Part IV Translation

参考译文

In Chinese culture, red generally symbolizes good luck, longevity and well-being.1 The color of red can be found everywhere during the Spring Festival and other festive occasions.2 Cash given to family members or close friends as a gift is usually wrapped in a red envelop.3 Another reason accounting for the popularity of red in China is that people associate it with Chinese revolution and the Communist Party of China.4 Red, however, does not always represent good luck and happiness.5 Since the names of the dead were usually written in red in the past, it is regarded as an offense to write down the name of a Chinese in red ink.6

译点精析

1.在中国文化中，红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福：“红色”即red, 受汉语思维影响，一般我们会认为red仅为形容词“红色的”，在英语中red还是名词，意为“红色”；“象征”翻译为symbolizes或indicates；“好运、长寿和幸福”分别翻译为good luck, longevity和well-being, 当然，“幸福”也可翻译为happiness。

2.在春节和其他喜庆场合，红色到处可见：“在春节和其他喜庆场合”翻译为during the Spring Festival and other festive occasions, 其中“喜庆”还可翻译为joyous或happy,“场合”即occasions；“到处可见”翻译为can be found everywhere。

3.人们把现金作为礼物送给家人或亲密朋友时，通常放在红信封里：翻译这个句子前要先理清一下前后关系，通过分析可知，此处要表达的主要意思是“现金通常放在红信封里”，因此翻译为cash is usually wrapped in a red envelop；“人们把现金作为礼物送给家人或亲密朋友时”可以翻译为过去分词短语，修饰cash, 即given to family members or close friends as a gift。

4.红色在中国流行的另一个原因是人们把它与中国革命和共产党相联系：这个句子的主干是“另一个原因是人们把它与中国革命和共产党相联系”，应翻译为Another reason is that people associate it with Chinese revolution and the Communist Party of China,“把……与……相联系”翻译为固定短语associate…with…，应注意“中国革命（Chinese revolutioN） ”和“共产党（Communist Party of ChinA） ”的英文表达方式；“红色在中国流行的”充当“另一个原因”的定语，可翻译为分词形式accounting for the popularity of red in China, 其中account for为固定表达，意为“构成……原因，促成，导致……”。

5.然而，红色并不总是代表好运和快乐：“并不总是”翻译为not always；“代表”可以翻译为represents或means。

6.因为从前死者的名字常用红色书写，用红墨水书写中国人名被看成是一种冒犯行为：此处的“因为”并不表示强烈的因果关系，只是起到补充说明作用，因此宜翻译为since；“从前死者的名字常用红色书写”翻译为the names of the dead were usually written in red in the past；“用红墨水书写中国人名被看成是一种冒犯行为”宜翻译为it代替不定式充当形式主语的结构，即it is regarded as…to write down the name of a Chinese…，“冒犯行为”翻译为offense即可。