翻譯大師教你寫出好句子: 其實即係轉詞性

早前看了本書,教寫英文.作者係台灣從事翻譯工作的教授.她整本書都係例句,示範英文應怎樣寫. 我睇過覺得幾有啟發性.

第一章,佢用左5句作為示範,從中我們可以看出, 英文係幾咁婉轉.若用中文方式去寫英文,即使文法?, style也不好. 因為中文表達的意思很白, 若用英文去講, 有多一種修飾.

大家可以試下翻譯以下這5句, 再看看作者的答案:

1. 他感到很失望, 所以他一個字都不說.

2. 不管你的心情如何, 你就是不能偷懶!

3. 他雖然窮得不得了, 但是他對自己仍是充滿信心.

4. 她辛苦工作了二十年後, 終於買下了第一個房子.

5. 我一向如此, 而且以後也不改變!

大部分中國學生會這樣用英文寫這幾句:

1. He feels very disappointed, so he does not say a word.

2. No matter how you feel, you can't be lazy.

3. Even though he is terrribly poor, he is still confident in himself.

4. After she has worked very hard for 20 years, she finally bought her first apartment.

5. I am always like this, and I won't change, either.

係咪好熟口熟面呢?因為我們大多數香港人也是這樣寫英文. 看看教授如何寫正確的英文:

1. Disappointedly, he remains speechless. (動詞轉副詞, 動詞轉形容詞)

2. Your state of mind can't justisfy your laziness. (動詞轉名詞, 形容詞變名詞,兩句用動詞合成一句)

3. His extreme poverty doesn't deprive of his self-esteem. (形容詞轉名詞x2, 兩句用動詞合成一句, 正說變反說)

4. Twenty years' hard work was rewarded with her first apartment.(動詞變名詞x2, 兩句用動詞合成一句)

5. I will be what I have been.(兩句用動詞合成一句)