TED演讲:口译者如何同时玩转两种语言(1)

 　　In 1956, during a diplomatic reception in Moscow, Soviet¹ leader Nikita Khrushchev told Western Bloc² ambassadors, "My vas pokhoronim!" 1956年，赫鲁晓夫在莫斯科接见西方诸国大使时如此说道："My vas pokhoronim！"

　　His interpreter rendered that into English as, "We will bury you!" 译员把这句话翻译成“我要埋葬你们！”

　　This statement sent shockwaves through the Western world,  这句话引起西方世界的一片哗然，

　　heightening the tension between the Soviet Union and the US who were in the thick of the Cold War. 美俄本就处在冷战白热化阶段，如此一来局势更为紧张。

　　Some believe this incident alone set East/West relations back a decade. 有人认为仅此次事件就让美俄关系倒退10年。

　　As it turns out, Khrushchev's remark was translated a bit too literally³. 后来人们发现，这句话的翻译太拘泥于原文。

　　Given the context, his words should have been rendered as, "We will live to see you buried,"  结合上下文，这句话应该译成“我们会亲眼看着你们被埋葬”，

　　meaning that Communism would outlast⁴ Capitalism⁵, a less threatening comment. 意思是共产主义会比资本主义长久，这样一来威胁意味就没有那么强烈。

　　Though the intended meaning was eventually clarified,  虽然赫鲁晓夫这句话的本意最终得以澄清，

　　the initial impact of Khrushchev's apparent words put the world on a path that could have led to nuclear armageddon. 但最初字面意思所造成的影响，险些导致世界核武器大决战。

　　So now, given the complexities⁶ of language and cultural exchange, how does this sort of thing not happen all the time? 既然语言和文化交流如此复杂，那为何此类事件没有经常发生？

　　Much of the answer lies with the skill and training of interpreters to overcome language barriers. 答案在于译员经受训练并运用技巧克服语言障碍。

　　For most of history, interpretation⁷ was mainly done consecutively⁸, with speakers and interpreters making pauses to allow each other to speak. 古往今来，翻译是以交替传译为主，演讲者和译员时不时停下来让对方发言。

　　But after the advent⁹ of radio technology, a new simultaneous interpretations¹⁰ system was developed in the wake of World War II. 无线电技术诞生后，前所未有的同传体系在二战中建立起来。

1 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

2 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

3 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

4 outlast   

v.较…耐久

参考例句：

• The great use of life is to spend it doing something that will outlast it.人生的充分利用就是为争取比人生更长久的东西而度过一生。
• These naturally dried flowers will outlast a bouquet of fresh blooms.这些自然风干的花会比一束鲜花更加持久。

5 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

6 complexities   

复杂性(complexity的名词复数)； 复杂的事物

参考例句：

• The complexities of life bothered him. 生活的复杂使他困惑。
• The complexities of life bothered me. 生活的杂乱事儿使我心烦。

7 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

8 consecutively   

adv.连续地

参考例句：

• He was actually too depleted to think consecutively about anything. 他已经打不起一点精神，根本谈不上好好思考一下。 来自辞典例句
• In any game, the right to serve shall pass consecutively. 在一局中，不错的发球挨次应该是。 来自互联网

9 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

10 interpretations   

n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 )；表演；演绎；理解

参考例句：

• This passage is open to a variety of interpretations. 这篇文章可以有各种不同的解释。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The involved and abstruse passage makes several interpretations possible. 这段艰涩的文字可以作出好几种解释。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》