一、不合習(xí)慣的說(shuō)法

不同的民族有不同的習(xí)慣和表達(dá)方法。一句話，一個(gè)詞，在一個(gè)國(guó)家表達(dá)的是好意，引起人們好的聯(lián)想和情感，在另一個(gè)國(guó)家轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)的可能是壞意，引起人們不好的聯(lián)想和情感。如果翻譯不注意，就有可能引起誤解或不快。而如果我們注意這些差異，在譯文中加以運(yùn)用，就可以收到較好的效果。在翻譯不涉及政治、經(jīng)濟(jì)等重要問(wèn)題，只涉及生活習(xí)慣、日常用語(yǔ)時(shí)，可以更靈活些，按照譯入語(yǔ)的習(xí)慣說(shuō)法表達(dá)意思。

1、見(jiàn)面問(wèn)候

中國(guó)人見(jiàn)面時(shí)喜歡問(wèn)：吃過(guò)了嗎? Have you had breakfast(lunch, supper)?到哪去?Where are you going?這都不是外國(guó)人在見(jiàn)面問(wèn)候時(shí)會(huì)問(wèn)的問(wèn)題。如果見(jiàn)面就問(wèn)外國(guó)人“到哪里”，人家會(huì)以為你要了解人家的私事，對(duì)你會(huì)產(chǎn)生反感。外國(guó)人喜歡問(wèn)：“你好嗎?”這句話可以有不少表達(dá)方法，如How are you? How do you do ?How have you been doing? Hello! Hey!等。用哪一句來(lái)表達(dá)你的問(wèn)候，取決于你與被問(wèn)候人的關(guān)系密切程度�？傊�，這一類的問(wèn)候語(yǔ)，直譯可能會(huì)讓人感到莫名其妙，還是按外國(guó)人的習(xí)慣翻譯較好。

2、對(duì)病人的問(wèn)候

中國(guó)人喜歡對(duì)病人深表同情。但外國(guó)人則輕易不愿表現(xiàn)出其弱的一面，對(duì)他們表達(dá)過(guò)分同情的話未必會(huì)收到好的效果。例如：中國(guó)人在聽(tīng)說(shuō)一個(gè)人生病后可能會(huì)說(shuō)：得知貴體欠佳，深感不安和關(guān)切。直譯：I was rather disturbed by and concerned about your illness.但這樣翻譯會(huì)使感到病情很重，只能加重病人的顧慮，達(dá)不到安慰病人的目的。按照英文的表達(dá)習(xí)慣，可譯為：I am sorry to hear about your illness and wish you a speedy recovery.這樣翻譯既表達(dá)了講話者的難過(guò)心情，又表達(dá)了希望病人盡快康復(fù)的愿望。

3、對(duì)待他人的表?yè)P(yáng)和感謝

在受到表?yè)P(yáng)或感謝時(shí)，中國(guó)人往往比較謙虛，會(huì)說(shuō)：“這沒(méi)什么。”“這是我應(yīng)該做的�！被蛘�，“哪里，哪里，我還做得很差。”如果直譯：It is nothing. This is my duty. This is what I should do. Well, I have not done very well. There is still much to be improved.所有這些謙恭的話，在外國(guó)人聽(tīng)起來(lái)，都會(huì)顯得做作。西方人通常會(huì)說(shuō)：It’s my pleasure.

Thank you for your kind words. I feel flattered.翻譯這些話時(shí)，宜根據(jù)西方的習(xí)慣來(lái)譯。

4、迎接外賓時(shí)

中國(guó)人迎接遠(yuǎn)道而來(lái)的客人時(shí)常常會(huì)說(shuō)：“一路上辛苦了。累不累?”You must have been tired after the long flight(journey)而外國(guó)人喜歡在別人面前顯得年輕、有朝氣，不喜歡被人認(rèn)為體弱，或有疲勞感。因此，上述問(wèn)候話直譯效果不好，可譯成：How was the flight? Have you had a pleasant flight?或者You have had a long flight.

二、不夠委婉的語(yǔ)氣

有時(shí)有人講話比較直率、唐突，直譯可能會(huì)使人感到不太客氣，甚至?xí)�失禮。譯員應(yīng)學(xué)習(xí)委婉說(shuō)法，在翻譯時(shí)把握好語(yǔ)氣。但為外交斗爭(zhēng)需要而使用針鋒相對(duì)的語(yǔ)言除外。

例1 中國(guó)可作為貴國(guó)資源性產(chǎn)品的穩(wěn)定市場(chǎng)，同時(shí)中國(guó)的許多工業(yè)產(chǎn)品可滿足貴國(guó)市場(chǎng)的需要。

直譯：Your resource-based products can find a stable market in China and Chinese industrial products can meet the needs of your market.這么直譯也許會(huì)讓人擔(dān)心，以為我們的工業(yè)品要去占領(lǐng)他們的市場(chǎng)。同樣的意思可以翻得更客氣一些。如：You may find a stable market in China for your primary products and may also get a number of industrial products from China to meet some of your needs.

例2 我想向大家介紹一下你們所關(guān)心的經(jīng)濟(jì)問(wèn)題。

直譯：I wish to talk on China’s economic development in which you are interested.

這樣翻譯，顯得講話者太肯定聽(tīng)眾會(huì)對(duì)他所講內(nèi)容感興趣。盡管講話者知道聽(tīng)眾是有興趣的，但說(shuō)得客氣一點(diǎn)效果更好�？勺g為：I would like to brief you on China’s economic development, which might be of interest to you.

另外，我們打交道的人大多是上層人士，我們必須學(xué)會(huì)使用禮貌文雅的語(yǔ)言，否則，會(huì)產(chǎn)生距離、反感，從而失去朋友，有損我形象。

1974年，加拿大“白求恩紀(jì)念委員會(huì)”訪華代表團(tuán)中有一位團(tuán)員對(duì)我接待官員說(shuō)，我方翻譯像警察，原因是那天早晨，翻譯到他房間對(duì)他說(shuō)：You have breakfast at 8, get your luggage downstairs at 8:30 and leave here for the airport at 9.OK?語(yǔ)言簡(jiǎn)單、生硬、不禮貌，給外賓留下了不好的印象。建議對(duì)外賓說(shuō)：Breakfast is at 8. Would you please get your luggage downstairs at 8:30?we are going to leave here for the airport at 9.

曾有一位女翻譯招呼外賓時(shí)，大聲喊叫“Hello”而不知道說(shuō)："Excuse me"，在宣布事情時(shí)總是：Attention please.而不是說(shuō)：Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please.結(jié)果一位外賓對(duì)此感到不快，說(shuō)：I don’t want to talk to that wild girl.要人幫忙時(shí)，我們時(shí)常會(huì)說(shuō)：你能告訴我到×××地方怎么走嗎?你能說(shuō)英語(yǔ)嗎?等。如果英文譯成：Can you tell me how to get to……?Can you speak English?那將是很不客氣的問(wèn)話。對(duì)方會(huì)以為你懷疑他的能力。因?yàn)橛⑽淖謈an表示能力。如果改為could,含義就不同了�？梢宰g為：Could you please tell me how to get……? Do you speak English?一個(gè)陌生人問(wèn)你如何去某地時(shí)，你很可能傳說(shuō)：“最好坐公共汽車去。”如將這句話譯為You’d better take a bus,聽(tīng)起來(lái)不夠禮貌。因?yàn)閅ou’d better……這個(gè)句型含有You have a duty to do something,或You have an obligation to…的意思。是一種命令語(yǔ)氣，常用于晚輩或下屬。因此，這樣翻譯不夠禮貌。這句話有許多客氣的表達(dá)方法。

如：I suggest you take a bus.

It might be better to take a bus.

Perhaps you might like to take a bus.

Why not take a bus?

I think the best way is by bus.

總之，我們翻譯工作者必須學(xué)會(huì)禮貌用語(yǔ)，委婉表達(dá)法。中國(guó)駐悉尼總領(lǐng)事段津在談到對(duì)外往的溝通藝術(shù)時(shí)曾介紹了一些禮貌用語(yǔ)。如：在對(duì)別人的意見(jiàn)表示不同看法時(shí)可以說(shuō)：

I have to disagree with you, but I would think…或者Well, there’s a point in what you said, but …對(duì)某件事表示不同意見(jiàn)時(shí)，可以說(shuō)：Would it not be better if…請(qǐng)別人幫忙時(shí)，可以說(shuō)：Could you do me a favour, 或者Excuse me ,I have a problem,…等等。在絕別人要求時(shí)，可以說(shuō)：I am afraid it doesn’t work.或者I wonder whether it will work, but I’ll try my best.

一些學(xué)識(shí)淵博、經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的外交官非常善于使用委婉客氣的語(yǔ)氣來(lái)表達(dá)不同意見(jiàn)。譬如，一個(gè)外國(guó)代表團(tuán)在一次國(guó)際會(huì)議上，是這樣對(duì)一個(gè)國(guó)際會(huì)議領(lǐng)導(dǎo)職位侯選人的提名表示不同意見(jiàn)的。他說(shuō)：

"As an experienced Minister with a distinguished record of service, we are confident that he has all the attributes to be an outstanding president of this Conference…but I have to place before you some of the reservations that we have about this nomination. If I may, I will share with you some of our concerns. Such a presidency will be misread by those outside the ILO as signaling that…”

可以譯為：他是一位有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的部長(zhǎng)，并做出了出色的成績(jī)。我們相信，他完全具有條件，可以成為一個(gè)杰出的會(huì)議主席。但是，我不是不陳述我們對(duì)于這一提名的保留意見(jiàn)。請(qǐng)?jiān)试S我向你們談?wù)勎覀兯�關(guān)注的一些問(wèn)題。這一主席的提名會(huì)被國(guó)際勞工組織以外的人誤解為發(fā)出一個(gè)……的信號(hào)�！边@位團(tuán)長(zhǎng)既清楚地表達(dá)了反對(duì)意見(jiàn)，但又講得非常委婉、客氣。這些表達(dá)方法很值得我們學(xué)習(xí)、借鑒。