问答题 At seventeen the promise of Noelle"s early beauty had been more than fulfilled. She had matured into an exquisite woman. She had fine, delicate features, eyes a vivid violet color and soft ash-blond hair. Her skin was fresh and golden as though she had been dipped in honey. Her figure was stunning, with generous, firm, young breasts, a small waist, rounded hips and long shapely legs, with delicate ankles. Her voice was distinctive, soft and mellifluous. There was a strong, smoldering sensuality about Noelle, but that was not her magic. Her magic lay in the fact that beneath the sensuality seemed to lie an untouched island of innocence, and the combination was irresistible. She could not walk down the streets without receiving propositions from passersby. They were not the casual offers that the prostitutes of Marseille received as their daily currency, for even the most obtuse men perceived something special in Noelle, something that they had never seen before and perhaps would never see again, and each was willing to pay as much as he could afford to try to make it a part of himself, however briefly.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】诺艾丽十七岁时,早先便有的那种美丽就更加显得出类拔萃。她已经长成了一个俊俏的女郎:身材苗条,一双媚人的紫色眼睛,加上柔软的淡褐色头发,标致极了。她的皮肤洁白细嫩,好像在蜜糖里浸过似的;胸脯饱满结实,腰身纤细,双臀浑圆,长长的双腿线条优美,脚踝曲线玲珑。她讲起话来,也是温柔清脆,甜美动听。但她的女性魔力,主要还不在于身体上散发出来的强烈的、火辣的性感,而在于从她身上散发出来的那种天真无邪、一种凛然不可冒犯的纯真。肌体上的完美加上少女的天真,使她无论在街上走到哪里都要招来无数来自路人的惊异眼光。这些眼光与马赛街头那些马路天使们随时都会遇到的肆意挑逗是截然不同的。即使是最没有头脑的笨蛋,也看得出诺艾丽确实非同寻常。她这样的芳颜,他们过去未曾见过,今后也难能重睹。只要能拥有她,哪怕是一朝一夕,每个人都心甘情愿地为她倾其所有,耗尽所能。 [解析] At seventeen the promise of Noelle"s early beauty had been more than fulfilled.
这句话是整个段落的主题句,段落由此展开,阐述诺艾丽如何美丽动人。“fulfill the promise of”是“兑现承诺”的意思。这里“兑现早先美丽的承诺”的真实含义是“诺艾丽小小年纪时便可看出长大会是个大美人,到了十七岁时,果真出落得美丽动人”。因此原句并没有拘泥于“promise”(承诺)的本意,而是稍加改变,采用意译的手法,将她出落为大美人这层信息表达出来即可。
诺艾丽十七岁时,早先便有的那种美丽就更加显得出类拔萃。
She had matured into an exquisite woman. She had fine, delicate features, eyes a vivid violet color and soft ash-blond hair.
为总体介绍,接下来展开例证,因此中间使用冒号断开。翻译时我们需要做到译文语言中心突出,逻辑清晰,层次分明,语义明确。也就是说在翻译时应该首先把这些信息看成是一个完整的语义分析单位,将词语、分句、句子有机结合。其次,原文中的形容词在翻译时需要选择恰当的词语对应,例如:fine,delicate形容“身材”,取“苗条”之意;原文只形容了眼睛的颜色,翻译时,加上“媚人的”加以总结;最后,再以“标致极了”作为这两句的结语。
她已经长成了一个俊俏的女郎:身材苗条,一双媚人的紫色眼睛,加上柔软的淡褐色头发,标致极了。
She could not walk down the streets without receiving propositions from passersby.
原句是双重否定句“她走到哪里,都不可能不招来……目光”,但是这样的双重否定我们在中文中并不常用,而我们知道双重否定表肯定,因此我们完全可以将其转化为肯定句“她走到哪里,都要招来……目光。”肯定与否定相互转换在双语翻译中很常见,需要考生熟练掌握。
肌体上的完美加上少女的天真,使她无论在街上走到哪里都要招来无数来自路人的惊异眼光。
They were not the casual offers that the prostitutes of Marseille received as their daily currency, for even the most obtuse men perceived something special in Noelle, something that they had never seen before and perhaps would never see again, and each was willing to pay as much as he could afford to try to make it a part of himself, however briefly.
“pay as much as he could afford”字面意思即“将自己能够付出的全部付出也在所不惜”。较为文学性的说法就是“倾其所有,耗其所能”。“however briefly”字面意思是“不管多么短暂”,参考译文将其处理为“哪怕是一朝一夕”,增强了语言的文学性。
这些眼光与马赛街头那些马路天使们随时都会遇到的肆意挑逗是截然不同的。即使是最没有头脑的笨蛋,也看得出诺艾丽确实非同寻常。她这样的芳颜,他们过去未曾见过,今后也难能重睹。只要能拥有她,哪怕是一朝一夕,每个人都心甘情愿地为她倾其所有,耗尽所能。