2014年12月大学英语四级翻译的练习及解析（4）

　　　请将下面这段话翻译成英文：

　　在这本书里，我想写现代中国某一部分社会，某一类人物。写这类人，我没忘记他们是人类，只是人类，具有无毛两足动物的基本根性。角色当然是虚构的，但是有考据癖的人当然不肯错过索隐的机会，放弃附会的权利的。

　　这本书整整写了两年，两年忧世伤生，屡想中止，由于杨绛女士不断的督促，替我挡了许多事，省出时间来，得以锱铢积累地写完，照例这本书该献给他。不过，近来觉得献书也像致身于国，还政于民等等佳话，只是语言幻成的空花泡影，名说交付出去，其实只仿佛魔术家玩的飞刀，放手而并没有脱手，随你怎样把作品奉献给人，作品总是作者自己的，大不了一本书，还不值得这样精巧地不老实，因此罢了。

　　三十五年十二月十五日

　　参考答案:

　　In this book,I intended to write about a certain segment of society and a certain kind of people in modern China.In writing about these people,I did not forget they are human beings,just human beings with the basic nature of hairless,two-legged animals.The characters are of course fictional,so those with a fondness for history need not trouble themselves trying to trace them out.

　　The writing of this book took two years altogether.It was a time of great grief and disruption,during which I thought several times of giving up.Thanks to Madame Yang Chiang,who continuously urged me on while holding other matters at bay,I was able through the accumulation of many small moments to find the time to finish it.This book should be dedicated to her.But lately it seems to me that dedicating a book is like the fine rhetoric about offering ones life to ones country,or handing the reins of the government back to the people.This is but the vain and empty juggling of language.Despite all the talk about handing it over,the book remains like the flying knife of the magician-released without ever leaving the hand.And when he dedicates his work in whatever maimer he chooses,the work is still the authors own.Since my book is a mere trifle,it does not call for such ingenious disingenuousness.I therefore have not bothered myself about the dedication.

　　December 25th,1935

　　1.写这类人，我没忘记他们是人类，只是人类，具有无毛两足动物的基本根性。

　　分析:

　　重点译出两足无毛动物：hairless,two-legged animals。

　　2.这本书整整写了两年，两年忧世伤生，屡想中止，由于杨绛女士不断的督促，替我挡了许多事，省出时间来，得以锱铢积累地写完，照例这本书该献给他。

　　分析:

　　本句句子较长，而且一句话结构复杂，翻译为英文时无法统一在一个句子，所以我们可以先理清中文句子的意思关系，然后根据每层意思译为一个英语句子为佳。其中中文第一分句可独立译为第一句，第二，三分句译为第三句，第四，五，六分句译为第四句，第七分句独立译为一句。用词方面锱铢积累，要翻译出它的内在涵义，可翻译为the accumulation of many small moments。