2021考研英语翻译技巧之归化(2)
(8) It was， as Bill afterwards expressed it， "during a moment of temporary mental apparition"， but we didn't find that out till later.
恰如后来比尔说的那样，那阵子简直是"一时鬼迷心窍".不过，我们直到后来才明白了这个意思。
(apparition在原文中是鬼魂或幽灵出现的意思。mental apparition直译是"心中有鬼"，这就很容易给人造成误解，因此需要多少将原形象适当地转换一下。)
(9) They will be ice-skating in hell the day， when I vote the aid for them.
要我投票赞成给他们援助，除非太阳从西边出来。
(ice-skating in hell如译成"在地狱里滑冰"就很难为中国读者所理解和接受。)
(10). "Until her husband won the pools， she was the most commonplace， dowdy， illiterate creature imaginable，but now that she dresses herself up like a society queen and nearly always remembers to sound her aitches， people are already beginning to forget what she was like before.
"Fine feathers make fine birds."
"过去没有比她更平平常常、无知无识而又邋邋遢遢的了，自从她男人赢得全部赌注以后，她打扮得象个社交皇后，总是记住发H的音，人们开始忘记她以前是什么样子了。"
"人靠衣裳马靠鞍嘛。"
(11) I'd much rather see her once or twice and not do anything about it–;–;what could I do about it anyway? She's a bit out of my class， don't you think? If I did try to do anything， I'd only get sent off with a flea in my ear.
我宁愿见她一两面就算了──我还能干什么呢?你没看到她和我不怎么相称吗?我要干点什么，也只会碰一鼻子灰。
(原文a flea in one's ear的字面意思是"耳朵上有个跳蚤"，用来比喻"讥讽的话，刺耳的话".send sb. off with a flea in one's ear意思是"用讥讽的话气走某人"，与汉语"碰一鼻子灰"意思相近，但如译为"用讥讽话气走某人"，则过于平淡，远不如"碰一鼻子灰"生动、俏皮。)
(12) He was so fond of talking that his comrades nicknamed him "magpie".
他如此唠叨，同伴们给他起了个 "麻雀"的外号.
(英语中 "喜鹊" 喻义 "唠叨、饶舌"，但在汉语中 "喜鹊" 却象征着 "喜事、吉祥"，而 "麻雀" 表示 "唠叨、饶舌"，所以用归化法.)
(13) There's a people's court waiting for him. His God-damned head is going to be separated from his God-damned neck.
人民法庭正等着他。狗头就要和狗脖子分家呢。
(原文God-damned意为"该死的"，但如译成"该死的头"、"该死的脖子"远不如"狗头"、"狗脖子"痛快。)
(14) I'm a diplomat， a linguist， altogether a bespectacled cream puff.
我是个外交官，一个语言学家，总而言之，是个戴眼镜的银样邋枪头。
(原文cream puff的字面意思是"奶油松饼"，比喻"中看不中用的人"，和汉语中的"银样邋枪头"意思相近。但如直译成"奶油松饼"，则不易为汉语读者所接受。归化后，既能保存原意，又能为汉语读者所接受。)
采用归化时，要避免走极端，不要用汉语民族文化色彩太浓的词(如：历史人物、地理名词等)来归化英语习语，否则译文会让人感觉不伦不类。
(1) Beauty lies in lover's eyes.
情人眼里出美人.
(此处就不宜归化为具有浓厚汉语文化色彩的 "情人眼里出西施".译者怎能把中国古代美女西施搬到西方作品中去呢?)
(2) Many heads are better than one.
一人不及众人计.
(此处就不宜归化为具有浓厚汉语文化色彩的 "三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮".如把历史人物诸葛亮搬到西方作品中去，总让人感到不伦不类的.)
(3) Never offer to teach fish to swim.
不要教鱼儿游泳.
(此处也不宜归化为具有浓厚汉语文化色彩的 "不要班门弄斧"、 "不要关公面前耍大刀".)