(5)三乱indiscriminate fines, charges and assessments
传、帮、带pass on experience, give help and set an example in training new hands
抓大放小to invigorate large enterprises while releasing control over small ones
老少边穷地区old revolutionary base areas, frontier areas, poverty-stricken areas and areas inhabited by national minorities
为确保信息的传达,译者应灵活采用解释、加注等方法将原语中被省略的、对理解原意至关重要的文化背景信息予以补充还原。如果只译词语字面意义,将“传、帮、带”译为“pass, help and guide”,将“抓大放小”译作“grasp the big one and put aside the small one”,西方读者定会不解其意,不知所云。
(6)一见面是寒暄,寒暄之后说我“胖了”,说我“胖了”之后即大骂其新党。
(鲁迅《祝福》)
When we met, after exchanging a few polite remarks he said I was fatter, and after saying that immediately started a violent attack on the revolutionaries.
(外文出版社1972年版英译本)
在《文化语境与语言翻译》一书中,包惠南对这一译例进行了分析,认为译文未能体现原文中的文化内涵,因为在中国传统文化中,“胖”代表有福气,说人胖了是一种恭维,而如此直白地告诉对方他长胖了在西方文化中是不礼貌的,容易使对方不快。译文仅仅表达出“胖了”的指称意义,没有增译出它与中国文化相关的蕴涵意义,容易引起西方读者的误解。因此,包惠南将译文改为:
After exchanging a few polite remarks when we met, he observed that I looked "fat", and having made that complimentary remark he started a violent attack on the revolutionaries.
在修改后的译文中,“胖了”一词的指称意义和蕴涵意义都得到了体现,使西方读者既读懂了原意,又对中国文化多了一分认识和了解。