical script 隶书
running script/semi-cursive script 行书
cursive script 草书
regular script/standard script 楷书
traditional Chinese painting 中国画
Chinese brush painting; ink and wash painting 水墨画
traditional Chinese realistic painting 工笔
six classical arts 六艺
rite 礼
music 乐
archery 射
riding 御
writing 书
arithmetic 数
the Art of War 孙子兵法
Chinese character 汉字
stroke (汉字)笔画
radical 偏旁部首
writing system 书写体系
Sino-Tibetan 汉藏语系
Sinologist/Sinologue 汉学家
Sinomania 中国热
of the same origin 同宗同源
the Chinese ancestors 华夏祖先
single syllable 单音节
Chinese language is “soberly logical” 汉语有“合理的逻辑性”
the four tones of Chinese characters 汉语四声调
level tone 阴平
rising tone 阳平
falling-rising tone 上声
英语翻译相关文章:
★ 英语翻译
★ 浅析英语翻译教学