初学英语和翻译的人常因受原文表层结构的束缚,容易犯望文生义的毛病.有时碰到一个句子,发现里面并没有什么生词就满以为自己已经懂了,其实并不一定懂,在许多场合里,往往字面上认为懂了的东西,不一定在意义上真正弄懂了.请看下面一个句子:"I will teach him to deceive others," he said.有学生把它译成------ 他说,"我要教他去欺骗别人".这句译文不但没有确切表达原文的含义,而且把意思译反了.根据原文意思我们可以用英文把他改写成,"I will punish him so that he will not deceive others again," he said. 这样,这句的正确译文应该是------他说,"我要教训他一顿,看他还敢不敢再骗人".
例(1): He showered her with kindness and words of praise until she consented to be his wife. 他向她大献殷勤,百般赞美,直到她同意做他的妻子.(句中shower不能简单地译作to rain in showers/ pour down in showers"下阵雨,阵雨般地落下",其真正引伸含义为to shower with praise "大献殷勤,百般赞美"解.)
例(2):Millet made a portrait of lady Chesterfield, which flattered her. 米勒给柴斯特菲尔德贵夫人画了一副像,该像之美简直超过了她本人.(句中flatter在这里不作to praise too much"逢迎"解释,而引伸含义为to make better looking than the reality"超过"解.)
例(3):The explorers worked their way up the mountain. 勘测工作者十分艰难地慢慢爬上那座高山.(句中work one`s way up 是to make one`s (or its) way up to或to move slowly and with difficulty"艰难地移动"之意解,已经不含"to work"的含义.)
二:英语名词的引伸
例(1):She can speak Esperanto after a fashion. 她能说一点世界语. (句中after a fashion不能理解为come into fashion or be in fashion"追求时髦",即:不能译成------她最求时髦,会世界语,而这里after a fashion作not very well or a little"略微地"解.)
例(2): Sometimes an informal program will be organized after the meal, with dances, songs, or short talks followed by a question period. 有时候,在饭后举办非正式的活动,如:舞会,唱歌,或演讨讲座.(句中program 不可译为 broadcast item(eg, a play, discussion or documentary) or plan of what is intended to be done"节目或计划",根据上下文而应该引伸为 activities"活动"解.)
例(3): If we want your two cents, we`ll ask for it. 如果我们需要你的意见,我们会向你征询的. (句中cent 在这里已经不是one 100th part of a US dollar"一美分"的含义,引伸之意opinions or advice"意见或建议"解.)
三:形容词词义的引伸
例(1): His skills in use of colours was so great that some who viewed the paintings he created said that they were more true to life than life itself. 他运用色彩的技巧如此娴熟,有些看过他创作的油画的人都说它们比真实的生命还要逼真.(句中great不能作of remarkable ability or quality"伟大的"解释,根据语境应该译为skillful at"娴熟的"解.)
例(2): I can`t even talk about it, except to you, because anybody else would think I was yellow. 除你之外,这种事不能对别人说,因为别人会觉得我窝囊. (句中yellow形容词,不可译为 of the colour of ripe lemons, egg yolks or gold "黄色的",其联想意义为cowardly"胆怯",故译为"窝囊".)
例(3): Conditions seem moderate by western standards, but compared with those existing in China a little over thirty years ago, the change is dramatic. 这些条件用西方的标准来衡量似乎很一般,但是如果和30年前中国条件相比,变化是出乎意料的.(句中dramatic愿意为of drama"戏剧的",在此引伸为unexpected"出乎意料的"解.)
四: 介词的引伸
例(1): The German invaded slaughtered the innocent civilians of the city to a man. Such atrocities were blamed throughout the world. 德国侵略者屠杀了该城的无辜平民,无一幸免.这样的残暴行为遭到了全世界人民的谴责.(句中to a man和 to the last man意思相同,作all without exception"毫无例外"解.)
例(2): The doctor said to me , "That patient may die of cancer, for all I care." 医生对我说"那病人可能会因得癌症而死."(句中for all I care不作"无论怎样"解,而作possibly"可能"解.)
例(3): The engineer was taken ill with consumption. It was flour on the lungs, the doctor told him at the time. 这个工程师得了肺病,那是由于面粉对肺部的影响,当时医生对他这样说的.(句中on引伸意义为effect"影响"解.) 英译汉翻译中,词义的引伸脱离不了词汇所在的句子的语境,无论是具体化的翻译,还是抽象化的翻译,都是为了消除和降低语言差别给翻译带来的损失,使译文产生与原文同样的效果,因此,只有在长期的翻译实践中摸索,才能达到较高的境界.