國民女神、總理記者會翻譯張璐就曾經(jīng)透露，在正式的開會之前，翻譯往往要花好幾倍的時間做譯前準備?！安坏綍h結(jié)束，誰都不知道自己到底準備得好不好。”張璐說，在每次準備活動之前，她都要根據(jù)活動的性質(zhì)、重要程度、內(nèi)容、影響程度以及自己的熟悉程度來做各種不同的方案?！坝幸粋€同事，他要為霍金翻譯，這個活動最多不會超過一個小時，但他提前好幾個月把《時間簡史》這本書翻來覆去看了好幾遍，還專門研究了一下。” 再看看張璐在記者會上出口成章，各種古詩文翻譯準確又傳神，就知道一個完美翻譯的背后，一定有無數(shù)的辛勞付出： 不畏浮云遮望眼，只緣身在最高層。As a Chinese poem reads, we have no fear of the clouds that may block our sight, as we are already at the top of the height.入則懇懇以盡忠，出則謙謙以自悔。When one is in office, he should discharge his duty conscientiously; when leaving office, he should conduct himself with humanity and exercise self-reflection. 茍利國家生死以，豈因禍福避趨之。I shall dedicate myself to the interests of the country in life and death, irrespective of personal will and world.
翻譯不僅要邊聽邊翻一心多用，而且語言素養(yǎng)極高，臨場反應極快，還要全知全能...簡直堪稱神一般的存在！ 他們究竟是怎樣工作的？譯員是如何做到兩種語言無縫銜接的？口譯又有哪些方法和技巧呢？ 中英全文 In 1956, during a diplomatic reception in Moscow, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev told Western Bloc ambassadors: Мы вас похороним. His interpreter rendered that into English as 'We will bury you!'1956年，在莫斯科的一場外交招待會上，蘇聯(lián)領(lǐng)導人赫魯曉夫?qū)ξ鞣疥嚑I國家的大使們說：“Мы вас похороним!' 他的口譯員將這句話英文譯為：'我們要將你們埋葬！'This statement sent shockwaves through the Western world, heightening the tension between the Soviet Union and the US who were in the thick of the Cold War. Some believe this incident alone set East/West relations back a decade.赫魯曉夫這項聲明震驚了整個西方世界，讓原本就處于冷戰(zhàn)期間的蘇聯(lián)與美國兩國間的關(guān)系，更是進一步降至冰點。有些人甚至認為，僅僅這一事件，就讓東西方關(guān)系整整倒退十年。As it turns out, Khrushchev's remark was translated a bit too literally. Given the context, his words should have been rendered as, 'We will live to see you buried', meaning that Communism would outlast Capitalism, a less threatening comment.后來才發(fā)現(xiàn)，口譯員對赫魯曉夫言論的翻譯過于直譯。對照上下文，他的話應該被譯為：'我們會活著，看你們自掘墳墓！'意思是，共產(chǎn)主義會比資本主義維持得更長久。原本是個威脅性較低的言論。Though the intended meaning was eventually clarified, the initial impact of Khrushchev's apparent words put the world on a path that could have led to nuclear armageddon.雖然赫魯曉夫的本意最終得到了澄清，但那段英文直譯所帶來的強烈沖擊，甚至可能會導致整個世界走上核武戰(zhàn)爭的不歸路。So now, given the complexities of language and cultural exchange, how does this sort of thing not happen all the time?現(xiàn)如今，鑒于各國語言與文化交流的復雜性，此類誤解為何卻沒有頻繁發(fā)生呢？Much of the answer lies with the skill and training of interpreters to overcome language barriers.這便要歸功于口譯人員的技巧與訓練，成為克服語言障礙的關(guān)鍵。 For most of history, interpretation was mainly done consecutively, with speakers and interpreters making pauses to allow each other to speak. But after the advent of radio technology, a new simultaneous interpretations system was developed in the wake of World War II.在歷史上，口譯主要是連續(xù)傳譯或交替?zhèn)髯g。即發(fā)言者講完一段，會停下讓口譯員翻譯，以此方式交替進行。但隨著無線電技術(shù)的問世，一種全新的同聲傳譯系統(tǒng)， 在二戰(zhàn)期間迅速發(fā)展起來。In the simultaneous mode, interpreters instantaneously translate a speaker's words into a microphone while he speaks. Without pauses, those in the audience can choose the language in which they want to follow.在同步模式下，在發(fā)言者說話的同時，口譯人員便對著麥克風 ，進行實時的同步翻譯，無需任何暫停。聽眾可自行選擇語言，用耳機聽取口譯員的翻譯。On the surface, it all looks seamless, but behind the scenes, human interpreters work incessantly to ensure every idea gets across as intended. And that is no easy task. It takes about two years of training for already fluent bilingual professionals to expand their vocabulary and master the skills necessary to become a conference interpreter.表面上看來，是無縫銜接。但是在幕后，口譯人員辛勤工作，以確保發(fā)言者的每個觀點都能得到明確傳達。這可不是輕松的任務。即便是雙語流利的專業(yè)人士，也要經(jīng)過整整兩年的訓練，去擴充詞匯量，并掌握必要方法和技巧，才足以勝任會議的同聲傳譯員。To get used to the unnatural task of speaking while they listen, students shadow speakers and repeat their every word exactly as heard in the same language.為訓練這種邊聽邊說，一心多用的 '超自然的'能力，口譯學員會跟著發(fā)言者用原語言跟讀，復述他們所說的每一個字。 In time, they begin to paraphrase what is said, making stylistic adjustments as they go. At some point, a second language is introduced.練習一段時間后，再將發(fā)言者的原話改述，并進行語言風格的調(diào)整。之后，再以第二語言進行釋義。Practicing in this way creates new neural pathways in the interpreter's brain, and the constant effort of reformulation gradually becomes second nature. Over time and through much hard work, the interpreter masters a vast array of tricks to keep up with speed, deal with challenging terminology, and handle a multitude of foreign accents.口譯員運用這種方法練習，以創(chuàng)造全新的大腦思維方式，再加上不懈的努力，逐漸使之成為習慣。經(jīng)過長時間的刻苦訓練，在口譯員掌握大量方法和技巧后，便得以逐漸提速。同時還能翻譯專業(yè)術(shù)語，并掌握大量不同口音。 They may resort to acronyms to shorten long names, choose generic terms over specific, choose generic terms over specific, or refer to slides and other visual aides. They can even leave a term in the original language while they search for the most accurate equivalent.他們可能會運用縮寫來記憶過長的名稱，會使用大眾化詞語，而非專業(yè)術(shù)語，或運用幻燈片和其他視覺輔助。在找到最準確、最恰當?shù)姆g前，他們甚至可以暫時保留原語言的字詞。Interpreters are also skilled at keeping aplomb in the face of chaos. Remember, they have no control over who is going to say what, or how articulate the speaker will sound. A curveball can be thrown at any time.口譯員擁有面對混亂場面，也能沉著冷靜，泰然自若的本領(lǐng)。要知道，口譯員無法掌控哪位發(fā)言者會說些什么內(nèi)容，也無法掌控他們的發(fā)音是否清晰流利。意外隨時都可能發(fā)生。Also, they often perform to thousands of people, and in very intimidating settings, like the UN General Assembly.此外，他們通常要在成千上萬人參加的會議中，或很有壓迫感的環(huán)境里，做現(xiàn)場口譯，比如聯(lián)合國大會。To keep their emotions in check, they carefully prepare for an assignment, building glossaries in advance, reading voraciously about the subject matter, and reviewing previous talks on the topic.為保證自己情緒平穩(wěn)，每項口譯任務前，他們都會認真做好準備，提前積累專業(yè)術(shù)語的詞匯表，大量閱讀相關(guān)題材，并溫習相關(guān)主題的演講內(nèi)容。Finally, interpreters work in pairs. While one colleague is busy translating incoming speeches in real time, the other gives support by locating documents, looking up words, and tracking down pertinent information.通常是兩位口譯員共同配合工作，在其中一人忙著進行實時翻譯的時候，另一位會在旁提供支援，如查找文件和詞匯，并搜尋相關(guān)參考信息。Because simultaneous interpretation requires intense concentration, every 30 minutes, the pair switches roles. Success is heavily dependent on skillful collaboration.因為同聲傳譯需要超高強度的專注力，每隔半小時，兩位口譯員會角色互換。成功與否，在很大程度上依賴于彼此的默契配合。Language is complex, and when abstract or nuanced concepts get lost in translation, the consequences may be catastrophic.語言很復雜，當一些抽象概念或細微差別的概念被誤譯時，后果可能會是災難性的。As Margaret Atwood famously noted, 'War is what happens when language fails.' Conference interpreters of all people are aware of that, and work diligently behind the scenes to make sure it never does.正如瑪格麗特·阿特伍德的名言: “溝通失效后，戰(zhàn)爭便一觸即發(fā)。”會議口譯員最能切身體會到這一點。所以，他們便在幕后辛勤工作，以確保此事不會發(fā)生。 視頻請戳：
