作者：丁衡祁
曾有人把美國(guó)的商務(wù)部翻譯成 Department of Business
Affairs，而英語(yǔ)中美國(guó)商務(wù)部的說(shuō)法應(yīng)該是Department of
Commerce。為什么會(huì)出現(xiàn)這樣的問(wèn)題？原因是漢語(yǔ)中美國(guó)“商務(wù)部”的說(shuō)法是由英語(yǔ)Department of Commerce
翻譯而來(lái)，我們?cè)趯⑵浞g回英語(yǔ)時(shí)，理所當(dāng)然應(yīng)還其本來(lái)面目，這樣英語(yǔ)母語(yǔ)人士才會(huì)明白譯者的所指。此種現(xiàn)象被稱作“回譯”。回譯現(xiàn)象不僅出現(xiàn)在漢譯英當(dāng)中，在英譯漢中也同樣存在。例如，漢語(yǔ)中“國(guó)有企業(yè)”或“國(guó)企”的英譯文是state-owned
enterprise，這一翻譯已被廣泛接受，已成為英語(yǔ)中約定俗成的說(shuō)法。因此，我們?cè)谟⒆g漢時(shí)，也必須把state-owned enterprise
翻譯成“國(guó)有企業(yè)”或“國(guó)企”。道理似乎很容易理解，但在翻譯實(shí)踐中，應(yīng)該回譯而沒(méi)有回翻譯的問(wèn)題俯拾皆是。例如，有把“比基尼”（bikini）翻譯成three-point
bathing suit的；也有把“航空港”（airport）翻譯為air harbor的；更有甚者，有人把戴乃迭 (Glady Yang)
的英文名字寫成Dainaidie，把著名的俄羅斯作曲家柴可夫斯基（Tchaikovsky）的名字變成了Chaikefusiji，實(shí)在令人啼笑皆非。
有些詞語(yǔ)在漢英兩種文字中同時(shí)存在，許多漢語(yǔ)中的說(shuō)法來(lái)自英語(yǔ)，因此在翻譯時(shí)也有個(gè)“回譯”的問(wèn)題，比如，當(dāng)我們要把“世界大學(xué)生運(yùn)動(dòng)會(huì)”翻譯成英語(yǔ)時(shí)，我們就不能按字面翻譯為The
World's University Students' Sports Meet，而應(yīng)該采用英語(yǔ)中原來(lái)的說(shuō)法 Universiad (Beijing
hosted the 2001 Summer Universiad successfully.)。
下面是對(duì)“T型臺(tái)”英譯的討論，先請(qǐng)看國(guó)內(nèi)媒體的有關(guān)英文報(bào)道：
例一：Showing off Manly Beauty on
T-stage (Shanghai Star September 6,
2004)
On Nov 28th in 1999, the PARK97 bar located in Fuxing Park set up
the T-Stage and covered the red
carpet on it. The foreign and domestic models walked on it, combining the
tradition and future; art and fashion at ease.
例二：A model descents in the air along a vertical T-stage in a "Fashion Show in the Air" held on the
bank of Taiping Lake in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 23, 2004. (Xinhua photo/Dong
Hongjing)
例三：People's Daily Online - Fashion Week Turns Into Feast for the Eyes：At the
biannual China Fashion Week, the models paraded along the T-stage brimming with energy, passion and a wild
nature, which made them even more sexy and seductive.
從以上的例子中可以看出，作者想當(dāng)然地認(rèn)為“T型臺(tái)”的英語(yǔ)說(shuō)法就是
T-stage，而沒(méi)有意識(shí)到這種說(shuō)法有可能是錯(cuò)誤的。我們?cè)诜g這類詞語(yǔ)時(shí)，應(yīng)該具有一種意識(shí)：既然兩種文化中共有同一概念或事物，那么在兩種文字中必然會(huì)得到體現(xiàn)，而譯者的責(zé)任就是要找到兩種文字中對(duì)同一概念或事物的對(duì)應(yīng)說(shuō)法，在翻譯時(shí)養(yǎng)成這種查證的習(xí)慣非常重要，它可以使我們避免許多不該出現(xiàn)的錯(cuò)誤。人們大都知道
catwalk 是“走貓步”的意思，并不知道該詞也有“T型臺(tái)”的意思，請(qǐng)看 WordNet Dictionary 對(duì) catwalk 的定義：
catwalk：the long, narrow stage
that models walk along in a fashion show.
再看另外兩個(gè)定義：
catwalk: narrow
platform; "Models displayed clothes on a catwalk at the fashion show".
catwalk: a narrow platform
extending from the stage into the audience in a theater or nightclub etc.
實(shí)際上，catwalk
還有一個(gè)意思是指建筑上懸在高空的狹窄過(guò)道（a narrow path, raised above the ground, often built for
workers to walk on outside a building that is being built or repaired），這大概就是為什么用
catwalk 來(lái)表示時(shí)裝表演的舞臺(tái)的緣故吧。
時(shí)裝模特表演的舞臺(tái)有時(shí)也未必都是T型，還包括L型或直線型，除了catwalk的說(shuō)法之外，runaway ( 機(jī)場(chǎng)跑道) 和ramp
（高速公路的引接式坡道）也可以指時(shí)裝模特表演的舞臺(tái)。請(qǐng)看 WordNet Dictionary 對(duì) runway 的定義:
runway: this is the place
where you walk when you're giving a live fashion presentation. It is also
referred to as a catwalk or ramp and is always elevated above the crowd. A
runway can be shaped like a "T", an "L" or a straight line.
知道了英語(yǔ)中“T形臺(tái)”的說(shuō)法，并不意味著就能夠很好地運(yùn)用該詞，我們還必須了解它在句子中的用法、通常與哪些詞匯搭配等等，這就需要我們通過(guò)例句進(jìn)一不學(xué)習(xí)提高。請(qǐng)看下面的catwalk用法舉例：
1. Ever wondered how a design gets from the sketchbook to the catwalk?
2. Suzie Ward walked onto the catwalk and won the Young Model of the Year
Competition.
3. Full of confidence, the lanky all blond models sway on the catwalk with
measured
steps one foot straight after the other.
4. The background music stopped and was replaced by an expectant hum, then
that too ceased as the curtains parted and a man in a dinner jacket and black
bow tie stepped out onto the catwalk.
5. Paraded down the catwalk by a dancer named Micheline Bernardi this new
swimsuit designed by Louis Réard took the world's breath away.
6. She is slim with blonde hair and looks like a catwalk model.
7. People who don't know anything about it might assume that it simply
involves standing in front of a camera or walking down a
catwalk.
另外還需強(qiáng)調(diào)，catwalk和runway除了可以互換使用外，還通常放在一起使用，例如：
Experience:
Catwalk/Runway Fashion Parades; Photographic (ad campaigns, fashion,
photographic showcases/displays, portfolios); ...
I am available for work
in Print, Sport, Glamour, Catwalk/Runway, Art, Promotional, Stage,
TV/Film,...
最后需要指出，漢語(yǔ)中的“T型臺(tái)”在泛指時(shí)裝表演舞臺(tái)的時(shí)候，其意義與 Catwalk/Runway
相同，而如果要特別強(qiáng)調(diào)舞臺(tái)為T字型時(shí)，則可以說(shuō) "T" stage 或"T" shaped runway。請(qǐng)看下面的例子：
Large "T" shaped runway
36'
runway w/ 32' "T" stage
"T" shape runway with black and
white walls and black stripe
"T" shape
runway with 8' and 12' high walls
"T" shape runway with 8' high backdrop
walls
The club is on the smaller side but nice and cozy. The stage is in the popular "T" shape with catwalk.
結(jié)論：翻譯時(shí)不能夠想當(dāng)然，必須要有“回譯”意識(shí)。有些從英文翻譯過(guò)來(lái)的中文是意譯而不是直譯的，那么在將其回譯成英文時(shí)，就不能按照中文的字面意思去進(jìn)行直譯，而必須還原成英語(yǔ)原來(lái)的說(shuō)法。
丁衡祁，對(duì)外經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易大學(xué)商務(wù)英語(yǔ)系教授，2002
年退休后被對(duì)外經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易大學(xué)卓越國(guó)際學(xué)院聘為英語(yǔ)教學(xué)研究中心主任。曾任對(duì)外經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易大學(xué)研究生部主任兼師資培訓(xùn)中心主任。曾被派往中國(guó)駐美國(guó)舊金山總領(lǐng)事館任商務(wù)領(lǐng)事。曾在中央電視臺(tái)主講英語(yǔ)教學(xué)節(jié)目《奪魁》（Bid
for
Power）。現(xiàn)為中國(guó)翻譯協(xié)會(huì)理事，《中國(guó)翻譯》雜志編委，中國(guó)譯協(xié)對(duì)外傳播委員會(huì)成員，全國(guó)翻譯專業(yè)資格考試英語(yǔ)專家委員會(huì)委員，中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)站英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津“翻譯擂臺(tái)賽”特約專家，中國(guó)對(duì)外翻譯出版公司專家顧問(wèn)委員會(huì)委員，中國(guó)進(jìn)出口銀行英文譯審。
