计算机专业中文文献英译的若干问题分析

时间:2022-09-10 11:16:32

计算机专业中文文献英译的若干问题分析

摘要:通过具体的案例,从中英文词汇表意的细微差异、用词和句式的多样性以及英文语序的安排等三个方面对比分析计算机专业中文文献的英译,并指出阅读英文专业文献时需要注意的要点。

关键词:中文文献;英译;词汇;句式;多样性;语序

专业学术文献中的中译英与英译中并不是两个简单的互逆过程,它涉及到一种语言表达习惯如何严格地去适应另一种语言表达习惯的问题。如文献[1-4]从专业特点出发,讨论了英文文献的多种中译方法,但都没有涉及中文文献的英译。文献[5]虽然谈到了中文医学文献的英译,但给出的分析不够细致。本文从中英文词汇的表意差异、用词简练及表达形式的多样性、英译时语序的调整等三个方面出发,以具体案例评析的方式对计算机专业中文论文的英译问题进行了讨论。

1注重中英文词汇表意的细微差异

案例1图书馆实施知识服务过程中的知识集成研究。

原译文:Research on knowledge integration in library knowledge service implementation.

分析:“实施知识服务”是一个过程,翻译时应强调提供服务这一动作的延续性。与英文不同的是,中文无法从词的形式上体现这种延续性。上面译文中将“实施”译成名词形式“implementation”有受中文思维影响之嫌,可改为“Research on knowledge integration in implementing library knowledge service”。

案例2知识集成是在知识服务过程中,根据读者用户的需求,将不同的知识源进行转化、优化、融合和再建构,形成一个新的系统化知识体系。

原译文:Knowledge integration forms a new systematization knowledge hierarchy by transferring, optimizing, blending and rebuilding different knowledge sources according to reader's requirements during knowledge service.

分析:该句的主干是“知识集成是……形成一个新的系统化知识体系”,而“知识体系形成”是个渐进持续的过程,这层意思在英译时应该要表达出来。另外,“知识服务过程中……”的“知识服务”不是指这个概念,而是强调提供“知识服务”这一动作。

参考译文:Knowledge integration is a new systematization knowledge hierarchy which was being formed by transferring, optimizing, merging and reconstructing different knowledge sources according to reader's requirements during providing knowledge service.

2避免用词、句式的单一和刻板

笔者通过大量阅读国外学者英文学术文献中获得的经验表明,英文论文除了和中文论文同样强调论文语言的准确性、严谨性和逻辑性外,还十分注重用词简练和表达形式的多样性,这值得我们在中译英或者撰写英文论文时学习和借鉴。例如,“在建立这种复杂系统的过程中,使用了一种新的建模方法”一句中,“方法”可译成method / way / approach等,而“使用”可译成used / hired / employed / utilized 等。又比如,“对ETC客户关系管理系统进行客户流失分析是非常必要的”,大多数情况下论文作者习惯性地用“It is necessary to …”句式,而考虑用“Analysis aimming at loss of customers is of great necessity to ETC-based CRM.”这样的句式更能够对句子中词汇的次序做很好的安排,避免头重脚轻。

案例3本文主要讨论了①不完全信息系统的缺失数据补齐问题,提出了多重插补数据补齐算法,利用粗糙集理论解决了②不确定信息下知识获取的方法,并对③不完全信息条件下的容差关系、相容关系、限制容差关系知识规则的异同进行了比较。

分析:本例的翻译要注意两个地方。一是句子的主干结构为“主要讨论……提出了……利用……解决了……并对……进行了比较”,这个结构比较长,如果前面几个部分都用主动语态叙述,最后一个“并对……进行比较”用被动语态就比较好;另外,“主要讨论了……”如果用“discussed mainly……”就显得比较一般,可用“This paper focused on / concentrated on …”。二是划线的①②③句都具有“……条件下的……”这样的形式,如果都译成“under the condition of…”的形式,则显得比较呆板。

参考译文:This paper focused on the issue of making missing data up ①in an incomplete information system, provided a multi-interpolation algorithm for missing data, solved knowledge acquisition problem ②under uncertain information with rough set theory, and the common features and differences of knowledge rules in tolerance relations, compatibility relations and limited tolerance relation ③accompanied with incomplete information were compared.

案例4……构建了农产品供应商的综合评价指标体系,建立了农产品供应商成分分析的综合评价模型,并进行了实证分析。结果表明,模型能全面、客观和科学地对农产品供应商的综合实力进行评价选择……

分析:绝大多数的翻译可能将“构建”翻成construct,“建立”翻成build,这样译就带有浓厚的中式英文色彩。另外,如果以副词形式来译“全面、客观和科学地”的话,则会显得太普通了。

参考译文:…This paper constructed a complex evaluation index system for agri-product supplier, next, a complex evaluation model based on the analysis of main ingredients of agri-product suppliers was given and demostration analysis was carried out. The result shows that this model can evaluate the all-around ability of agri-product suppliers in a full, object and scientific way.

案例5首先,介绍当前国内外在本体存储领域的研究现状,深入分析该领域研究中目前仍然存在的问题。然后围绕本体存储所涉及的三个方面的问题,对相关技术如本体描述语言、本体推理机技术、本体存储方式等进行了概要介绍和综合比较。

分析:在处理类似“首先……然后……”这样具有递进或层次关系的段落时,非常多的论文作者将之译成“Firstly,…Secondly/then/ next,…Thirdly/ at the final,…”这样的形式,这种形式可以表达层次关系,但体现不了前后内容之间那种递进的关联关系,而论文中围绕某个问题讨论的前后内容之间往往具有很强的逻辑递进关系。表达层次关系的用法有很多,例如“This paper started / began with the discussion of … Then / Next / Subsequently,…Furthermore,…”。

参考译文:This thesis started with the introduction of current researches(这里不需要将“现状”译出来)on ontology storing as well as the in-depth analysis of issues existing in this field. Subsequently, some relevant technologies, such as ontology describing language, ontology reasoner and ontology storing pattern,etc. were outlined and compared(这里用被动语态比较好安排语序,不会显得句子前后不平衡) with each other from three aspects related to ontology storing.

3翻译时英文语序的安排

根据中英文表达习惯的差异和中文所强调的部分,以及为了避免翻译成的英文句子出现前后不平衡的情况(如案例5),在翻译中文论文时,就需要对语序进行调整。

案例6……采用主成分分析方法直观定量地研究了大亚湾、岭澳、田湾、秦山等各核电厂单位装机容量(MW)三废年度实际排放值或产生量……

分析:划线部分如果按中文顺序直译的话,会产生两个问题:一是“研究了”更多的是表示一个已经完成的动作,而用不定式表达不出这层意思;二是该论文的主体是用“直观定量”的方法来开展研究,如果“直观定量地”以副词形式放在句尾,对“研究”特点的强调和突出作用就会大大削弱。因此,翻译该句时需要调整英文表达的语序。

参考译文:……intuitive and quantitative research based on main ingredients analysis was given to the annual emission value or output per unit installed capacity of three wasts produced by Da Yawan, Lingao, Tianwan and Qinshan nuclear power plant,etc.

案例7本文在对水稻品种审定业务流程进行全面分析和研究的基础上,结合工作流理论,运用UML方法和G-RBAC安全策略,建立了基于UML和RBAC的水稻品种审定工作流模型。

原译文:This paper analyzed and studied the business flow of rice breed examining fully(或者是用on the basis of 句型), combined with the theory of work flow, utilized UML methods and G-RBAC security policies, constructed work flow model of rice breed examining based on UML and RBAC.

分析:这是在中文论文英译时的一种典型形式,即直接按中文语序来译。实际上,该句的主干结构是“在……的基础上,建立了……模型”,其他内容只是句子主干的补充说明。因此在翻译时,要把“建立……的模型”提到前面,作突出强调。

参考译文:This paper gave a fully analysis and study to the business flow of rice breed examining and then constructed work flow model of rice breed examining. The theory ofwork flow, UML methods and G-RBAC security policies were utilized in the analyzing and model constructing.

案例8We propose a three-stage strategy for predicting genes function with few positive examples. Firstly, we create some synthetic positive examples with few negative noise to enlarge positive examples set P. Secondly, we consider original problem as LPU and select a reliable negative examples by using iteratively SVM. Finally, a better SVM classifier is trained. We call this method SPE-PLU.

分析:这是一篇投SCI、关于“基因功能预测”的论文中的片段,句中表达明显受到中文先分述后总

述的习惯影响,但英文是相反的。句中每个阶段所做工作的目的是应该首先强调的。

参考译文:We propose the method SPE-PLU including three stages for predicting gene function with few positive examples, The enlargement of positive examples set P is done in the first stage, this can be implemented by creating some synthetic positive examples with few negative noise.Subsequent work is selecting a reliable negative examples through using SVM interatively, original problem is condsidered as LPU in this stage. Furthermore, a better SVM classifier is trained in the final stage.

4结语

中文文献的英译工作不是机械的直译,必须在了解相关专业内容的前提下,对中英两种语言在词汇表意上的细微差别要有准确的把握,进行灵活的意思转换、表达方式和语序的变通并注重用词的严谨、简练及多样性等细节,才能形成地道的译文。

为此,大量的专业英文文献阅读是一个必须的过程,在这个过程中除了获取专业研究信息外,还应特别注意下面三点:1)对英文文献中的用词要多琢磨,特别是与专业相关的名词、表并列或转折(递进)的连接词、分词形式作后置定语以及介词等,多篇同样主题的文献中用词可能会不一样,这就提供了比较和学习的机会;2)注意观察文献中动词时态、语态及句式的变化;3)重视文献中长句的语序安排。只有这样多观察、多比较、多琢磨,才能有效提升自身对中文专业文献的英译水平。

参考文献:

[1] 王平,杨世迎. 环境学科专业英语的特点及翻译[J].中国科技翻译,2009,22(2):1-3.

[2] 袁瑛. 农科专业英语长句的翻译技巧[J]. 中国科技翻译,2009,22(2):4-6.

[3] 王晓丽,甄谛. 机械专业英语中长句翻译方法浅析[J]. 机械管理开发,2009,24(2):150-151.

[4] 蛟平. 谈计算机专业英语的翻译技巧[J]. 长治学院学报,2007,24(5):63-64.

[5] 梁洁. 医学生专业英语翻译及写作常见问题的评析[J]. 科教文汇,2009(16):93.

The Analysis of Issues Related to the Translation of Computer Literatures in Chinese

PENG Jian

(College of Information Science and Technology,Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China)

Abstract: Some issues related to the translation of literature in Chinese were analyzed from three aspects, such as the small difference between Chinese and English words, the diversity of words and expressions used in translation as well as the adjustment of sentences order, etc. Concrete cases were exemplified in analyzing. In the final, this paper summarized key points should be paid attention to while reading english literatures.

Key words: literature in Chinese; translation; vocabulary; expression; diversity; sentence order

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