235英语中翻英应用(1) Why translation is so important in learning English.

235英语中翻英应用(1)               Why translation is so important in learning English.                       1/10/2020

                                       

亲爱的访友,  耶稣基督降生人世,  祂是为来赦免我们的罪而生. 编辑者得以藉主耶稣钉十字架的宝血胜过永远的死而重生,  成为新造的人.  正如约翰福音三章十六节所说, “ For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (上帝爱世人, 甚至将祂的独生子赐给他们, 叫一切信祂的, 不至灭亡, 反得永生.)  亲爱的访友, 在上帝儿子降生人世间的这日子里, 您愿意留些时间思考重生的事吗?

下面的祷告, 是编辑者节译自 “A Diary of Private Prayer, ” John Baillie着, New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons 1949 年出版中的 ‘Seventh Day Morning Prayer’.  是圣徒发自心灵的话, 能说上帝没有创造万物和我们?

O Lord and Maker of all things, from whose creative power the first light came forth, who did look upon the world’s morning and see that it was good, I praise You for this light that now streams through my windows to rouse me to the life of another day ( 编辑者注: 该句是由三个子句和一个独立子句 “I praise You for this light” 所组成的复合句. 子句 “that now streams through my windows to rouse me to the life of another day” 是独立子句的主语补足语. 另一子句from whose creative power the first light came forth 是用来形容创造宇宙万物的上帝如何创造 “光”, 第三个子句who did look upon the world’s morning and see that it was good, 是用来说明上帝创造光, 祂认为好.  翻译如下文.)

创造宇宙万物的主宰, 因祢说, “要有光”,  宇宙就有光, 祢看光辉的早晨是好的, 我感謝祢, 因這光现在正由窗户照入, 把我唤醒, 开始新的一天生活.

I praise You for the life that stirs with in me:    

I praise You for the bright and beautiful world into which I go:

I praise You for earth and sea and sky, for scudding cloud and singing bird:

I praise You for the work You have given to me to do:   

I praise You for all that You have given me to me to fill my leisure hours:

I praise You for my friends:

I praise You for music and books and good company and all pure pleasure.

感謝主, 因祢使生命在我里面活跃; 因祢使我活在這光明美麗的世上; 因祢创造地, 海, 穹蒼, 以及飘过的白云和唱歌的鳥; 因祢賜我今天的工作; 因祢賜我充满休閑的时光的種種享受; 因祢賜我朋友; 我感謝主, 因祢賜我音乐, 书藉, 友伴和各种纯真的喜乐.

   O You who Yourself are everlasting Mercy, give me a tender heart today toward all those to whom the morning light brings less joy than it brings to me (编辑者注: 在英文文法中, 规定每句只能有一个动词, 这个有限动词应该是give, 其它三个子句都是用来说明 ‘O You’这主语. 译文如下面)

Those in whom the pulse of life grows weak:  

Those who must lie abed through all the sunny hours:                                     

The blind, who are shut off from the light of day:   

The overworked, who have no joy of leisure:  

The unemployed, who have no joy of labour:  

The bereaved, whose hearts and homes are desolate:

          And grant Your mercy on them all.        

    赋有永恒怜悯的主阿, 求祢赐我仁慈的心, 使我今晨能善待那些不像我得着祢所赐这么多喜乐的人; 那些生命微弱的人; 那些在这明丽的早晨, 却卧病在床的人; 那些瞎了眼,  却不见白天光明的人; 那些受工作压抑过重, 无法享受休闲的人; 那些失業而丧失工作愉快的人; 那些因心碎, 家庭失散而颓废忧伤的人.

       求主用祢的怜悯恩待他们所有的人.

   O Light that never fades, as the light of day now streams through these windows and

floods this room, so let me open to You the windows of my heart, that all my life may

be filled by the radiance of Your presence.  Let no corner of my being be unillumined

by the light of  Your countenance.  Let there be nothing with in me to darken the lightness of 

the day.  Let the Spirit of Him whose life was the light of men rule within my heart till

eventide.  Pray this in our Lord, Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 永远光明灿烂的主啊, 当阳光从窗射入, 照耀充满全室的时候, 容我敞开心门, 祈求使我一世一生, 得以与祢的大光共存. 使我全心全意, 没有一处不为祢的大光照耀. 求主使我全人, 任何事物, 使得這白日的光辉暗淡. 求那作为世上的大光的主耶稣基督的灵, 管治我的心直到见主的日子. 奉主耶稣的名求.  阿们.

编辑者向访友恭祝新年蒙福.  圣诞节前各地儿女来到塩湖城庆祝我已活满九十岁的生日.  上帝的恩典够我用.  他们已陆陆续续回去工作, 才能静下来想想应如何荣显上帝的赐福, 活出祂的旨意. 又拿起笔来走到计算机前完成未完的部分 --- 如何学习中翻英(How to learn translating Chinese into English). 

编辑者不是着眼于翻译讲解, 而是要利用翻译来达到学习英文造句的目的.  中文是我们的母语, 应该读来没有困难.  要把它译为英文是我们学习英语的目标.  请我们一起来合作, 达成这新年立下的愿望.

先从简单句子开始.

            例如:  中国朋友一见面都喜欢问下面这句问好的口头语,

                        你吃饭了吗?

                        (在英美国家没有这种问好的习俗, 只好翻译为 “ How are you?” )

                        爸, 请你让我的去美国读书.

(这句中文的关键词在 “让”, 你选择相对的英文词要配合其语气, 有祈求的意味. 译文, “Dad, let me go to United State for studying.” ‘let’ 有祈求的意味.)

“谢谢你”, 响应, “不客气”.

Thank you.  Response, “You are welcome.(在英文中要这样翻, ‘我很愿意’.)

我吃药.

I take my medicine. 

(一般英美人士都习惯性用 ‘take’ 不用 ‘eat’.)

我很喜欢音乐.

I very like music.

(英文句子动词常在第二位, 紧靠主语, 应翻成, I like music very much.)

他去美国留学.

He went aboard(在船上, 指交通工具) to study Chinese last year.

He went abroad(到远方) to United States for studying Chinese last year.

祝贺你面试成功.

Wish you have a success on your job interview.

(这是中式英文, 应该翻译为, Good luck on your job interview.)

中翻英不但要注意习惯用法,  在语法方面也有很大的差异.  英文是有字形变换的语言, 而中文则不是.   英文的字词 (word), 若是名词, 就有 “可数” (C, countable) 或 “不可数” (U, uncountable); 如果可数, 又有 “单数”(s, singular form) 与 “复数”(pl, plural form)的分別.   还有些名词又分阴性或阳性 (feminine/ masculine gender) 等等.  遇到动词则有现在时制、过去时制、过去分词、与现在分词等的字形变化 (如know, knew, known, knowing), 配合各种时制 (tense) 、语态 (voice) 、和语气 (mood).  形容词有原级、比较级、与最高级的字形 (如 pretty, prettier, prettiest).  副词的字形是形容词加 -ly形成的 (如 slow, slowly).  另外，英文有许多字有动词、名词、与形容词的 “词类变化”(如 differ, difference, different).  这些都是英文的基本构造, 在中翻英时必须注意.