参考答案

正确答案：Dr. An Wang a well-known Chinese American computer entrepreneur once remarked that an incident that had a lifetime influence on him occurred when he was six.One day he ran outside to play. As he walked past a large tree from underneath a bird nest fell on his head and out fluttered a baby sparrow crying piteously for food. He decided to keep the poor creature at home and took it along with its nest. He was about to enter the house when he remembered that his mother would not allow him to keep any pets. Gentry he placed the little sparrow behind the door and hurried in to seek approval from his mother who finally bent the rule upon her son"s pleas. Overjoyed he ran back to the door only to find the bird disappeared and a black cat rubbing its mouth with its paws after a delicious meal. This incident had saddened Wang for a long time. An important lesson he learned from it was: never hesitate over what one believes to be the right thing to do: indecision may allow one to avoid certain mistakes but it may also deprive one of the opportunity to succeed.
本篇出自《当机应立断》，译文出自李运兴之手。故事短小精悍，寓意深刻，读来收获不小。翻译时，不仅需要充分运用近语境，而且要学会利用远语境，以期译出质量上乘的译作。电脑名人：根据语境将其具体化为“well-knowncomputerentrepreneur”。外出：原文中的“外出”是一个比较笼统的讲法，考虑到作者当时只有6岁，故译为“ranoutside”。里面滚出一只嗷嗷待哺的小麻雀：联系前文，说明“我”对鸟巢掉在头上一点准备都没有，句式上采用倒装，突出小鸟“滚出”之快。“嗷嗷待哺”用“cryingpiteouslyforfood”译出，“piteously”一词既使得“嗷嗷待哺”语义更加丰满，又起到承上启下的作用，为“我”做出下一步决定埋下伏笔。养小动物：“养小动物”就是“养宠物”，译为“raise／keepanypets”。在他的哀求下妈妈破例答应了儿子：“破例”表示“打破常例”，可译为“breakarule”，“makeanexception”，“bendarule”等。故整句译为“whofinallybenttheruleuponherson’spleas”。不料：英语常用“onlytodosomething”，表示“随即发生的事情出乎意料”。意犹未尽地：指猫吃了麻雀之后，还想吃，考生可以将隐性转换为显性。译为“ablackcatrubbingitsmouthwithitspawsafteradeliciousmeal”。王安为此伤心了很久：原文的主语是“王安”，翻译时可以转换视角，用“事件”作主语。译为：“ThisincidenthadsaddenedWangforalongtime．”。从此：“此”指代“这件事”，而非“sincethen”。理解正确是翻译顺畅的保证。