翻译辨析:"easily"一点都不"easy"

英语作文    发布时间:2023-11-13  
划词翻译

原文:

We will easily be late.

原译:

我们将很容易迟到。


辨 析:

且不说原译中的“将”字颇有点翻译腔,全句意思在逻辑上也说不通。

easy的意思是“容易的”,easily意为“容易地”好像是顺理成章的事。可是原译者忘了上下文这一重要原则。在We can win/do it easily 之类的句子里,将easily译为“容易地”、“轻而易举地”等没有问题,如:

We easily identified the man.我们很容易地 查明了那个人的身份。


在形容某个人具有的某种特点时则可译为“轻易地”,如:

She doesn't blush easily .她轻易 不脸红。(注意词序)


有时easily有“顺利”的意思,如:

The machine was running easily .机器运转顺利 。


可是原句中的easily却是另一个意思,这里表示说话人的一种猜测,常和can, may一类的情态助动词连用,意思为“多半”、“很可能”,如:

The terrorist might easily have boarded the plane.那个恐怖分子很可能已经上了飞机。

That may easily be the case.情况很可能是这样的。

Gambling can all too easily become an addiction.赌博极容易上瘾。


所以原句的正确译文应该是:我们很可能迟到


实际上easily作为一个常用词,还有别的意思,比如:

He was easily the greatest painter of his times. 中的easily也不能译为“容易地”。全句的意思是“(毫)无疑(问) ,他是他那个时代最伟大的画家。”

His son grinned easily back at him. 中的easily是“轻松地”、“自在地”的意思。

在口语中,easily还有“至少”的意思,如:That job would easily take us three whole weeks.(那项工作至少要花去我们整整三个星期的时间。)


"easily" 构成的一些常见短语

easily accessible:容易接近的;易于获得的

The library is easily accessible from the main campus. (图书馆从主校区很容易到达。)

easily understood:易懂的;容易理解的

The teacher explained the concept in a way that was easily understood by the students. (老师用一种学生容易理解的方式解释了这个概念。)

easily confused:容易混淆的

The two species of birds are easily confused because they look so similar. (这两种鸟因为看起来太相似,很容易混淆。)

easily broken:易碎的

The vase was easily broken, so we had to handle it with care. (花瓶很容易打破,所以我们必须小心处理。)

easily accessible:容易接近的;易于获得的

The library is easily accessible from the main campus. (图书馆从主校区很容易到达。)