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旅游英语与翻译实践研究
1.7.1.3 三、设问和反问及其翻译
三、设问和反问及其翻译

设问和反问是中英文都有的修辞手法,主要是通过提问及作答或不作答的方式激发读者去思索、体会,实际上目的在于加深读者的印象,或突出要表达的内容和观点,从而使文章结构更紧凑,更富有起伏变化和艺术感染力。因此,旅游宣传文本中使用设问和反问是一种常见的表达方式。由于中英文两种语言中均存在这两种修辞方式,所以一般直译即可。请看下面的例子:

例9:

Where can you be greeted in 11 languages on Swiss National Day? In Interlaken of course!

瑞士国庆节期间在哪里可以收到11种语言的问候?当然是在因特拉肯!

例10:

Was there engineering genius involved? Yes, there was.For example,when you’re putting the block right at the top, how are you going to lug a block of stone that weighs several tons 480 feet up a structure? How are you going to do it, and how are you going to do it without leaving scratches on all the rest of the structure? And how many people does it take to drag a block weighing several tons 480 feet up into the sky?Approximately, 2.3 million blocks of stone were cut, transported and assembled to create the Great Pyramid.

其中是否显示出工程天赋?回答是肯定的。譬如,要把大块石头放到顶部,可如何将一块重量达几吨的石块拉上480英尺的顶部?这又如何才能做到?怎样才能不至于在整个塔上留下划痕?将这样重的一块石头放到顶上又需要多少人?要知道,建造大金字塔大约切割、运送、安装了约230万这样的石头。

例11:

菩萨如此兴奋,急步前行到底是要看什么地方?原来金光四射之地,正是泾县古八景之一的“旵山夕照”!

Bodhisattva was so excited that he hurried forward to find out what a place it was.It turned out to be a place with splendor in all directions.Later it was named “Chanshan Sunset Glow”, one of the ancient scenic spots of Jingxian County.

例12:

无数滑鼠一起畅泳,是要暗示现代人类成了科技的奴隶吗?百搭的中国传统桃花图案,又传达了怎样的社会现象?到澳门塔石艺文馆看看就自有分晓。

Is a mass of mouses swimming merrily towards a bullseye a comment upon today’s blind reliance upon technology? Can the peach blossom textile so common to Chinese clothing be used successfully as banners or saucers? Stop by the Tap Seac Gallery to find out everything.

以上四个例句中,例9、例11和例12均使用了设问句,例10开始是设问,后面是反问句,无论是英文还是中文,翻译中均作了直译处理,这样还可以保持原文的语气和感染力。