◉2.比拟(Personification)
比拟是直接将乙事物所具有的特征、属性加在甲事物上,从而对甲进行跨类式描写的修辞格,有本体、拟体两个部分组成。本体一般为名词性事物,拟体则多为谓词性成分。从语义特征上说,拟体本不能与本体构成陈述关系。根据本体与拟体的关系,一般将比拟分为:
2.1 拟人(Personification)
拟人就是把动物和没有生命的事物当作有思想感情的人类。这与儿童的心理相似,也类似于审美过程中的移情现象,也有人把拟人叫作“静物动化”。英语中的抽象概念拟人化运用得特别广泛原本无生命或无法言语的动植物,在人们的笔下被赋予了生命,仿佛一个个都活脱脱地出现在了眼前,使人读了不禁赏心悦目。与此同时,我们也感叹语言是一种多么神奇的表达方式。试想,你喜爱的东西在语言中被人化,可以和你交谈、玩耍,那是多么开心的事!
英汉拟人在运用方式上呈现出的共性,可以用认知语义学中的术语“视角”进行解释。Saeed指出,“视角”这一概念反映了认知家们强调观察者的重要性,尤其是观察者对观察角度和观察焦点的选择上。在“直接拟人”中,观察者跟所观察的对象融入了一体,因而能细致入微地刻画观察对象,使之逼真入神。也可以这样说,在“直接拟人”中,观察者采取的是内部观察角度,真正达到物我交融。对于“间接拟人”,观察者则把自己置身于比较客观的一个外部观察视角。
汉译英
●老母猪戴口罩——还挺重视这张脸。
A mother pig wears a mask——–who is quite attached to its face.
——小品《老拜年》
●耗子给猫当三陪——赚钱不要命。
The mouse serves the cat—make money by escorting the enemy.
——小品《拜年》
●猪也是这么想的,那驴也是这么想的。
The pig also thinks so.That the ass also thinks so.
——小品《功夫》
●这个世界太疯狂,耗子都给猫当伴娘了!
This world is too crazy,because the mouse will be the bridesmaid of the cat!
——小品《功夫》
●鸡先笑了。
The chicken smiles first.
——小品《公鸡下蛋》
●当时这个鸡心里特别矛盾。
At that time the chicken was very contradictory in its mind.
——小品《公鸡下蛋》
●“老板,来盘寂寞。
“对不起,先生,本店只剩空虚了。”
“开心、快乐也没有吗?”
“有,是水货。”
“真心有吗?”
“昨天有买虚情假意的搭给他了。”
“情人有吗?”
“有。”
“来一个,给我加点诺言。”
“现在诺言都是假的。”
“那知己怎卖?”
“这个可贵,一缘一份。”
“来一份。”
“那你得邂逅。”
“Excuse me,give me a dish of loneliness,please.”
“Sorry,sir,what we have is only emptiness.”
“Isn’t there happiness or joy?”
“Well,just some from the gray market.”
“Do you have sincerity?”
“Sorry,sir.Yesterday,a customer came here for
hypocrisy,and I gave it to him as a gift.”
“Then,what about the lover?”
“Yeah,that we have.”
“Give me one,please.Add some commitments.”
“Today,promises are nothing but empty words.”
“Well,how much will a bosom friend cost?”
“A little bit expensive.It asks for your luck.”
“Bring me one.”
“Well,then you have to wait‘unexpectation’.”
——网络流行语
●为何片片白云悄悄落泪?为何阵阵风儿轻声诉说?
Why are the clouds shedding silent tears?Why are the winds whispering touching words?
——歌曲《一个真实的故事》
(白云有了感情而像人一样潸然泪下,风儿懂得诉说。无生命的物体生意盎然,新颖的想象把我们引入到一个物我交融的新意境中,人和自然是那么息息相通。欣赏者带着这种悲伤的情感体验词中抒情太阳当空的故事,更能入情,从而感受到语言的神韵和新奇之美。)
●很久很久以前,谎言和真实在河边洗澡,谎言先洗好,穿了真实的衣服离开,真实却不肯穿谎言的衣服。后来,在人们的眼里,只有穿着真实衣服的谎言,却很难接受赤裸裸的真实。
Long long ago,Lie and Truth had a bath in a river.lie finished first,and left in Truth’s clothes,but Truth refused to wear the clothes of Lie.Later,what people can see is Lie in Truth’s clothes only,and it is difficult for them to accept the naked Truth.
●路灯苦撑到天明。
Thelamppostmadeitthroughthe night.
——陈淑华小说《斯夜独思量》
●英语伤我千百遍,我视英语如初恋。
English has hurt me a thousand times,still I regard it as my first love.
●现在不行了,现在是头发也变白了,皱纹也增长了,两颗洁白的门牙也光荣下岗了。
Now,I’m not as attractive as before.My hair is turning grey,more wrinkles on the face,and the two lily⁃white front teeth have already retired with honor.
——小品《昨天·今天·明天》
●树上的鸟儿成双对,绿水青山带笑颜。
With pairs of birds singing on the tree,So green rivers and mounts look great。
——黄梅戏《天仙配》
●你敢装作不想我?我就把你的脸打成彩屏,脑袋打成震动的,耳朵打成和弦的,全身打成直板的。
If you dare to pretend that you do not want me,I will beat your face into colored screen,head into shake mode,ears into chords ring,body into candy bar phone.
英译汉
●Ambition can creep as well as soar.
大丈夫能屈能伸。
——英国政治家伯克
●A kite only takes risks for the line.
一只风筝仅为一根线去冒险。
●When a woman dresses to kill,the victim is apt to be time.
当女人梳妆打扮的时候,时间就成了她的牺牲品了。
●Mosquitoes were using my ankles for filling stations.
蚊子们把我的脚脖当作加油站。
●Thirsty soil drank in the rain.
饥渴的土壤在雨中畅饮。
●“Help!Let me in.Please let me in!”But the houses were cold,closed,unfriendly.
“……救命!让我进去,求你让我进去!”可这些房子却紧闭着,冷冰冰的,一点儿也不友好。
(作者把本来描写人的形容词cold,unfriendly用来描写houses,从而栩栩如生地刻画了房子里的人的冷漠无情。)
●Hope is a good thing and maybe the best of things.And no good thing ever dies.
希望是一个好东西,也许是最好的,好东西是不会消亡的。
——电影《肖申克的救赎》
●Opportunity knocks!
机会在敲门!——某房地产广告
●When a cigarette falls in love with a match,it is destined to be hurt.
当香烟爱上火柴时,就注定受到伤害。
——短信
●Time waits for no man.
时不我待。
●Spring is drawing near.
春天正向我们走来。
●Flowers by Interflora speak from the heart.
英特佛劳拉的鲜花可以倾诉衷肠。
——鲜花的广告
(使“花”“车”都有了人的情感、思维及形象,如此有人性的产品,还不快来领回家。)
●My computer hates me.
电脑不喜欢我。
●New York never sleeps.
纽约是一座不夜城。
(人才会sleep,城市本来是不会睡觉的。)
●“You couldn’t see my tears,cause I am in the water.”Fish said to Water.“But I could feel your tears,cause you are in me.”replied Water.
鱼对水说:“你看不到我的眼泪,因为我在水里。”
水说:“我能感觉到你的眼泪,因为你在我心里。”
——村上春树《鱼和水的爱恋》
●It’s the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone;All her lovely com⁃
panions,Are faded and gone.
No flower of her kindred,
No rose bud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sign for sign.
夏天最后一朵玫瑰还在枝上,孤零零地独
自开放。她所有可爱的伴侣,都已经凋谢
死亡。没有另外一朵鲜花,也没有一个花
蕾留在她身旁,与她绯红的脸儿相辉映,
同她一起叹息惆怅。
——爱尔兰民歌《夏天的最后一朵玫瑰》
2.2 拟物(Physicalification)
将人直接当作物,或将此物当彼物来写。
汉译英
●我是一只小小鸟,
想要飞却怎么也飞不高。
我寻寻觅觅一个温暖的怀抱,
这样的要求算不算太高?
I am like a very small bird,
Wanting to fly high but always fail.
I eagerly look for a warm nestle,
Whether such a request can be easily met?
——歌曲《我是一只小小鸟》
强度比拟即其象征之意比较模糊,所指比较宽泛,很难具体说明。如《我是一只小小鸟》,“我是一只小小鸟,想要飞却怎么也飞不高”,寻觅不到“温暖的怀抱”,这整个的歌词描述的就是这个“小小鸟”,象征的可能是社会上那些孤苦无依、努力挣扎的平凡人物极其悲惨的人生,作者表达了一种同情之心。。
●没有花香,
没有树高,
我是一棵无人知道的小草。
从不寂寞,
从不烦恼,
你看我的伙伴遍及天涯海角。
春风啊春风你把我吹绿,
阳光啊阳光你把我照耀,
河流啊山川你哺育了我,
大地啊母亲把我紧紧拥抱。
Neither as fragrant as a flower,
Nor as high as a towering tree,
I am a blade of grass,
Not known yet to an human being.
But never lonely do I feel,
Or uneasy.
My companions are all over the world,
As you can see.
Oh it’s the spring breeze that makes me green.
It’s the sunshine that bathes me
Oh I’m well fed by my native mountains and rivers.
And embraced by mother earth to the tightest degree.
——歌曲《小草》
●淑英于是拿了横笛在口边吹起悲秋的调子。笛声很凄哀,好像在泣诉一段悲伤的往事,声音在水面荡漾着,落下去又浮起来,散开了又凝聚起来。各人都觉得要落泪了。
Shu Ying then held up the flute close to her lips,playing the tunes of a sad autumn.It was as if telling the old sad story.The sound was drifting on the water,falling and rising,dispersing and gathering.No one could keep back his tears when hearing this.
——巴金小说《家》
(把甲事物当作乙事物来描写,例中的声音似乎是一种具有形体的东西,它像是一团迷雾,能够散开了又凝聚起来,落下去又浮起来。)
●月亮一露脸,满天的星星惊散了。
Once the moon shows his face,all the stars in the sky flee in panic.
●幸福就像花期开到荼靡,
爱情留在秋天独自叹息。
九月的天气,
下起大雨,
淋湿我的思绪。
Happiness is like a flower from opening to
withering.
Leave love in the autumn,and let it be.
Weather in September,
It rains,
Wet my thinking.
——歌曲《幸福像花儿一样》
英译汉
●His family is like potatoes,all that is good of them are underground.
他的家庭好像马铃薯一样,所有好的东西都是埋藏在地下的。
●High buildings and large mansions are springing up like mushrooms in Beijing.
在北京,高楼大厦犹如雨后春笋般地涌现出来。
like mushrooms或as plentiful as blackberries(像黑莓一样遍地都是)体现的是英国的地貌风情,而“雨后春笋”反映的是中国的地貌风情,这样的译法虽然看起来有点儿失真,但若采用“犹如蘑菇般”的译法,中国的读者恐怕很难接受。
●At present hunger awoke and gnawed at him.
现在他肚子里的饥饿又苏醒过来撕咬着他。
——杰克·伦敦小说《马丁·伊登》
饥饿苏醒过来撕咬着他是把饥饿这样一种状态当成某种猛兽来描写。
●Fumbling he pressed her hand,turned,clattered down the path and was on his way home with dancing thought,walking on air along that dizzy path.
他笨拙地紧握一下她的手,转过身来,履声嗒嗒地走过小路,神魂飘荡地回家去。他沿着那条令人头晕目眩的小路腾云驾雾地走着。
walking on air(腾云驾雾地走着)是句子里的状语。而“他腾云驾雾地走着”则是把凡人当作神仙来描写。