四字格,大家一定不陌生。很多人在英文写作时,习惯用中文先打腹稿。那个文采斐然啊,四字格一蹦一大串儿。中译英时也会经常遇到四字格,特别是处理比较软的文案时。
四字格里包含的逻辑关系还蛮复杂的:并列、重叠、目的、途径、修饰、动宾、条件、省略意象、转折……所以,怕是无法字字对译,只能先理清关系,然后用直白的英文表达。
如果直接跳到这步有困难,那就先做个中文转化吧,江湖人称CC (Chinese - Chinese),将中文转化为更加通俗易懂的中文。然后再基于此去找合适的英文表达,江湖人称CCE(Chinese-Chinese-English)。
以下是四字格英文处理的常见套路,都需要你有堪比十个加强连的词汇储备哦。
处理成形容词。
枯燥乏味 dreary
有孕在身、身怀六甲、珠胎暗结 pregnant
令人反感、令人作呕 repulsive
玩世不恭、愤世嫉俗、冷嘲热讽 cynical
粗心大意、马马虎虎 careless
老态龙钟、人老珠黄 senile
恰如其分、恰到好处 appropriate
漫无边际、无边无际 boundless
没精打采、无精打采 listless
怒气冲天、怒不可遏 furious
……
处理成名词:
我庆幸自己死里逃生。
I congratulate myself on my narrow escape 。
但我的事现在人人皆知了。
But there has been too much publicity about my case.
处理成adj.+in+n.:
立场坚定 firm in stand
目光远大 broad in vision
品格高尚 noble in character
处理成介词词组:
泪眼婆娑 eyes dimmed with tears
摩肩接踵 be jam-packed with people
四面楚歌 under fire from all quarters
处理成英语里的习语:
入不敷出 from hand to mouth
守口如瓶 as tight as an oyster
力大如牛 strong as a horse
洗心革面 turn over a new leaf
……
当然,英译中也可以适度使用一些四字格,读起来就感觉抑扬顿挫,行文有张力呢~~比如:
Drew Pearson, a thirty-four-year-old reporter, described them as “ragged, weary, and apathetic,” with “no hope on their faces.”
有一位三十四岁的记者,名叫德鲁· 皮尔逊,他描写那些退伍军人,说是“衣衫褴褛,筋疲力尽,神情木然,满脸愁容。”
He was canny, openhanded, brisk, candid, and modest.
他为人聪明大方,生气勃勃,忠厚耿直,谦虚谨慎。
He was a voracious reader, spending much of his days and evenings devouring books.
他读起书来如饥似渴,夜以继日。
你还有比较赞的四字格中英互译思路咩?欢迎下方评论区分享哦~