我们的祖先讲究天人合一,追求的是与大自然的和谐,物我一体,所以客主不分;而西方哲学思维是天人各一,突出个性,强调向自然的索取,主、客观对立,在描绘自然时,总是站在自然之外去欣赏,所以比较注重客观实在。这种差异,在旅游翻译中就能明显地感觉到。
在叙述客观事物时,汉语往往从自我出发,或倾向于描述人及其行为或状态,因而常用人称。
而英语常用物称表达法,不用人称来叙述,而让事物以客观的口气呈现出来。
英语常用非人称主语,汉语常用人称主语。用非人称主语表达时,英语往往注重“什么事发生在了什么人身上”,而汉语往往用人称主语表达,注重“什么人怎么样了”,如:
What has happened to you?
你出什么事了?
An idea suddenly struck me.
我突然想到了一个主意。
Those problems demand for their immediate solution.
他们需要立即解决这些问题。
Dusk found him crying in the street.
到了黄昏时,他在街上哭起来。
一看到那棵大树,我便想起了童年的情景。
The sight of the big tree always reminds me of my childhood.
近来忙于其他事物,未能早日回复,深感抱歉。
I am very sorry that the pressure of other occupations has prevented me from sending an earlier reply to you.
(祥林嫂)口角边渐渐的有了笑影,脸上也白胖了。
Little by little the trace of a smile appeared at the corners of her mouth, while the face became whiter and plumper.
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