5.3.2 英“或”汉“与”
在这一小节中,我们讨论英语中的析取关系在英汉对译过程中被转换成了汉语中的合取关系。根据语料库检索的结果,分为两组进行讨论。
先看第一组:
131)Alice started to her feet,for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket,or a watch to take out of it.登时就站了起来,因为阿丽思心里忽然记得她从来没有见过兔子有背心袋的,并且有只表可以从袋里摸出来的。
132)一见这样的服装,别的车夫不会再过来争座与赛车,他们似乎是属于另一行业的。
One sight of this attire keeps other pullers from competing for fares or trying to race them.They might as well be engaged in a trade all their own.
133)若是他就是这么死去,就是死后有知,他也不会记得自己是怎么坐下的,和为什么坐下的。
If he were to die yet retain memory after death,he would be unable to recall how he’d come to be sitting on the ground,or why.
134)他对她,对自己,对现在与将来,都没办法,仿佛是碰在蛛网上的一个小虫,想挣扎已来不及了。
Feeling lost,he could not deal with her,with himself,with the present,or with the future;like an insect caught in a spiderweb,to struggle was futile.
135)没等祥子和高妈过一句话,扯着他便往里走,指着门房:“你在这儿住?”
Before either Xiangzi or Gao Ma had a chance to react,he pulled Xiangzi in with him.“Is this where you live?”he asked as he pointed to the gatehouse.
136)他认识那些桌椅,可是对火炉,菜案,与鸡毛掸子,又觉得生疏。
He’d seen the furniture before but not the stove,the cutting board,or the feather duster.
137)“我不愿意闲着!”他只说了这么一句,为是省得费话与吵嘴。
“I can’t sit around doing nothing”was all he said.Best to avoid wasting breath or getting into an argument.
138)一冬天,她们没有见过太阳与青天。
They did not see the sun or blue sky all winter long.
139)及至他拉上了个好座儿,他的腿不给他的车与衣服作劲,跑不动!
When he did get a good fare,his legs were incapable of matching his rickshaw or attire.He could barely run,…
140)这样,倒省了衣裳与脂粉;来找她的并不敢希望她打扮得怎么够格局。
She could stop worrying about nice clothes or cosmetics,for no one who paid so little could expect much in the way of appearances.
141)他似乎看透了拉车是怎回事,不再想从这里得到任何的光荣与称赞。
It was as if he’d figured out what this business of pulling a rickshaw was all about and had abandoned any thoughts of gaining glory or praise from it.
142)她很年轻,至多也就是二十二三岁,可是她的气派很老到,绝不像个新出嫁的女子,正像虎妞那样永远没有过少女的腼腆与温柔。
She was young,no more than twenty-two or-three,but she had the airs of an older woman,not those of a recent bride.Like Huniu,it seemed,she’d never known a time of girlish modesty or gentleness.
143)祥子忘了是往哪里走呢。他昂着头,双手紧紧握住车把,眼放着光,迈着大步往前走;只顾得走,不管方向与目的地。
Xiangzi had forgotten where he was headed as he strode forward,head high,both hands gripping the shafts,eyes blazing,mindless of direction or destination.
144)虽然他始终没作出使人佩服与满意的事,可是人们眼瞧着他吃了枪弹,到底可以算不虚此行。
He hadn’t done anything admirable or satisfying,but at least the people could see him take a bullet,and that alone would make the trip worthwhile.
145)那较重的红伞与肃静牌等等,他都不肯去动。
He refused to hoist the heavy red parasols or solemn tablets.
这一组共有15个句对,只有例131)来自英译汉,其余全部来自汉译英。这些句对的共同点在于英汉语句子表达的都是语义上否定的情形。为清眉目,现将这些情形列于表28。
表28 英“或”汉“与”中析取关系标记与否定标记的共现情形

在表28中,“否定标记”这一名称是在意义否定或消极这一点上使用的。否定性或消极性的词语构成了句子的否定性语境,这些词语一般来说出现在合取关系之前,但是也有出现在析取关系标记之后的,如例134)、例136)和例145)。
在这一组例子中,为何会出现英“或”汉“与”的情形?为便于讨论,我们以较为简短的例138)为例加以分析。从语义上讲,这个例子中的汉语原文表达的意思是“一冬天,她们既没有见过太阳,也没有见过青天”。其中“既没有见过太阳,也没有见过青天”可以用命题逻辑的符号改写为“¬见过太阳∧¬见过青天”。根据德·摩根定律(De Morgan’s laws)[3],¬p∧¬q可以等值转换为¬(p∨q),“¬见过太阳∧¬见过青天”这一表达式与“¬(见过太阳∨见过青天)”等值,翻译成英语就成了采用“not…or…”这一框架的“did not see the sun or blue sky”。
上段的论述在逻辑演算上是合理的,但是存在缺陷,即需要解释“一冬天,她们既没有见过太阳,也没有见过青天”这一意思为何可以用“一冬天,她们没有见过太阳与青天”这样的形式来表达。一种较为直观的解释是,认为在“青天”之前省略了“没有见过”,即“一冬天,她们没有见过太阳与(没有见过)青天”。还有一种解释是,在汉语中,如果合取与否定共现,则倾向于优先解读合取关系,将其看作处于否定的辖域内的整体,然后用否定词对其做出一次性的整体否定。对整体的否定,也就相当于对部分的否定之和。当然这种解释是初步的,需要进一步探讨。
再看下面第二组:
146)besides all this,there was generally a ridge or furrow in the way wherever she wanted to send the hedgehog to,and,as the doubled-up soldiers were always getting up and walking of f to other parts of the ground.
不但如此,而且阿丽思看见从一个刺猬的地方打到一个门的地方,当中总有几道土堆和土沟挡着,那些做门的兵又时时站站不耐烦了,起来走到别处去。
147)若找不到这点资本,便结伴出城到护城河里去洗澡,顺手儿在车站上偷几块煤,或捉些蜻蜓与知了儿卖与那富贵人家的小儿。
If no money was to be found,they’d go in groups down to the moat for a bath,stopping along the way to pilfer a few lumps of coal at the train station or catch dragonflies or cicadas to sell to the children of the rich.
148)爱与不爱,穷人得在金钱上决定,“情种”只生在大富之家。
Love or no love,for a poor man,money talks.Lasting love can sprout and grow only in the homes of the rich.
149)在拐弯抹角和上下坡儿的时候,他特别的小心。
He was careful when he took corners or negotiated a slope,up or down.
150)再说,夏太太所去的地方不过是东安市场与中山公园什么的,拉到之后,还有很大的休息时间。
Even better,she confined her trips to the East Gate Market or Sun Yat-sen Park,which gave Xiangzi plenty of time to rest.
这一组例子中的汉语,同5.3.1中的第一组例子类似,都可以用“不论(/不管/无论)是……还是……都……”来改写。例146)中,不论是土堆还是土沟,都起着挡着的作用。例147)中,不论是捉到了蜻蜓还是捉到了知了儿,都可以卖给那富贵人家的小儿。例148)中,对穷人来说,不论是爱还是不爱,都得在金钱上决定。例149)中,不论是在拐弯抹角的时候还是在上下坡儿的时候,他都特别的小心。例150)中,不论夏太太去东安市场还是去中山公园,拉到之后都有很长的休息时间。
如果上段对例146)至例150)的解释成立,那么根据吕叔湘主编的《现代汉语八百词》增订本对“和”字的解释(1999:266),“和”作连词用时的第二个义项是:
表示选择,相当于“或”。常用于“无论、不论、不管”后。
无论在数量~质量上都有很大的提高|不管是现代史~古代史,我们都要好好地研究|去~不去,由你自己决定
在“无论、不论、不管”后的“和”相当于“或”,因此英译成“or”也就顺理成章了。说到底,“不论(/不管/无论)是……还是……都……”表示不同条件或情形下结果相同。结果相同,致使区分不同条件或情形的必要性大大降低,因而可以作为一个整体统一处理,此时合取关系与析取关系就有了置换的可能。